PC MAGAZINE discusses DVDXCOPY VS. INSTANT COPY

[defense]

Just thought it was interesting that the PCMAGAZINE, dated, June 17th, 2003 discusses products such as DVDXCOPY AND INSTANT COPY and compares them thoroughly. It also gives a good map of how long one takes vs. the other. Another thing I found interesting is that the magazine also mentions and discusses DVDDECRYPTER.....and makes it a point to mention that this CSS DECRYPTION software is freeware. I wonder how many new members this site will have once this magazine gets in more and more people's hands and they start to realize how easy it is for them to make a backup of a DVD.

I know this is the "news" section, and I am referring to this article in the actual copy of the published version of PCMAG, however, i'm sure there is an online article, however, the online articles are usually much more simplistic.

[Pootie]

Anyone find any scans? Seems like a good read.

[jdizzy40]

I read the article too. But just realize this, we are in a small majority, I'd say around 7 to 11 percent of hard core PC users. The rest can barely use windows explorer to find a file they don't know where they put. I've spent hours teaching people how to use the basics on a computer, let only attempt to drag them into our world of computing. Spendable income is another factor that will keep them away, unless of course they use plastic.

[Bob W]

I read the article too. But just realize this, we are in a small majority, I'd say around 7 to 11 percent of hard core PC users. The rest can barely use windows explorer to find a file they don't know where they put. I've spent hours teaching people how to use the basics on a computer, let only attempt to drag them into our world of computing. Spendable income is another factor that will keep them away, unless of course they use plastic.

You are so right, I must have spent hours trying to explain to my sister the file system of windows and how to use explorer and she still don't get it.

[BJ_M]

explorer 101

a file cabinet drawer = hard drive or storage media

folders in the file cabinet = folders

paper in the folders = files

whats on the papers = your data

[FulciLives]

explorer 101

a file cabinet drawer = hard drive or storage media

folders in the file cabinet = folders

paper in the folders = files

whats on the papers = your data

LOL

I can understand "older" people NOT getting computers ... at least at first ... but I had the advantage in MY time or era if you will of having a computer since a very young age. This started with the Commodore VIC-20 with cartridges and a tape drive to a Commoder C-64 with a tape drive and finally a floppy disk drive. My first INTEL/WINDOWS computer was in 1990 and it was a 386SX-16Mhz with 2MB RAM an 80MB HDD with a 512k Video Card (which was the SH*T then) ... my fist "upgrade" was the first ever Sound Blaster card. Most games at that time came on like anywhere from 5 to 20 3.5" Floppy Disks as CD-ROM either wasn't around or too expesive for just about ANYONE to own. Oh yes this computer came with DOS 4.x something and the VERY new at-the-time WINDOWS 3.0 operating system ... 8)

If I recall the fastest computer at the time was a 386DX-33Mhz ... other than the processor speed (which was middle of the road then as 286 machines were still very common) my other specs were rather on the high end of the time.

Oh well stuff like that is funny ...

But my point is I had some sort of computer (not JUST a game system although I did enjoy my ATARI 2600) since an early age so I often think that is why I "got it" when it comes to computers.

I was rather unimpressed in college with the amount of idiots that couldn't understand the simple thing explained so well by our friend BJ_M

Once computer games were the REALLY kewl games but with the advant of the PlayStation and now the newer PS2, XBOX, GameCube etc. the young one's no longer need a computer for game playing ... unless they want to play a TRUE RGP rather than FINAL FANTASY (which I dig but GOD I miss the days of GREAT roleplaying games like ULTIMA or WIZARDRY, BARD'S TALE, or SSI POOL OF RADIANCE etc. which are all but dead except on the computer front thanks to games like BALDUR'S GATE).

Perhaps I'm just showing my age hehehe

Peace Out!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[txpharoah]

Once, years ago, I had to explain to some little old lady how to click the mouse. Over the phone. And it took an hour. She wanted to use email. She didn't even know what the mouse was until I told her (which took up the first 20 minutes). I wanted to choke the old bag and/or tell her to go back to writing letters. Hell, I'd have bought her a lifetime supply of stamps, pens, and stationery to just shut her up and get her off the phone. The first AND last time I ever did tech support for extra cash. Not worth the headaches.

So yeah, I see that article having VERY LITTLE change for the masses.

It's nice for us to read though.

I still have some of my old PC World and PC Magazines from the 80s and 90s. One of the oldest ones shows the 8088's and advertises the "coming soon" of the "amazingly fast 286 mhz microprocessors" with "4 mhz speed - WOW!" I kept them by accident. I now keep them for laughs. One 1981 article is an interview with "up-and-comer William Gates"

[Bob W]

I built two computers one for my sister and one for my mother both live 350 miles from me. My mother just could never understand to turn off the computer she needed to go to "start" and simply turned the power off until the hard drive went belly-up. Then there is my sister who was having computer problems so I tell here to ship just the computer to me and I would fix it. A week later UPS shows up with her monitor LOL.

[preacher238]

I learned on my own by trial and error. I did have some understanding friends that helped me out a lot, though. However, I am still learning so no smart comments from here! I still mess things up once in awhile!

My first computer was a screaming Packard Bell (BIG MISTAKE!!) 386SX 20 Mhz with a 105 MB hard drive. Cutting edge!!!

[arcorob]

This is not uncommon and you are correct, only a small percentage have a clue. The rest (like certain family members of mine) want to buy a digital camcorder but still need to call me just to dub it to a VHS tape on a VCR with front inputs !!! They think my ability to capture, edit, etc video and then create a DVD is right up there with Merlin the Magician.

The bad part is that things are not always as mainstream or easy but the GOOD news is it leaves opportunity for business's like mine (Wedding Videos, conversions, etc)
8)

[mkelley]

Okay, here's an old fart who was putzing around with computers before all of you were born to represent the older generation.

My *mother* got her first computer when she was 75 -- she is now an avid computerholic and while I won't say she's going to beat anyone at either hacking or games she can comp a pretty mean newsletter using Photoshop and Pagemaker, and she puts together slide show DVDs of her grandkids. If she *wanted* to she could learn how to rip and backup her DVDs anytime.

While our bodies will get old (and I hate to break it to you young turks, but this will happen to YOU as well. LOL) our minds don't have to. Just because someone is old doesn't mean they can't learn, and I have found some extremely rigid mindsets among young people, just as I have found some amazing flexibility among older folks.

It does help to grow up with this stuff, but the real test is how flexible you were in the first place. My grandfather, who died before the PC revolution, got his real estate license in his 80's, aceing the test the first time (and thus beating out every single other "young" person in his license class). He played Atari games with me and could give me quite a good match. He would have loved this stuff.

Thirty years from now when your own grandkids are wondering why you can't figure out how to replicate a simple hot dog, you'll truly understand.

[housepig]

couple of thoughts on this thread....

I was discussing with a friend the other day about divx encoding, and the possibility of the "one-click" program to do a dvd->divx rip.

I said I wasn't sure how much development is going to go that way, cause it seems to me on this board that the people who want to go from dvd to divx have gotten used to multiple steps and multiple programs, and refined a multi-step process.

Whereas a lot of the people who want the ease of a 1-click are gravitating towards dvd-r, as they don't have to do the same level of processing to get decent results.

BJ_M -

I've used that same analogy, but I also use the area of your desk surface = amount of ram.

and as for first computer - Coleco ADAM with dual cassette-tape data drives... on which I played Donkey Kong and tried futiley to create a database of my comic collection.

first computer that I actually did anything with - a Packard Hell 486/25sx, with 4Mb Ram and 107Mb hdd... I remember buying my first upgrades, 4mb more Ram for $160, and a 200Mb hdd for $220...

<barbara streisand voice> memmmmmmmmmmm or eeeeeeeeeeeees </barbara streisand voice>

[energy80s]

I still don't use Explorer, preferring "My Computer" instead to navigate through folders. My first PC (rather than home computer) was a 25MHz 386 with 4Mb of RAM and that was only in 1996!

Very few people know anything about burning VCD's or DVD's. I work in the BBC and keep getting pestered by cameramen wanting to know how you would convert something to DVD or how to burn a VCD. Just because we are knowledgeable in this field, doesn't mean the rest of the computer world will follow suit.

[defense]

I think this thread has definitely gone off topic. "It has turned into...how dumb people are with a computer." I agree that most have no clue how to use a computer, but I know that I was one of those people. I never used a computer up until a few years ago, and now I can do shit that some people that have worked with computers their entire life can't understand.

I think it's all about determination. Some people get intimidated by a PC....you can't take that approach, and you have to believe you can learn anything. I've read hundreds of pages in several hours in order to do certain things...but that's me. I think that once people who are in the "dumber" pc category...get that PC magazine....I think if they are the least bit determined...they will say..SHIT...I can backup my DVD's....and do it this easy....wow......I'm gonna learn.....then they do some simple google searches...land on this site...and BAMMMM...it's on......

and even though I don't like IC7 or DVDXCOPY, or any of the other one step programs...that's my perogative....but that doesn't mean others won't find them amazing. I remember when I first started out, I was happy to get an SVCD on THREE CD's....because the quality was incredible...but I QUICKLY got stubborn and being the perfectionist I am...I decided 3 cd's wasn't enough...and the quality wasn't there on all movies.....so I slowly converted all my SVCD's to DVD-R's...because even DVDXCOPY wasn't good enough..I didn't want my ORIGINAL quality on 'TWO" DVD's....so I found the method that worked for me...and that's what i'll probably always stick with unless some major breakthrough is made.

Either way, there will be some percentage of people who will introduce themselves into this DVD WORLD just from reading that PC magazine which gives mainstream publicity to to IC7, DVDXCOPY, DVDDECRYPTER...etc.

[shaqattaq]

Copy Your DVDs

June 17, 2003
By Jan Ozer


We've all seen those spam e-mails hawking software that can copy DVDs to either DVD or CD media. And many DVD owners have had discs destroyed by scratches or other mishaps. Though many of the software offerings are overhyped shareware collections, with the right programs and equipment you can produce archival copies qualitatively identical to your original discs.

But Is It Legal?


Most recordable-DVD drives come with programs that can copy data DVDs, but commercial entertainment DVDs are usually protected by Content Scrambling System (CSS) encryption. CSS prevents direct copying by programs that don't have CSS decryption capabilities, and several courts have ruled that DVD-copying software with CSS decryption is illegal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

321 Studios (www.321studios.com), a company that makes several DVD-copying software packages (more on these products below), is currently embroiled in a legal battle with several major movie studios to establish that making archival copies is permitted under the "fair use" clause of the original copyright protection laws. We asked Lee Bromberg of Bromberg & Sunstein, a Boston-based legal firm that specializes in intellectual property, about the legality of copying DVDs for archival purposes and the legal risk to consumers. Here's what he said:

"Several courts have ruled that decryption technologies used for copying DVDs are illegal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, but these are all lower-court decisions that influence but don't dictate the results of the 321 Studios case. Since the issue is still being litigated, whether it's legal or illegal is unclear. Though there is a small theoretical risk of criminal prosecution under the DMCA, the movie and recording industries typically pursue commercial users rather than consumers."

Technical Issues

So if you're game, let's begin. You'll get the best results copying your DVDs to recordable DVDs with a DVD writer, so we'll start with this scenario. Though you can back up to recordable CDs, the process takes longer, is more complicated, and produces a degraded viewing experience.

The legal problems surrounding DVD copying have resulted in three classes of software. At one extreme are the major vendors such as Pinnacle Systems and Roxio. These companies don't include CSS decryption in their burning software; their products let you burn DVDs from data ripped to your hard drive. At the other end are functional but complicated and undersupported shareware programs that either include decryption capabilities or piggyback off the decryption capabilities of a DVD decoder already installed on your computer. Lonely in the middle is 321 Studios, developer of the polished DVD X Copy ($99 direct).

DVD X Copy is the only package we were able to buy and operate that retrieves DVD video data bit for bit from the original disc and burns it onto one or more recordable DVDs. The copy's video quality is identical to the original, and you can preserve all the menus and special features if you choose. The only significant difference is that DVD X Copy doesn't compress video, so you'll probably have to use more than one disc for a feature-length film. That's because most Hollywood movies are on dual-layer discs that contain more data than the 4.7GB capacity of single-layer recordable DVDs. You can use dual-sided DVD-R media with DVD X Copy, but such discs are not dual-layer, so you will have to turn them over during burning and playback, and you can't apply a label or write the movie title on a disc.

Also, many DVD-copying programs claim the ability to copy video game discs as well, but the technical issues are different from copying entertainment DVDs, and the legal problems may be different, too. For the purposes of this article, we'll concentrate on copying commercial videodiscs.

DVD X Copy

After you load DVD X Copy, it scans the DVD disc in your drive to determine whether the movie itself, without special features, will fit on a single DVD. If so, a dialog box lets you choose to omit the special features and burn only the movie.




You then proceed to the main program, which provides a short tutorial on the left-hand side of the screen and controls on the right-hand side. If you choose to consolidate your project to one disc, you can start processing immediately. Otherwise, the program lets you preview and select the chapters between which it will split the movie, so you can minimize the interruption. You can also set the disc to jump right to the main movie when it's inserted in the player, avoiding previews, and you can delete menus and ancillary content to save processing time. Each piece of content is called a titleset. Though there are exceptions, the largest titleset is usually the movie itself (Figure 1).

Advanced options include the ability to skip immediately to processing the second disc, which is useful if a project is interrupted after the first disc is completed. Although we did not have this problem, you can also use the Nero Burning ROM burn engine if DVD X Copy's burner software is incompatible with your DVD recorder. Nero Burning ROM is a popular recording package from Ahead Software (www.ahead.de) and is not included with DVD X Copy.




Processing time is determined primarily by movie length and drive speed. We tested DVD X Copy on a 3.06-GHz Pentium 4 system, with a Sony DRX500UL drive connected via USB 2.0. We used 4X Verbatim media and a commercial DVD containing a 100-minute feature film. Using DVD X Copy, the total processing time to copy only the movie and menus, with no additional content, was 1 hour 14 minutes.

During playback, the first disc opened with a warning screen describing itself as a backup for personal use. The movie played normally to the break, then displayed a request to insert the second disc, which started immediately when we put it in. When we clicked the menu items for content excluded from the disc, the DVD player screen went blank for a moment and then returned to the menu.

DVD X Copy won't copy a copied disc, though you can make as many copies of an original as you like. In addition, the program embeds a watermark into the digital copy, which can track the video back to the registration information supplied by the buyer. Significant for international users, the latest versions of DVD X Copy support PAL DVDs.

A DVD-to-DVD Alternative

Though DVD X Copy works well, having young children switching discs in the middle of a movie is a bit impractical. So we looked for a single-disc solution. One new and intriguing option is Pinnacle Systems' InstantCopy ($50 street), which can consolidate DVD titles originally larger than 4.7GB down to a single DVD disc, while preserving menu structure and all content. Using a proprietary procedure, InstantCopy reduces the data rate without reencoding the entire video. The result is faster processing and higher-quality compressed video.




InstantCopy doesn't have CSS decryption capabilities, however, so it could not copy our test DVD directly. Instead, we downloaded a freeware program called DVD Decrypter (www.dvddecrypter.com) and used it to decrypt the DVD and store the contents to our system's hard drive (a process also called ripping). DVD Decrypter is easy to use: You simply load and select the DVD in the drive and then elect to copy either the entire DVD or selected titlesets to your hard drive (Figure 2).




We tried ripping only the movie, but InstantCopy wouldn't work without all DVD components available, so we ripped the entire DVD, which took 46 minutes. Then we pointed InstantCopy to the DVD data and selected our DVD recorder for output (Figure 3).

You can let InstantCopy choose the conversion settings automatically, or you can tinker with the process, saving space by eliminating unnecessary audio tracks and encoding trailers and other extra content at low quality levels. You can also download hacks (www.mrbass.org/instantcopy) that expose even more customization options, such as the ability to eliminate unwanted video content completely. (Because the hacks require fairly advanced knowledge of digital-video technology, we recommend them only for serious enthusiasts.)

Without the hacks and without any of InstantCopy's built-in options, we would have had to compress the video to 55.3 percent of its original size in order to fit it on one disc; this method would have produced noticeable artifacts. By removing foreign-language audio tracks and features like DTS and other surround-sound audio (which our test DVD player doesn't use anyway), we were able to limit the compression to 83 percent of the original. After customizing these controls, InstantCopy took 2 hours 36 minutes to complete the project. Although an expert could tell the difference between the original and the InstantCopy disc, it certainly wasn't apparent to our jury of 5-year-olds.

In testing, we purchased and downloaded a number of other programs that claimed to copy commercial DVDs to single or multiple DVD-Rs, but only DVD X Copy and InstantCopy worked as advertised. If you decide to look elsewhere, avoid programs that don't offer trial versions, and test before you buy.

Burning CDs

To burn DVDs to CD-R, you will invest more time for a generally less favorable result. First, if your goal is to play the discs on a DVD player, you must encode the content in either Video CD (VCD) or Super Video CD (SVCD) format. This entails decrypting the DVD movie, storing it on your hard drive, and reencoding it in either MPEG-1 (VCD) or MPEG-2 (SVCD) format. This is very time-consuming.

Both specifications have exacting data rate requirements. VCD uses an MPEG-1 audio/video stream encoded at 1,374 Kbps, which translates to about 68 minutes of video on a 700MB CD-R, so we needed two discs for our 100-minute video. SVCD requires a stream of 2,600 Kbps, which delivers better quality but limits content to about 35 minutes per 700MB CD-R; we needed three discs for the SVCD project.

Support for both formats among DVD players is iffy, so the resulting discs may not play on your DVD player. Also, neither VCD nor SVCD supports DVD's menu structure, so you can't easily access other content from the original.

Given these limitations, the dropping prices of DVD recorders, and the legal issues involved, it's not surprising that no company has invested the effort to provide a seamless DVD–to–CD-R solution. During our tests, we acquired three products that claim to automate the process: CopyDVDz's Copy DVDs, 321 Studios' DVD Copy Plus, and Rdestiny's Replicant. Though it's not obvious from the respective Web sites, all of these programs use shareware programs for all or most critical production elements, like ripping, encoding, and burning to CD-R.

321 Studios adds the most value, providing all the shareware programs, a shell with a tutorial, detailed instructions, and telephone tech support. Users who need hand-holding should invest the $49.99 for DVD Copy Plus.

If you're the intrepid type, however, try AfterDawn .com's SmartRipper or DVD Decrypter for copying your DVDs to your hard drive. Then you can use DVDx (www.labdv.com/dvdx) or FlasKMPEG (www.flaskmpeg.net) to encode the footage to VCD or SVCD format, or to other formats such as DivX, which can be read only by PCs, not DVD players. (For more on ripping and encoding, visit www.pcmag.com/dvdcreation.)

Most CD-recording software can convert the resulting video files to VCD or SVCD files, which you can then burn to CD. If your software doesn't, try VCDEasy (www.vcdeasy.org), a shareware program that creates disc images from MPEG files.




For our VCD and SVCD tests, we used DVD Decrypter for ripping, then encoded with DVDx. The default settings generally worked well, but we had to experiment with the zoom setting to produce the desired aspect ratio (Figure 4). Because movie encoding times can easily exceed 1 hour, we tested with movie trailers from the test DVD, viewed the results in Windows Media Player, and then encoded the whole movie after finding the optimal settings. We processed the resulting files into SVCD format using VCDEasy and burned three discs using Nero Burning ROM. Total processing time was just a little less than 5 hours.

Though the MPEG-2 files looked good on our PC, neither of our DVD players was SVCD-compatible, so we produced a VCD version using the same programs. The video quality on the VCD was clearly degraded, especially around edges and text, and the sound synchronization was poor. The latter problem is probably fixable, but poor video quality is not. VCD is a poor option for most purposes.

Overall, both DVD X Copy and InstantCopy produce superb results and are well within the capabilities of even computer novices. Copying DVDs to CD-R is both more complicated and less satisfying, but with a well-documented, well-supported bundle like DVD Copy Plus, it's accessible.

DVD-copying software is very useful for making backups, but its potential for misuse is of serious concern. If the entertainment conglomerates have their way, all forms of DVD copying will be illegal. PC Magazine will provide continuing coverage as the case unfolds.

[spiderman2k1]

The only way people are really ever going to learn PC's is by meshing them up and fixing them self's. If I had a friend that want a PC I would do two thing one tell him to get TECHTV and watch call for help and The Screen Saver's LOL for a start second Leo and Pat made a video how to build your own PC. I would tell them to get that. Then watch a video on the basic of windows for two hour's. I one time had to help a friend set up a dial up connection took one and a hlf hour's for him to get it. I almost took a shot gun to my head LOL

[dcsos]

I like INSTANT COPY more than X COPY...
because it doen't insert a NAG SREEN for the software maker

Otherwise X COPY is faster

I am a more recent convert..
My first computer was a ATARI, then I had a 286 IBM AT..
graphics on these were so bad I tossed them both in 1989

So MY COMPUTER EXPERTISE started in '95 with a DEC VENTURIS PC
P133 w/3mb edo ram-I put a TARGA 1000 into it and VIDEO was GREAT..even with only 64MB ram
I'VE never stopped enjoying the machines since!
THO I COULD SWEAR MY P133 with a 4x CDROM
could access files on the CD much faster than we can today!!GO FIGGURE

as far as MOM:
she took to it like water (at 75 she teaches other resident in her bldg in the community room to configure their internet accounts and avoid viruses and scams on the internet)

as far as DAD:
he's MR.DOS in 2003..
at 78 he's configuered himself a dual boot with SYSTEM COMMANDER that does
WIN98se or DOS BOOT..
He does a lot of typing in dos and then saves it so he can see it in WIN 98
he says he does this because a GUI is distracting while he's thinking..I sorta understand that but cant bring myself to focus so pointedly!

[defense]

dcsos said:

I like INSTANT COPY more than X COPY...
because it doen't insert a NAG SREEN for the software maker

I personally don't think that's a real good reason to allow one program be considered better then the other...especially when you can use IFOedit to take out those "nag" screens DVDXCOPY inserts.

[johnny quest]

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1095083,00.asp

[defense]

humm...another interesting thing to note..which I didn't initially catch..is that the magazine, BOTH online and in the hard copy....makes reference to "Mr.Bass" and his site for instant copy info and hacks. As I mentioned months ago, in the PCMag which had the nets top 200 sites, they gave this very site #1 !! Which is obviously impressive and rightfully so.

The point though is that it seems very obvious now that the author of these articles is probably a very established member on this forum. So, my question then is....what is the "handle" of the author of those articles in PCMag? I'm just curious.....Mr.Bass...you wouldn't be making reference to yourself in your own Magazine now would ya'? hummmm ...lol 8)

[dcsos]

I can't believe that they could be the same person

look at how clueless Jan Ozer (the author of the PCMACGAZINE piece)reveals himself to be
in the discussion part of the article online
see a user asks:

Unfortunatly, this article did not answer my questions about copying DVD. I want the ability to copy parts of a DVD

Jan Ozer replies

I'm not aware of any product that can do this.
Sorry I can't be more helpful.
Jan

If he were MR BASS this wouldn't happen..
He should've said use MPEG2VCR($250) M2Edit ($200) or CHOPPERXP(FREE)
http://discuss.pcmag.com/n/main.asp?webtag=pcmag&nav=messages


Also what expert would say the folowing:

In testing, we purchased and downloaded a number of other programs that claimed to copy commercial DVDs to single or multiple DVD-Rs, but only DVD X Copy and InstantCopy worked as advertised. If you decide to look elsewhere, avoid programs that don't offer trial versions, and test before you buy.

This badmouths DVD2ONE, DVD9to5, DVDSHRINK, DVDTOOLBOX & DVDBACKUP(mac) by omission..All in all a poorly researched article

[trialsofg]

I agree that the mentioned freeware DVDShrink should have been included in the article as, if I had not already purchased DVDXCopy, I would use Shrink exclusively! Every time I have used it on an episodic DVD where XCopy failed to achieve the results I wanted, Shrink came through! I just wish I had done a little more research before starting this hobby! It would have saved me a few bucks as I started with DVDCopyPlus for VCD burning and was ecstatic when XCopy came out. If I had only known that there was freeware that, with just a little knowledge and work on my part, could achieve the same results as a $100 product. Oh well, live and learn; repeat.
As far as my early experiences: my first PC was an Atari and I also used my in-law's Apple (One of the first!) before I was eventually able to buy a used Pentium 1 166mhz, 1.6gb hd, 8mg ram for $200. Naturally, it was DOA and I had to shell out an additional $200 to fix it, but now, years later, I am a certified engineer and computer geek!

[defense]

@dcsos, humm, that is an interesting point, and you are right. However, I still think the author is most likely a forum member as they have said this site is their favorite on the entire net in a past publication a few months ago, and now they are linking sites of another established forum member. But I would think they would have a better understanding of the products out there, being that it is technically their job to research the "competition" in most areas...that's what they did with DVD burners a couple months back in an article....they should do the same here.

[Viper10000]

After reading lots of article from various Computer Magazines, hardly these guys want to mentioned any freeware by name. IMHO, I guess, it could be the following points:

1. These guys are not aware of them? (I doubt it)
2. By promoting freeware, they are afraid people think they're promoting video piracy? (Maybe)
3. The commercial software advertise on their magazine, and so magazine don't want to alienate a direct source of revenue? (Likely)

What do guys think?

[Nolonemo]

I can understand "older" people NOT getting computers ... at least at first ... but I had the advantage in MY time or era if you will of having a computer since a very young age. This started with the Commodore VIC-20 with cartridges and a tape drive to a Commoder C-64 with a tape drive and finally a floppy disk drive

My first computer was a Timex Sinclair. I got the 64K memory expansion pack for it, and wired a keyboard into it. I really wanted a Commodore 64 because that was a "real computer."

My first PC was a dual 5-1/4" floppy machine (no HD). Screaming fast XT clone. Dual drives were cool because you could have your app on one and put data on the other. I eventually upgraded one drive to a 10MB HD, I couldn't imagine being able to fill that sucker up!

Years after, I remember being blown away by how much HD space working with audio took. Now I work with video, and audio files seem tiny. Ain't progress great!