Ulead DVD MovieFactory 3.5 Deluxe any good?

[mubs]

I got this with the NEC 3500A DVD burner. My main needs right now are to back up my data on DVDs. Down the road I'll look into buying a video-cap card and converting my homemade (and a few other) VHS tapes to DVD.

Is Ulead DVD MovieFactory 3.5 Deluxe any good? Crapware? Bloatware? The disc is co-branded with NEC.

I have somewhere an OEM copy of Easy Media Cremator 7 as well.

Nero seems to have gone downhill somewhat, based on titters in the media. Besides I don't want to plunk down a lot more cash for another piece of sw if I can help it.

Your valued comments, please!

 

[Mercutio]

The main feature of the program - the video capture and conversion stuff - is easy to use, fairly quick and hassle free.

DVD MovieFactory has a bit of a problem dealing with discs longer than two hours. Even if your video is valid MPEG2, it will tell you there's not enough space to burn the disc unless you turn off "Don't Convert Compliant Video" and switch to the EP (4 hour, crap quality) disc mode.

I don't know why it does that. Version 2 did it also.

Moviefactory captures everything in MPEG2 format, literally making discs in 1/10th the time of version 2 or many other current DVD programs (cough*sonic*cough) and has scads of video menu options. It's easy enough and stable enough to use that it's my prime pick for my students' video capture needs (along with a $35 Conexant-based TV card).

The "deluxe" version adds a DVD player program and data CD/DVD burning functions. Frankly, neither is a replacement for PowerDVD or Nero IMO, but I don't mind having them as a check when one program or other is misbehaving.

 

[mubs]

Thanks, Merc, this is the kind of priceless, real-world feedback I was hoping for.

 

[time]

My daughter has been using version 3 and found it a hassle-free program.

So I'll second Merc's opinion.