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Going
Pro
Special thanks to Bobby Beaver for his help in reviewing this product and for providing his insights and comments. Sonic Solutions is one of the pioneers of DVD technology. Practically every DVD in your collection was built using their professional DVD authoring system. And since they've been there from the beginning, who better to turn to for professional results when you're burning your own DVDs at home? There is a multitude of DVD authoring software available for the consumer, and much of it is extremely versatile. Sonic Solution's MyDVD, for example, is a top notch introduction to the world of DVD authoring. But these packages sometimes lack the professional edge that, deep down, every home video enthusiast is looking for. Unfortunately, most professional packages require a hefty investment, both in software and in equipment. Sonic's ReelDVD, however, is just the ticket for DVD movie makers. ReelDVD is a professional DVD authoring package, built on the same engine as what Sonic Solutions provides to the major studios. Unlike the package that Warner Brothers or other studios might use, however, ReelDVD is equipped with an intuitive and versatile user interface. In common language, it's as simple as point and click. One of the finer points that we enjoyed during testing was ReelDVD's storyboard area. Grab an item (whether it is a video clip, a still image, or whatever) and drag it into the storyboard area. Next, click on the "next track" icon with the right button and drag it over to the next clip you want to link it to. A little directional arrow appears showing the playback sequence of the disc. Do the same for the previous track icon. The storyboard expands as needed so you never run out of room. This gives the user maximum control over the DVD's environment, and in the words of Bobby Beaver, "The storyboard is the ideal means for designing the DVD menu system." ReelDVD helped set the industry standard for DVD playback, so there has been particular emphasis placed on creating a software package that allows the final product to play on almost any set-top DVD player. So even if you own an off brand machine there's still a good chance your home video DVD will play. And just in case you don't own a DVD player yet (who the heck ARE you, anyway?), the package comes with the high quality Sonic Cineplayer software, a $49 value. Now, let's get technical. ReelDVD allows for Dolby Digital encoding and 16x9 Anamorphic video, just like the pros. And just like other Sonic gems, this package comes with the ability to create menus with video, sound and motion. Other features of note:
There is simply nothing that you'd want to do with your DVD burner that can't be done using ReelDVD. The down side: ReelDVD offers very little in the way of "downsides," but we did make some observations. One thing that we found a little disconcerting was that there is no built in MPEG2 encoder. The software relies heavily on the fact that the pros will likely already have some sort of encoder. This can mean added expense, since you'll have to purchase MPEG2 encoding software or hardware in order to fully utilize the product. Also on the list of downsides, the presence of a security dongle. Sonic has promised that the next generation of the software will not require this extra piece of hardware. This is a professional piece of software but it has been designed with Joe Average in mind. It comes in a little pricy at $999 ($849 if you purchase it through their web site at www.sonic.com!) but trust us, it's worth every penny. You will be producing DVDs that are every bit as good as (maybe even better than) what comes out of the major studios.
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