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Reviews related to : Video editing software
Nero and Roxio have been competing for domination of the disk-burning marketplace for several years. Both companies have added feature on feature with the result that the original disk burning facility could be regarded as a minor function.
Naturally this latest version of Roxio’s flagship product comes bearing the Windows 7 logo and supports a wide range of import/output formats for video, audio and photos. Installing the product seemed to be a little quicker than the Nero product on the same system although I neglected to take precise timings to prove this and have to rely on my perception. However both products fire up in 10 seconds to present the user with a front-end.
By putting together features that include photo, video and music plus burning and sharing software, you end up with a product entitled Digital Studio 2010. This is Corel’s attempt to tackle the photo and video market for those with limited experience in this particular area.
With a tag line of "Create it. Play it. Organise it. Share it", a new product from CyberLink sets out to provide support for the upsurge in digital lifestyles.
As its title indicates, CyberLink Media Suite 8 Ultra brings together a number of tools designed to work with your digital content. Entering the same territory covered by products such as Nero Reloaded and Roxio Creator 10, this CyberLink software opens with an interface that categorises its functionality into the areas of Music, Movie Player, Data Photo, Video, Copy & Backup plus a number of utilities represented by icons running across the bottom of the screen.
Nero has been around for many years, first as one of two excellent CD copying programs (I remember using it with Windows 98) and more recently as a Back Up package of repute now with version 10 it’s a Multimedia Suite.
Even when installed on a Windows 7 system this package needs to install various Microsoft C++ and Direct 3D items then it requires a reboot and on my machine anyway you needed to remove the installation DVD or it tried to start a restore from the DVD. The total time taken for both parts of the install including the reboot was 26 minutes. In total my hard disk had lost 3.35GB of hard disc space after the Microsoft and Nero installations.
Memories can be transient especially over the passage of time. It is for this reason that we often take the precaution of storing special moments using the technology that was current at the time.
Unfortunately that which was created by yesterday’s tools is often incompatible with the modern devices developed using today’s technology. Put simply, content stored on VHS tape is in danger of being lost due to issues such as deterioration caused through moisture and geomagnetism as well as an inability to replace faulty equipment because manufacturers are no longer making the kit as they switch production to disk-based PVRs (Personal Video Recorders) and the like.
Capturing video clips can be great fun as you record memories of family occasions and other events. However what you actually do with this content when you have transferred it to your computer’s hard disk is another matter entirely.
Not everybody has the time, inclination or skill to adopt the role of a film director and make productive use of the content. Yes there are a number of software applications that can turn your work into a format that looks good and has a professional sheen but they do expect the user to have a certain amount of expertise in this field. Not everybody, even in their wildest dream, would consider themselves to have such skills.
Rather than increase the version number by one, Nero has added the word “Reloaded” to its recently enhanced flagship product.
Like the Matrix, and a previous version of its flagship product, Nero has added the word “Reloaded” to Nero 9. Not only has the title received an addition but Nero, that’s the company not the product, has added some new features and bundled another of its products with Nero 9 Reloaded. However before moving on to these new features and bundled title, lets have a quick recap on some of the functionality of the original version 9 before it became Reloaded.
While most will buy this latest version of PowerDVD for its ability to play Blu-ray movies (providing of course you have a Blu-ray drive) it can and does support other formats. I am not sure why Windows 7 does not nativity support Blu-ray.
Trips to the cinema can sometimes be spoilt by unnecessary noise from other members of the audience – so why not watch from home?
As a child, it was considered a great family treat to embark on an occasional trip to the local cinema with the possibility of being rewarded with a choc ice during the interval. There was also Saturday morning cinema with its diet of cartoons and Western films to look forward to for the princely sum of sixpence (old money of course).
With the number of portable devices capable of showing video clips, it can be confusing when trying to decide on the appropriate video format.
Adding to its range of video editing, DVD player and multimedia software solutions, CyberLink has released a new video conversion software application. This is entitled MediaShow Espresso which immediately reminded me of visits to a local coffee bar in my youth. But enough of nostalgia, lets stick with the present day and this new application from CyberLink.
The most recent incarnation of Roxio's highly functional multi-media authoring package
For the purpose of this review I've installed Roxio on my fairly new 'average' laptop - this machine is by no means top of the range and is probably one of the lowest spec machines on which I'd expect to sensibly edit video : Intel Core2 Duo with 4GB RAM. Installation was particularly slow - but as long as you're patient it will get there in the end. The total installation takes around 1.6GB of disk space.
In the six weeks between this being first shown and my boxed copy arriving I have made good use of the DVD given to me at the time. I installed it on my Windows 7 system and it was great all my photos and videos are now properly tagged.
However I never review other than boxed products and I reviewed it on a Vista system and it also ran well on that. It takes around 12 minutes to install and just over 1½GB of hard disc space. However I know someone who installed it on an XP system where it took a great deal longer to install. This was designed for Windows 7 and even takes full advantage of touch screens when they are actually around in the real world.
It seems like only yesterday that I took a look at Magix Movie Edit Pro 14 (actually it was around six months ago but who is counting) yet here I am sat watching version 15 install itself on my system.
Installation is not the quickest operation but at least it gives me the opportunity, as I wait for the procedure to complete, to tell you that currently this latest version of the product comes bundled with a copy of Photo & Videoshow Soundproof 6. This is on top of the various items, such as Photo Manager 8, Mufin Music Finder, Xtreme Photo Designer, Vasco da Gama 3Magix Edition and iClone 3 SE, that are supplied on the DVD media found in the Movie Edit Pro 15 Plus box.
There are a lot of web cams around and somewhat surprisingly few applications to let you make the most of them. Of course to take an image or a video you need little, however should you want to pep up the content then you need something extra such as CyberLink YouCam 3.
Increasingly applications come as downloads as this one did. The problem I find with that is that there is of course no box and no CD so burn one yourself (this download was just over 100MB) and do remember to include not only the downloaded files but also a text file with the all important serial number so if the worst happens and you need to reinstall the product at any time, you can.
Maybe, like me, when you were a young child you were told not to be grabby when treats came around. Now Terratec wants you to ignore this advice as you use the company’s product to convert your analogue VHS tapes into digital content stored on your hard disk or optical media. Appropriately enough this product is entitled Grabby.
Working in conjunction with Magix’s Movies on DVD software, the Terratec Grabby is a USB style flash stick device. The flash stick element measures 96 x 32 x 12mm. LED lights for power and recording feedback are provided along with a button to activate a quick record feature. Permanently attached to one end are leads for connecting to the audio left / right channels and Video In of your VHS player.
The proliferation of mobile devices using different video standards has created a market for companies to develop video conversion product such as the subject of this next review.
You may remember that a few months ago I took a look at a product that had been developed to aid the conversion and transfer of multimedia content from one format to another. Unfortunately I was less than impressed with the results I was able to achieve with this title which shall remain nameless. Now a competitive product, offering similar functionality, has appeared. This product, from Avanquest, is entitled TransferMy Video.
Like many others I have a collection of VHS tapes holding video content that I would hate to loose. Looking to safeguard this content, I decided to checkout a product from K-World.
As technology advances, so we tend to have reduced access to the previous generations of media-based content. You only have to visit a local boot fair to see numerous examples of people trying to sell off old technology and its content.
For a number of years Roxio and Nero seem to have been playing leapfrog as their burning/media creating software has fought for supremacy. I recently took a look at the latest Nero 9 product and now it is the turn of Roxio Creator 2009.
Released just before but arriving on my desktop just after Nero 9, Creator 2009 is the twelfth version of a product that used to be known as Easy Media Creator. This review is based on the Ultimate Edition of the software which adds a High-Def/Blu-ray Disc plug-in plus tools for audio and backup that are added to the basic package.
While you may not be able to call on the resources of a Spielberg or Lucas, your computer and appropriate software will give you the opportunity to wear a Director’s hat.
While the idea of Nero playing the fiddle as Rome burned is a matter of conjecture; Nero, that is the company formerly known as Ahead, has certainly been busy working away at developing the latest version of its flagship product. This is Nero 9.
Starting primarily as a burning tool, Nero has gradually developed into a full-blown suite for the creation, burning and distribution of digital media. As a result of this multi-functionality, you should be prepared to allocate 1.5GB of hard disk space and be ready for a lengthy installation session as the various files are copied to your system. You will need to enter a 39-character serial number in order to start the installation.
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