 |
The resource for reviews of what to buy, watch out for and run out and get. |
|
|||||
|
Intervideo Win DVD 7 and Copy DVD 3 |
|||||||
 Intervideo Win DVD 7 Platinum with a look that is nearly flawless and software that is as good as it looks, plus it is fast.
This is about as smart as DVD duplications could possibly be. Certainly you can find less expensive options, but few that look this good and make creating a dup nearly fool proof. The only caveat is that you will need to find another way to dup commercial software. This program only dups programs without copyright protection. You will need a ripper to do what you most likely want this program to do. |
Win DVD 7 Platinum And Copy DVD 3
Sunday, July 17, 2005 By Kurt von Behrmann
When it comes to viewing DVD’s and multi media files on your pc, the choices are plentiful. The same is true regarding applications that allow you to copy, or better still, create back up versions, of DVDs.
As the choices proliferate, one company has produced what has to be the best all around solution for those serious about DVD viewing and duplicating, but are not really interested in the hassle of getting into all of the technical details.
Recently Intervideo introduced what has to the be one of the best, if not the best, DVD viewers around, the new and much improved Win DVD Platinum 7 and the equally impressive Copy DVD 3.
As the courts, media corporations and creative talent battle over the legality of creating back up copies of DVD’s you have purchased, a debate that I don’t have the space to get into, there are some serious choices regarding how to copy DVD’s you own.
The big problem that comes with duplicating DVD’s are ones encoded to prevent duplication. If you even attempt to duplicate them they will not permit that process. While DVD Copy 3, now it its third version, can duplicate a DVD, you are totally out of luck if it is a commercially available one with copyright protection. However, that has not stopped any number of programs from emerging on line that unlock copyrighted material.
The fact remains that any search of the internet will reveal any number of tools, some free and some not, that will allow you to “rip” any copy protected DVD on the market. Although it goes beyond the scope of this review to get into this very “gray” legal area, it is no mystery that ulocking copy protected DVD’s is not that difficult.
Once the DVD you are using has been ripped, or if it is one that does not require being “ripped,” creating a DVD that you can view on your DVD player and PC is not as simple as drag and drop. There are format conventions to follow, and often the difficulty of figuring out what the cryptically titled files even mean. For the novice, creating duplicate DVD’s is not as simple as drag and drop.
Another big problem with DVD’s is size. Most commercially available DVD’s are in the 7 to 8 gig neighborhood and are dual layer. The most inexpensive blank DVD’s are in the 4 gig area and are not dual layer. While most films by themselves can fit on the standard blank DVD, the problem comes with DVD’s loaded with extras. Sure you can get larger DVD’s, but expect to pay more for them.
By the time you add up the space for the film, plus extras like, mini documentaries, short features included with the film, cast interviews and all of the other material, copying means one of two things. First, you have to edit out what is not necessary, or somehow squeeze everything into one convenience disk.
I was without ever reading supporting documentation able to go from blank DVD to copied DVD in a matter of minutes without any hesitation or problems. When you consider that I had never used the software before or read the documentation and I was able to successfully copy a DVD, that speaks volumes regarding ease of use.
For those not used to the details, the Platinum versions offers a truly elegant way to burn DVD’s. Without having to sort through a procession of windows, you can go from start to finish without breaking a proverbial sweat.
Placing all of the data on one disk is also an option. With the Platinum edition only, you can squeeze the contents of a commercial DVD to fit a standard blank DVD without having to lose data. While the compression may mean a slight loss in image quality using the compression, the option is there.
The proof with any program like Copy DVD 3 is that ability to faithfully execute perfect copies. From my experiences the program worked without so much as a glitch. The resulting DVD was a mirror of its original without so much as a flaw.
Speaking of flawless software, Intervideo just happens to have created what could be the most aesthetically pleasing interface ever created.
Intervideo’s Win DVD 7 Plantium goes far beyond what I would have expected. After slugging it out for the top spot among some rather stiff competition, Win DVD 7 makes it clear that this is the application to beat.
First off, the program, which has always ranked high, now is head and shoulders above the rest because it plays seamlessly and requires less system overhead to keep things moving. Where before simple acts like capturing a scene could slow the action down, Win DVD 7 is a sleek elegant fast movie viewing pieces of software.
Without getting into the very technical end of the process, the program makes capturing a scene easy, replaying scenes even easier and access to everything via one panel makes it all the sweeter. While there are a slew of programs on the market that play DVD titles on your PC, it is only when you purchase full featured dedicated software that you get such niceties as slow motion, slow replay, scene capture, and of course the ability to lighten, dark even create special effects during playback.
Again, if you are an avid movie viwer, and really want as much configureation as possible, Win DVD affords you that, as well as the ability to play a number of other files.
Summation
In terms of performance, ease of use, power and sheer elegance in software interface design, Intervideo has produced some truly impressive looking and performing software. The only problem with it is that this will set you back a bit.
The same holds true with DVD Copy 3 regarding price points. Neither is inexpensive, but both offer a superior experience that makes viewing and duplicating DVD’s easy and so painless. If you can afford, go out and get and then have a ton of fun.
Win DVD 7 Platinum version
Gold version 49.95 Platinum version 69.95
Requirements:
•
Intel Pentium 4 1.0G processor recommended.
Ram:
• 256
MB system memory recommended.
OS: Windows XP, 200
Windows compatible Sound Card, 75 MB of Disk Space Direct X 9 CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, DVD-RAM burning device.
Copy DVD 3 Requirements
|
||||||
|
|||||||
