v 1.6 Manufacturer Pinnacle Pinnacle Pinnacle Ulead Ulead Spruce Ulead Ulead Ulead Ulead Pinnacle Sonic ArcSoft Microsoft Windows Pinnacle Pinnacle Pinnacle Ahead Roxio Roxio Sonic Sonic Sonic           Sonicfoundry Sonicfoundry
Product Name Studio 8 Impression DVD Pro Impression DVD SE DVD Workshop MediaStudio PRO SpruceUp VideoStudio VideoStudio DVD MovieFactory DVD MovieFactory Expression MyDVD ShowBiz Movie Maker DV500 DVD Edition DV500 Editin DV NeroVision Express YesDVD ViedoWawe 5 Power Edition ReelDVD DVDit! SE DVDit! PE   VideoFactory Vegas Video
[email protected] Manufacturer web price $99.99 $399.99 $199.99 $299.00 $495.00 Not Available $99.95 $99.95   $49.95 $49.99 $99.99 $79.99 included in WinXPHome $649.99 $799.99 $699.99   $49.95 $99.95 ($69.95) $999.99 $299.99 $599.99   $69.97 $419.97
Review version 8.3.18.0 2.2.1 2.2.1 Trial 1.2 6.5 Trial 1.1 Build 1106 6.00.0102 7.00.1300 Trial 1.0 Trial 2.10.1300.0000 Trial 2.0.61 build 218 Trial Video Suite 4.0.1 b61168 1.2.3.11 2.0.3312.0   4.5 4.5   2.0 3.0
Bundled with   Video Capture
Video Editor
Video Paint
Audio Editor
CG Infinity (Title editor)		     Couldn't test DVD or SVCD. Trial works only with VCD ArcSoft ShowBiz 1.2.3.11 (editing) was not used during review see it as separate product was part of MyDVD VideoStudio This is part of Windows XP Home Adobe Premiere 6.X
Hollywood FX
Impression DVD SE
Digital / Analog I/O		 Impression DVD SE
Pinnacle DV500 PCI I/O
Digital/Analog Breakout Box		 Impression DVD Pro
Commotion 4.1
IEEE 1394 PCI I/O card		   No trial No trial  
Review date Jan-03 Jan-03 Jan-03 Jan-03 Jan-03 Jan-03 Jan-03 Apr-03 Jan-03 Jan-03 Jan-03 Jan-03 Jan-03 Jan-03  
Capture Video DV Codec (AVI) Yes (uses 3.6MB/s) No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes ?Yes Yes Yes Yes (bundled DV only) Yes Yes                                
    Selectable AVI Codec ?Yes (in preview mode) No No ?   No ? ?Not from DV cam ? ?Yes   ? ? wmv                                
    Preview qual.(full after edit)[1] Yes No No No   No ? ?No No No   No No No                                
    MPEG-1 Yes (real time/after) No No ?Yes Yes No ? ?should but error ?Yes Yes Yes ?No ?No No                                
    MPEG-2 Yes (real time/after) No No ?Yes Yes No Yes Yes ?Yes Yes Yes ?No ?No No                                
    Preview during cap. Yes No No Yes   No ? Yes ?Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes                                
    Analog Yes No No Yes   No ? ? ? ? ? Yes (bundled DV only) Yes Yes                                
    From TV Card Yes No No ?   No ? ? ? Yes ? Yes (bundled DV only) Yes Yes                                
  IEEE 1394 Support OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Yes No No ?Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes ?Yes ?Yes ?Yes ?Yes                                
    Microsoft DV camera and VCR Yes No No ?Yes   No s s ?   ? ?   ?Yes                                
    TI 1394 ? No No Yes   No Yes Yes Yes   ?Yes ?Yes ?Yes ?Yes                                
Import Video DV AVI Yes (avi) Yes (avi) No Yes Yes No ?Yes (MS AVI) Yes (MS AVI) Type1 or Type2 ?Yes (MS AVI) ?Yes (MS AVI) Yes Yes (type 1 & 2) Yes Yes                                
    MPEG-1 Yes (mpg) Yes (mpv,m1v,mp1) Yes (mpv,m1v,mp1) Yes Yes m1v Yes Yes Yes   Yes Yes (m1p, m1v, mp1, mpg, mpeg, mpv) Yes Yes (m1v)                                
    MPEG-2 Yes (mpg) Yes (mpv,m2v,mp2) Yes (mpv,m2v,mp2) Yes (mpg, mpeg, mpv, dat, mp2) Yes (mpg, mpeg, mpv, dat, mp2) m2v, mpv, vbs, mpg, mpe, mpeg, mp2, m2p, avi(MPEG) Yes (mpg, mpeg, mpv, dat, mp2) Yes (mpg, mpeg, mpv, dat, mp2) Yes (mpg, mpeg, mpv, dat, mp2) Yes (mpg, mpeg, mpv, dat, mp2, m2v) Yes (mpg, mpeg) Yes (m2p, m2v, mp2, mpg, mpeg, mpv) Yes (mpg, mpeg, mp2) Yes (mp2, mp2v, mpe, mpeg, mpg, mpv2)                                
    VIDEO_TS folder                   Yes No No No No                                
    Other         c3d, flc, fli, flx, ucg, uis, uvp   c3d, flc, fli, flx, gif, mov, qt, rm, wmv, asf, uis c3d, flc, fli, flx, gif, mov, qt, rm, wmv, asf, uis gif, mov, qt, wmf, asf mov, qt No mov, qt, wmv mov asf, wm, wmv                                
  Audio WAW Yes (waw, avi) Yes (waw) Yes (waw) Yes (waw) Yes (waw) Yes (pcm,wav,aiff) Yes (avi,wav,aiff...) Yes (avi,wav,aiff...) No Yes No Yes (waw) +aif,aiff[2] Tes Yes (wav) +aif, aifc, aiff, asf, au, snd, wma                                
    MP3 Yes (mp3) No No Yes (mp3) Yes (mp3) No Yes (mp3) Yes (mp3) No Yes No Yes Yes Yes (mp3)                                
    MPEG-1 Layer 2 No Yes (mpa) Yes (mpa) Yes (mpa) Yes (mpa) Yes (abs, m1a) Yes (mpa...) Yes (mpa...) No Yes No Yes (abs, mpa) Yes Yes (mp2,mpa)                                
    AC-3 No Yes (ac3) Yes (ac3)   No Yes (ac3) No No No No No No No No                                
  Picture Format bmp,jpg,pct,tga,tif psd, bmp psd, bmp bmp, gif, jp2, jpc, jpg, jpe, jpeg, png, tga, tif, tiff pcd, psd, jpg, png….. bmp, tif, jpg, tga bmp, clp, jpg, pcx, png, psd, shg, tga, tif, wmf bmp, clp, jpg, pcx, png, psd, shg, tga, tif, wmf ? bmp, rle, upi, gif, jp2, jpv, j2k, jpg, png, tga, tif, tiff bmp, jpg, pcd, pct, tga, tif, wmf bmp, rle, jpg, jpeg, pct, pic, png, tif, tiff, tga, vda, icb, vst bmp, tif, pcx, tga. Jpg, jpeg, fpx bmp, dib, emf, gif, jfif, jpe, jpg, png, tif, tiff, wmf                                
  Subtitles BMP+txt No Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No                                
    Sonic (.son) No Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No                                
    Scenarist (.scr) No Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No                                
Edit No. of Editing Tracks Video 1 No No 1 ?101 No 2 (1 overlay) 2 (1 overlay) 1 1 1 No 1 1                                
    Audio 3 (1orig,1sound,1music) No No 1 ?101 No 3 (1orig,1sound,1music) 3 (1orig,1sound,1music) No replecable No No 3 2                                
    Subtitles No No No No No No No No No No No No No No                                
  No. of Final Tracks Video 1 2 (Angels) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1                                
    Audio 1 8 (Language) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1                                
    Subtitles No 32 (Language) No No No No No No No No No No No No                                
  Effects Adjust Color Hue, Saturation, Brightness, Contrast No No No 21 No Yes (12) Yes (12) No No Yes (only pictures) No Yes Yes (kind of)                                
    Variable speed 1/10 to 5.0x No No No Yes No No 10% to 1000% No No No No Yes (0.1-5x) Yes (only 1/2 or 2x)                                
    Reverse No       Yes No No No No No No No No No                                
    Moving Path         Yes No No No No No No No No No                                
    Grab Frame/Cap. Image Yes No No Yes   No Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes                                
    Video Overlay         Yes No Yes (motion) Yes (motion) No No No No No No                                
    more… Blur, Emboss, Mosaic, Posterize No No No   No   Yes….     No No 6-crop, 20-color, 6-tv, 8-orintation, 51-frames, 8-other +extra animations, intro… Yes (28)                                
  DVD Menu Motion Menu Back Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No No Yes Yes No No                                
    Moving Thumbnails Yes No No Yes No No No No No No No Yes No No                                
    Backround Music Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes (waw, mp3) Yes No No                                
    Change Thumbnail Frame Yes Yes Yes No No Yes ?No/Yes? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No                                
    Linked/nested menus Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No Yes (submenus) No No                                
    Set chapterpoint Anywhere Anywhere Anywhere Anywhere Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ?Yes Yes (only during capture) No No                                
    Templates 29 ?32 ? 11 Yes 14 Yes Yes 6 Yes Yes Yes (44 + custom) Yes (30) No No                                
    Custom Buttons Yes Yes (+multylayer PSD) Yes (+multylayer PSD)     Yes (+multylayer PSD) No No No No No No No No                                
  Titles Templates 37 No No No Yes No Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes (very nice)                                
    Overlay Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes                                
    Moving crowl, roll No No No Yes No Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes (42 effects)                                
  Transitions Simple 74 No No No 113 total No 40 total 40 total No No Yes (between images, movie only disolve and fade) Only Slideshow Yes (60) Yes (60)                                
    Alpha 52 No No No ? No ? ? No No No No ? ?                                
    Hollywood FX 16 No No No ? No ? ? No No No No ? ?                                
  Trim / Cut Standard Yes Yes (simple) Yes (simple) Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes ?Yes (only cut and delete) Yes (trim only) Yes Yes (very hard)                                
    Split clip Yes Yes (simple) Yes (simple) Yes ? No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes                                
    L-cut / J-cut[3] Yes No No No   No No No No No No No No ?                                
    Unsynchronize Sound from video[4] Yes No No No   No No Yes No No No No No ?                                
    I-frame edit No No No Yes   No ? ? ? ? ?No No ? ?                                
    Scene Autodetection[5] Yes (capture, import from AVI and MPEG) No No ? Yes No ?Yes (DV) ?Yes (DV) ? ? Yes ? Yes Yes                                
  Sound Volume change[6] Curve No No One level   No Yes (fade in, out) Yes (fade in, out) ? ? No No Yes Yes                                
    Sound effects 165 No No ?   No No No No No No No Yes (fade in, out) fade in and out                                
    Smart Sound[7] Yes No No No   No ?No ?No No No No No No No                                
    Voiceover[8]         Yes No Yes Yes No No (can be replaced) No No Yes Yes (import audio)                                
  Edit view Story board Yes Yes Yes Yes   No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes                                
    Time line (first frame) Yes (selectable) Yes Yes No Yes (+last) No No No No No No No Yes (+part of frame…) Yes                                
    Time line (filmstrip mode) No No No No Yes No Yes Yes No No No No No No                                
    Text view Yes No No No   No No No No No ?Yes (list) No No No                                
    DVD full status bar only in make disk             only in make disk   Yes ? (minutes) Disk circle (GB) No No                                
Output File AVI / codec option Yes / Yes No No No   No Yes / Yes Yes / Yes ? No ? No Yes / Yes Yes / ?No                                
    MPEG 1 Yes No No No   No Yes (CBR,VBR) Yes (CBR,VBR) Yes (CBR,VBR) No ? No Yes No                                
    MPEG 2 Yes No No No Yes (CBR,VBR) No Yes (CBR,VBR) Yes (CBR,VBR) Yes (CBR,VBR) No ? No Yes No                                
    MPEG 2 Plug-In[9] No No No No   No No No ? No No No No No                                
    Real Video Yes No No No   No Yes Yes ? No No No No No                                
    WinMedia Yes No No No   No Yes (wmv, asf) Yes (wmv, wmf, wma, asf) No No No No Yes Yes (wmv)                                
    Other             flc, fli, flx, mov, qt, uis flc, fli, flx, mov, qt, uis No No No No mov, exe No                                
    Batch convert                 Yes No No No No No                                
  Tape/Output connector DV tape / FireWire /  IEEE 1394 Yes No No No Yes ? ?Yes ?Yes Yes ?No ? No Yes Yes                                
    DLT No Yes Yes No   ? ?No ?No No No No No No No                                
  CD Media VCD Yes No No Yes (CBR,VBR) Yes (.ixa) No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ?Yes No                                
    SVCD Yes No No Yes (CBR) Yes (.ixa) No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No ?Yes No                                
    Motion CD title (video on CD with player) No Yes Yes ?   ?Yes (DVD to CD with player)     ? ? ? No Yes (exe-file) No                                
  DVD PCM sound Yes Yes Yes Yes (CBR,VBR)   Yes (CBR,VBR) Yes (CBR,VBR) Yes (CBR,VBR) ?Yes (CBR,VBR) Yes (CBR,VBR) Yes Yes ? No                                
    MPEG sound Yes Yes Yes Yes   Yes Yes (CBR,VBR) Yes (CBR,VBR) ?Yes (CBR,VBR) Yes (CBR,VBR) Yes No ? No                                
    AC-3 sound No Yes Yes Yes[10]   Yes No No   ?No No No ? No                                
    VIDEO_TS folder Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? Yes ? No                                
    Disk image (.iso) No ? .img ? .img Yes Yes ? Yes Yes Yes Yes ? Yes ? No                                
    DVD-D1 (half DVD) No ? ? x   Yes ? ? ? ? ? No ? No                                
    Burn +R/RW Yes Yes Yes ?Yes   Yes ?Yes DVD Plug-in ?Yes DVD Plug-in ?No ?Yes ?Yes ?Yes ? No                                
    Burn -R/RW Yes Yes Yes ?No ?Yes DVD Plug-in Yes ?Yes DVD Plug-in ?Yes DVD Plug-in ?Yes ?Yes ?Yes ?Yes ? No                                
  Special features Output type can be change anytime Yes N/A N/A ? No No Yes Yes ?No ?Yes Yes No Yes Yes                                
    Do not convert compliant file No (possible,not edited) ? ? Yes (if not trimed)[11]   Yes ?No Yes ?Yes (if bitrate higher) Yes (special flag) ? Yes (if compl., audio PCM) ?(not tested, per web yes) No                                
    Does not limit length of movie[12] No ? ? Yes   ?Yes ? ? ? Yes ? Yes (disp. Size) Yes No                                
    Dual Monitor   ? ? ?   No ? ? ? ? No No No No                                
    NTSC Support Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes or PAL (only one) Yes Yes Yes Yes                                
    PAL Support Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes or NTSC (only one) Yes Yes Yes Yes                                
    4:3 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes                                
    16:9 No Yes Yes No No Y/N (converts to 4:3) ?No ?No No No ?No ?Yes? ?No Yes Yes                              
    UFO file support ??? ? ? Yes   ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?                                
    Backround rendering Yes No No No   No Yes Yes No No ? No ? No                                
    Slideshow support Yes ? ? Yes   No ?Yes ?Yes No Yes Yes Yes No (pict.can be imported) No (pict.can be imported)                                
    Specify Region No ? ? ? ? No ?No ?No No No No No No No                                
    Copy Disc[13]                   Yes No No No No                                
    Edit Disc[14]       Yes           Yes No ?Yes? No No                                
    Direct to Disc[15]                   Yes No Yes No No                                
    Create Labels                     Yes (very nice) No No No                                
    Display File Properties No type, bitrate… type, bitrate… fps,bitrate,codec… fps,bitrate,codec… type fps,bitrate,codec… fps,bitrate,codec… fps,bitrate,codec… fps,bitrate,codec… No No audio&video format, fps,... frame rate, audio bit&sample rate                                
Supports Pentium® III, Pentium® 4 and AMD 3DNow!™ Yes No ? ?
SVCD Template Yes No ? ?
MPEG-2 Field-based Compression Yes No ? ?
Video Filters 57 No ? ?
Ripple Editing Yes No ? ?
Audio Cross-fade Tool Yes No ?Yes ?Yes
Smart Check & Convert Yes No ? ?
Smart Trim Yes No ? ?
Smart Rending[16] Yes No ? ? Yes (can't confirm) if output is from ShowBiz
DirectShow Capture Plug-in Yes No ? ?
Color Calibration Yes No ? ?
Batch Recapture Yes No ? ?
Multi file over 4GB cpature Yes No ? ?
ATI Radeon "Theatre Mode" for second monitor playback of "Output to VGA" New No ? ?
DVD-VR Yes
DVD+RW Yes
"on-disc" editing Yes
[1]
Internal Systems:
First it will capture only in preview quality (small size) and it will recapture during make movie. Works for digital camcorders.
[2]
Internal Systems:
Audio can be replaced with file.
[3]
Internal Systems:
Let's you overlap audio or video to neibor clip
[4]
Internal Systems:
Unatach video and audio and move it
[5]
Internal Systems:
During capture or Import will create scenes based on video content or time stamp
[6]
Internal Systems:
Changing audio volume by modifying curve (line)
[7]
Internal Systems:
Special backround music that changes based on length of video
[8]
Internal Systems:
Lets you record voice (sound) in separate track that will be mixed with original audio
[9]
Internal Systems:
Let's you select differnet MPEG2 encoder.
[10]
Internal Systems:
Find your DVDWS.INI file (you'll have to enable the "search hidden files") and change the "playac3" value from 0 to 1. That should do it.
[11]
Internal Systems:
1.0 version : when you choose Make Disc, simply set a bitrate HIGHER than the one you used for encoding your Mpeg2 file
[12]
Internal Systems:
It does let you create DVD folders even when estimate will calculate that it will not fit into one DVD. Specialy needed when compliant MPEG2 files are imported.
[13]
Internal Systems:
Copy DVD disk from DVD or HD.
[14]
Internal Systems:
Can re-edit disk.
[15]
Internal Systems:
Automated process. Capture from source and burn disc.
[16]
Internal Systems:
Smart rendering for MPEG files means any MPEG files included in your movie won't be re-rendered. This saves time and reduces video degradation.
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