Badaboom 1.0 now available - uses NVIDIA GPUs for transcoding video

The final version of Badaboom was released this week, this is a new video transcoding application that takes advantage of NVIDIA's CUDA technology to significantly boost video transcoding performance with GeForce graphics cards.

Elemental Technologies’ Badaboom™ Media Converter takes a fundamentally different approach to video format conversion from other solutions. Instead of performing format conversion on the CPU, it harnesses massively parallel GPUs from NVIDIA. By using the power of the GPU, the time required for video conversion is reduced. As an added bonus, you can still use the CPU for normal everyday tasks such as email and internet browsing. Anyone can now painlessly convert video between formats including AVCHD, leaving more time to enjoy the video and eliminating the frustration of video conversion delays. The Badaboom™ Media Converter provides a simple to use tool for standard definition media conversion.

The software costs $29.99 but can download a trial version at Badaboom.



The Tech Report tested the application and says that while it's really fast, there are still some annoying limitations:

Badaboom does have limitations, though. It can't natively transcode copy-protected DVDs (essentially all legit DVD movies and shows), we couldn't get it to transcode a QuickTime movie trailer from Apple's website (the software complained about not supporting the AAC audio in the file), and it lacks support for DivX and XviD video. We asked Blackman about these issues, and he told us Elemental will release a new version of Badaboom in late November or early December with support for DivX, the latest Windows Media Video codec with VC-1, and AAC audio. "Another major consumer codec" will make its way into the software next year, as well.

On the topic of DVDs, Blackman made it clear that Elemental doesn't advocate or support ripping copy-protected discs. However, were you to use a third-party tool to decrypt the DVD, Badaboom should have no trouble transcoding it. That means you could just use one of the few apps out there to disable a DVD's copy protection then get Badaboom to convert it—assuming that's is legal in your country of residence, of course. You wouldn't want the MPAA busting your door down.