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Category: Windows XP Maximization
Product: DVD Workshop (DVD PowerTools)
Company: Ulead Systems Inc.
Since Microsoft launched its Win-dows XP operating system various software and hardware providers have developed solutions aimed at taking full advantage of its media-rich features. In this category we were looking for a product that allows users to feel the full advantages of working with multimedia content with ease.
Ulead's authoring software beat out the other entries due to its user-friendly design and simple drag and drop operation.
It was only last year that Ulead entered the authoring market. The company developed its own burning software so that other packages would not be needed. Earlier this year it released its DVD Workshop suite (DVD PowerTools in Germany) for a retail price of US$299.95. This suite is aimed at enthusiasts and professionals. The lower-end DVD Movie Factory came out in November last year.
DVD Workshop permits users to author moving and still images onto optical media. One of the features of these authoring packages is that users can burn DVD quality video onto a CD disk, by creating a "mini DVD" or SVCD (super VCD). The mini DVD and SVCD formats offer savings in media costs and the recording limits of eighteen minutes and thirty to forty five minutes respectively are sufficient for many home and professional video presentations. Many newer models of DVD players support the new SVCD format, so authored disks can be played back on the home DVD player and TV. In fact, many end-users are not aware that you can use a CD burner to create DVD quality video, however short. The product takes users through its simple procedure in wizard-style steps. Many of Ulead's new products have the wizard style start-to-finish steps. DVD Workshop is a predominantly authoring program, though does include some basic editing functions such as cut and trim. Users would edit their software elsewhere, VideoStudio or MediaStudio Pro, for example, and then import into DVD Workshop for authoring.
DVD Workshop allows users to create motion buttons and backgrounds for their presentation videos. Many steps are eliminated for the user by simple drag and drop procedures. For example, dragging a chapter thumbnail onto a button immediately links that chapter to the button. Menu and title choices are standard (i.e. blank), template or wizard. Users can drag and drop the background, all of which come with the program, similar to Ulead's royalty-free Pick-a-Video software. In addition to moving video, DVD Workshop allows users to create instant slideshows.
Ulead Systems, Inc. develops video, imaging and Web graphics applications that empower users to maximize their creativity.
Ulead Systems Inc.
Tel: +886-2-2659-7588
Fax: +886-2-2659-8500
E-mail: info@asiapac.ulead.com
Web:www.ulead.com
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