Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 (Mac) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had it for a couple of days now, but there are a number of things about PE4 that make the transition from version 3 to 4 needlessly difficult, not to mention if you get PE4 first.
The main change involves the use of "Bridge" to handle what the Browser function did previously. Unfortunately, it seems there are some missing planks in their Bridge, as it's like having 2 separate programs attempt to talk to hand off files to each other. It is clunky, not intuitive at all, and often doesn't work in a consistent way, even when you figure it out.
According to Adobe Technical Help [when you can reach them through 3 or 4 layers of sales beforehand], there is no "Organizer" for Mac that comes with the Windows version, and they were surprised at a number of missing elements in this version as a result. It also seems that they've tried to piggyback an existing full Photoshop program--Bridge--onto the back of Elements, which despite appearances, is a completely different program.
Another example: the Adjust Shadows/Highlights--which allows you to correct for things in shadows, or too bright...buried in a 3rd level menu...has been changed from the PE3 default of "50% lighten" to a "25% lighten" with no ability to change that preset. So everytime you want to adjust your picture, you have to push the slider back to 0% and start out there to see what's best for your photo. Clearly Adobe recognized their 50% preset was too much for most, and changed it--but left off the ability of the user to preset what works best for us. What's the solution to this or any other inflexible/confusing issue? I was told several times that if I wanted things to work better, I should buy the full Photoshop.
That is simply unacceptable, especially for a company of Adobe's size and history of working primarily on the Mac platform. I would rather have fewer features that work more reliably and straightforward, especially involving putting our most used features on a toolbar instead of being forced to grab them out of deep menus everytime.
In Bridge, they are trying to combine a number of features found in iPhoto, such as rating photos by stars, making it more flexible. However, they don't allow you to customize your displays or views enough to be efficient, much less easy to deal with. The speed of Bridge, and especially interacting with 4, is slow. Also particularly irksome is the lack of sensitivity/responsiveness of the sliders within PE4, i.e. brush size and opacity.
So far, I'm not impressed with the Magic Selection Tool, one of the main reasons I wanted to upgrade. It doesn't seem to grab things as efficiently as advertised, although it is better than just the Magic Wand 3 had. I'm also less than impressed with another new feature: Adjust Skin Tone, something that could be a big time saver while offering the improvements most people care about.
The combined Help program is overly detailed in some regards, yet leaves out big chunks of the program for you to guess at solutions. They have virtually no tutorials or overviews of the program specifically for the Mac version.
I will update this review as I use it more, but I would caution against jumping at this upgrade until they work out more of the kinks in the interface, unless you are a virtual pro and don't mind spending a lot of time figuring things out that aren't quite Ready For Primetime yet. What I look to PE for is something that allows more extensive editing than iPhoto6 has, and yet doesn't have the complexity or cost of the graphics standard Photoshop.
Whether because of the Mac platform changing to Intel chips, or friction between the companies, it seems Adobe is heading in the wrong direction on the Mac platform, making us seem once again like the red-haired stepchild in the computer world, while still charging the same as the Windows versions.

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Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 software for Macintosh combines power and simplicity to help you do it all. Edit and enhance your photos by fixing common flaws instantly or using advanced options for more control—you can even fine-tune the raw files produced by your digital camera. Keep every photo at your fingertips with intuitive search and viewing options. And show off your creativity to family and friends in entertainingways, including cards, calendars, and more.

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Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 (Mac) Review

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(More customer reviews)Adobe labels Photoshop Elements as a program for casual photographers. It's a lot more than that and always has been. iPhoto is fine for casual photography. Elements gives great photo editing capabilities that can carry the load for some heavy duty editing. It doesn't have all the features of the full CS3 Photoshop but Photoshop has always offered multiple ways of getting results. Elements offers enough capabilitiy there's little that I haven't found a way to achieve.
Of course, if you have multiple SLR bodies and a bag full of lenses you may not like the idea of having the non-pro program. I use Photoshop in my everyday web design work but have Elements on my home computer and am happy with the photo editing I can do with it.
I've been working with Photoshop Elements 6 for the last 5 days. There's a lot to like. Adobe has added some excellent features from the full version of Photoshop like Quick Selection and Refine Edge. The new Color Curves feature is welcome too. Element's PhotoMerge options are incredible making it drop dead simple to take the best parts of several group shots and seamlessly combine them to build one great photo. The addition of Smart Sharpen along with more control of Unsharp Mask gives excellent control of sharpening now.
The three editing modes are well thought out. Guided mode is new and I initially thought I wouldn't bother with it. I have years of Photoshop experience after all. Wrong. It can be useful for common editing situations. And it's a great introduction to editing for the newcomer to Elements. Quick mode is still helpful and of course, there's the regular editing mode that come close to the regular Photoshop way of doing things.
Elements is also faster, finally Intel processor native. It opens a lot faster and runs faster. And Adobe has included Bridge with Elements 6, the same version that comes with the full Photoshop package. If you're moving up from iPhoto to Photoshop Elements it's great to be able to not have to deal with iPhoto's strange filing system and maintain control over where pictures are stored. Bridge itself is probably worth the $89 that Elements costs. It's a great program in itself.
There are some warts though. The Photoshop Elements interface does not look like most Mac programs and takes over the screen. The installer seemed to take forever to do its job and added a whole lot of clip art junk that I don't want or need, over 2 gigabytes for the installation. It's not even immediately obvious when opening the installation disk how to install the program. (open the language folder).
I do suppose that if you want to use Elements to create your own greeting cards or make cute scrapbook pages you might like the clip art. If, like me, you just want a photo editor, it would be nice to be able to choose what to install and not have to fill the the hard drive with images that will never get used.
That said, though, Elements is a solid upgrade and will handle editing for most photographers and a great price.

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AdobePhotoshop Elements 6.0 MAC

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Microsoft Digital Image Pro 9.0 Review

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(More customer reviews)For those who aren't professional photo editors, let's be honest with each other: how many of us have bought the professional programs that professionals recommend, and then find that the learning curve is so difficult that we don't use them? I have several other photo editing programs: Photoshop Elements 2.0, Paint Shop Pro. I kept buying the next one because the "pros" recommended them. I found that to learn EACH task it took from 1/2 to 1 hour. There is NO simplicity to anything with those programs. They can do awesome things, I just don't have the time to figure out how to do EACH and EVERY ONE. Using MS Digital Image Pro, it is set up so simple, you can just make a few clicks and almost every task can be accomplished. I've imported many photos into the program, modified them easily and quickly, and then placed them into a video which I burned to DVD's for projects at work. I received quite a number of complements from other "non-professionals" on the quality of the changes. I was also able to easily make modifications for pictures of my family which came out very nice.
If you're looking for a professional, extremely extensive program, perhaps you might want to look at the other ones. But if you're like me and want a fun program that also will deal with 90% of common tasks, this will save you a lot of frustration.

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Microsoft Digital Image Pro 9 is packed with all the tools you need to edit, organize, share and archive your personal photo projects!

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Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 & Adobe Premiere Elements 4 Review

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(More customer reviews)The Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 and Premiere Elements 4 bundle is one of the best values for the home photo/video editor. I use the full version of Photoshop and a fairly pricey video editing (Sony Vegas) package at our business, but needed a powerful yet inexpensive (a relative term, I know) package to use at home. Here are my observations on each package:
Photoshop Elements 6:
At first glance I was disappointed and thought I had made a big mistake as the default interface is fairly simplistic (which is a GOOD thing for most users). Being used to the some of the more advance features (such as "Curves") and the ability to load in templates, the one click tools (while great for the casual user) were a little underwhelming. Not to fear though, the more powerful tools are still available by getting into a different editing mode, which I would have found faster if I had read the somewhat skimpy manual. All in all, it is nice to be able to "one click fix" all of my family photos, and still have the ability to get more powerful tools for the work I bring home with me. This is a fantastic value for the money!
Premiere Elements 4:
Since most of my editing is done on higher dollar packages at work, I was just looking for a home software package to quickly assemble clips, make photo slide shows, and to convert clips for upload to YouTube. This package surprised me with it's drag and drop ease of use. It is fantastic for the home user and does exactly what it says it is going to do. One note about the YouTube integration, it is nothing short of fantastic! I had a clip that was just too big to upload and my expensive work software just was too hard to get the file size and quality they require. Using Premiere Elements, I was able to drop in the large clip, indicate it was for YouTube, and the software did the rest...Including logging in and uploading it to my account right from inside the program. No muss, no fuss, just as advertised!
All in all, I think this is one of the best home user packages available. Simple enough for the basic user with access to the more powerful tools if needed.

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Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 & Adobe Premiere Elements 4 software combines two powerful yet easy-to-use products to deliver the most complete photo and video-editing solution. Enjoy all the great functionality of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 and Adobe Premiere Elements 4 software as well as additional functionality that lets you easily create with photos and videos. Take advantage of one-click fixes, step-by-step assistance that makes editing easier than ever. Then explore advanced options for making finer adjustments; add artistic effects; and experiment with easy-to-use compositing tools. Make customized photo creations using new themed layouts and even create dazzling interactive web galleries. Take advantage of online offerings to upload photos and creations directly to the web, order prints, and more, and easily share on mobile phones and other devices. Easily share your movies on DVD or Blu-ray Disc, broadcast far and wide by uploading your movies directly to YouTube or your personal sharing website, or play movies on mobile phones and other devices.Share photos in fun, imaginative ways Easily find and view all your photos and video clips Get started quickly with easy moviemaking options Show your style with amazing effects Share your movies on YouTube, your own website, disc, and virtually anywhere else Access files from a central location, no matter which product you're using Use new compositing tools to create perfect group photos Jump-start your video editing with Movie Themes System requirements -Intel Pentium 4, Pentium M, or Intel Centrino 1.3GHz or compatible processor, Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista, 256MB RAM, Color monitor with 16-bit color video card, 1024x768 monitor resolution at 96dpi or less, Microsoft DirectX 9 compatible display driver, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, Netscape Navigator 7.0, Mozilla Firefox 1.5, 4.5GB of free space, DVD-ROM drive and

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Photo Essentials 3 Review

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(More customer reviews)The 19 word summary that says it all: Go to the ononesoftware site and download the free 30 day fully functional demo and try it for yourself.
The details:
If you are considering Mask Pro 4(and you really should, see my review of that product for details) to use with Photoshop Elements (PSE), then get this instead. You get essentially the same masking capabilities, more stuff, and for less than half the cost!
This software consists of five add-on components to PSE. There is nothing they do that you can't do with only PSE but it will take you a heck of a lot longer. Also, perhaps if you were to spend enough time and develop sufficient skill you could produce better results. However without this considerable investment of your time chances are you will be impressed with what you get from the "Essentials" pack after only a few minutes of familiarization.
Regarding the "familiarization", the training resources provided by ononesoftware for this product (and everything they produce) is as impressive as their software. Whenever you first use a new feature you get the opportunity to view a short (< 60 seconds or so) intro that gives the essentials of its use. Beyond that, there is contextual help available and over 100 on-line videos dealing with everything from general usage to dealing with specific "problem" situations. That aside, out of the box and armed only with default settings you should be able to get great results very quickly.
Finally, there is a free 30-day fully functional demo available at the manufacture's site. Don't believe me, download it and give it a try.
For full disclosure, while mostly automatic there is usually some intervention required. However it is considerably less than what would be needed to accomplish the same thing without this package. Also, I have no personal interest in ononesoftware other than believing they produce a quality product that adds considerable at a very reasonable price.
BTW, I feel that honest, effective reviews take the place of first-hand experiences that are lacking in online shopping. I've always appreciated the help I've gotten from other reviewers and continue to return the favor as best as I can. If you thought this review was helpful please let me know by clicking on "Yes" button where it asks. If there was anything you thought was lacking or unclear leave a comment and I'll do what I can to fix it.


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onOne Photo Essentials is a collection of five tools that painlessly correct color, add frames, remove unwanted backgrounds, add photographic effects and enlarge your photos. These easy-to-use tools will allow you to quickly get the job done in Adobe Photoshop Elements.

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Adobe Premiere Elements 7 Review

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(More customer reviews)I am NOT a newbie to video editing, in fact I have been an avid user of Adobe Premier Elements for some time now...with ver. 4 being the most recent before the version 7 purchase. Let me get this out in the open, I was disgusted with Adobe PE7 at first because I was trying to edit and burn footage from my same old camcorders....footage that Adobe PE3 and 4 handled just fine. I have tried MULTIPLE projects now and have yet to be able to render or burn a DVD using the MP4 (avc H.264) footage from my Sanyo Xacti or my Samsung NV24HD. Even worse I cannot keep a project of any size open long enough to do any editing before the program gives me a "low on memory" warning and then crashes! Version 4 was crazy enough, as I was always sure to hit the "save" button many times while editing, but this version 7 is a joke for these formats. I can't even add the MP4 files to the time-line without it crashing. Now for the good part and why I give this release a 4 star. I was asked by a buddy to edit and burn some youth football footage from his newly acquired Canon HF10 with SDHC card. I was excited. Although I had no clue what an .mts file was Adonbe PE 7 not only recognized it and imported it quickly...but I proceeded to edit both video and audio (together and separately)as well as burn to a regular DVD (not BluRay). It was a great experience. The only reason I won't give this a 5 star is that Adobe still shows this PE7 program as being compatible with MP4 and I beg to differ as a user...but if you are going the direction I want to go, AVCHD and BluRay, etc...Adobe did something right in this category. I will add that while i am not a big fan of the GUI of Pinnacle Studio Plus 12 it has handled ALL of my format types without a problem. I am running Vista Basic on a Celeron 1.60Ghz processor (Dell Inspiron 530 desktop) with 4GB of ram.
UPDATE: Now that I have purchased my OWN Canon HF10 AVCHD camcorder (1080 high-def) Adobe PE7 is my go-to program for this type of footage. Again, it handles the AVCHD / .mts file format flawlessly. Check out my other reviews for some other programs I have tried like Corel VideoStudio X2 and Magix - Movie Edit pro 14. If you are going to be working with AVCHD, certainly any of the Canon HF series camcorders that put .mts on sdhc flash cards...then I believe Adobe Premier Elements 7 is the best option.

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PREMIERE ELEMENTS 7 WIN

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Adobe Premiere Elements Review

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(More customer reviews)Adobe's new Premiere Elements is a great video editing program! I was amazed at how rock solid it is.
It is easy to capture your video directly to the timeline, gives you real time editing even after applying all kinds of effects, a live TV preview to see your edits & effects (like you would see in a TV studio) and a great method for automatically generating your DVD with custom scene index.
The product included a complete manual, a full tutorial as well as a DVD with cool training movies on Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements. I was really impressed that it was easy to learn, but didn't limit my creativity. Every drag & drop effect is completely customizable.
If you want to mix photos and video in your project you should definitely check out the bundle of Photoshop Elements 3 plus Premiere Elements. The integrations is great. You can organize and edit your stills in Photoshop Elements and send them directly to Premiere Elements as a slideshow where you can do all kinds of cool pans & zooms (ala Ken Burns effect). You can also use Photoshop Element's shape tool to add thought bubbles and other cool effects into your video (think 60's style Batman special effects).
I found Premiere Elements to be much more stable than other video editing applications that I bought and have now discarded. I think you will too!
Some reviews worth googling:
Premiere Elements, Bob Turner
Premiere Elements, Marc Peters
Premiere Elements, James Morris
Premiere Elements, John Virata
Premiere Elements, Joe Lavery
Premiere Elements, Mike Langberg


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Adobe Premiere Elements Video Edit Software for Windows - Digital Video professionals are well acquainted with the editing tools of Adobe Premiere, where it has enjoyed immense popularity. As we all have greater access to digital video equipment, be it a digital-camcorder or a digital-camera device, Premiere Elements is designed to help ignite the creative energies of the average person. With Auto Save features and multiple undos and redos, you can always go back to a previous version. Enhance your videos with hundreds of professional-quality special effects, including slow motion, warping, and picture-in-picture capability. Create exciting titles and credits. Add excitement to your videos by easily making your text and graphics fly and spin. Use preset TV-style effects or customize them to give your videos a look all their own. Integrated DVD burning makes it simple to create DVDs that are fun to share and convenient to watch.

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Adobe Premiere Elements 4 Review

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(More customer reviews)Adobe Premiere Elements 4 is the best of the 2007 enthusiast-level video editing software packages on the market... but that really isn't saying much. Media editing on the PC is EXTREMELY frustrating because ALL of the software at the hobbyist/enthusiast level is either 1) buggy, 2) difficult to use, or 3) both. In fact, it is hard to say that Premiere Elements 4 is the "best" of the 2007-released programs out there; it would be more accurate to say that the other video editors that came out in 2007 perform at levels lower than PE4. A few examples include...
Sony Vegas Movie Studio 8 - Confusing and counter-intuitive interface as well as incompatibility with certain OS-aspects and hardware make this editor a no-go for most.
Pinnacle Studio 11 - Extremely buggy, poor rendering, and reports of system corruption (??? check out the reviews and newsgroup posts!) will keep most away.
Windows Movie Maker - Version 6 (or three if you aren't going by OS numbering) isn't available for XP... just Vista. 6 doesn't have the power and versatility of Premiere Elements, but it is vastly improved over the XP version. Windows Movie Maker 6 is worth checking if you have Vista, because most version of the OS get it for free (XP also contains the older version of both it and Media Encoder).
Roxio Easy Media Creator Suite 10 - Roxio, best known for DVD and CD burning software, adds media editing to their suite. Sadly, it crashes so often that it creates more frustration than fun. Almost non-existant tech support and months without a patch are signs that this is software to avoid.
You'd think it would be easy to recommend Premiere Elements 4 with such poor competition, but it is not. On release, PE4 has shown itself to be buggy. During the first three days I used it, the program crashed four times and even erased all of the editing I had saved during one event. Turning off auto-saves helped, as did only importing one file at a time (rather than an entire folder). PE3 had somewhat similar crash issues before it was patched, but eventually became extremely stable (Adobe has decent support for their releases, unlike some companies). PE4 also lacks some of the encoding features many of us would have liked - you can't capture from most cards, and the getting video from DV and harddrive camcorders can be hit-or-miss depending on your specific hardware and whether or not it is supported. Finally, PE4 does not support numerous file types "straight out of the box" that it probably should (the best example of this is .flv "flash" files that PE4 can create but that it can not edit nor import).
What's good about PE4? When it works, the interface is easy to understand and work with. The video files produced tend to be top-notch, and there are a lot of "advanced" options for new users to grow into. There are numerous plug-ins available to expand the power of the software, and many support avenues are available (including books, newsgroups, and discussion lists). DVD burning is built in, simple, professional-looking, and can be improved upon if Photoshop Elements is used (Photoshop can build DVD menu templates). There are some great effects that can be used, and you don't have to have a degree in video editing to learn how to use them. There is also a decent (but not complete) range of pre-set file-saving options to choose from, including QuickTime, Windows Media, AVI, MPEG, Flash, and various mobile products.
Summary: Premiere Elements 4 is the best of the 2007 video editing releases, but it is still buggy and could use improvement. I'd recommend waiting for the first major patch before buying, but if you really need video editing software, try downloading the demo from http://www.adobe.com/products/premiereel/ and seeing if it is right for you (it was available at the time of this writing. Note that many of the other products mentioned also have demo versions available, too).
For those thinking of upgrading from Premiere Elements 3: Once patched, I never had a problem with PE3 crashing - not so with PE4. Wait for Adobe to release a decent patch before upgrading (it was not available at the time of this writing, but it may be up now - check the site). The new look of PE4s interface is nice, but PE3s wasn't bad, either. The new features range from pointless to moderately useful, but aren't groundbreaking: Beat detection (useful in rare instances), improved audio mixer (nice!), ability to burn to Blu-Ray, upload to YouTube function (pointless), improved keyframe control (can be VERY useful), and various new settings/save options (very useful) are included.

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Item #: N39517. Adobe Premiere Elements 4.0 software makes creating and sharing impressive home videos a snap. Burn your footage to DVD in simple steps, complete with a DVD menu and scene index, or easily assemble your movie by rearranging clips with drag-and-drop simplicity. And share your movies on DVD, the web, mobile phones, and virtually anywhere else. Product Description: Adobe Premiere Elements - ( v. 4.0 ) - complete packageCategory: Creativity applicationSubcategory: Creativity - video editing & productionVersion: 4.0License Type: Complete packageLicense Qty: 1 userLicense Pricing: StandardLanguage(s): Universal EnglishPlatform: WindowsDistribution Media: DVD-ROM ( mini-box )Package Type: Retail Customers also search for: Discount Adobe Premiere Elements - ( V. 4.0 ) - Complete Package, Buy Adobe Premiere Elements - ( V. 4.0 ) - Complete Package, Wholesale Adobe Premiere Elements - ( V. 4.0 ) - Complete Package, 0883919136127, 25530473, Digital Imaging Software

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Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006 Anniversary Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)For those already familiar, I was excited about this edition when it was advertised that it now works with RAW files. This one of the advantages that Adobe Photoshop Elements has. I have a Nikon Digital SLR and I often shoot in RAW and have to convert to .jpg if I want to edit with Microsoft Digital Imaging. When I went out to buy this "Anniversary" edition, in very small print it reads that it's the same as the previous 2006 edition "except" support for RAW files is no longer included. Still, it was on sale ($24) and I thought an upgrade would be cool. When I used it, I saw little or no difference in this than the Microsoft Digital Image 10 I had already been using. In my opinion, upgrading from 10 isn't worth it.
For those new to this product, let me start by saying, I've been a long time user of Microsoft's digital imaging products. I enjoy the bright, clean look of the interface. More that that, I love how simple it is to use. I would recommend Microsoft Digital Image to all skill levels, but especially anyone who's just starting out in Digital Photography and computers. Hands down, it's the easiest. It does in one step what would take three Photoshop Elements. You sacrifice come control, but simplicity is the focus of this program. Adobe Photoshop Elements is more powerful, but harder to use. Bottom line is, if you want to concentrate on getting out and taking good pictures instead of spending lots of time editing, get Microsoft Digital Imaging. For the average shutterbug, It'll edit just as good as Photoshop Elements in less time and for less money.


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Celebrating 10 years of developing digital imaging tools for everyday photographers at every skill level, Microsoft offers Microsoft Digital Image Suite Anniversary Edition, including the powerfully easy software that provides you with everything you need to effortlessly organize, enhance, share, and preserve your family's memories.

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Arcsoft ARC104 Arcsoft Showbiz DVD Review

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(More customer reviews)I downloaded the trial version from Arcsoft's website and it worked very well. Lots of neat things to play with and it gave me the ability to really clean up my video when needed. Lots of special effects to use some fun and some adding to the usefulness of the project you are working on. Commands were easy to follow but it did take some digging to find answers in the Help for common tasks. I spent the $100 for the latest version and licence. After installing the program I started working on my first program only to find that I could up load pictures to the program but once I got them there could do nothing with them. After many hours of checking everything out, contacting Arcsoft Customer Service, slow but helpful, it turned out that their latest version of ShowBiz is NOT compatible with Windows Media Edition operating system. The computer would lock up and only rebooting got it going again. Arcsoft then sent me a way to download an old but functional version of the program which does not have all the features available. If you are looking for a program to edit video this program is better than anything roxio puts out. Also Arcsoft's Customer Service Dept. actual responds to your questions. One final point: if you are running Windows Defender you will have to shut it off before using this program or Defender will shut down your Explorer program and shut down the desktop.

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ShowBiz DVD 2 is an easy-to-use program for making movies with just a digital camera and a PC! It includes the tools you need for capturing home movies, creating your own DVDs, and designing DVD photo slideshows. Start producing your own DVD films in no time!

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Adobe Premiere Elements 8 Review

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(More customer reviews)After upgrading to Premiere Elements 8, I initially had problems similar to what other reviewers have reported. The application was crashing regularly, rendering it unusable. After I spent some time sleuthing (searching the web for forum posts where users were discussing this problem) and figured out how to fix it. Turns out, the problem was related to one of the NVIDIA drivers for my graphics card (see further below for possible fixes if you are experiencing similar issues and use a graphics card with an NVIDIA chipset). Now PRE8 works like a breeze, and I'm enjoying the new "smart" features and the integration with the Elements Organizer that another reviewer also commented on in her exhaustive review.
For those interested in my system's specs, I'm running PRE8 on a Windows 7 64-bit machine w/ an AMD Athlon Dual Core Processor at 2.50 GHz, 8 GB RAM and an ASUS EN8600GTTOP graphics card (which uses the NVIDIA 8600GT chipset) w/ 256 MB RAM.
Since fixing the compatibility problem w/ the NVIDIA driver, I have completed several short video projects (between 4 and 8 minutes long) for which I used various of the "special effects" in PRE8 and did some rotation and cropping, and have used a couple of different output formats (flv and wmv). Of course, I make sure that I close any other resource-hungry applications, such as Firefox and Outlook, before I start PRE8. I have really not experienced any further problems in terms of crashes or sluggishness (hence "works like a breeze"). I have not edited any HD projects using PRE8 since I don't shoot or view HD video.
If you are on the fence at all about this product and/or are wondering if your system specs are sufficient to run PRE8 without trouble, I definitely recommend installing the trial version first that can be downloaded from the Adobe website. I believe the trial runs 30 days, enough time to put the program through the wringer and see how it holds up on your particular system.
For those interested in giving Premiere Elements 8 a try but who experience the frequent crashes and use a graphics card with an NVIDIA GPU (graphics processing unit), here are the possible fixes that I found during my search:
1. If you don't use the NVIDIA 3D goggles (i.e., most people), uninstall the NVIDIA Stereoscopic 3D Driver (in Windows 7/Vista: Control Panel > Programs and Features; in XP: Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs). To reiterate, this will *only* uninstall the driver for the NVIDIA 3D goggles. (Amazon doesn't like people posting URLs for other web sites in their product reviews, but if you want to see the source, search for a thread called "Premiere Elements 8 keeps closing or crashing" in the Adobe Support Forums and scroll down to post #8). [This is the fix that worked for me.]
2. Another possible solution to some compatibility issues that has been reported (see post #39 in the thread "Cannot restart Premiere Elements 8" in the Adobe Support Forums) is turning off the "Threaded Optimization" feature for Premiere Elements in the NVIDIA Control Panel (right-click on empty space on your desktop, click on "NVIDIA Controp Panel"; in menu pane on left, select "Manage 3D Settings"; click on the "Program Settings" tab; browse to and select "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Premiere Elements 8.0\Adobe Premiere Elements.exe" (Note: do *not* select "Adobe Premiere Elements 8.0.exe" as this won't do the trick) and click "Open" [Note: for 32-bit systems, replace "Program Files (x86)" with just "Program Files"]; click "Apply" and exit NVIDIA Control Panel.)
3. Lastly, of course it's also always worth a making sure that the latest NVIDIA driver is installed on your computer. Check the NVIDIA website to see if there are any updates available.
Hope this will help someone who is experiencing compatibility issues w/ PRE8 and their NVIDIA drivers.
(Note: I've updated this review to add my system specs and provide some more detailed info on how PRE8 has performed for the video projects I've been working on.)

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With Adobe Premiere Elements 8, the newest version of the #1 selling video-editing software, making incredible movies is easier than ever. Bring all your video clips and photos together in one convenient place where you can easily find, view, and manage them; protect them with automatic online backup and 2GB of free storage; and then dive right into a full range of creative activities. Create your movies with smart, automated options that save you time and effort. Enhance your stories with professional effects and sound. And share movies with friends and family in interactive online experiences and on DVD, Blu-ray Disc, mobile devices, and YouTube.

Top reasons to buy Adobe Premiere Elements 8
Do it all with one powerful yet easy-to-use product Use Adobe Premiere Elements 8 software for all your video needs. Import and manage your video clips; edit them together yourself or choose automated options to effortlessly create incredible movies; enhance your movies with professional-quality effects, sound, titles, and Hollywood-style motion menus; share them on the web, on disc, and everywhere else; protect them with automatic online backup and 2GB of free storage--enough for up to 24 minutes of DVD-quality video or 1,500 photos; and view them anywhere you are.
Create a polished movie instantly Using creative techniques from Hollywood directors, InstantMovie automatically edits together your best clips with coordinated music, titles, effects, and transitions from your choice of movie theme. New customization options enable you to get just the results you envision. And all-new themes are included.
Quickly find the clips you're looking for Want to find your best video clips or clips that meet a particular set of criteria? The Auto-Analyzer automatically tags your footage and photos for quality and interest, and a variety of smart search options make it easy to zero in on just the media you need.
Make movies with drag-and-drop ease Create your story fast in the Sceneline, an easier alternative to the more traditional video-editing Timeline. Make your movie by simply dragging and dropping thumbnails of your clips, transitions, and effects.
Edit and preview in one convenient place Edit and view your movie in one convenient place--the large Monitor window--where you can easily trim and split clips, drop filters and effects right on a frame, create fun picture-in-picture effects, type titles and text right on the screen, and more.
Add professional-quality effects and transitions Add entertaining graphics that automatically follow the action in your movie. Easily combine elements from different scenes for entertaining results. And add visual appeal with hundreds of amazing special effects and TV-style transitions, including several all-new options.
Energize your movies with music Use SmartSound to add a variety of musical soundtracks that automatically adjust to perfectly match the length of your movie. Even synchronize scenes to the beat of your soundtrack.
Get creative inspiration Bring your ideas to life with relevant tutorials that appear just when you need them. New tutorials help you explore creative possibilities.
Conveniently share your movie and enjoy the latest technology Follow easy steps to create your movie once and then share it in many ways, including on disc, the web, or mobile devices. Share on high-quality HD or Blu-ray Disc, so you can enjoy your movie on virtually any screen, from your iPod to your HD flat screen TV.

Top new benefits of Adobe Premiere Elements 8
Experience the ultimate media management hub Bring all your video clips and photos together in the powerful, easy-to-use, fully featured new Organizer--the hub of yourvideo and photo experience. Easily find, view, manage, and protect your media, and then dive into a full range of creative activities and start enjoying your memories.
Save time with new automated options Make movies with less effort. Adobe Premiere Elements can automatically fix shaky footage and color and lighting problems, trim away all but your best footage, and balance audio elements to give you professional-quality sound throughout your movie.
Enliven the action with artwork and animations Add sparkle to your scenes thanks to an all-new library of artwork, including fun frames, objects, and animations.
See the same video clips and photos on every computer Forget trying to manually maintain your clips and photos across multiple computers. With automatic syncing, media added or edited on one computer will automatically be synced to another.
Share memories in fresh, exciting ways on the web Showcase your videos in one-of-a-kind Online Albums with your choice of dynamic, animated templates. Adobe Flash technology lets viewers interact with your videos for an entertaining experience. And share via public or private galleries--friends and family won't have to register to look.
Get the big picture See the full effect of your video clips and photos from within the Organizer with new full-screen previews.
Enjoy support for Windows 7 Take advantage of support for the new Windows 7 platform and the hands-on capabilities of Windows Touch technology.

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Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm a user of Photoshop Elements all the way back to the first edition. This is, in my opinion, one of the best graphics programs out there--all the power of the great Photoshop full professional program minus the printing CMYK functions you'd need to do professional layouts. So for most users, the great features of Photoshop are there and the price is oh-so-much-more-affordable.
The Version 6 has some significant changes. The interface looks quite different, though I only had some trouble finding my favorite functions. The loading is significantly faster than the previous versions, which was one of my chief annoyances with Photoshop Elements. Version 6.0 loads very quickly, and this is a big improvement.
Changes:
Smart Albums: built-in picture organization. No need to use a separate organizer program.
Darkened Interface: The picture interface (where you load your photos) is darkened to make a better contrast on screen. At first, I did not like this, but it is easier on the eyes so I got used to it and like it now.
Selections: With this new technology, you use a brush to mark out your selection, and then use sliders to make the adjustment blend into the background. Very easy to use. Major change.
Enhanced Clone Tool: Cloning lets you take an inocuous background selection and copy it over an offending area of a picture (mailbox, person, unwanted pole.)
Enhanced Spot Healing Brush: Very easy to use brush to haze out areas, I used to use the smear brush, this is easier and less difficult. The later versions of Elements have a check/cancel button in the corner of your work area, so you can back out of the changes without altering your work.
Enhanced Black and White: Contrast function built in to convert color to pretty decent b&w.
Photo Blending: Much better function to mix photos. Now you can create unrealistic pictures of yourself by putting in your best bits with someone else's better bits, post it on Match.com and disappoint people who meet you in the flesh.
Enhanced Photo Books: available only in North America and Japan. Kind of a way to make your own catalogs.
Enhanced Sharing: Sharing Center burns cds and sends to email as well.
Enhanced Interactive Sharing: Adobe Flash Technology is employed to make animated web galleries. Very cool.
Smart Albums: You can sort by 10 criteria, such as date of shoot, etc, and make an album of only those pictures to work on.
The computers that run Photoshop Elements 6.0? Right now, it's just PC's, and it supports both XP and Vista, though I've heard reports that Vista can be problematical. I do not use Vista, so I can't report on this.
MAC version is due out in early 2008.
For PC's, here's your system requirements:
1.3GHz, or better CPU
256 MB RAM (512 recommended, really)
16-bit Color display with 1024x768 resolution at 96DPI or less.
CD-Rom
1.5 GB hard disk space minimum available
I'd add that a good video card is advisable; if your system is more than 3 years old, it may bog down if you don't have enough video memory on board and I can't speak to what is required, as this is not given as a spec. If you find the processing of pictures slow on your system, adding more video memory may be more useful than more RAM on the main board.

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Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 software combines power and simplicity so you can make your photos look their best, share them in imaginative ways, and easily find and view all your photos and video clips.

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Adobe Premiere Elements 9 (Win/Mac) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'll start off by stating that I am just an everyday dad who wants to take the HD videos he shoots of family vacations, kids' birthdays, fishing trips, etc and transfer them to DVD without any loss in quality. I am not out to produce the next "Citizen Kane" nor am I out to challenge Steven Spielberg to a directorial throwdown.
I do not want to have to convert files, combine files, or compress files. I just want to transfer my family memories to disc for future viewing. If I can also chop out those moments when I forgot to turn the camcorder off and you get a good view of what footwear everyone was wearing that day, even better. If I can also include a title screen, with a neat little visual of what's on that disc, with an area where you click "play" to start the video, better still.
This sounds like a fairly simple request, no? Nevertheless, I have had trouble finding video editing software that will do this in a straightforward and simple fashion. I have bought Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus and Corel VideoStudio Express 2010. I have also tried Windows Movie Maker and have downloaded trials of PowerDirector 8 Ultra and Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum. They all either produced bad images, required video conversions, froze up, locked up, or spit up. As far as my hardware, my PC consists of a Quad Core i7 chip with six GB of RAM and with Windows 7 64-bit.
I was scanning Amazon one day and noticed that Adobe Premier had among the highest reviews when compared to the other options and was decently priced (with a rebate). After my other experiences, I decided to download their trial version before I made the purchase. I was elated with the results.
Finding the files (which were raw, .mts files that I had transferred from an SD card to my hard drive) and loading them into the workspace was simple. Arranging them was equally simple (oldest to newest, which I chose, or newest to oldest). Burning them to Blu-ray disc (I have both a Blu-ray disc burner and a standard disc burner on my PC) was also an easy process. In no time I had the disc produced and was watching video with stunning clarity on my 67-inch HD television.
Here are some things to note:
1. Processing time for 45 minutes of HD video took about two hours. The software has to process the files prior to burning, which takes a while. It seems like slow going sometimes, but just leave it alone and be patient.
2. When it actually starts burning the disc, for some reason the process bar for this activity stays at 1 percent. Just ignore this...it is actually making progress, although it doesn't show it on the screen.
3. If you load the trial version, the disc you make will have an ugly black bar across the middle of the entire video, indicating that it was made from a trial version of Adobe Premiere. I found this annoying, but understandable. The other trial versions I tried did not do this.
4. I saved my trial project, and then opened it with the Premiere version that I bought. The full-version software retrieved it and the black bar was gone. So, if you do a project with the trial version and later buy the software, save your project to avoid re-work.
5. On my second DVD, I managed to put in a title screen and insert captions (e.g. "On our way camping," "Arriving at our hotel in Naples) just by fumbling around. This software is especially easy to navigate.
6. I like the fact that Adobe Premier has so many resources...some online, that I have not yet explored, and some in book form, including this one that was just released. Adobe Premiere Elements 9 Classroom in a Book I may end up getting more involved in this as a hobby than I thought I ever would or could. I am optimistic about this since thus far the fundamentals have proven so user friendly.
In summary, I highly recommend this product against all others. It is great for the novice, the "point-and-shoot" user, and apparently will allow you to gain more expertise with practice. Time will tell.
Lastly, I apologize for the lengthy review, but after trying so many editing software choices out there I am really pleased I finally found one that works, works well, and is so user friendly. My only gripe at this point is that by the time I downloaded the trial version and tested it, the price had increased by $10 when I went to make the purchase! Even at that, though, I still consider it a good value.
If my opinion changes (for better or worse) as I continue to work my way through this software, I will update the review.


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Incredible movies, effortlessly! Adobe Premiere Elements 9--the newest version of the #1 selling video-editing software--delivers powerful, automated moviemaking options, professional-quality effects, and optimized HD and SD editing. Share quickly via convenient web DVD viewing experiences and on disc, mobile devices, Facebook, and YouTube. Automatically organize and help protect all your video clips and photos. And now enjoy a complete solution for videos whether you use Microsoft Windows or Mac OS.
Quickly find, view, and protect your clips and photos in a powerful media-management hub.

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