Average Rating:

.

Pantone huey Pro MEU113

Childrens Toy Shop > Software > Video and Music
from: Pantone

April 06, 2007
This monitor calibrator works just fine on my 24" iMac. It's very easy to set up and use. I noticed very little change in the colors of my photos on the monitor after I calibrated the monitor, but I guess with the quality of the monitor, that it was pretty well adjusted to begin with.

Average Rating:

.

Apple iLife '08 Family Pack

Childrens Toy Shop > Software > Video and Music
from: Apple

August 11, 2007
Yeah, iMovie '06 provides features not found in iMovie '08 but Apple rethought the concept so there are benefits to both (and you can download iMovie '06 free anyways).

Like iWork, this is a great package for almost everyone. Professionals are going to go with the pro tools but where else can you get a family bundle for this price? iPhoto alone will make the purchase worth it for most people who use a digital camera (and, who doesn't?). I've never even used iWeb and I consider this a deal.

Average Rating:

.

Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Version 12

Childrens Toy Shop > Software > Video and Music
from: Pinnacle Systems


I've just used Studio Ultimate Version 12 to capture and edit 55 hours of home video, stretching back more than 50 years on a PC running Windows Vista. I was easily able to navigate through 220 GB of data to create a memorable and professional looking montage video with music, menus, sound and video effects, and awesome transitions. My friends are amazed at the final product. The format is very user friendly and intuitive. If you are familiar with other common programs, such as PhotoShop and/ or PowerPoint, you will find that to complete most tasks, you automatically have a sense of how to do it, even without reading the documentation. I highly recommend this software.

Average Rating:

.

Finale Songwriter 2007

Childrens Toy Shop > Software > Video and Music
from: eMedia

February 01, 2007
Finale SongWriter
Despite the steep learning curve, I love this software!
I am an adult beginner piano student. I surprised my piano teacher when I presented her with the beautiful, professional score of an original song.

Average Rating:

.

Claymation Studio

Childrens Toy Shop > Software > Video and Music
from: Honest Technology

July 01, 2007
This product isn't beefy in the features department by any means, but it does have just the right amount of features for the price. I still wonder how well it will animate a rather long video, but I have yet the patients to create one.

Overall a great product for the price. I would strongly recommend owning a webcam for capture though, or if you have a little more budget a video camera hooked into your Firewire port would be best (Just more pricey and over-the-top for those younger animators out there).

I'd recommend this to parents who have kids that show creativity and maybe play to many video games. Get them involved in projects like this that encourage productivity with real rewards!

Average Rating:

.

Movie Magic Screenwriter Version 6

Childrens Toy Shop > Software > Video and Music
from: Write Brothers

August 17, 2007
I've written screen plays many years ago, but this is the first time I've used a software package to write this type of format. I am used to using different software packages, and using Screenwriter was an easy transition.
The manual that comes with it was very useful, but I was able to start writing my movie script almost immediately, which means that the user interface for Screenwriter was user friendly.
I haven't had to use all of its features, but writing and formatting is very easy and its exporting to PDF worked flawlessly.

Average Rating:

.

ACID Music Studio 7

Childrens Toy Shop > Software > Video and Music
from: Sony Creative Software

May 06, 2008
ACID Music Studio is a useful tool for intermediate-level music production. With this software you can record & produce your own music as well as layer your song with loops, which are bundled with the software to help you hit the ground running. Loops are also available for free online, just do a search for "royalty free loops."

ACID Music Studio also gives you the ability to remix, create mashups, make your own loops from scratch, collaborate with other artists from afar, etc.

In the beginning it can be frustrating; it isn't very intuitive and the tutorial is sub-par, but, with some picking & poking, you will understand the basics in no time.

Sony's own acidplanet.com is a wonderful community of musicians for musicians. ... Read More:

Average Rating:

.

Adobe Photoshop CS2 [OLD VERSION]

Childrens Toy Shop > Software > Video and Music
from: Adobe

April 28, 2005
Granted photoshop is the standard for digital photo imaging but cs2 and previous versions may not support your (or my) camera's RAW files. Presumably that is because of the number of new DSLRs on the market and a lack of standardization of RAW file formats. The dng patch from Adobe didn't resolve the situation. However, the cs3 version does support more RAW file formats (incuding my camera's!). So do your homework. Check Adobe's web site to see if your camera's RAW files are supported, or take advantage of their free software trial. In the end, although I needed to upgrade to cs3, my purchase of cs2 followed by the upgrade to cs3 was still a cost savings over buying the full version of cs3.

Average Rating:

.

VHS To DVD 3.0 Deluxe

Childrens Toy Shop > Software > Video and Music
from: Honest Technology


I purchased this piece of junk thinking it would be the solution to transferring my VHS tapes to disc. Was I ever taken in! Tech support was helpful and responsive. My computer met all the requirements for the VivBox, but after numerous attempts to secure a decent transfer it did not work well. Audio and sound were out of sync. Several inquiries to the tech support suggested that I try this-and-that, all with no success. At last one tech told me to try the gadget on several different computers which I did---still no success. After several days I received an e-mail from tech support admitting defeat. The note stated that their techs duplicated my problems but could not solve them. I was told to write for a refund and enclose a copy of my bill of sale AND keep the gadget in the event ... Read More:

Average Rating:

.

PrintMusic 2009

Childrens Toy Shop > Software > Video and Music
from: MakeMusic!

October 15, 2008
Late last year, I bought Finale SongWriter 2007, thinking that the fifty-dollar software would be enough for me to compose music for my cartoons. However, after nearly a year of not being satisfied by its limitations, I finally paid an extra $50 for an upgrade to Finale PrintMusic 2009, and I do not regret it. For one thing, SongWriter is limited to how many staves of music you can put in it, and PrintMusic doesn't seem to have that limitation. It can also do grace notes, and other things that SongWriter couldn't. I originally sought out to buy PrintMusic anyway, but I thought it would be a bargain to buy the other program instead. Better late than never, I guess.