Roxio Creator 2011: A Suite 3D Solution

Product Category: Video, Graphics, Photo & Music Software

Manufacturer: Roxio

Where to Buy: Amazon.com [Affiliate]

Price: $82.98 USD

System Requirements (Minimum):Microsoft® 7 (32- or 64-bit), Windows VistaTM SP2 (32- or 64-bit), Windows® XP SP3 (32-bit), Windows®XP SP2 (64-bit), Intel® 1.6GHz Pentium 4 processor or AMD equivalent, 512MB RAM for windows XP and 1GB RAM for Windows Vista and Windows 7, 1024x768 DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics card with at least 16-bit color setting, sound card, DVD-ROM drive, Hard drive with at least 3GB free space for the installation process.

Specifications: External Link

Pros:

• Fun, quick, and easy;
• Huge, capable, fully loaded suite;
• Learning Center.

Cons:

• 3D features won't please everyone;
• Not all applications in the suite have been improved;
• Retail price double that of iLife.

Summary:There is a third dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and between Roxio Creator 2010 and 2012 - which indecently is Roxio Creator 2011. I have taken some liberties with Rod Sterling's famous words (see The Twilight Zone), and Roxio has taken some liberties with the notion that two dimensions can be converted into three. But really, how cool would it be to do just that - convert your 2D photos and video into 3D? I put on the included 3D glasses and took a look for myself. Spoiler alert - it's pretty cool!

This Isn't Rocket Science...Or Is It?

Converting two dimensions into three sounds complicated, yes? Well, I'll let my friends at the Large Hadron Collider explain the Particle/Wave Duality that sits at the heart of it. While they're preparing their PowerPoint, let me just say, it's really quite simple. To that point, it took me less than 5 minutes to create my first three-dimensional image, from an existing two-dimensional photo. And the first words out of my mouth were, "whoa..." While the image didn't pop out at me, it appeared that I could reach into the photograph. In moving my head back and fourth, it was as if I could almost look around the image. It was the feeling of looking through a window at a live scene. And there I sat, officially freaked out. This wasn't just easy - it was fun!

Figure 1: A cornucopia of digital media software.

There Is More To Life Than 3 Dimensions

But perhaps I have gotten ahead of myself. Let's just start at the beginning. Roxio has recently released a new version of their #1 selling Digital Media Suite, Creator 2011. Creator 2011 is a powerful Suite of applications aimed to help you both manage digital media, and create it. For music, photos, video, burning, and more, Creator 2011 is a go-to application that makes easy what can be cumbersome. This is no small feat, and Roxio's latest version tackles these tasks quite handily.

When Automatic Is Better Than a Manual

Inside the Creator 2011 box you will find a brief Getting Started Guide, Installation DVD, and a - je ne sais quoi, nifty, pair of 3D glasses. The actual manual, missing from the box, has been skillfully integrated into the software in the form of searchable help, pop-up windows, and the Learning Center. Assistance is there when needed, and wonderfully avoids being annoying and loathsome. The Learning Center includes video instruction, along with step-by-step PDF instruction if desired. I found it an impressive and useful display of how to provide unobtrusive help and guidance. But again, I am getting ahead of myself.

Figure 2: Learning Center: Video and PDF Instruction make it easy to get the most out of this suite.

By The Numbers

Installation on a Windows 7 machine, Intel Core 2 Duo with 4GB RAM, took about 15 minutes. This included a reboot and the installation of Service Pack 1 for Creator 2011. The process was efficient and smooth, and even offered a video walkthrough of the product features while you waited for the installation to complete. It should be noted that the minimum system requirements for video editing and conversion and DVD playback are: an Intel Pentium 4 2GHz processor or AMD equivalent and 1GB RAM; while a Multi-core processor with at least 2GB RAM is recommended. These days numbers like these are met easily, but those of you wanting to run this software on your netbook might want to rethink just why you purchased a netbook in the first place.

Figure 3: 10 vs. 11. 11 is more.

Looks Really Do Matter

Being a current user of Roxio's Creator 10 Suite, I was immediately drawn to the new look and feel of the new interface. It has a more modern and upscale appearance; less Windows XP, and more Windows 7. In addition, it seemed to perform better, faster, than my Creator 10 Suite. The 2011 interface is more intuitive, and better organized now with sub tasks listed underneath the main tasks. Everything seemed more reachable, and the interface seemed more integrated to the individual applications. It was a better user experience, and it made me feel like I could do more with the product.

The World Through Rose - and Cyan Colored Lenses

New to the Creator Suite is the ability to create 3D images and video. While I found it fast and easy to convert my 2D images to 3D, perfecting the look occupied the better part of a day. As mentioned above the help is great and the software conveniently offers instructions on how: convert existing images into 3D, or how to shoot new images (with a 2D camera) to maximize the 3D effect. It should be noted that the software also supports 3D cameras - but that's just the lazy man's route to 3D tomfoolery.

Figure 4: What 3D looks like at 10,776 ft.

When shooting your own images to convert into 3D (with a 2D camera), you take two photos. The console directs you to upload one image in the left eye location, and one image in the right eye location. The software then merges the two to create one 3D image. The newly created 3D image is an anaglyph: An image made up of two color layers, typically red and cyan, superimposed but offset, and opposite with respect to each other thus manufacturing the perception of depth. The console allows you to adjust the anaglyph's two color layers up down, left and right giving you the opportunity to tune in the image to the level of 3D clarity you desire. This process can happen quickly, if you aren't picky. If you strive for perfection, this process can take several photo shoots, many converted images, and ultimately a long time.

Figure 5: I know, it's a swan. Why the swan, why?

It was time for me to give it a try, so I grabbed my DSLR and took some charming photos of a bright yellow Lamborghini Gallardo and...uh, a swan; it's a long story. The trick, you see, to shooting a 3D image with a 2D camera is to take one photo and then slightly move the camera approximately 2-3 inches to the right and snap another photo. This emulates left and right eye locations. But be careful, too much separation and the images just won't come together once converted. And if that happens, your 3D image just ends up looking like a ghostly reflection. But eureka! When done properly, the resulting 3D image does actually pop out and come alive. It is easy to see that with some practice and patience, you could shoot some neat photography and really freak out your neighbors; which is why we really like the 3D feature - am I right!

3D Is Big And So Is The Suite

While 3D is all the rage right now, there are many other features to the Suite that are well worth mentioning. With Creator 2011 you can: Burn Audio CDs, Burn Data Discs, Create Backups, Create your own DVDs and Edit your Movies, Enhance your Photos and Create Photo Calendars and Cards, and Convert Media to specific file formats and hardware platforms; i.e.: iPhone, iPad, Zune and other mobile devices. And that's just a sampling of some of the features. Frankly, there's just too much in the Suite to cover in this review. Let me just touch on some of the features I use, and a few others that I found novel.

In the '80s we had the mix tape and a lot of really good music. The mix tape was the lyre of the romantic. Its composition was the poetry of a new generation that spoke words we could not, if not in a subtle fashion. Roxio's Burning Audio CD app lets us relive the embarassment all over again, but now in a faster and easier way. Needless to say, I use this app a lot. And with more than a thousand CDs in my collection, I have a lot to say.

All Your Music Belongs To Me-dia Manager

Managing my media can be a daunting task, but Roxio once again makes it easy. Within the Burning Audio CD app, for instance, you can drag and drop songs from any folder on your PC and into the Burn window. Roxio's Media Manager will offer to find any and all music related files on your computer, if you let it. Beware though, if you have an affinity for music, as I do, this could take a really long time; but only the first time. With all your data now organized in the console window it's easy to quickly put together that Breakfast Club mix CD on your mind since DEVO was whipping it.

Advanced features are available under Create Music Disc Projects. I especially like the ability to preview the entire CD before burning it. I find it helpful when deciding if I should have really put Space Age Love Song back to back with Pour Some Sugar on Me. Other options include the ability to edit your music and customize it for the appropriate audience and ambiance. This includes volume normalization, which is always useful and appreciated. Also included is Gracenote integration, making it easier to correctly title all those tracks you cried yourself to sleep with back in the '80s.

Figure 6: Creator 2011 puts you in control of your message; even when it shouldn't.

Labeling: When Your Heart's In The Right Place

As with previous versions, when you are done burning your period anthem to CD, you are presented the option to create labels for the disc, case tray, and booklet. This is important because if she doesn't listen to the mix CD, she can still get the message from that less-than-subtle heart image right on the CD! The Labeling application is great for the novice, but just ok for the advanced user. I was hoping to see some improvements over the Creator 10 Suite here, but there weren't any that I could find. It is still somewhat clunky and rigid in its formatting capabilities and can really cramp an advanced user's creative license. Don't get me wrong, this app is good, just not great, and lacks the freedom I need to fully to get my message across. The application will allow you to print to a myriad of manufacturer stock templates, and gives you the option of using Lightscribe to label your disc. In the end you'll heart your finished product and be proud to leave it under anyone's doormat.

More Cool Features!

Speaking of burning things, Creator 2011 also includes a drag-to-disc burning feature. This app places an icon of a CD on your desktop and automates the task of burning a data disc. Just drag files from anywhere onto the icon and Creator 2011 does the rest.

What You Hear and What You Get is another really cool feature is Roxio's Easy Audio Capture. It allows you to record anything you are hearing on your PC. This means anything that is currently being sent to your speakers is now recordable. You are also given options when importing these sound bites including sound quality, format, and track separation - useful for recording that personalized radio station.

Figure 7: Wait until Dale see this!

PhotoShow And The Electric Slide...Show

Roxio's Photo Show is another application that allows people with great ambitions and little time, like me, to shine. Without instruction of any kind, I followed a 1 - 2 - 3 step process that within just minutes had a slide show running on my PC complete with music, and animated slide transitions. Within the application you can rotate your images, delete them, or personalize them with text and titles, speech bubbles and animated stickers. All I had to do was select a folder where my images were located, and hit next a couple of times. Once completed, there are options to post it to Photoshow.com, create a Facebook link, Export it to Video, Burn to a Photoshow disc, or lastly, to order a finished DVD from PhotoShow. If you want to make Grandma happy, and she doesn't have a CD player to listen to all those mix CDs you can't give away, then this is the app you'll want to use.

Conclusions

There is just too much in Roxio's latest Suite to cover with proper justification. In my opinion, Creator 2011 is Roxio's best Windows offering to date. I just felt like I could do more, and get more out of this Suite than in the previous versions I have used. The Suite is skillfully constructed and shows great effort to portray an improved, consistent, and integrated user experience. In most cases the applications made difficult and time-consuming tasks, simple and fast. Roxio's integrated Learning Center was very well done. Useful information was always available at your fingertips. While the Suite may leave some advanced user wanting more, overall it really packs a lot of power into one software package. (And there is a Pro version for those looking for more.) New features, like 3D, lets Creator 2011 stand-alone. It combines unique features with welcomed incremental product improvements, and demands serious consideration for those looking to create Christmas Family Calendars and Cards by New Years Day. Overall, Creator 2011's performance was stellar and the new user interface comfortable. I can sum up Creator 2011 with two words, Easy & Fun. 

Eric Juillerat is a technologist, geek, and all around admirer of anything with silicon, buttons, or touch screens.

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