electronicsme - Computers / Video Editing made easy

Print this page

Pinnacle Dazzle Digital Video Creator Plus: Review

Posted to Video Editing 2009-06-19

Review: Pinnacle Dazzle Digital Video Creator Plus

If you have been looking for a way to convert your old home movies to digital, or you would like to add some added flair to the digital movies that already reside on your PC, then you may want to check out the Pinnacle Dazzle Digital Video Creator Plus. With the ability to record video from nearly any analog source, the Dazzle Video Creator Plus offers users the ability to create digital copies of their favorite home movies, eliminating the fear that a precious memory will be lost for good.

The Dazzle Video Creator Plus is yet another video package in Pinnacle's lineup for PC's. This package comes complete with a video capture device as well as the Pinnacle Studio Software which includes the Pinnacle Instant DVD Recorder software as an added bonus. The included video capture hardware comes complete with composite video, S-Video and stereo audio and it connects to your PC with the use of a USB port. While this may sound like the perfect answer to the PC owner who has a box full of VHS home movies collecting dust in their attic, this package is only compatible with certain PC hardware and OS levels. In order for the software to run successfully you need to be running a minimum of Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista on a PC with an Intel Pentium or AMD Athlon 1.8 GHz, an Intel Pentium HT or AMD Athlon 2.4 GHz for XP or a processor with at least 1.5 GHz Dual Core for Vista. A minimum of 512 MB of RAM is required but 1 GB of RAM is recommended for XP and required for Vista in order to get the best possible performance out of this video recording package. DirectX 9 or above with a compatible graphics and sound card is also required for optimal performance.

Rating:

3.8 out of 5

Features

The Dazzle Video Creator Plus offers users a wealth of video recording and editing features into one handy package. If you are short on time, the software offers you the ability to burn your home movies directly from your source to DVD. This works great for those times when you are more concerned about preserving your memories instead of editing and making changes to the current copy. This also works great for sharing new home movies with friends and family who may not live close enough to experience the memories first hand.

If editing and modifying the current content of your home movies is more your style, then the Dazzle Video Creator Plus can assist with that as well. With the use of the included Pinnacle Studio software you can delete the parts of your home movies you don't need as well as rearrange the flow of your home movies, which can make them much easier to watch. If you are more of the creative type you can also add music or other effects to your home movies with the use of the Pinnacle Montage.

This package also allows you the ability to create digital copies of your home movies so you can easily share them on the web, iPod or even on your Sony PSP. This functionality allows you the ability to share your videos with as few or as many people as you want with just a click of a mouse.

Performance

While the Dazzle Video Creator Plus can create quality copies of your home movies, just remember that the video will be only as good as the source was. If you have a very old home movie that is of average to poor quality at best, don't expect the software to perform miracles and improve the quality of the image. The software is only meant to copy over what it sees; it does not have the ability to increase the quality of the video on the fly.

Another possible issue may be for those with older DVD players. While most newer DVD players have the ability to play burned DVD's, earlier, cheaper models may not have the same functionality. While your copy may play great on your DVD player, it may not necessarily play on the DVD players of family members so just keep that in mind if you happen to get complaints that the DVD didn't work at all.

Lastly, the Dazzle Video Creator Plus does not come with the cables that are required to hook up your video source to the video capture device. If you plan on utilizing your new toy as soon as you get home you will want to make sure you invest in a compatible cable so you can be up and running in no time.

Summary

In conclusion, the Pinnacle Dazzle Video Creator Plus is the perfect solution for PC owners who have been looking for a way to convert their old home movies to a more stable format. With the ability to burn directly to DVD or edit your videos as you see fit. This package offers a variety of features that are sure to keep the user busy for hours. If you are looking for a hardware/software package that can do more than just copy your movies than the Pinnacle Dazzle Video Creator Plus may just be the way to go.

Pros

Requires Windows XP SP2 or Vista
Minimum 512 MB RAM for XP or 1GB RAM for Vista
Pinnacle Studio software with Instant DVD Recorder software
Video copying and editing abilities in one package
Video quality only as good as the source

Cons

There are no cons for this product