Amazon.com Review

Roxio VideoWave Movie Creator is a great solution for novice videographers looking for a simple and easy way to edit and create video projects. The software eliminates most of the complexities of video editing through an automated approach to video movie creation. VideoWave helps you save hours on your video editing and easily turn home videos into movies on DVD or CD.

VideoWave does a good job of making the video capturing process as simple as possible. It allows you to quickly capture video from a camcorder, capture card, or USB video camera and move it to your hard disk. Once you capture your video, choose from three different editing modes with varying levels of automation--CineMagic, StoryBuilder, and StoryLine Editor. CineMagic mode offers a bit of design assistance by letting you add songs to your videos, but the actual video editing is automatically performed by CineMagic. CineMagic will synchronize the edited video with your music and add visual effects and transitions based on your preferences. CineMagic is a great tool for creating simple music video-style movie clips.

StoryBuilder mode also offers design assistance by guiding you through the entire movie-making process using event-based theme templates. It lets you customize components such as opening and closing animations, and selecting background music. Because StoryBuilder lacks editing tools, don't expect eye-popping results. When you're done with CineMagic and StoryBuilder modes, use StoryLine Editor for additional design work. StoryLine Editor gives you greater design control than other modes. You can edit or enhance all the individual elements that make up the movie, and access a set of easy-to-use editing tools, transitions, text overlays, graphic overlays, and over 100 special effects. However, we found it extremely difficult and confusing to add effects and audio tracks in this mode, and this may turn off some users.

While you won't win any design awards using VideoWave Movie Creator, the results are more than adequate for home users. If you simply want presentable results in a hurry and don't require any advanced video edits, we would recommend this product.--Rich Ting ... Read more

Features

• With the new CineMagic tool, you can automatically edit your own movie in minutes
• Instantly add music, transitions and other new elements to your footage
• StoryBuilder guides you through the editing process and helps you choose templates, titles, clips and more
• Fine-tune your film by adjusting the brightness, color and contrast -- or add unique special effects like emboss, ripple, mirror, 3-D shapes and more
• Author your new creation to DVD or CD, or just email selected clips to anyone you'd like to share them with!

Reviews (30)

Warning: Be aware of the severe limitations before you buy
Like some of the other folks here, I have been disappointed in this software. There are a number of reasons for this:

1. There are so many features that seem oversimplified, incomplete, or non-functional. I could never get even basic functions of the storyline editor to work. For example, I wanted to simply get a DVD with different chapters to play continuously, and I couldn't do that. When I would play a movie made with the storyline editor on my DVD player, it would constantly quit in the middle of the DVD and return to the menu. I still have no idea how to perform this basic function.

2. Technical support stinks. I have to pay for support after one month? Who came up with that idea? Way to show your enthusiasm for your product.

3. But the biggest reason is that there is only one DVD write quality setting. You simply can't fit more than 55 minutes worth of movie onto a DVD. Even then, it is discernably lower quality than the HQ setting on a DVD recorder. If you want the quality of satellite or digital cable, you are NOT going to get it with this software. This means that the software is inferior for most applications.

After doing some market searching, it appears that the basic features of this program are typical of this price range, so I can't say that you will find a product that is a lot better. But that doesn't excuse the misleading advertising: "Copy all of your movies to DVD!" Yeah right. If you don't mind your 4-hour event being split up onto 4 different DVD's. The home movie studio market does a TERRIBLE job of educating consumers about this.

I finally broke down and bought a Sony DVD Recorder. It was a lot more money, but I needed it for what I was trying to do, which is to capture broadcasts and create DVD's of my favorite sports teams. If you want to do something like this, then you can't use Video Wave Movie Creator to do it.

Correction
Responce to David Roberts-
Try getting a better computer that can support such software, such as an Alienware, as opposed to a Dell (which, by the way, exports almost all of it's jobs to india).

Excellent Video Editing Software
Works exactly as described. This is a statement which have rarely been able to make with respect to any software I have purchased. I have never written a product review but I am just so pleased with this software that I felt compelled to do so. I bought this product in order to make short videos using my digital camera and Dell desktop. I recently completed an 8 minute project showing students on a variety of field trips. It was great fun to make the video and it came out looking very professional.

It was simple to import the video. The video quality is excellent. The software cut the video into scenes which made it very easy to edit. The editing process was a simple point and click affair. I used three levels of sound (music, voice over and the original audio from the tapes). I was very happy with the music provided in the product. There was a little tweaking needed to get all the levels right but it was very easy to do. I used all sorts of music which really added to the final video. There were plenty of transitions to choose from and they were easily customizable. It was easy to set up the DVD screen and to burn the DVDs.

I have been making videos like this on and off for years. This software allows me to make better videos, in a shorter amount of time, than I was able to make using professional quality equipment ten years ago. It takes time to make a good video but this software gives you all the tools and works exactly as described.

Don't Buy. Poor.
Received this program as part of a Dell package. Software worked adequately for simple music videos. I also made several "slide shows" using pictures and audio. Unfortunately after a few weeks the program quit working completely. Uninstalling and reinstalling did not help and customer support is non-existant. Don't buy.

Not that bad, not that good, quite workable program
I bought this program to run with a dedicated computer to make dvd's for my dog training business.
Plus side, easy to install on my new sony computer,rarely freezes, transfererred files from canon dv camcorder.
story line editor is fairly easy to use,.

down side, the text editor really sucks, if you need to add text to dvd section like i do, then this program really shortchanges you. The directions that come with it are a bit limited and require imagination to apply.
cannot add pics, which is a drag,

This program builds basic, simple dvd with chapters, once you figure out that a "chapter" is a movie.
Progrm files and video are drive hogs, filled the c drive in two days of shooting.

People like me are really pushing this tech to the edge, it it not quite there.
Good basic, fairly intuitive program,
am considering pinnacle next.
(ps bought a 5$ copy of the free roxio easy dvd on ebay, just to see if it would load, it did.) ... Read more

Reviews (204)

Great for Home users
This software is the easiest and fastest to learn and fastest to use. It has features of much higher priced professional video editing packages. The documentation is great. User interface the BEST! Easy to use. Yes, you can use it without ever opening the documentation. You can get professional results. SmartSound music backgrounds that come with the package are also easy to use and sound GREAT. This is the package for home users and you can not beat the price. There are only a few bugs left in this software as it is a mature package. You must follow the rules though and turn off everything in the background using ctl, alt, delete and removing everything except Explorer and System Tray. Defragment your hard drive and you will eliminate most troubles that plague others that don't do these simple things before running Studio 8. I wish it had at least one more video and audio track available. But then no one would ever buy upgraded packages if it had everything. Buy this one if you want an easy to use video editor for HOME use. It is not for making commercial videos. I'm now using Edition DV as well.

Pinnacle 8 RUINED MY LIFE.
First of all. Are you wondering if you should buy Pinnacle (8 or 9, the same thing)? Are you looking for a functional or at least friendly editing software? I can give you the answer!

STAY THE HELL AWAY FORM THIS TREMENDOUS CRAAAAP!!!!

Pinnacle made me cry, and I'm not joking or exagerating. It made me cry, when I lost my 43-min project when I'd just reached half of it... Also when I was doing the final render, and WITHOUT MY PERMISSION it'd just change the audio tracks, turn one song into another, repeat video files I didn't even include (sometimes I was just wating for it to include video files I hadn't even captured!), it goes wacko, crazy, mad, lunatic...it's frustrating. Not to mention all those times where I just layed too much of my trust on it, didn't saved every single thing I did and it'd just crash and end itself.

Why oh why, did I EVER thouhgt of buying this? Please listen to me, listen to us all and don't make the same mistake we did. DIE PINNACLE.

Would be good if it worked!
The good: Pinnacle Studio is packed with features and is quite easy to use.
The bad: It's JUNK. Full of bugs even with the latest updates. It's slow too. STAY AWAY from this product!
Version 9 is even worse.

Pinnacle Studio 8 Rocks!
Despite of all the other bad reviews Pinnacle Studio 8 is a fine product. I got the same advise from a DVD Support site. They advised me that Studio 8 can work with their DVD burners but only if I can make the application work. Good luck! I guess i am lucky because with Studio 8 my DVD movies are of superior quality to those other video programs such as Sonic My DVD or Sony MovieShaker. Also, Studio 8 is a more complete application because enables me to edit sound as MP3 files from Real One Player together in my videos. Therefore, Studio 8 offers a more integral interface with a sexy touch for the digital video lover. I am happy with Studio 8!

Dont buy Pinnacle
Just to let you all know, Pinnacle is a waste of money. Unless you are creating very simple (and i mean simple) projects, don't buy it! I hate this program. It has so many bugs and glitches. After 20+ hours of editing my 15 minute movie, Pinnacle destroyed about 75% of it for no reason. This is Junk!!! Buy anything other than Pinnacle, trust me!! ... Read more

Features

• Import your digital recording directly from any camcorder or digital camera
• Work with your footage and photos with a host of new features -- slideshow options, motion menus and much, much more
• Use the powerful video-compositing engine to add full-motion video to backgrounds & buttons
• Add transitions, effects and voice-overs with just a click
• Design your own photo slideshows and photo archives, complete with sound

Reviews (8)

Worthless
I managed to capture 1 video clip. Now it hangs everytime I try to get another one. I cannot even kill the process. I have to reboot.

Absolutely worthless. I cannot believe Iomega bundles this garbage with their DVD burning hardware.

Don't buy it, do not waste your money. And don't buy Iomega products that bundle it either.

Crashes too much.
When I select an MPEG-2 file to import (for DVD creation), the program immediately crashes (and messes with my MPEG-2 codec, so the codec needs to be re-installed). So I restart the program, open the folder containing MPEG-2 files, and before I even select the file the program crashes again!

At first I had MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 files in the same folder, so I had to separate them in order to use the MPEG-1 files to create a VCD. MPEG-2 is still too much for MyDVD to handle.

Got this as a bundled program with Screenblast Movie Studio. While Movie Studio has worked out so far, MyDVD is far from meeting any expectations. I can understand if the program is hard to use, has bad interfaces, and does not create great DVD menus, etc., but for it to crash just because I opened a folder with MPEG-2 files in it is beyond my comprehension.

buyer beware!
I am an happy user of version 5 and I have gone back to it after many hairpulling hours with the Microsoft techs getting my system back after version 6 crashed my machine. It is a bulky, slow, bug ridden mess. Save your money and wait for them to clean this dog up before buying. beware!

BAD NEWS IS RIGHT
This program is full of bugs. The UI is actually OK, but the program just does not work. Error after error, coaster after coaster.

BAD NEWS
I completely agree with the other reviews of this software.

I received MyDVD bundled with the Sony DVD burner I purchased. I thought I was getting a great deal but MyDVD has turned out to be nothing but problems. Buggy, inconsistent, poor support, a big pain in the butt. No wonder it was free.

Avoid it! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Far more than a digital image organizer and quickie touchup tool, Photo Explosion Deluxe is a massive four-CD suite designed for the photographic artist and craftsperson. With this broad-ranging package, you can capture still images from your digital camera, DV camcorder, or scanner, alter them to the very limits of your imagination, and display or print them in any way you see fit.

Photo Explosion Deluxe offers a stunning array of editing tools. We started with simple contrast and focus adjustments and then curled the edge of our photo as if it was lifting slightly from its backing mat. We added a few translucent soap bubbles in the top left corner, threw a softened spotlight on the subject's face, and placed some clouds and streaky raindrops throughout. We then selected an antique frame, titled it with an ornate script, and even added our signature at the bottom right. Although every parameter of the editing process is fully adjustable, the program can also perform a variety of automatic modifications.

After you've explored the central application, you'll want to investigate the extra three CDs for even more ideas and concepts. Here you'll find scores of artistic and fancy fonts, hundreds of miscellaneous stationery and greeting card templates, and oodles of professional-grade photos covering a wide range of subjects, from scenery and sunsets to scantily clad models. The fourth CD houses bonus software available only in Photo Explosion's deluxe version, including a utility for panorama stitching and two tools for configuring and exporting your photos to handheld computers. The final application, DVD PhotoPlay, allows you to build a slide show from selected images, burn it to a CD-RW, and play it on any CD or DVD player that supports Video CD 2.0.

Photo Explosion Deluxe is recommended to those who want to express themselves artistically through their digital photos. A fast Pentium 3 processor or above is suggested for advanced editing. --Gordon Goble ... Read more

Features

• Complete digital photo studio with extensive editing tools
• 600+ professional special effects; 2,500+ photo projects
• 1-click SmartEnhance technology removes red eye
• Easily share images via email or as albums posted on the Web
• Turn photos into greeting cards, calendars, and more

Reviews (6)

Love this software ...
Bought Photo Explosion Deluxe this week, and I can't tell you how pleased I am. I own them all - PhotoSuite, Photoshop Album, PictureIt and several others - and Photo Explosion takes the cake by a mile.

It's extremely easy to use, for starters. The developers have really thought things out because it's much easier to navigate than the other programs I own - and you don't get this annoying bar along the left side that asks you a battery of unending questions like PhotoSuite and PictureIt. (Those products remind me of a DOS program where you're constantly prompted press 1 for this, 2 for that.)

And I was really surprised by the VCD burning functionality. I bought Photo Explosion chiefly to clean up photos and print them - which it does really well and with tons of beautiful options for projects and designs. But the video slide show feature is really cool. You can add music, as well, and the quality of CD it produces is much better than I've seen with other standalone programs. Other reviewers have complained that there aren't enough transitions, but I did some research on that point, and it turns out that those features require a different kind of file called MPEG 2, which explains why many of the VCDs I've made with some of the fancier programs (not Photo Explosion) have not worked on some DVD players.

Anyhow, Photo Explosion Deluxe is a great buy...and much better than the other options out there. Enjoy ...

Not so powerful for making VCD
Lacks transitions between slides of digital pictures. Makes the slideshow somewhat flat. One good thing - can put music and also is quite fast in creating a VCD

Nice program lots of features
Photo Explosion Deluxe exceeded my expectations. It is a nice complimentary program for PSP and other similar programs. It has loads of features including masks, frames, albums and far too many others to mention here.

The only drawback I found is the slideshow feature which causes an windows error when launched. People I sent this to also experienced this same error.

But other than this flaw I absolutely think that Explosion for the money is an excellent buy. It takes a little playing with but once you figure it out you can achieve just about anything you want with your graphics.

If Nova fixes the slideshow problem I would most definitely give this program a five star rating.

Poor print Quality
Photo Explosion Deluxe is easy enough to use but won't print to printer correctly.Have a canon s900 that prints beautiful photo prints but after editing with photo explosion My print quality is very poor.

Spend you money on another title
I have yet to understand why this product received such a good review from the editor. It's not easy to use. There is no natural flow and progression when you attempt to make projects. Not to mention the layout of the design screen is elementary and not very pleasing to look at. If you use this product make sure that your pictures are in folders that aren't more than one folder deep on your hard drive or you won't be inputting them easily into any projects. This product has caused me nothing but irritiation it feels like it is more suited for Windows 98 than Windows XP, I refuse to believe this product was designed and produced since computers came in the 75Mhz variety. Save your money and use it on something else ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Photo Express 4 My Custom Edition is a full-fledged photo editor with several powerful features. Import your photos from digital cameras, scanners, DV camcorders, and PC cameras. Organize photos and multimedia files for fast and easy retrieval with the Browse mode visual thumbnail display. Browse popular audio and video file formats, including MP3, MPEG, AVI, MID, and WAV. Get quick and easy photo enhancement with one-click SmartEnhance. Use SmartSelect to make cutouts simple. Create fun photo collages, or crop out unwanted areas. Add that perfect caption to your photo using colorful text. Then bend and wrap your words to add flair. E-mail photos as HTML or attachments. Smart e-mail features ensure faster downloads. Plus, you'll enjoy free online photo sharing on iMira.comand Kodak PhotoNet online (North American version only). ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Well worth the money!!!
OK, so this isn't a particularly fancy photo editor, and it does take a while to download if you're using a 56K modem, but it's well worth the price! First off, this software worked on both of my computers, where the Photomax software supplied with my Polaroid PDC1100 never worked on either (I kept getting a "Communication Device is error" message, or just nothing at all when I hit the acquire button). It is very user-friendly and enabled me to download all of the pictures from my camera quickly and easily. I do all my photo enhancing online (through shutterfly.com), so I can't speak to its attributes there, but I've been very pleased with it for downloading and viewing my pictures, and would heartily recommend it to anyone who's having problems with PhotoMax.

Easy to Use and Everything You Need Plus Bargain Price
I sell a lot of antiques and collectibles on-line and so I use a photo editor a great deal. I find Adobe products too cumbersome, and the new Microsoft product also has too many whistles and bells for my taste. I much prefer the old basic Microsoft Photo Editor, which can't be found today. So I stumbled onto this download product on Amazon and figured "What the Heck," you can't go wrong at this price. Lo and behold, it's a dream. It does everything - crop, collage, change sizes, improve the image, various borders, etc. And saves in a variety of formats, including and especially JPEG. My pics look great on-line and my editing speed has been reduced exponentially over what it was when I used Adobe. So go for it. The only downside: It took a couple of hours to install over 56K modem.

Disappointed!!!
What a disappointment! After owning/using Photo Express 2.0 I was very excited about using Photo Express 4.0 MCE. In 2.0 I was able to use special effects featues such as: different art media--charcoal, watercolor, etc.; bubbles, clouds, particles, etc. Silly me assumed I would find even more on 4.0. NOT! I downloaded it on Sunday and uninstalled it on Sunday. What a waste of $12.99.

Could Not download
I bought this and tried to download it, but got a message that there was an error. I still cannot download it.

Not worth the money
After using Adobe, this was pretty disappointing. There are nowhere near the options that are available in Adobe. I was hoping there were more, based on the other recommendations but was disappointed. I would not recommend spending the [money]. ... Read more

Features

• Comprehensive toolset for Windows-based video production
• Create stunning motion graphics and visual effects
• Produce quality audio and author-interactive, multi-language DVDs
• Deliver professional results for film, video, DVD, or the Web
• Premiere Pro; Audition; Encore DVD; After Effects Pro; Photoshop CS

Features

• WordPerfect creates impressive resumes, letters, school reports, newsletters and more
• Use Quattro Pro for versatile spreadsheets that manage your personal & family budget -- complete with charts, payment schedules and exporting to Excel
• Encyclopedia Britannica 2003 Ready Reference with over 25,000 entries on art, history, literature, politics, science, sports and more -- plus 1,500 colorful photos, maps and multimedia files
• Enhanced Task Manager gets beginners & experts alike working faster -- start projects, organize files and get online, all with a mouse click
• Make digital photo retouching easier than ever -- correct red eye, add stunning borders and effects, share photos through e-mail and create custom wallpaper and screensavers

Amazon.com Product Description

Create, organize, and save important events and first times in your own Digital Baby Book. Now you can keep all of your scanned photos, digital photos, video clips, and recorded sounds in one place. Let Stanley the Stork help you build your book of precious memories.

Document your pregnancy, from doctor visits to ultrasounds. Personally create chapters of your baby's first years and save first sounds, words, and steps. Record the baby's doctor visits, immunizations, weight, and more. All of this can be done using the standard Baby Book templates or you can create your own for a personal touch. Build your baby's family tree and include pictures of family members, too. It even includes a screen-saver function. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Did not like this software at all
It has a clumsy interface. You cannot share the book with others unless they have to software. You cannot print anything from it. I would not recommend this software.

Finally, a traditional baby album for your computer!
The Digital Baby Book allows the user to store pictures, videos, and sounds on its pages. It offers a standard template with a ton of options for chapters and pages, and I can add or subtract with incredible ease from these options in tailoring the baby book to my child! You can create multiple books for more than one child, and it also allows me to document doctor's visits, immunizations, growth charts, journal entries on our child's life and reactions to it, and pretty much anything else you can think up to place in the Digital Baby Book. It includes a family tree for you to add pictures or video clips of grandparents, uncles, cousins, etc., and you can create as many branches as you would like. Essentially, the Digital Baby Book will grow without limits depending on the amount of time and energy that you are willing to devote to archiving your child's life. It makes a unique baby shower gift, too! ... Read more

Features

• Make slide shows for your TV and PC, executables, VCDs, screen savers and more.

Reviews (2)

Excellent Shows
I love it. I've used several other digital shows available. This is the best. It has a large variety of transitions. Transitions are very clear and smooth. Picture quality is not sacrificed when using Photodex. This program is easy to understand and use. I recently made a digital slide show for a 50th Wedding Anniversary Reception. I used lots of old pictures of family. Added music. It was a big success. Family loved it. They now all have VCD copies of thier own.

Great Software!
This is great software. I bought it to go along with my digital camera. I now make slideshows with my digital pictures that will play on my DVD player. So, instead of developing hundreds of pictures a year, I make a slide show instead. Software is easy to use and I have yet to find any bugs. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

MetaCreations KPT 6 is designed to extend and enhance your creative possibilities within Adobe Photoshop and compatible hosts such as MetaCreations Painter. KPT 6 offers a collection of eight KPT plug-ins and two bonus image filters that produce spectacular effects for print and the Web.

KPT 6 includes these image filter plug-ins: KPT Goo, KPT Equalizer, KPT Gel, KPT Projector, KPT Materializer, KPT LensFlare, KPT Turbulence, KPT Reaction, and the bonus plug-ins, KPT SceneBuilder and KPT SkyEffects (formerly known as RAYflect Photo Tracer and RAYflect Four Seasons). ... Read more

Reviews (3)

my soul kpt
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an excellent suite of fun and functional plug-ins
Corel knew what they were doing when they acquired the KPT series from MetaCreations. The plug-ins work great for Painter 6.0 and Photoshop 5.5. They can be used for fun and for functionality. Just playing with some of the filters can inspire you to do something you've never thought of before.

If you own previous versions of Kai's Power Tools, don't delete them, they are not outdated... rather this is a new installment. I still have KPT 3 installed for the page curl and some other filters that are not included in subsequent versions. They should really call their software "Volume 6" instead of version 6. You can still use the old filters and the new versions are not redundant, but totally new and fun tools.

These aren't just for goofing off... as a professional web designer, I find them quite useful in spicing up banner ads and other images. The only reason why I've given this software a less than perfect rating is for the crazy, far from intuitive interface. The interface is still the most beautiful software interface in use today, but you really have to use this software a LOT to get used to what far-out looking button does what. If you already use Painter or another MetaCreations (now Corel) product, you won't be too confused, but neophytes will find the tools a bit awkward to use at first. Even mistakes, however, can be happy accidents. These are great tools and no designer should be without them.

Looking for the Poser in you (pardon my pun)
A fair mixture of textures and creativity. This software bears the elements of good design (Its compatible with other software - Macromedia Director, Fireworks, and Photoshop - and for that I am truely greatful). However I found that the price is a tweened high for the benefit. Granted anyone cannot simply make plugins like this. It does take a certain level of knowledge to produce such professionalism and that "ism" is why I give it three stars. I suppose I sound a bit cynical. I hope not; this truely is a great piece of work. I would not barr anyone from purchasing it, unless they just want another toy to add to their collection. On the other hand if they are looking for a high end toy that can do a lot for their images, this would be a great addition. I guess that's what prevents me from giving five stars - its like a toy, there is a lot you can do with this however it just reamins that well, its another toy to me! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

With each new release of Photoshop, Adobe manages both to satisfy theexpectations of existing users and to pull a few magic features out of its hat.Version 6 is no exception. Powerful vector editing and masking, improved layercontrols, layer styles, incredible typographic control, new Web publishingtools, and a cleaner, more accessible interface are already making version 5.5,itself a groundbreaker, look like ancient history.

Photoshop's new vector features provide even more control when compositingphotographic images. You can use the vector drawing tools simply to createpolygons and custom shapes, but they can also act as layer clippingpaths--vector masks that hide or reveal image areas in underlying layers.

Editable layer effects such as drop shadow and glow were introduced in version 5.5; in version 6, they have been renamed layer styles. New options includesatin, stroke and color, gradient, and pattern overlay. The layer stylesdialogue box provides much more control--bevel and emboss has five styleoptions, as well as adjusters for technique, depth, direction, size, soften,angle, attitude, gloss, contour, highlight mode, opacity--and that's not all ofthem. As the name suggests, layer styles can easily be saved and applied toother layers.

You can enter and edit text directly onto the layer and set style attributesfrom the new tool options bar. Photoshop 6 seems to have benefited from some ofInDesign's superb typographic tools, with character and paragraph palettesproviding precise control. Web imaging tools have been revamped, withlayer-based slicing now available from within Photoshop itself, and a major overhaulof ImageReady introducing weighted optimization, rollover styles, and tweenedanimation.

If you want the best image editing software that money can buy, look no further.--Ken McMahon ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Necessary
"Adobe Photoshop 6.0" is the way to go for photo editing. There are other options, but all are fundamentally inferior in consistency, comprehensive tools, cross-platform transfer ease.

I'm a writer by training... I'm not a designer, but design frequently in the course of creating websites and brochures for my clients. I was concerned the learning curve would be too much. It wasn't hard to learn Photoshop at all. Sure, there are more features that I've utilized, but I've come through unscathed.

Things I've been able to do:

* Lots of layers. Very handy for multi-element images, especially ones with different effects or text per layer. And I can hide these layers at will, revealling them with any opacity I want.

* Color adjustment. Got a buddy who looks a little green, or has that New Year's ruddy face? No problem. Tweak a few variables and your friend will look as sober as could be.

* Contrast. Useful for those pics you took that somehow seem a bit dark. You know it is all in the picture, and a little contrasting can reveal all.

* Great typographical tools. You can fine tune leading, letterspacing, and a multitude of other details which make an image shine.

If you design, you already know that knowing Photoshop well is the key to your success. Sure, you need Quark and Illustrator as well, but without Photoshop, you'll live among the unemployed.

If you don't design, and feel a bit intimidated by Photoshop professional-level reputation, realize that you might not need the power in this application. If getting the red out of your snapshots is your goal, or you simply want the ability to crop photos for some fun newsletters, this might be overkill. However, if you've already been down that route, using the software which came with your scanner or digital camera, but want to step up... step all the way up to "Adobe Photoshop 6.0."

I fully recommend "Adobe Photoshop 6.0."

Anthony Trendl

I have arrived!
Photoshop 6 is it!
After getting it from my neighbor, new worlds have opened!!

The most powerful raster graphics program around ...
Most of you reading this have heard of, or are using a version of Photoshop. That alone attests to its popularity. And you know the basics. The single most powerful raster graphics program around, made more powerful and flexible by the number of plug-ins available.

What's new:
"Vector shapes" - a little misleading in its meaning. Indeed they are vector shapes, but when saved, they are rasterized. Maybe future versions will integrate the fundamentals of Illustrator (or Freehand - both the best vector graphics programs available) a little better. But the shapes feature is quite useful for logos, and small icons.

Editable text effects - Not quite "text on a path," but a very welcome feature. After skewing the text with this feature, you are still able to alter font styles/sizes/colors with no problem.

Dockable Palettes - a great feature, if you have a large enough monitor (17" w/high-resolution setting, 19" w/mid-res setting), in order to see the dock. Allows you to place heavily used palettes in the upper right hand section, without having to move them around.

It has quite a few more feature, but those I've mentioned are my favorites. Coming from 5.0 to 5.5 was fairly unimpressive, but the jump to 6.0 has made it a worthwhile upgrade.

Excellent software, but beware the learning curve!
I have been using Photoshop since version 3. With each subsequent version, Adobe continues to add more and more features and functionality. These continued additions are what makes the program both wonderful and a monster all at the same moment. Photoshop is undeniably the number one tool for photographic and other image maniputlation. If you are looking to get into professional design this is the tool to learn. It is highly appropriate for both print and electronic design. There is little you can imagine that it cannot do. If however you are a beginner who simply wants to use a graphics package to make images for a personal website or edit family photographs, then buy something else. (I suggest Photoshop Elements.)

Photoshop is overkill for the non-professional user. Some might argue that buying a toolbox that contains every imaginable tool is best. I'd argue that you may break from the weight of all that it requires you to learn. If you buy this software realize it can take months and years to master. While the effort is truly worth it, decide first if you really want to invest not just the considerable purchase price, but also the personal cost of time to learn and master it.

Excellent Product But Get Some Memory, Too!!
PhotoShop 6.0 is a lot more convenient than 5.5 and it is well worth the few hundred dollars if you are a serious web designer. However, I would highly recommend getting the maximum memory your computer can handle before you buy this program.

Before I upgraded my computer with more memory I had to wait for at least 15 seconds between operations and batch processing would take a full day to process. After I installed another 256MB of memory. . . no wait time, plus my other applications run better too!!

Try the Amazon Memory Finder out. You can find it under the Electronics tab in the Computer Add-Ons category. ... Read more

Features

• Flexible Viewing Options & Controls
• Advanced Video & Audio Technologies
• Dolby Digital and Stereo Sound
• Play CD Music Tracks and MP3 files
• View stylish visualization graphics when playing your music tracks to create a certain mode or ambiance

Features

• Extract images from stills or video clips, and prepare them for beautiful montages
• Automatic color-matching and fast & easy cropping helps you create the perfect-looking montage
• Includes thousands of images for handmade posters, gifts, cards, and more
• Import your own photos and use them to create a truly unique photo montage in just a few clicks!

Amazon.com Product Description

Photo Express 4 My Scrapbook Edition lets you create one-of-a kind scrapbook pages to share with friends and family. With over 100 customizable templates to choose from, you can make limitless layouts perfected with your own personal touch. Create 8.5-by-11-inch and 12-by-12-inch pages. Generate unique titles, and wrap your fonts around a variety of shapes. Add text effects to your titles to make them look like they're covered with snow, fire, or other effects. Import images from a digital camera, scanner, printer, CD-ROM, etc. Crop your images into shapes and decorate them with fun borders and edges. You can also correct bad photos and remove red-eye in the image editor. Customize backgrounds or use your photos as a background. Print out your scrapbook pages, share them online, or e-mail them to family and friends. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

So far it's wonderful!
Just got this about two hours ago and I've been glued to my chair. I have two other scrapbook programs (Creative PhotoAlbums & Ultimate Scrapbook Creator) and this is hands down the best.

First off, it works and it has tech support (something USC doesn't do and doesn't have). I contacted tech support to question something prior to buying and they emailed me back in two days.

Next, you can actually design and print on 12" x 12" paper (something you can't do with either of the other programs...no, you can't do it with CPA, their claim is totally misleading...it prints strips and corner objects on a 8 1/2 x11" page and you cut them out and paste them on 12" paper..there is no way to design your own 12" pages with that program).

As if that's not enough, the design capabilites are seemingly limitless. Each "area" (for instance, masks) gave a dozen or so basic templates, but then you have the option of changing them in limitless ways (such as color, transparency, focus, edges, etc.) I was boggled by the many options, and ways to transform those options, giving me limitless possibilities. Text options alone were amazing...wrapping text around the edges of the paper, warping, transforming, texturizing...it just went on and on. Background textures, colors, tiles, frames... it too, seemed limitless.

The clip art that comes with it is kinda hokey, but I had no problem cutting and pasting from my own collection and then using the programs options to resize or shadow it. You can even change the transparency of clip art. Amazing.

So, as far as I can see, this is a wonderful program.

VERY VERY BASIC
I was given this software as a freebie and I find it very very basic. I'm after something to create digital scrapbook albums for all my digital camera shots and whilst it has some neat little features and can do some good things, it has problems completing the most basic tasks such as creating a triangle from scratch or a square with a pattern if you want to make your own design...it just cannot be done easily. I have created them in Publisher and pasted across but they go all stupid and it has a hard time recognising transparency. Also had same prob as previous reviewer about copying things into this program, I measured something in Publisher to be an inch but pasting it into this software it became miniture.

Clipart is very limited and there is no way to import your own clipart unless you copy/paste from another program. Same with backgrounds, very limited ... no way of importing your own collection to use. I expected that their site would have heaps more templates and goodies to download and they have SOME stuff but it is nothing to write home about and the file sizes are huge for just a handful of add-ons.

I don't mind using it but I find it very fiddly and dicky when it comes to completing the most basic task such as making something transparent or just creating an everyday shape like a triangle. I'd really like to be able to get my hands on some more templates but just can't seem to find any apart from the limited addition on their site.

Michelle

Returning it tomorrow
I just got off the phone with a Hobby Lobby manager who thankfully will allow me to exchange this product, which I'm going to do first thing tommorow. Words cannot express how disappointed I am with this product. I did a lot of research to find a package I liked and several reviews gave this one good marks. The only thing I liked was the photo editing features which were pretty limited. (I guess you get what you pay for!)
I agree 100 percent with Software User from Tampa. It is difficult to maneuver around in, prints badly and tech support was pretty unhelpful. In addition, after I installed it one of the features (paint/clone) would not work at all, even after I unininstalled and reinstalled. I consider myself a competent, computer literate person, but this system had me pulling my hair out.

Not Bad!
I've just started using this and it's not bad. I did have to read some instructions to find the parts I wanted to use (I hate to read instructions), but so far so good. It is the best scrapbook program out there for the serious scrapbooker.

Excellent!
I use to cut and paste pictures by hand for Creative Memories. Now i can do all my scrapbooking on my computer and print it out. It is a timesaver compared to Creative Memories work. Id love to lead classes on scrapbooking with this software! ... Read more

Features

• Create video presentations for websites, DVDs and PowerPoint in minutes
• Includes step-by-step wizards
• Includes templates, royalty-free graphics and music
• Use cutting-edge transitions and video effects like green screen
• Includes an integrated teleprompter and microphone

Reviews (1)

This upgraded version is pure magic (again)
This is a significant update of an earlier product called "SERIOUS MAGIC Visual Communicator Plus" (ASIN B000066S28). The earlier product was one of the best tools for creating professional quality videos you could get at any price, and the same holds true for this updated version

Also, the real magic remains in the software, which is a self contained environment for creating videos - not merely editing them. I love the templates that provide a 'program format' such as news, the animated backgrounds, and stock video and sound clips.The automated wizards make creating a presentation a snap, and this version adds integration with web sites, DVDs and PowerPoint.

You'll need the following minimum hardware and software to install and use the software: Windows® 98, 98SE, ME, 2000 or XP, an 800 Mhz or faster Pentium III processor or equivalent, a 16MB AGP graphics card with 3D acceleration and Internet Explorer 5.0 or above. For interfacing camcorders you'll need a video input card, such as a Firewire or analog capture device that is compatible with your camcorder. You also have to make sure that the interface has a Windows DirectShow compatible driver. To make sure that you are working with the most up-to-date requirements go to ASIN B00006GME4 and check for the latest updates.

If ever there was a killer application looking for a market, this is it. Visual Communicator has business and personal uses that will allow anyone with the right equipment and a touch of creativity to make compelling presentations in the business environment and send greetings to friends and relatives that are far beyond what one can do with paper. It's also useful for proposals, training and just about any other use that will be enhanced by visual communication. ... Read more

Features

• An integrated design environment featuring the industry's foremost design tools
• In-depth tips, expert tricks, and comprehensive design resources
• Intuitive file finding, smooth workflow, and common interface and toolset
• Single installer--control what you install and when you install it
• Cross-media publishing--create content for both print and the Web

Reviews (2)

A Great Upgrade
I wanted to upgrade to Photoshop CS and add Acrobat Professional. For the extra money, I decided to go all the way to the Premium Suite. It was a great decision.

As a the owner of a web design and development shop, I have already found uses for InDesign CS and Illustrator CS, programs I never thought I would use.

My favorite part of this program is the file management system. It is easy to use and convenient.

One drawback is the upgrade does not come with documentation. There are web based PDFs, but no books. It is daunting for an old dog like myself to open a new program - particularly one as complex as this one - and start a new project. There is a CD with video lessons that helped, but nothing beats a book in your lap when you are lost.

First Look
I haven't had a chance to fully use and review Adobe CS yet, but I am very pleased with some of the improvements I've seen in Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. It's still not as smooth and integrated as Adobe would have you imagine, but for me--a professional graphic designer--the upgrade is well worth it. One caveat: If you buy the Creative Suite, you will NOT receive the printed documentation that you get when you buy the products individually. They do provide PDFs, but I find books much easier to deal with. You do get the printed documentation when you buy standalone Photoshop CS. ... Read more

Features

• Includes software CD, 6 acrylic key rings, 18 photo inlays, 2 printer test sheets and alignment page