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DVD Recording Software Suites

Of the seven DVD burning suites we examined, only Ahead's Nero 6 Ultra Edition handled everything we threw at it--and handled it well.

Tuesday, March 09, 2004, 07:00 PM PST
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Name PCW Rating
DVD Recording Suite
Ahead Software Nero 6 Ultra Edition
Ahead Software Nero 6 Ultra Edition
• DVD authoring, video editing: Very good
• Photo editing and slide shows: Very good
• Audio CD creation: Outstanding
• Labeling: Very good
• CD/DVD mastering: Outstanding
• Packet writing: Very good
• Disc copying: Outstanding
• Backup: Good
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Has everything you?ll need to do almost anything related to CD and DVD creation. Could be more intuitive, but does fine with most tasks.
Pending
Arcsoft DVD & CD Suite 6.5
Arcsoft DVD & CD Suite 6.5
• DVD authoring, video editing: Very good
• Photo editing and slide shows: Fair
• Audio CD creation: Good
• Labeling: Good
• CD/DVD mastering: Good
• Packet writing: Good
• Disc copying: Good
• Backup: Fair
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Includes ShowBiz, a wonderful video authoring and editing tool, but has no file-level backup or a software DVD movie player.
Pending
MedioStream NeoStudio 5
MedioStream NeoStudio 5
• DVD authoring, video editing: Good
• Photo editing and slide shows: Fair
• Audio CD creation: Fair
• Labeling: Fair
• CD/DVD mastering: Good
• Packet writing: n/a
• Disc copying: Good
• Backup: Fair
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Automatically generates slick video projects, but the rest of the suite lags behind the competition. Lacks packet-writing software.
Pending
NewSoft Presto DVD PowerSuite 1.1
NewSoft Presto DVD PowerSuite 1.1
• DVD authoring, video editing: Good
• Photo editing and slide shows: Good
• Audio CD creation: Fair
• Labeling: Good
• CD/DVD mastering: Good
• Packet writing: n/a
• Disc copying: Good
• Backup: n/a
Well-designed interface with context sensitive menus makes suite easy to use. DVD movie burning is particularly simple. No MP3 encoder.
Pending
Pinnacle Instant CD/DVD 8
Pinnacle Instant CD/DVD 8
• DVD authoring, video editing: Good
• Photo editing and slide shows: Fair
• Audio CD creation: Good
• Labeling: Good
• CD/DVD mastering: Good
• Packet writing: Very good
• Disc copying: Very good
• Backup: Fair
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Bargain-priced suite has lots of marvelous features?such as its slick DVD labeling?but also some half-cooked ones (including its software DVD movie player).
Pending
Sonic MyDVD Studio Deluxe 5
Sonic MyDVD Studio Deluxe 5
• DVD authoring, video editing: Good
• Photo editing and slide shows: Fair
• Audio CD creation: Good
• Labeling: Fair
• CD/DVD mastering: Good
• Packet writing: Good
• Disc copying: Fair
• Backup: Poor
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MyDVD makes excellent-looking DVD productions, but the rest of the suite makes little improvement over what is typically bundled with a DVD burner.
Pending
Ulead DVD MovieFactory 3 Disc Creator
Ulead DVD MovieFactory 3 Disc Creator
• DVD authoring, video editing: Good
• Photo editing and slide shows: Good
• Audio CD creation: Fair
• Labeling: Fair
• CD/DVD mastering: Good
• Packet writing: n/a
• Disc copying: Good
• Backup: n/a
Check latest prices
The straightforward interface is well tailored to specific tasks. But the suite lacks depth of features, such as MP3 encoding, and has no packet writing or backup.
Pending
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Next page: DVD Recording Software Suites (Page 2)

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