ConvertXtoDVD

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on April 12, 2011

Burning your videos to DVDs is easy, right? You just convert them to a compatible format, create an ISO image, and... wait! Don't go: we found a program that actually gets your saved videos from your computer to DVDs without an engineering degree. You can watch the DVDs it creates on any DVD player. And you don't have to burn them to disks to enjoy the files ConvertXtoDVD creates; you can watch them just like DVDs on your computer. VSO ConvertXtoDVD automatically adds chapters, menus, play buttons, and other DVD features.

ConvertXtoDVD's compact console holds a tree view, a small but effective preview window, and a Convert button, as well as a menu bar, log view, and a suite of control icons. The other half of the program's interface consists of a properties dialog with three rows of tabs for configuring everything from background skins to chapter headings. Briefly, we started a new project by adding video files; selecting a working directory, project priority, formats, and other parameters; and pressing Convert. The program displayed our video in the preview window, sped up by the conversion process, and automatically burned a perfectly functional DVD. Next we skipped the disk burning, opting instead to open the program's working folder. We opened our converted video in our favorite media player and were pleased to see a DVD-like main menu with a play button and chapter selections, just like a DVD copied to our hard drive. The saved video played like any DVD, chapters and all.

If you've ever wanted to create a holiday DVD or a homemade movie out of the camcorder and Internet clips you've got in your My Videos folder, VSO ConvertXtoDVD can help you make it happen, and quickly, too.

Editors' note: This is a review of the full version of ConvertXtoDVD 4.1.12.352. The trial version has watermark on output.

Publisher's Description

From VSO-Software:

ConvertXtoDVD is a 1 click solution to convert and burn your movie files to a compatible DVD playable on your home DVD player. ConvertXtoDVD supports the most popular formats (including: DivX, Xvid, MOV, VOB, Mpeg, Mpeg4, AVI, WMV, DV) and supports subtitles. Equipped with a fast and quality encoder you get excellent results quickly. The recommended settings are selected so that you get the best result possible. If you do decide to edit your videos or change any settings a live preview will help validate any editing you do to your video before the conversion. Choose fullscreen or widescreen (4:3 or 16:9) as well as your choice for NTSC or PAL. You can create your own menu, merge files, add custom chapters, remove unwanted parts of the video such as commercials, rotate videos, change the brightness/contract, and includes an audio amplifier. Multiple audio and subtitle tracks are supported. Subtitles can be converted as external subtitles or embedded into the video, and can be tweaked to your desire: color, font, code page, positioning and so on. Audio, video, and subtitle synchronization can be corrected with an easy to use" offset" feature. You can change your output size and encoding quality and select the resize filters you want to be used. Hardware decoding technology is included to lighten the CPU's load. For the final step, save the conversion to your hard drive, burn to ISO or DVD, single or double layer disk, any brand of disks with any brand of burners. Set up your favorite burning settings. ConvertXtoDVD is available in multiple languages. User guide included and VSO support guaranteed for your slightest problems.

What's new in this version: New Major Version 5.0.0.45 includes: Interface revamped, new video editing window - play all editing in real time. New: cut video sections, change menu duration, rotate video, hard code subtitles, adjust brightness, import existing chapters, hardware acceleration added. Also: video and audio quality improved, even better audio/video.