Roxio Easy VHS to DVD review

One handy option allows you to capture video directly to DVD in real time, but in every other respect the capture options are more limited than RYVT’s. You can capture to MPEG2 at three different quality levels, but you can’t set your own bit rates or encoding quality. Although you can tinker with your captured video, setting the brightness, contrast, saturation, hue and sharpness, we found that the default settings provided impressive results, with faithful colour reproduction and sharpness. There’s no support for MPEG4 capture at all, so you’ll have to re-encode your clips later if you want to use a more efficient video codec.

We found EVD’s editing tools a little easier to use than RYVT’s, but you won’t notice much difference if you’re just stringing together a few clips. The DVD authoring tool is certainly an improvement, however. The supplied menu themes look far more stylish and professional, and some wouldn’t look out of place on a trendy greetings card. It’s also easier to understand without having to reach for the manual.

Captured on film

Both kits make capturing video to your PC a breeze. There’s no real difference in the hardware except that RYVT bundles a SCART adaptor. Magix’s software has a wider range of capture settings and will appeal to those who want to tinker to get the best results. Roxio’s has better DVD authoring tools and superior capture results at its default settings. It’s our preferred package of the two, but only just. If you already have a full DVD media suite, such as Roxio Creator or Nero, it will do everything you need, so you simply have to buy a USB capture device. We found one for just £11 including VAT from www.virtualvillage.co.uk.