Reviews for Roxio Easy Media Creator v.9.0 Suite

highly recommended

Strengths: state of the art software for new and old media

Weakness: would like to see more straight forward installation

First an explanation about installation. It is not hard to do but I found the program wants the program disc for every program, at least the 1st time you use each one. I had to keep finding the disc until I figured it out and invoked every program. Once that was done it never asked for the program disc again.
That was the only glitch I experienced. The disck authoring is smooth. I've created a library already since the process takes only a few minutes. I also like the new menu options so you can make simple menus or go all out and make artistic unique looking ones.
I've tried merging some photos with the panaroma function and have gotten good results. This has spurred me to take digital photos of bigger scenes knowing that I can combine them later in the program.

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buggy

Strengths: Many features, the ability to temporarily move your project from MyDVD to VideoWave and back is nice.

Weakness: Inconsistent, buggy

My video capture card (ATI AIW 9600Pro) is recognized by the video capture program. However, it is NOT recognized by the Plug&Burn program. Aren't they from the same company? Why would one recognize it and the other not? Plug&Burn is rendered useless by this.
I need more flexibility on the burning configuration. I have a DVD burner from HG (HL-DT-ST DVDRR GSA-4166B). It can burn DVD+R Dual Layer at 4 speed. However, my disc is only 2.4 speed. Roxio MyDVD lists 4x as the ONLY speed. That's a good way to ruin a $2.00 disc. I may have to write an ISO image and then burn it to a disc using some other company's software.
The video capture software appears under the Roxio 9 "Home" utility. However, it does NOT appear under the windows Start Menu with the other Roxio software. Therefore, I can't go directly to it like I can the other programs in the Roxio Suite. I have to go through the Roxio 9 "Home" utility to get to it. I CAN go directly to VideoWave. Other utilities/programs are also missing under the Windows Start Menu while they do show up under the Roxio "Home" utility.

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Extremely crash prone and serious usability problems

Strengths: It offers to do a lot for a low price and if you are extra patient and are willing to reboot it and reboot your PC over and over, you'll eventually get a one hour video project done.

Weakness: Where do I start? It crashes frequently and its taken Windows XP down once this week. It is very slow, yet my new PC is extra fast and beefy!

This product has serious quality problems worthy of the dot-O that follows its version number. Gosh, I wish I had waited for the dot-two version (9.2+) or ponied up $100 more for the Adobe product. The time that I've spent recovering from crashes, freezes, and amazingly slow performance could have paid for a much better product many times over. I still can't get over how slow it is just to insert a single 3MBpixel photo into my video...I had enough time to read several Google news articles before Roxio finished. At least it works 80% of the time, crashing only once every 30 minutes.

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I agree completely with Software_Bob.

Strengths: Seems to render video alright.

Weakness: Very buggy, quirky install errors and procedures, inane tech support. Burning issues invalidate rest of programs.

I bought this program mainly for video editing in lieu of Adobe Premiere only because of the wealth of features. However, if the features don't work it defeats the purpose. I had a couple of minor glitches at install (and also was irritated with the constant registration of each module on 1st use?). It didn't like my ATI drivers and Roxio's solution was to reinstall everything including windows, when in fact, ATI had an easy fix on their website. If you've ever dealt with ATI tech support it really tells you a lot about Roxio's. My first task was to copy the install discs. The first disc took 1/2 hour to copy, the second about 4 minutes - a task that usually takes a minute or so on the same system with other burners. Roxio tried to blame the hardware which is not a problem for any other burning program and had no clue why there was even such a difference between the 2 copies. (Note: The hardware is neither outdated, obscure nor underpowered). Next, to test the music module, I recorded an internet stream of an album with 18 tracks (something I do often with Magix Audio Cleaning lab). It produced a .wav file of 1.8GB. I then went to the editing feature which would not open the .wav file giving an error message that the file was invalid? I couldn't open the file in Windows Media Player either. So, I tried my Magix program which indicated an information error in the file, but did open it and automatically fixed the problem and recognized all 18 tracks perfectly and ran in Media Player. I then tried it again in EMC9 and it did open, and I used the auto track recognition feature which marked 20 tracks (2 erroneously). Also, the quality of the recording was not as good as I usually get with Magix. The good news is that the video editing went smoother than anything else, but I haven't tried to burn to DVD yet. In essence, the program is useless in all respects if it can't burn discs properly which should be a no-brainer for this type of software. If the hardware/software meets or exceeds Roxio's own minimums without exceptions listed, then it is expected to work with that hardware/software. Roxio, like too many other software companies today want to blame everything except their pathetic programming and inadequate testing. Conclusion: I'm giving up on these "we do everything, but unfortunately we do it half-a**" programs and stick to ones that do one thing and do it well, and none will be from Roxio.

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By member: Draugrs - Dec 21, 2006

"Easy" Media Creator

Strengths: I prefer this program over Nero since I learned or used this product when I became acquinted with computers.

Weakness: It can have a difficult user interface to the beginner but once you "tinker" with it you become accustom to it.

Easy Media Creator works for me since I burn multiple disks at one time. I usually burn 3 DVDs at a time and Easy Media Creator allows for this ability. You have to have multiple burners installed on your system though. I am not sure if Nero offers this feature. I do use Nero at work and it seems to work fine there.

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No stripped down programs in this suite

Strengths: Full featured programs for all media; iPod, PSP, mobile phone programs, blu-ray, High Definition

Weakness: Utilities are usable but why not add more features like the other programs?

There are over 10 programs put they are tied together nicely. There is the main media menu where you can choose your files and type of projects. I'm a big fan of the music program. There is a wizard which will guide you thru the conversion of cassettes to the pc. It will also add the music track data automatically. Then you can create a disc, cd or dvd with the new digital music files, or put them on the iPod, cellphone, or whatever.
I hear that there will be more sites where you can download HD and blu-ray movies. I have a big drive so I won't need to burn dvds yet. When the price comes down on the burners though at least I know I already have the software program.

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Truly one of the best

Strengths: Has powerful features to sort, edit, backup, convert digital files and for the most part the processes are understandable

Weakness: Minor misorganized feature such as the multiphoto feature which is not under the photos menu

I didn't expect that this suite could handle all the photo editing I needed, but it does. From panaroma merging to cloning, there are superb tools to make changes. Another thing, you can work in layers so that you can keep making changes without affecting the work you want to save.
Besides photo editing roxio has added some smart choices to the conversions. I'm interested in seeing more Blueray and their viewer can take advantage of the enhanced quality. Even better I like the new mobile device formats. I've asked for a PSP for Xmas and I don't have to purchase Sony's software since roxio 9 can do the video conversions.

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Good Reviews Can't be REAL!

Strengths: Lots of features except for video

Weakness: Patchwork of programs that are slow to load and run slow. Buggy and no real support from Roxio. Sensitive to types of hardware and other sofware.

These excellent reviews must be from Roxio employees! The 3 people I know who have bought this software are having constant problems with it. I am in the same boat. I use it mostly for video and my experience with it is awful. It is clumsy, slow and often (yes often) coughs up an error code that tells you nothing about why it fails. Roxie support has been no help in resolving any of the bugs. I am really sorry I spent money on Creator 9.

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Accessible programs fully loaded

Strengths: Menus and wizard structure, written in non tech language, clever playlist option, portable player codecs

Weakness: Can't think of any digital media feature that is missing

At last a company thought of the need to manage mobile phones. Not only can you make ringtones and transfer them to your phone without bluetooth, but you can get your photos and videos onto your pc. I was thinking of getting a bluetooth supported phone, but I can put that off since creator 9 has the tools to manage media.
At first the video, audio, and photo programs seemed to be the same as version 8, but then I noticed that more features are there. It may not be obvious at first, but it really shows when you try the enhancement tools. A new tool is the video audio clean up. Of course you can use that feature for audio files too. There are more templates for photo slide shows and menu creation too.

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Roxio Easy Media Creator v.9.0 Suite

Strengths: Don't know. Didn't work.

Weakness: Product has serious problems. Their tech support and customer support have even more serious problems.

I attempted a first-time install of Roxio EMC9 but the install failed with an invalid key error. I contacted the vendor. They sent me a new key. Same error. I contacted tech support. They sent me a new key. Same error. I again contacted tech support. They told me to read their knowledgebase. The knowledgebase was full of people with the same problem who were not getting any answers from tech support. After all this, i bought Nero BurningROM instead and returned this product to the seller. Waste of time, waste of postage. At least it wasn't a waste of money for me.

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Enough changes to upgrade

Strengths: spanking new features such as blu-ray, ringtone maker, psp/ipod/mobile phone media, new program features

Weakness: If you use 8 may want to check if 9 is for you

Relative speaking the new version isn't that expensive so some version 8 owners may just upgrade. If you are making sure that you get your money's worth, then look at the new specs carefully.
I decided to buy version 9 even though I bought 8 less than a year ago. I was so impressed with 8 that I even reviewed the product. Now that I have 9 I can say I'm not disappointed. The menus remain virtually the same but that almost hides the fact that there's a lot more features.
My favorite program is the audio widget which records anything that plays on the pc. There is more timed control and a mute pc sounds button. There are many more choices for creating your own menus. The video editor now chops up footage into chapters.
The burning part has added blueray. However you can convert video, photos, and music for use on portables. That includes the PSP portable, perhaps a more obscure format than ipod and mobile phones.

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More than new features - older programs also upgraded

Strengths: More powerful tools added to editors, retains reliability

Weakness: In my opinion the weaknesses from 8 have been fixed

In some ways the jump from 7.5 to 8 was more dramatic, perhaps that's why I had to download a major fix. I couldn't believe that 9 installed and worked without any downloads, even small patches. However noting that the move from 8 to 9 is smoother, that doesn't mean that the the new features are less meaningful. If you don't have some sort of digital music/video player, you're likely to get one in the near future. Besides the conversion and compression tools, ver. 9 also offers editing tools to cut out unwanted audio/video, or even to chop them into parts. My mp3 player is frankly cheap and w/o many features, so it's difficult to navigate a podcast. Instead I chopped up the audio into several parts so that I didn't have to worry about finding my place again if I were interrupted.

The photo and video programs seem to have the same basic interface as 8, but there are additional tools. No doubt the video program is pumped up since it can handle 32 track editing. The menu creation for media navigation is better than ever. The templates are better looking and you can get some creative one of a kind menus.

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Countdown to Christmas with EMC

Strengths: Makes projects fast, even though there are a lot of choices

Weakness: no major ones

Since Xmas looms around the corner, I'll use my current projects to illustrate the software's capabilities:
media projects: easy to make slide shows, cards, and calendars; even children can use the program
photo editing: nice feature of being able to edit the photo while still in the project mode although the functions are limited here; more advanced functions can be accessed in the photo program like transparency, edge fading, cloning, panorama stiching
video editing: can add soundtrack, cut video into chapters, add transitions, FX
audio editing: imports from different sources including old nondigital recordings, makes transitions and fades
disc authoring: just choose the media type and if the files need conversions the program will do them without user specification; disc copy by image creation, disc to disc methods
menu/label creation: good number of templates, can use music index to create menu based on artist, genre, title, etc.
These are the main program I'm using now. I'll have a background music dvd, slide shows in widescreen format, and some home movies ready for gifts, and all of it will be done with EMC. I'm getting tremendous mileage out of this one suite. Of course after Xmas I'll still have much use for it.

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more device support, more of everything really

Strengths: Not flashy but amazingly effective software tools

Weakness: sometimes more elaborate editing can be slow

To be fair emc 9 works with Vista so I don't know if performance would be better on the new OS. I have XP and only a 1.6 processor so I'm using a pc on the lower end of the spectrum. Still I can't complain, most of the tools do the job quickly. Portable devices are a welcome addition considering that most users of the suite have or will have a portable player. I was able to set defaults for my mobile phone so that video footage could be transfered almost instantly. The video size is adjusted accordingly. If you're into music, emc9 can handle recording, conversions, and editing. I've turned many of my cd songs into mp3 files. I was able to set the volume level too. Now that I see the possibilities, I may get a better pc so I can also burn blu-ray dvds. Of course the burners are ridiculously expensive so I'm on the lookout for a deal. At least I know I'll be ready since emc9 has the right tools.

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Astounding new features

Strengths: Familiar interface with more formats and better programs; more than an 'in name only' upgrade

Weakness: Preferred old default of viewing files by file type, but you can reconfigure to this view

There are some obvious changes to the program, new portable player tools. The program converts video footage for play on an iPod, PSP, or cellphone. There are a number of compression options to fit more footage on the player. These compression tools are also useful if you transfer from several discs or a larger capacity disc. You can use maximum compression and go from 9GB to 4.7 GB. I have a dual layer dvd burner but the discs are rather expensive so anything that can save space is a big plus.
Another big addition is the ringtone creator program. There are a number of smaller programs which do this function, but I'm glad they included it in the suite. This suite covers more than I expected and I don't anticipate that I have to get any more programs to do digital media things.

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Roxio ver 9. Not as good as I thought it would be.

Strengths: New vedio tools are excellent.

Weakness: Revised audio tools are complicated. Liked the previous version better

I purchased this product for the increase tools for video. I was sorry to find that the audio tools had been made much more complicated from the earlier versions. To make this work I now run both versions with selected tools. Hard to keep system/programs from locking up. Overall a good product, but I would have kepted the orginial version.

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Easy Media Creator 9 Suite

Strengths: I love this software, it does everything I want and more. Easy to use, not complicated.

Weakness: none

I would recommend this software to anyone who is into pictures, cd, dvd's, ect. I love all the features, it is not complicated to operate. Works like a charm. Good job Roxio.

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Creator 9

Strengths: Makes burning DVDs easy.

Weakness: None really

Creator really has more options than I need, but it works great. Burns relatively fast. The drag to disk applicatoin is sometimes annoying, but it isn't that bad. Good buy for the money.

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Product advertise it is supporting Vista. It does...

Strengths: Basic audio

Weakness: False advertisement - not all features are supported by vista. Proof 9.1 version: they REMOVED the ring tone feature...

A friend has issues with installation, gettting invalid CD key although for a valid SN, purchased to the cy. Support could not help!Because ringtones cannot be supported and installation is a draw of the luck, Skip this.

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Easy Media Creator 9 Suite

Strengths: see below

Weakness: see below

I have had trouble getting the Easy media Creator 9 Suite to be compatible with Vista, contrary to company claims. I have also had trouble reaching a real person to help me with these problems.

I'd love it if Roxio would contact me.

outdooredge@hotmail.com

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Roxio Easy Media Creator 9

Strengths: Many media features for one price.

Weakness: Cropping feature on photo editing is confusing.

I am new to video editing, but wanted to get started. I bought this software after buying a digital video camcorder. When I loaded the software and brought up the video portion for the first time, it told me that my video card did not meet minimum requirements. Mine was an "integrated graphics" setup. If you have a computer that is a few years old, you better check your card. I have bought a new video card, but haven't installed it yet. The audio and photo portions of the suite are working fine. The cropping feature in photo editing is confusing and I haven't fully figured it out yet. That's the only complaint I have on Roxio.

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Roxio Creator 9 suite

Strengths: easy to use

Weakness: install has to be clean

Installation became a real pain when the first install failed, leaving remnants that were difficult to remove. Software would not recognize my key code untill I was able to download a fix from the Roxio site. At least they were responsive when I indicated my issue.

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Enragingly Buggy!

Strengths: Nice assortment of applications...if they actually worked reliably.

Weakness: Buggy, slow, bloatware. Junk.

I had Nero 6 and it worked fine. Was enticed by CNET and other reviews of Easy Media Creator 9 and low price now that 10 is out. Foolishly bought it and began to spend lots of time recovering from crashes and doing repair re-installs. Plus, it makes you uninstall Nero! (I think Roxio does not want you to have Nero around for easy comparison of their buggy junk with a reliable piece of software.

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Buggy & worthless

Strengths: None noted.

Weakness: Unstable. Unusable.

More than half the times I attempted to write a data DVD with the Drag and Drop thingee, it brought my laptop down and left me with a worthless corrupt DVD.
I then switched to the classic Data Disc interface. It was more stable -- which is to say it didn't crashed. But EMC Creator failed to copy hidden files. When I contacted to Support to learn the trick for copying such files, I was told that I shouldn't expect to be able to copy them!
I got this product for free with my new laptop. I feel it is worth less than I paid.

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Disk burning - best ever

Strengths: Besides the multi format support there is a quick method to burn disks

Weakness: It can't burn bought movies since there are copyright laws

I know many of us would like to copy bought dvds for reasons other than illegal selling. I myself would like to have a duplicate in case the kids destroy the originals. I know there are ways around it so If you are need to there are fixes. However for backing up downloaded clips, movies, shows this will work well. It will even convert them to several portable devices. On the audio front, well there is an audio widget which will record anything coming through the sound card. For those sites not providing downloadable podcasts or sound files you need to listen in real time. If you record the streaming audio you can make a digital file. I've used this numerous times to capture programs so I can hear them at my convenience.

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Statisfactory solutions for media

Strengths: I couldn't find anything missing when it comes to my digital needs

Weakness: No major problems

I use this program on both XP and Vista. I haven't found any performance issues on eith operating system. I've also liked MyDVD so I knew I would at least be getting a good disk authoring program. With time I'm now impressed with the other programs. I find VideoWave to be a full range editor. With it I make edits very precisely. I especially like cutting ads out of programs. Some programs have so many that cutting them out saves tons of space. The compression tools also cut space requirements.

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Easy CD Creator 9

Strengths: able to create images from files on hard drive as well as on CD and DVD's..

Weakness: bug when copying unproctected Dvd's when using 'DVD Movie Copy'?

There seems to be a bug in the program because it will not copy non protected DVD's without the copy losing letters from the beginning of the title of the copied DVD? Trying to make an exact duplicate using "Copy Dvd Movies" creates the duplicate Dvd ok, but then the title has missing letters from beginning of the title? Example if the original DVD is titled "NewMovie" the duplicate is titled "ewMovie" or "wMovie"? I am not sure why this happens but it was not an issue in version 8 so I have no idea why it is a problem now but it is very dissapointing and there are no updates available yet for Roxio 9 as of this date per their web site? I guess it is always a bad idea to buy a new product right away...!!!

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Fanastic Price; The Real Deal

Strengths: Product exactly as described. Price was the lowest anywhere.

Weakness: No communication after ordering. It showed up at the door without any email contact, etc.

I was surprised with such a low price, but there was no catch. It was the full product delivered in a reasonable amount of time. It would have been nice if there would have been some email confirmation of shipping, etc.

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Makes my days

Strengths: Easy to use, complete digital media solutions

Weakness: Very large program

I was trying to burn my son's school project video onto a dvd disk and didn't succeed. I downloaded emc9 and even though I don't know why exactly, the disk burned easily. I thought that I was making a mistake when I burned with an old program, but then there weren't many steps in the roxio program. In about 3 steps I got my dvd in time for the deadline. Since then I've tried the video editing software and it is much better than what we used before. It could be that our software was several years old and new formats are in play. Also adding some voiceovers and music wasn't too hard.

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Thanks for a good Vista product

Strengths: A must have Vista product; if you have a good XP pc then it may also be a must have

Weakness: burners and media formats are constantly evolving so it's best to upgrade the program, however you can find good deals if you look

I find Vista decent but not groundbreaking. It doesn't handle media alone so you need a good digital media program. First the suite has superior compression/conversion tools. These are needed for moving media to mobile devices and discs. I didn't know that sometimes media files on disks have to be changed so that they are playable. It doesn't matter that I'm not an expert though. The Roxio program will do this automatically. The bad is that you may never learn the ins and ands since the program doesn't require much input.

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Don't like media editing - this may change your mind

Strengths: EAsy to learn video, audio, photo editing programs; disk authoring is also intuitive

Weakness: No huge weaknesses

I give this the maximum rating cause it has motivated me to do more with media. I was content to just save media to disks but there are several editing programs that you can just pick up and make progress. Many of them use the standard conventions of editing such as toolbar icons, timelines, multi-tracks and layering. Anyone with some experience should be able to use them in no time.
Even if you don't do much editing the converting programs are worth their weight in gold. This has Tivo features so you can take the files an deven change them to work on an iPod.

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Winner on Vista and XP

Strengths: Tons of programs and many are innovative

Weakness: I'd like more control over what programs get installed

Can any program work well on Vista at this point? EMC9 is my 1st large Vista program and yes, it does function with the Vista. In fact I think it does better than on XP since new pcs are usually more powerful. I should note that I started with a preloaded new pc. From playing videos to editing original stuff, the menus are as intuitive as possible. I'll leave other programs to the techies of the world. I didn't think I could handle transferring various video clips and photos to my cellphone, but the program is so easy I think anyone can use it. I didn't know the type of files that cellphones use but it didn't matter. The program will choose the right format by just id'ing the phone.

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Not perfect but it is still great

Strengths: Does a lot of things other suites don't add

Weakness: Not every program is of use, maybe instlal could include deleting certain programs so it doesn't take so much space

If you need disk authoring, video editing, photo editing, music management, ringtone creation, portable device capabilities, I would consider this. I've installed it on Vista and it is working. Although some tools are similar to other programs there are a few that put it in its own category. Music management is much smoother with emc 9. Who else has the auto id tagging feature. It also has a record widget so you can even capture songs. The digital info isn't always included so you can use the sound wave based database to id the songs.

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Roxio... NEVER AGAIN!

Strengths: The packaging was fairly attractive. and the advertised features were great.

Weakness: The advertised features DON'T WORK.

The product I purchased Roxio Easy Media Creator 9 Suite did not function on Windows Vista as Roxio advertises. It ruined half a dozen disks before I gave up. Roxio's update service said there were no updates. Roxio Support did refer me to a patch that "should" solve one of the noted problems, and referred me to a 3 page set of step by step instructions on how re-install the software with the patch. I will NEVER buy another Sonic/Roxio product again. Their software sucks and they don't support it in any reasonable fashion.

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No kidding, the best I've used

Strengths: The menu gets to the point, i.e. it's easy to find your task and then use many automated features

Weakness: Puts the tasks in layman's terms so very technically oriented people may prefer more control over the tasks

So far I've burned music, data, and video dvds in different ways. The simplest way is to drag files onto the disk icon. It's best to keep music files separate if you don't need dolby sound because it takes more time to burn. Anyway the program uses set parameters to determine the type of disk to burn based on the files chosen. It will also make the conversion necessary to utilize videos off the disk. Some formats require conversion otherwise they can't be played directly from the disk. This is just one part of the gigantic program. But I think many of the other features follow the disk burning method and are straight forward.

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Rate 10 on XP, Rate 0 on Vista, Rate 0 on customer...

Strengths: Works well on XP

Weakness: Useless on Vista, no customer support

This program works great on an XP environment, but is almost useless on a Vista machine. Roxio has absolutely no customer support. They have been promising a Vista patch for months. I have used the product all the way back to Version 4, but I am now looking for a replacement product. I would not waste your money

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Works on Vista

Strengths: One of the few big programs that's truly Vista compatible. XP users can buy this and not have to upgrade later.

Weakness: Some driver issues, but easily resolved.

Vista has its own problems so initially it took work to upgrade the patches and drivers. This is a must before installing other programs. I then installed emc9 without trouble. The speed of may tasks has improved from 8. I think this is part software, part hardware. I noticed that the photo editor has a lot more tools, and ver. 8 was pretty good too. Batch processing is good call. Ringtones and portable devices make this a complete package.

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Very Best

Strengths: Very basics of media are covered, like photo, audio, video editing, conversions, disk authoring; the best interface I've seen in a big suite

Weakness: video needs power so don't expect much if you don't have the processor, however other programs should work

From making simple slide shows to creating music videos, this is a great program. I would not expect such a wide range in one suite considering that most companies make money by separating the components. Roxio has been making suites a long time but now they've updated to include tivo, portable devices, and ringtones. Yes, even cellphones are covered. The program will resize photos and even video for playing on cellphones. And vice versa you can transfer media from phones to pc. A great buy for people of different needs.

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How did they stuff so much in one package?

Strengths: Multiple programs, 2 video editors which differ in features, good burning program, easy media device conversions, almost all major media formats

Weakness: Large suite takes large power and space, may not need all it has to offer

With several media products available I sorted through many and got 9. It has the elusive tivo file support which I couldn't find elsewhere. It also has a song database which will id songs and fill in song data. Those distinguishing features swayed my decision. Now I find that the program has an easy to use system. I think users will find it fast and easy to learn, even casual users.

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3 Copies Of Roxio Media Creator

Strengths: It's Great, Came in handy when I need to make a DVD Movie, Was super easy and made the short movie in less then 15 minutes before we had to go to a birthday party

Weakness: Have not found any yet

Easy to buy, came quickly, only used a few times but really like the product and I have a feeling I will be using it more, & more, & more, & More & More

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The media bomb

Strengths: Complete and uninhibited editing and burning capability of any media other than protected DVD movies.

Weakness: I honestly can't think of any.

I'm still acclimating myself to all the bells and whistles of this broad program. This is to music and movies what Photoshop is to images. Not only can you import ANY media under the sun, but you can convert it into any format you like at any quality setting. This is one thing Photoshop isn't, though. It's user friendly and saves anywhere in your project. This program is easy enough for the novice yet complex enough for the enthusiast. I highly recommend this program to anyone who loves editing media.

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Fully loaded

Strengths: Full strength editing programs, disk authoring, and utilities

Weakness: not for out of date pcs

My windows free disk authoring program was very limited. It didn't support a number of formats and burning methods. This program has everything, even widescreen, blueray, and dvd-vcr. I was surprised to see that I could even edit widescreen photos and video. The slide show maker will make a widescreen version too. I made a dvd for the set top which had quality dolby sound. I've hooked up stereo sound to my dvd and now I can take advantage. I'm not ready to make a media center though my pc so burning disks is a good interim solution.

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Comprehensive suite

Strengths: more that you could ever use, familiar interface

Weakness: state-of-the-art means have your OS upgraded

I've never encountered such a large suite that manages to remain accessible. Most programs sacrifice user friendliness for complexity. Even though you can do a lot, the steps are simple to follow. I would caution newbies though that the media manager when arranged by media type may have some old thumbnails. I didn't encounter any problems in the folder arranger though. Anyway you can burn disks. If you run into problems, there is a recovery utility which could pinpoint the disk problem and even repair it.

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covers the holes in my digital needs

Strengths: Vary basics are here along with media device programs

Weakness: Should have better specs than the minimimu requirements, it may run but some tasks take more time

There were several suites I could have gone with but roxio's had the ringtones, portable devices, and tivo programs. There is so much here that even if I dump my tivo, I still need it for other things. I don't plan on disposing of my video iPod for a year or 2 so I will always use it to transfer video. I also need to burn dvd discs and I can't see them disappearing for a few years. So there's some longetivity to this suite. I did add Bluetooth to my pc. Now I can send photos to my phone. I think I will also get a better video player phone so I can use that as a player too. The program covers the iPod formats and the phone formats.

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Insanely addictive

Strengths: Has retained its sensible structure even though more programs have been added

Weakness: Do you need them all? You may find there's more that you will use after you start using it, or it may just take up space.

For me this is extremely accessible. I don't know a lot about the video and audio formats except that you need different programs to use them. I tried the roxio video and audio players and now I can run all the formats from one program. I also don't know the name of the PSP video format. However when I connected it to my pc, roxio automatically chose the format. If you are a techie type, perhaps you would like to choose the format yourself. I think this program is made for nontechies who are learning the new digital world. PhotoSuite is also a very good editor and has lots of choices. Still it is easy to use and there is a manual included if you like a reference printed book.

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Roxio Easy Media Creator v.9.0 Suite

Strengths: Looks like it's not fully developed but have potentials

Weakness: It is not as easy as the earlier version no matter how you want to record. Also it takes longer time for the computer to read the CD after its done. Makes a lot of noice.

I found the software being very clumsy. Very little control what is going on. This software is not what I have hoped for and, it makes you want to look for another software that would give you what you want. I take a lot of pictures that is not only stored on the harddrive but also burnt to CD's and DVD's. I would like to have a "smoother operator" other than this Easy Creator 9 Suite.

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Need to say it - get it

Strengths: Has the programs to do everything to every type of media

Weakness: Many choices

If you like having programs in case you need them, use this program. You may get a new device and have to look for software. This new version has the support for many types of devices, camcorders, cameras, portable players. It will convert to the formats needed.

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Shows what the latest can do

Strengths: With changing technology this program shows how important it is to have up to date software. I can skip the frustration of having software that doesn't support new hardware.

Weakness: This program requires good RAM and processing power, otherwise you might not be able to use all the programs.

I put this program on a very old antique which just has enough power to support the program. Of course it is also on my newer pc. I share an external drive and dvd burner. The program works well when it comes to burning discs. There are disc analysis utilities which can see if anything went wrong. I can also do anything with music. The program does more than convert formats. There are sound editing tools which can fix distortion and keep the volume level consistent. When you play your new dvd or cd, then the volume level won't vary. However I can't do video editing on the old pc. The new one though can handle the program.

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Roxio Easy Media Creator v.9.0 Suite

Strengths: Full featured.

Weakness: Tended to freeze PC on more difficult tasks. May be due to learning to use new software. Ease of use may be a concern to the inexperienced/novice.

I bought this program mainly because of its ability to convert and edit Microsoft Recorded TV Show files to a DVD recordable/playable format. I froze my PC a few times editing 4.5-hour Microsoft Recorded TV Show (14.1GB file) to put on DVD disc. Task accomplished after trial and error method of learning software quirks and how to edit huge files. Expect few problems in future. Haven't used any other features besides video editing and DVD burning.

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So easy even children can use it

Strengths: Deceptively simple, yet powerful. The steps are so easy you may think that something went wrong. It just skips a lot of steps that other programs require.

Weakness: Needs more up-to-date computer to handle the storage and processor requirements.

I'm not kidding about it being child friendly. My 12 year old son needed to make some boy scout related collages and slide shows. I know that kids are sometimes better than adults with pcs, but still he didn't need any of my help. He did need some experience trying the photo editor and I helped him. It only takes some practice before he got the hang of the photo editing tools. They are pretty much the same as most programs. He got carried away with the cloning tool, but at least he's getting familiar with the process.

There is now a diverse range of devices in the family and so far this suite has provided tools to handle all of them. My son's PSP player can be used as a viewer now. The program will compress photos, music, and video as well as convert them for the device. I use the audio recorder to make internet radio show files and then transfer them to an mp3 player. I can catch up on news and interviews. I know that soon my kids will want custom ringtones so at least I know I won't have to pay for them if they use the roxio program.

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Roxio Easy Media Creator 9 Suite Editing, Burning, Authoring Software Review

Roxio provides superb disc burning utilities, with easy to understand interfaces and the functionality you'd come to expect from such a specific product category. Easy Media Creator 9 brings a lot more confusion to the table, blurring the lines between a disc burning utility and a full-on video editor and DVD authoring solution. We were impressed with all these useful features. Keep in mind,...

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