MaximumPC 2003 12

MyDVD Studio Deluxe

Sonic has a tonic for burning tasks a’chronic

I

f you’re going to offer a suite of software to folks who likely already

own similar applications, at least one app in the package has to be truly

exceptional. Sadly, there’s no such application in MyDVD Studio Deluxe ;

just competent and useful software that’s likely to be redundant to what you

already own.

The package includes MyDVD Deluxe 5 for making your own DVD-

Video discs; RecordNow! Deluxe 5 for all other CD and DVD burning tasks

(including data backup and audio CD creation); Cineplayer 1 for DVD-Video

playback; and Sonic Express Labeler 3 for making labels to stick on your

discs so everyone will know what you’ve done. We put our highest hopes

on MyDVD 5. Making DVD-Video discs with full-motion backgrounds and

custom audio within MyDVD has been a snap since version 4, making it

our preferred low-end authoring tool. But we noticed very little difference

between that version and MyDVD Deluxe 5. The program crashes less

often, which we are grateful for, and transcoding (the process of massaging

audio and video into a format compliant with the DVD-Video spec) is

much faster. The process of making a bare-bones DVD from 15 minutes

of captured footage, using a template with a full-motion background, took

just 6:12 (min:sec). That includes less than 90 seconds for administrative

overhead (building the menu structure, transcoding, etc.), and less than six

minutes to burn the disc using 4x DVD+R media. But you still can’t position

menu buttons where you want them, or make your own submenu button

graphic. Argh!

There are, however, a couple surprises in the package. MyDVD 5 now

supports Dolby Digital (AC-3) audio compression to reduce audio file size

(and make more room for your footage on the disc), and unlimited MP3

burning is supported by RecordNow!

Still, anyone who’s bought a DVD burner within the last couple years

probably got these applications

(or their equivalents) bundled

with the drive. MyDVD Deluxe

5 remains a cut above similar

products from Pinnacle

and Ahead, and we might

recommend it on its own, but

it isn’t worth the price of an

upgrade.

—LOGAN DECKER

Sure we could’ve altered our custom background, but

wouldn’t it have been nice if we could just move the

menu buttons where we wanted them?

Adobe Encore DVD

DVDs go DIY

S

ooner or later, you’re going to tire of the color-by-numbers approach

taken by low-end DVD authoring apps such as MyDVD. And when that

happens, we recommend skipping intermediate apps that shovel in a

few extra features for a few hundred dollars and go directly to Encore.

Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way— Encore supplies all the basics.

Full-motion backgrounds. Menu buttons that play loops of video from the

chapters they represent. Simple video-editing facilities for trimming clips.

Templates for cheaters.

And then there’s the less obvious stuff. Like the ability to add subtitles and

additional audio tracks. Now, you might not need Aunt Edna’s visit translated

into four languages, but what a scream it would be if one track had her

account of that unforgettable bus ride to Detroit, while another track had her

dubbed mouthing a stream of vulgarities and off-color jokes!

But the big draw is, the close integration of other Adobe products

associated with video production. Menus can be created in Photoshop ,

imported into Encore , and sent back to Photoshop for tweaking; all layers

are kept intact no matter how many times you go back and forth. You can

still create impressive full-motion backgrounds and animated menu buttons

without Photoshop , however, using the built-in text formatting. Whether you

use Photoshop or stay within Encore , you have virtually unlimited control

over the look and feel of your DVD, from the “first play” video (the screen

that’s usually a stern warning from Interpol), to button placement, to even

the order in which users scroll through the buttons. Encore doesn’t ship with

many templates, but we’d rather have this handful of tasteful and attractive

templates than the loathsome kitchfest we see bundled with other apps.

Yes, we have gripes. The detachable and dockable palettes are clunky

and take up too much space. Because buttons and submenus will likely use

the same type treatment, we're

disappointed that there’s no

way to apply a text style or

save a custom color.

Still, these are manageable

inconveniences in an

otherwise accessible and

stable app that puts creativity

and innovation at the forefront.

—LOGAN DECKER

Spectacularly easy to use, and offers fancy DVD

authoring features for the lowest-end price.

BURNED IN ONE TAKE

BURNED AT THE STAKE

Buy this suite only if you don’t already own a

good CD burning app and software DVD player.

$100, http://www.sonic.com

MAXIMUMPC VERDICT 7

Adobe’s Encore puts high-end DVD authoring within reach,

without the fear and horror of an interface like Premiere’s.

If you want to make pro-level DVDs, Encore is

worth every penny.

DELETED SCENES

ANIMATED MENUS

A handful of minor issues needs attention. Some

media files are inexplicably rejected.

$550, http://www.adobe.com

MAXIMUMPC VERDICT 9

Reviews

 MAXIMUMPC DECEMBER 2003