We were also pleased with the app’s per-
formance when we converted a single epi-
sode using the H.264 codec—again, times
were similar to Nero’s, and in both apps, the
encoder took advantage of all four cores in
our test rig. However, EMC 10 bests Nero
with support for far more codecs, including
DivX and straight H.264.
Something you won’t find in EMC 10
is support for Blu-ray, HD DVD, or even
AVCHD authoring (or playback, for that
matter). You can, however, burn data discs
in either the Blu-ray or HD DVD formats,
provided you have a capable burner, of
course. We tested this functionality by
burning 22GB of data to a single-layer
Blu-ray disc, which took EMC 10 about 90
minutes, the same as Nero.
Other notable features in EMC 10 include
the ability to rip two CDs simultaneously;
a backup component that’s not quite as
robust as Nero’s, but does let you sched-
ule and perform unattended full or partial
backups; and Media Manager, which gives
you views of all the media on your PC and
connected devices, lets you create profiles
for syncing between the two, and offers a
preview function from within the interface.
Media Manager also gives you an Upload to
YouTube option when you right-click on any
media file—and it actually worked.
But we wouldn’t say that EMC 10
performed without incident. Besides the
CinePlayer glitch we described above, we
also experienced occasional lockups in
MyDVD and found that we were unable to
stop a transcoding job via the Cancel but-
ton—rather, we had to resort to Ctrl+Alt+Del.
Such are the pitfalls of such mammoth
software packages; there are bound to be
wrinkles that still need ironing out. We were
also peeved to discover that an update of
the program requires a user to register and
re-enter the friggin’ product code. Nero
doesn’t require either action to update.
If Nero 8 is the media-creation suite for
power users, EMC 10 is for everyone else.
And we really mean everyone: from thegrandma who just wants to put together
a photo album with minimal fuss to young
Billy who can’t get enough of ringtones,
MySpace, and anything PSP. In that respect,
this is probably a good family app—but it’s
way more than any single, serious computer
user is likely to use, so why tolerate the cost,
clutter, and inherent compromises?The green arrows in the corner of your media files let you preview content from
with Media Manager.http://www.maximumpc.com | apr 08 | MAXIMUMPC 55
7
roxio easy media creator 10
$100 ($70 upgrade), http://www.roxio.comAre SuiTeS for
SuckerS?Testing these two massive apps has us believing
that less is more
We hate to give two competing apps the exact same
verdict, but Nero 8 Ultra and Easy Media Creator 10
have impressed and appalled us to similar degrees.
In the end, we felt they were both merely adequate
as complete packages. Yes, it would be nice to have
the handful of apps that each package excels at,
but all the other add-ons jack up the price and tar-nish the shine on the winners. We believe we’d be
smarter, savvier, more Maximum PC, if you will, by
choosing just the media-creation apps that suit our
purposes from the various resources at our disposal.
After all, iTunes, Windows, DVD Shrink, AutoGK, and
the wonderful world of the web all offer serviceable
free alternatives that will augment the basic burning
software that comes with retail burners. And if you
require more advanced features, you’re likely better
off buying a few single-purpose programs than a do-
it-all hodgepodge. That’s just our two cents.