DVD Authoring Comparison

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There are many different DVD authoring packages available and deciding which one works best for you can sometimes be hard. Even finding out the features of the software you already have can be difficult. Here is a chart that compares the features of the various DVD authoring packages available from Digital Video Direct, either bundled with a video capture card or sold separately. Due to space limitations only those products sold by Digital Video Direct are actually listed. For more information on any one product just click on the product and the link will take you to that product in the shop. Please see the notes section at the bottom of this page for the explanation of any special symbols. Please see our other charts on DVD formats and DVD recorders if you would like additional information. Any errors or omissions are unintentional.

DVD Authoring Software Comparison

Software	Pinnacle Systems Express 1.1	Pinnacle Systems Impression DVD SE 2.2	Pinnacle Systems Impression DVD-Pro 2.2	Sonic Solutions MyDVD 3.0	Sonic Solutions DVDit! LE 2.5	Sonic Solutions DVDit! SE 2.5	Sonic Solutions DVDit! PE 2.5	Sonic Solutions ReelDVD 3.0	Ulead Systems DVD Workshop 1.3
Retail Price	$49	$199	$599	OEM Only	OEM Only	$299	$399	$699	$299.95
Bundled with Video Capture Card		DV500 DVD, Pinnacle Pro-ONE RTDV		USB Instant DVD		Xpress DV 3.5, dpsVelocity
Operating System Compatibility	Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP	Windows 98, 2000, XP	Windows 98, 2000, XP	Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP	Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP	Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP	Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP	Windows 2000, XP	Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP
Language Support	1	1	1	10	10	10	10	1	1
Direct Video Capture	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes
Video Formats
MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 Video Import	No	Elementary Only	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Program Stream Import	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
AVI Import	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Video Transcoding to MPEG-1 and MPEG-2	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	[&]	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Photoshop File Import	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audio Formats
WAV File Import	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
MPEG-1 Audio Import	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dolby Digital AC-3 Import	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Dolby Digital AC-3 Encoding	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Audio Sampling Rate Conversion	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
MP3 Import	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
DVD Authoring Features
# of Menus	Unlimited	10	Unlimited	10,000	10,000	10,000	10,000	999	Unlimited
# of Buttons per Menu	n/a	n/a	36	36	36	36	36	36	99
Audio Tracks	1	1	8	1	1	1	1	8	1
Subtitle Tracks	0	0	32	0	0	0	0	32	0
Subtitle Editor	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
Chapter Points	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Regional Encoding	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Timeline Layout	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Video & Audio Clip Trimming	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Buttons with Thumbnails	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Set Movie Thumbnail Frame	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Set Chapter Thumbnail Frame	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Add ROM Data to Disc	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Timed Menus	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Motion Menus	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Audio Menus	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Set Movie Navigation Properties	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Set Menu Navigation Properties	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Object Color Adjustment	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Link Clips to Text	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Link to World Wide Web	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Angles	1	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	1
Widescreen (16:9) Video Support	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Output Properties
Export to CD-R/RW	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Export to DVD-R	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Export to DVD-RAM	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Export to DVD-RW	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Export to DVD+R	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Export to DLT	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
DVD-9 Support	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Create DVD Disc Image	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Create DVD Volume	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Include Player on Output Media	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Software	Pinnacle Systems Express 1.10	Pinnacle Systems Impression DVD SE 2.21	Pinnacle Systems Impression DVD-Pro 2.21	Sonic Solutions MyDVD 3.0	Sonic Solutions DVDit! LE 2.5	Sonic Solutions DVDit! SE 2.5	Sonic Solutions DVDit! PE 2.5	Sonic Solutions ReelDVD 3.0	Ulead Systems DVD Workshop 1.3

Notes

[&] - not a standard feature, present in some OEM versions
[*] - coming in next release

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