Editorial Review

If you're looking for a writing package that provides guidance but isn't overbearing, the Writer's DreamKit package from Dramatica is a great solution. This package is targeted at beginning to intermediate writers, and attempts to get you involved in working out the mechanics of your story before you even begin writing it.Read more

Reviews (27)

Good
It is a very fun and interesting program. It helps you with all the basic mechanics in developing a story. It is wisely advised that beginners use this product as well as anyone who needs to learn the fundamental elements of developing a story.

Don't Buy This Product: -Buy the Pro. Version or . . .
"Writer's Dreamkit 4" is lacking in features needed by serious writers - or those hoping to become serious writers.
This really helps
I am writing my first book.This program helped me stay organized and focused on the plot. ... Read more

Features

• Click notes onto the staff and hear the pitches -- drag them up and down to find the pitches you want
• Play a MIDI keyboard and see the music appear instantly -- or import and export MIDI files, adding your own lyrics and verses
• Type a chord name to hear how it sounds and see its guitar fretboard -Try any tempo, transpose to any key and add automatic harmonies
• Print great-looking sheet music -Add chord symbols and fretboard diagrams, with up to 6 lyric verses; Add dynamics, slurs, articulations & transpose to any key

Reviews (6)

Still not terribly user friendly
This is the second Finale product I have purchased.The first was the full-blown version of the music writing software.I found it too difficult to learn to be of much use.Now several years later I thought I'd try again.Finale has fantastic capabilities in terms of what a composer can create on paper, but, again, I have found it to be rather user unfriendly.Things like an ability to use your mouse to scroll down a printer page of music appear to be absent.Ability to change the size of your document on the page (analogous to a "font" tool) are likewise missing.Thankfully, I have previous experience of working through a few basic concepts of the software to assist me with this new product.
Okay For The Money, But...
This is my first experience with notation software.Perhaps my expectations were a little high. Bottom line, the HyperScribe (Notate As You Play) feature is useless. There's no problem with my equipment e.g., computer, keyboard, or MIDI Interface. The software isn't capable of reproducing 'real time' play. Talk about "Lost in Translation!" Uploading data from floppy disk, CD, or a Flash Card is better, but far from acceptable. I've also tried to load music directly from the hard drive. Regardless the media used to interface with this program, your song won't come close to sounding the way you want. Get ready to spend countless hours editting your song. Even then, it won't reproduce audibly the way it's written. I'll take the hit for trying to make sheet music inexpensively, but SongWriter doesn't live up to the hype -- at all. It's fun to play with, but don't expect too much. Save your money & time. Incidentally, the problem isn't with the users. Between us, my wife & I have over ninety-years music experience.

Best deal for the money.
Look, notation software is notoriously expensive.All musicians know that.So, when you see SongWriter and its price, it's a relief.Everything you need is in this program.I only have one complaint.
Read more

Editorial Review

Turn your vision into reality and meet the challenge of high-definition production values. With Final Cut Studio 5.1, Apple's suite of integrated tools for real-time video, motion graphics, and audio production, you'll have the industry's best tools at your disposal, including Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, Motion, and DVD Studio Pro.Read more

Features

• DVD-ROM
• The scalability, performance, and workflow of Final Cut Pro make it the first choice of professional editors everywhere.
• Apple's real-time motion graphics software Motion is the easiest way for artists and editors to animate text, movies, and graphics.
• Editors have access to real-time effects processing that scales with their systems, from DV to fully uncompressed HD.
• From DVD dailies to highly interactive commercial titles, DVD Studio Pro is the easiest and most popular way for professionals to author SD and HD DVDs.
• Soundtrack Pro revolutionizes the way audio and video professionals edit and design sound.

Features

• CD-ROM
• CD/DVD burning software for faster burning and safer back-ups
• Easily rip, play, edit, organize, and burn digital music
• Copy CDs and DVDs with 1 click; drag-and-drop photo tools
• Create electronic albums or slide shows; design custom labels
• Make DVD movies with professional transitions and animated menus

Reviews (22)

So Much Variety
This product is so good. I love it! I can make my own MP3's, make disk copies and archive data files.
Most incompetent and frustrating piece of software ever created
First of all, this software performs like someones term project.Why havent these guys been sued yet?
Roxio CD & DVD Burning Software
I recently purchased the software above only to find it does not support my dvd drive(HL-DT-ST RW/DVD GCC-4482B (1.00)I have unsuccessfully tried to contact roxio support three times.No response.I did go through the long list of supported drives and also emailed my problem to Roxio.Needless to say, I am very disappointed and do not recommend the purchase of this software.
Read more

Features

• Playback software for full power over viewing and listening experience
• Unprecedented audio effects create dynamic audio environment
• Exceptional detailed and high-quality video-playback presentation
• Supports all DVD/video/audio in any format; digital TV-content support
• Several options to make movie experience fun and entertaining

Reviews (3)

DVD Playback good, nice audio visualization, UPnP really bad
I downloaded the trial as I was very interested in using this with a TwonkyMedia server for my audio collection, in addition to the DVD playback. The install went well, and it played DVD's fine. I like the smooth reverse which works really well at 1x and 2x smooth reverse.
Seems like the best DVD player for the PC.
I was trying the trial version of WinDVD 7 platinum, which I downloaded from the Intervideo site. So far, WinDVD appears to be the best DVD player for the PC from the few that I've tried. More options, and a better interface.
Intervideo WinDVD Player 7 Platinum
I bought this to play DVDs on my PC. Everything seems to work just fine.
Read more

Features

• Multitrack/monotrack display, with horizontal or vertical scrolling -- screen display adjusts to your preferences and score types
• Chord Diagram Editor allows you to add chord diagrams to your score
• Ask for any chord in any tuning and Guitar Pro will show you every diagram possible
• View and listen to a large number of scales, from the most common to the most exotic

Features

• CD-ROM

Reviews (19)

Exactly as promised
Given all the negative reviews, I had to chime in.This software did exactly what it said, and what I wanted it to do...which was to allow me to transfer my music both to and from my ipod.Nothing more, nothing less.Granted, I'm not a computer whiz, but I actually have a job and wasn't able to spend any more than 30 minutes (to no avail) fiddling with free downloads or shareware before the $19.95 for 'tune transfer' was imminently worth very penny.If you can find something better / cheaper, then get it.That has no bearing on the performance of this software, which is just fine.

Stupid
Hey Folks,
Just Doesn't Work For Me
I would class myself as a savvy PC and Mac person that has been using iPod and iTunes since the beginning.
Read more

Features

• CD-ROM
• Fun-to-use suite of tightly integrated creative tools
• Import, organize, edit, and share digital photos with iPhoto
• iMovie HD quickly turns home video into home cinema
• Create Hollywood-style DVDs with iDVD; iTunes digital jukebox
• Easily perform, record, and create music with GarageBand

Reviews (28)

Ordered wrong item
I wanted to order the latest Mac version of iLife. Upon receiving your Email solicitation, I automaticaqlly selected the first iLife item that appeared on Amazon's page. Unfortunately, it was for iLife '05, rather than iLife '06.Since I already had iLife'05, I had to send it back and reorder iLife '06. To Amazon, I recommend you feature the latest version of the product and list the discounted older version thereafter. To us Buyers, i've learned to be more aware and detailed in my ordering. It saves everyone a lot of pain and suffering.

Solid Program Suite
I got my version of iLife '05 when I purchased my new iBook in September. I am an amateur videographer, and photographer, so iLife was right up my alley.
Superior!!!
This the best product from Apple , simply easy & Powerful collection of software
Read more

Editorial Review

Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 software sets new standards for digital filmmaking so you can make every frame count. Providing the tightest integration with Adobe After Effects and Adobe Photoshop, and native support for HDV, SD, and HD, Adobe Premiere Pro effortlessly fits into high-end effects and editing work flows. Its rich set of advanced editing and effects tools ensures that you can produce whatever you imagine, and new time- and space-saving features help make you more productive. If you work in post services, in-house post production, videography, or multimedia services, Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 delivers a rich feature set that enables you to tell your stories with the highest possible production values.Read more

Features

• CD-ROM
• Edit multiple-camera shoots quickly and easily. View multiple video tracks from a multicam shoot, and edit by switching between tracks in real time.
• Create high-quality, menu-driven DVDs directly from the Adobe Premiere Pro timeline.
• Capture and edit HDV content in its original format with no conversion or quality loss.
• Maintain maximum image quality with subtle and dramatic changes to color, contrast, and exposure, free of the banding and artifacts caused by lower bit-depth processing.

Reviews (1)

Premiere Pro 2.0
Whilst Adobe are touting a range of upgrades in 2.0 the only one I needed was the mulicam facility. Now editing any shot with multiple cameras (up to 4) recording simiultaneously is fantastic. If you previously used a Panasonic MX12 or AVE5 (or similar) then this is a total joy. Selecting the live camera is as easy as pressing 1 to 4 and after you've made your camera selections you can easily go back and move the edit points etc.
Read more

Editorial Review

Show business loves its archetypes. One chestnut that won't go away is the image of the feverish screenwriter, hunched over a word processor, ideas flying so thick and fast that the chore of punctuation would invite creative disaster. Hollywood Screenwriter is a script-writing program that promises to simplify the mundane stuff--like proper script formatting--so creative juices can flow freely.Read more

Features

• CD-ROM
• Express your ideas in the form of a screenplay and turn them into a movie, TV show or play for professional consideration
• Just push a few keys and enter every important script element -- character, dialogue, action, scene breaks and more
• Built-in typing assistant helps you work more efficiently by filling in names & direction after just a few letters
• Television Templates add automatic formats, margins, script styles and character lists
• Sample scripts let you see screenwriting samples from hit shows like NYPD Blue, The X Files and Frasier to see how the pros do it

Reviews (17)

Very good, reasonably priced product
OK, since we're corresponding here, I'll respond by saying I'm a professional filmmaker, and have actually used this software and bothered to figure out how to use it (all software involves a learning curve)
An opinion on Hollywood Screenwriter
Briefly I would say that this product is worth the price, and it seems easy enough to follow the format.Although I have not needed any assistance at this time, an important part of using this product will be the technical support.

Very serviceable
One must remember what this product is... This is the equivalent to the ultra low budget film (<$1M). This will get the job done -- the quality of the script remains in the writer not the format.
Read more

Editorial Review

With its latest package, eMedia goes beyond the drills and tutorials of its earlier eMedia Guitar Method, instead targeting players who already have a familiarity with their instrument. Song-based and fully interactive, eMedia Intermediate Guitar Method covers a lot of ground in its single CD and thus just skims the surface of some topics. It also seems a bit lackluster when compared to Voyetra's exciting, rock and roll-inspired Teach Me Guitar Deluxe. Nevertheless, the program offers a barrage of mid-level and advanced chording, soloing, and picking techniques that should assist any student who seeks to become a more knowledgeable and skillful guitarist.Read more

Features

• CD-ROM
• Over 175 Step-by-Step Lessons: Youâll learn to play solos like the ones Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix made famous, using newly acquired skills such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, bends, vibrato and slides
• Barre chords and different strumming styles are covered in the rhythm chapters, and thereâs a fingerstyle chapter as well
• Intervals, scales and the basics of improvisation are also covered in this comprehensive volume

Reviews (6)

you will be able to play some great stuff
eMedia intermediate guitar method is an excellent system to expand on your beginner skills. I have now been playing guitar for four months and have gotten better than some of my friends that have been playing for over a year. I finished the CD so I am lending it out now to these same friends.
awesome way to learn more advanced guitaring
After completing the first volume, I was nothing but impressed with the emedia material.I'd conquered campfire chords!Now is where the cool stuff starts, Volume 2, and it too is excellent.The great thing about Emedia's approach is how it breaks down the teaching of a new technique.After explaining and demoing the technique a short, usually interesting (but not always), song is presented that exactly covers that technique being taught.It avoids the pitfall of other guitar teaching material, which is use some ultra-mind-numbing, hardly melodic bit to practice the execution of the technique.The well paced introduction and progression of technique building really suits me well.My only concern is that I'm potentially developing bad habits, this is where a good teacher is a must.The chord and scale directories are great, but it would've been nice if the scale directory took better advantage of the guitar's range.I find I use the metronome quite often too.Good stuff!

Teacher-in-a-box
I wasn't sure how this would work out, but at the price, the eMedia Guitar method offered a lot more than the books and CD's or DVD's in the local music store.Read more

Editorial Review

iWork '06 features two powerful applications for creating everything from school newsletters to business presentations. With Pages 2, you can quickly create a wide variety of stunning documents. With Keynote 3, you can produce cinema-quality presentations, storyboards, and more. iWork '06 lets you express yourself with style.Read more

Features

• DVD-ROM
• Pages 2 includes mail merge, auto-correction, and new Page Thumbnails and Search views.
• Keynote 3 features stunning new animation effects, a Light Table view, and tools to help you rehearse, present, and publish with ease.
• Create eyecatching three-dimensional charts, tables with calculations, freeform shapes and photo masks, and more.
• The powerful new features in iWork ‘06 make it easy to get just the look you want.
• Create beautiful documents and cinema-quality presentations in minutes with iWork ’06, including Pages 2 and Keynote 3.

Reviews (4)

A move in the right direction
I'm a big fan of iWork and have always looked for new office apps that out-perform Microsoft's apps which have become so feature-rich that functionality has become akward.I love Pages and the formatting features it provides.I do more layout work than word processing so I'm real happy with the way Pages works for me.Keynote is nice too.I don't believe in lots of slide transitions and builds when making a presentation so a lot of the flash and panash that PowerPoint tries to interject is useless to me.You have lots of capability with Keynote but its clean, simple interface and robust formatting and import capabilities really works for me.
iWork 06 is Powerful but Limited
Apple's iWork software presents two applications:Pages and Keynote which is Apple's answer to Microsoft's Publisher and Power Point.As someone who has used both, I can honestly say that iWork blows Publisher and Power Point clean out of the water.Keynote has some added features such as 3D graphs and the capaibility to add numbers in charts (like a very limited spread sheet) added in this version.You can make truly professional looking mind blowing presentations with Keynote that will make any presentation look like a multimedia jewel.Pages allows you to do desktop publishing and print media with the finesse and end results of professional looking print catalogs and brochures.Both applications are well designed and, just like all of the iLife apps, feature the classic Apple interface whereby all of your media content is available and intermeshed into the work flow.Thereis not really any new earth shattering features in 06 from the 05 version, but mainly just tweaks and enhancements.
Good, but still not perfect
Well its definetly improved version since the last one, but they still have a lot of things to do.The biggest problem is Pages.If text has specific symbols, like Greek letters and u try to export your file to doc, forget it.u'll have the same problem as 10 yrs ago, either funky symbols or underline dashes.Keynote is much better.But if u r a scientist and not a sales man, both packages still have a lot of room for improvement.However, I'm still happy with this purchase, because it's Apple soft and looks much nicer than any MS software will get in the future. ... Read more

Features

• CD-ROM
• Universal Binary version for Mac OSX and Mac OSX Intel

Reviews (2)

Final Cut Express HD ver. 3.5
By far the most intuitive and powerful video editing software I have ever worked with.Set up was simple and carefree.I am working with 1g but will probably upgrade to 2g.You need the version 3.5 towork with the new Intel Mac machines.This upgrade works perfectly.

Professional Video Editing for the Masses!
I have been a Final Cut user for about six years now.I started with an education copy of FCP 2. I then purchased FCP 3, but because of cost considerations, I chose to buy FCE HD rather than upgrade to FCP HD.
Read more

Features

• Simple drag-and-drop tools let you preview photos, videos, and music on your PC -- simply drag them to the My PSP pane
• Turn photos into thumbnails, or rotate them before transferring -- supports all popular image formats including. jpg,. bmp,. gif,. png, and. tif
• Transfer and manage all popular audio file types -. mp3,. wav,. wma,. ogg, and. m4a
• CD extraction lets you transfer your CDs to your PSP system
• Enjoy. mp4,. avi,. mpg,. mov,. wmv, and other popular video formats - or convert them to high-quality Sony AVC/AAC video for optimized viewing

Reviews (4)

This software would be over-priced if it were free
PSP Media Manager does a few things right. When it does manage to convert a video file it automatically resizes it, letterboxes it, and copies it to the right folder on your memory stick.
Great, Easy to Use Product
This software is the best for using the PSP to its full potential. It's easy to convert video files to the PSP's mpeg-4 format, and backup music, videos, images, and gamesaves to a backup file in your computer.
Simple, Easy, A Must Have

Read more

Features

• 5.25 inch diskette
• Hip-hop-based, fully expandable music creation studio
• 5 virtual instruments with simple and advanced modes
• 5,000 royalty-free professional sound clips, loops, and beats
• Professional audio editor to create and modify your own sounds
• Sample direct from CD or any device connected to soundcard

Reviews (5)

this isnt the best ejay
this product runs the slowest out of all of them.I tried to run it on my laptop but it would just lag to much.so then I decided to run it on my newest computer, just got it in 2006 and it is designed for gaming but it was still to slow.The software is to advanced for what you are really here for.It focuses on to many things other than making music.Although it is a little more advanced than the other ones but the beatz are kinda soft.They could have made it a little harder.But over all i recamend hip hop ejay 5.Probably the most advanced but simplest to use and good sound quality out of all of them.

Great Looping Software
I've been using ejay hip hop software since version 1 and almost quit using it after all the bugs in hip hop 5. But it's all fixed in hip hop 6. There are some drawbacks, you really have to read the help files as they have overly complicated things in hip hop 6. They took away the ability to just use your mouse and drag to the sample down to a smaller size, instead you have to either open the clip editor and use the silence shortcuts on your keyboard or open up the "volume curve control" and draw out the undesired piece. This feature can be a benefit though, you can draw out pieces in the middle of a sample while keeping end pieces. The included samples are decent, and most of the other features work pretty nice too. I give it four stars for overcomplicating things, other than that, great software.

Hip Hop Fun
This is my first time using this software.It allowed me to create my own music even if I wasn't planning on going big.I enjoyed mixing beats and sampling from CDs.It is a great product to have. ... Read more

Features

• CD-ROM
• Home Cinema support - Capture, edit and output 16 x 9 widescreen video, and create surround sound soundtracks
• Automated editing - Let SmartMovie edit your movie for you
• Fix poorly shot footage using Studio's new cleaning and restoration tools
• Audio Filters - Apply professional-level effects such as Reverb, Graphic EQ and normalize
• Image Filters - Create exciting video effects, such as Old Time Movie, Ripples, Lens Flares and more

Reviews (18)

Works Great
I actually have a MovieBox Deluxe 8.0, that I've had about 3 years or so. It worked perfectly. Captures from digital cable and all but the very worst VHS tapes wonderfully. (One day I'll have to fork over the cash for a timebase corrector.)
Lots Of Potential But Ultimately Too Flaky
My system is a 3.2GHz P4 with 1GB RAM and an 80GB hard drive. First time I used it I couldn't capture audio along with video. Upgraded from 9.0 to 9.4.3 which fixed audio problem but I was losing capture after 16 frames. Found patch for just this problem and applied it. In capture settings could not find description of VCR check box option and this cost me an hour trying to figure out why it wouldn't capture.
3+ GHz computer preferred, but 1.86 acceptable
I got this to transfer my VHS tapes to DVD format before VHS players were no longer sold. The problem is that video recording is computationally intense. You will get jerky video if you overload the processor.
Read more

Features

• Task Assistant provides helpful explanations, short video clips, and tutorials
• Create music soundtracks for CDs, presentations, Web sites, and more
• 2,500+ sounds; 25 professional studio effects; mix in real 5.1 Surround Sound
• Improved remix automation; vocal tuning; automatic harmony recognition
• Multi-sampler; 12 included instruments, synthesizers, drum machines

Features

• CD-ROM
• Jazz Chord-Symbol Graphics are supported, with a Vocal Wizard that displays and transposes to the best song keys for your vocal range
• New 3, 4, and 5-part Jazz Harmonies are added with voicing in Fourths
• Non-destructive audio editing -- changes to the Audio Track only become permanent if you save the file
• New Audio Harmonies with enhanced Vocal Pitch-Styles (automatic Vibrato and Scooping) that can be added to the vocal harmony parts
• Full Stereo and Mono support for the Audio Track, with on-screen VU meters to monitor it

Reviews (3)

This is good stuff!
One of my buddy musicians told me about this program the other day.I saw him playing with it and immediately wanted it.I have now purchased it and have had it for a few weeks.
Simply Incredible, fantastic sofware for beginner and pro
Especially for the beginner, now you can have a rhythm section to back you up.You can change the key, follow the notes on screen, change tempo.And your accompaniment never tires, always is on the beat, and always in tune.This is extremely valuable for anyone learning jazz.This is probably the best single investment that a jazz student could make.

Great software for musicians
This is a great piece of software if you play any kind of a musical instrument or are a vocalist and want to practice playing songs with a virtual band. You just type in the chords, select a style and tempo and the software comes up with an arrangement in that style. Depending on which style you pick there will be different instruments in the arrangement. There are around 200 built in styles in various genres such as jazz, latin, country, pop etc. The arrangements are surprisingly good, especially if you can send the midi to an external keyboard. The software was very easy to install on Windows XP.
Read more

Features

• Affordable Profiling Solution
• Includes New Datacolor Spectrophotometer and Spyder2PRO calibration
• The new leader in print profiling

Features

• CD-ROM
• Over 100 lessons from a Guitar Institute of Technology graduate
• Hosted by radio personality Steve Rock of KISW’s “Metal Shop”
• Techniques include movable power chords, hammer-ons, distorted riffs & more
• Equipment tips include using distortion, whammy bar, feedback, wah pedal & more
• Over 90 songs & riffs to learn

Reviews (5)

My son loves it!!
I picked this up for my twelve year old son.He is a beginner and has been glued to his electric guitar and eMedia Rock Guitar Method for the last two weeks.The program is a great starter, just in case the kids don't stick with it. It's better than $45 bucks an hour once a week, for now, at least.
It is ok
I found this product to just be ok.I wish for a e=media that i could use to slow down songs that I have not just what is on their program.All in all it is an ok program though.

eMedia Rock Guitar Method Review
I thought this was a great product.It's like having your own guitar instructor, but even better.You only have to pay once and you get hours of instructions you can use for as long as you want.Also, you can use it any time you want without having to make a trip.I'm pleased with my purchase.You will be too. ... Read more