Review: Roxio Bumps Up Creator's Video Capabilities
Simplicity does not equal inferiority. While Roxio's Deluxe Suite is far simpler to master than Pinnacle Systems' Studio or Canopus's Edius, it also gets the job done very well.
CRN put the suite to the test using old VHS tapes. Capturing the video with Dazzle took mere minutes to run, and engineers connected Dazzle's S-video port to a VCR and started Creator's automatic capture program using the highest DVD quality encoding.
After capturing 20 minutes of video, the output file was moved into Creator's video production editor, in which the timeline and audio can be manipulated. CRN Test Center engineers did not encounter any rendering or recording errors, and the results were exceptional.
Creator is catching up to Nero's software on some standards. For example, the Creator suite now supports the DivX video encoder, which works with various tools in the suite. Creator also is compatible with iPod and PSP and supports TiVo, MPEG-4 and 3GP.
Roxio has a simple program that allows system builders to download a free version of Creator Lite. In addition, Roxio is offering a profit-sharing program for system builders through a special registry patch. Whenever customers upgrade, system builders receive a percentage of the sales.
Roxio also enables system builders to buy OEM products directly off its system builder Web site. The new OEM product line, which includes Creator 9, MyDVD and Toast, is slated for release at the end of this month.
