Released as part of the Adobe CS3 Production Premium Suite, Encore CS3 has been part of the Adobe stable since 2003. But with the introduction of Internet 2 and RIAs, video production for the web is on the rise and even amateur videographers are after competent tools. Of course, this tool and this Suite aren't just for the web.

So, what does it do? Encore is a tool for authoring DVDs, Blu-ray discs and SWF content, it isn't sold separately, only as part of the Suite or with Premiere Pro CS3 but it could probably suit just about all your disc authoring needs. You can import footage, create timelines and menus, add audio and best of all, it looks and works very much like Premiere Pro, so there won't be a big learning curve for new users ... all of which goes towards making Encore Premiere's new best buddy.

Encore is simply great for creating menus and for its interactivity with Adobe Photoshop. You can import images from Photoshop direct to Encore and Encore will recognise the layers and layer groups! If you do some work on your images in Photoshop then Encore will reflect the changes, automatically in your Encore project ... now there's a nice feature.

For me Encore's smooth integration with Photoshop and its ability to export to SWF makes this product ideal for presenting your clients with work-to-date quickly and easily.

Encore also has great integration with Adobe After Effects which makes it a strong part of an efficient post-production workflow. Import and animate Photoshop layers. Automatically create Photoshop files that match the current project's frame size and aspect ratio. Drag and drop or copy and paste clips and timelines between Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 and After Effects CS3 Professional. Tools with a workflow that any professional videographer would be proud of.

Encore's Slideshow editor is a great feature which allows for the addition of multiple transitions, effects and music to a slideshow.

If you're in the business of making movies either for the web or for the screen then this tool rules. The combination of Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Encore and After Effects should push the offering from Mac out the door, especially now that Adobe offers the CS3 Production Premium Suite to Mac users. The product is a bit pricey (like most Adobe products) but it is well worth the money, in my opinion. A double thumbs up from me.