Apple has released a new full version of DVD Studio Pro, bringing it to version 2.0. DVD Studio Pro is Appleis premiere DVD authoring utility. Unlike iDVD, DVD Studio Pro is aimed at professional users needing powerful authoring abilities, and the Pro product also offers additional output options not available in the consumer version. The newest version features new template libraries with buttons and backgrounds as well as Compressor, an internal transcoding tool. Apple also touts this release as having been rebuilt from the ground up. Most importantly, Apple has lowered the price of the product from US$999 to US$499. According to Apple:

Apple® today announced DVD Studio Pro® 2, a completely new DVD authoring product, rebuilt from the ground up with a breakthrough user interface and packed with innovative features that redefine professional DVD authoring.

With professionally designed and fully customizable templates, an innovative new menu editor, timeline-based track editing and a new world-class, software-based MPEG-2 encoder, DVD Studio Pro 2 is a must have application for every Final Cut Pro® editor, as well as any professional who creates DVDs for a living.

Packed with innovative new features, DVD Studio Pro 2 provides professionals with all the scalability and advanced features they need. With one drag of the mouse, the approachable interface evolves into a DVD authoring powerhouse, exposing the components of your project in the new outline view, comprehensive asset information and the timeline-based track editor.

New professionally designed templates in DVD Studio Pro 2 come with a library of styles, buttons and backgrounds for creating elegantly designed DVDs in a few simple steps. The templates are fully customizable allowing users to jumpstart their DVD projects with the look of a Hollywood title or to create their own templates from scratch to re-use or share with customers and colleagues.

Compressor, a new batch transcoding tool that comes bundled with both DVD Studio Pro 2 and Final Cut Pro 4, lets users batch and export directly to multiple formats including MPEG-2 for DVD, MPEG-4 for streaming media or any supported QuickTime® format.

You can find more information about DVD Studio Pro 2.0 at the Apple Web site. DVD Studio Pro 2.0 is expected to be available in August for US$499.00. Though announced far earlier than most Apple updates, the company has also announced that people who buy version DVD Studio Pro 1.5 now can upgrade to version 2.0 through Appleis up-to-date program for US$29.95. Also, Apple has lowered the price of version 1.5 to US$499 to match the pricing of version 2.0.