Test Bench:
Roxio Easy CD & DVD Creator 6 Disc Burning Software (page 2)

DVD Builder is a basic DVD authoring app that captures video and allows simple trimming of clips. Some tasks were not as easy as they could have been, such as setting the thumbnail image for a button, and we didn't have total freedom to customize the disc, but in the end we were able to produce an attractive DVD in very short period of time. Although the file browser again popped up in another window, the visual layout made finding media easy. Roxio includes a number of coordinated templates with animated backgrounds.

Roxio uses the Ligos encoder to create MPEG-2 video for disc. Like Nero 6, Creator 6 can also capture, encode and burn video from your camcorder straight to DVD+RW discs (otherwise known as DVD+VR when used this way), provided your computer is muscular enough, roughly a 1.6GHz CPU. We had no trouble creating discs this way on our HP 300i drive using 4x Verbatim media. When finalized, these discs played back just fine in standalone living room DVD players.

Creator 6 includes a decent Help file, a nice tutorial and an almost 400-page printed manual with the boxed version ($100), which is a good thing since there is so much more to Creator 6 than burning discs. Although not reviewed in detail here, the photo editing/organizing and music management tools performed the basics well. And the best part is that the fundamental disc burning tools have not suffered as a result of being incorporated into the suite.

Everyone needs a disc burning app. If you only occasionally burn a data disc for backup or sometimes copy a CD for a friend (we know you do), you may be perfectly happy with the one that came with your computer or new disc-burner drive. But if you are finding your freebee app to be substandard or limiting or simply crashy, then you need to buy a real burning app. Combining no-nonsense burning tools, top notch technology and a suite of media management tool, Roxio Easy CD & DVD Creator 6 is the obvious choice for home videographers and digital media hobbyists.

Version: 6.0.0.3
Platform: PC
Operating System: Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP
Processor: PIII 200MHz
RAM: 128MB
Hard Disk: 815MB
Extras: DVD Builder, PhotoSuite, Label Creator
Demo Version: n/a
Upgrade: n/a

• Solid Basic & Advanced burning
• Nice auxiliary media apps
• Good documentation

• Large install size

Roxio's media suite is loaded with features, but not at the expense of it's core competency: burning discs.

Roxio, Inc.
455 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95050
(866) 280-7694
www.roxio.com

$90 ($100 boxed)

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