5 Star Burning Software for Mac

There are a lot of choices when it comes to burning software these days, which is just one of the reasons that it is wonderful to see strong reviews like this one from BurnWorld.com, calling NCH's Express Burn "a great application, working fast, featuring the most important processes a user would want." Better yet that, while these experts clearly recognize and point out that "the interface is very easy to use," this review was from a previous release, before we made modifications to the interface to make the creation of DVDs and audio or MP3 CDs even easier. Along with other additions, including better DVD authoring with several included menu templates, and the ability to burn not only data to Blu-ray discs, but to burn your high-definition Blu-ray movies too.

You can read the complete review of Express Burn, and we encourage Mac and PC users alike to try all the burning features and see how easy burning software can be.

What About My HD Home Videos?

I like to think of myself as a fairly multimedia-friendly parent. After all, my wife and I are pretty good about sharing our digital photos via email, Facebook, and an assortment of other avenues for getting pics out to family and friends, you know?

...But then, what about all those digital videos we've recorded? We have one of those great "Flip"-style cameras that takes HD video, and even phones that take high-def video, so we have some great videos to share!

Unfortunately, the options sharing for HD video aren't as simple as for pictures. Video files can be huge, especially in HD, precluding email for all but the shortest clips. Social media sites like Facebook or YouTube have length and size restrictions, and the time it takes to upload/download can be daunting, even on higher-speed internet connections.

So, what can I do with my HD videos? Internet, email, and social-media sites are limited, so I've started looking into physical media, and burning videos to disc. DVD is fairly ubiquitous nowadays, but because it's an older standard-definition format, I would end up losing quite a bit of the high-definition detail in my videos. I've also thought about sending data-discs with my video files, but that won't work for people who don't have computers, and I won't know if they even have the right software installed to play the files. What's the next option? Well, most of my family and friends who have high-def TVs have Blu-ray players, but is there something out there that will let me put my HD videos on a *playable* Blu-ray to share with friends and family?

...Fortunately, the answer is yes! Earlier this year NCH Software released a new version of their Express Burn disc-authoring/burning software, and it now supports Blu-ray video playable in any Blu-ray player. It works fine with my Blu-ray burner drive, and it's very simple to use; I just pick my HD videos (Blu-ray dics hold hours of them), re-order them as desired, and hit "Burn Blu-ray Video". Express Burn does the rest - it handles all the conversion to Blu-ray format, and burns it all to the disc. Re-encoding those HD videos can take a little time, but I can go make dinner while it's running, and the result is a Blu-ray that even my Dad can just pop in the Blu-ray player and watch.

Burn and Label CD and DVDs on Windows or Mac

NCH Software provides a wide range of multimedia software allowing you to record, edit, convert and combine digital photos, audio and video files. And what comes after your digital remastering? You can take advantage of the Upload to YouTube feature built into many of our software programs, but another great option is to burn your projects to CD or DVD. With Express Burn Disc Burning Software you can burn audio, video and data to CDs, DVDs and even Blue-Ray discs in a variety of file formats. Simply drag, drop and burn and in minutes you have a finished disc. You could stop there, or maybe scribble something on the disc with a sharpie, but if you want to really make your burned discs stand out you can create customized CD and DVD labels and cases with Disketch Disc Label Software for that finishing touch and to help keep your discs organized.

Disketch Labeling Software was recently released for the Mac for the first time, making it easy for anyone to create personalized labels and cases by adding text, color and images.

Express Burn Improvements, More to Come

New versions of Express Burn disc burner for both Windows and Mac were released in the last week. These latest releases feature greatly improved performance over past versions, bringing you a disc burning program that burns quicker, more reliably, and more easily than ever before. Not simply a disc copier, you can use Express Burn to burn any music, data or video files on CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs for easy archiving, sharing, or file management.

More developments, including DVD menu creation, are in the works for Express Burn in the coming months, so this is definitely a program you want to keep your eye on. Try it out now and see why Express Burn is one of our top products.

Mix Up Your Valentine's With A Sweet Gift

Valentine�s Day is a day for love but it can also be a day of great stress. Finding just the right gift for the one you care about on a tight budget can be mind boggling and quite taxing.

Make this Valentine�s unique by bringing back the puppy love from �85 and making your sweetie a mixed CD. Fill it with songs from your memories together, or revive your passions with new songs that tell how you feel.

Use Express Burn CD Burning Software to copy your heartfelt songs to disc so your beau can listen in the car or upload your creation to their iTunes. Get crafty and make a CD label with Disketch Disc Label Software to completely customize your one-of-a-kind gift.

Browse more NCH Software to find your own creative gift ideas.

7 Programs You Can't Live Without

Prism Video Converter If you've ever had trouble opening a video file, you need Prism. Prism will let you quickly convert any troublesome video files into a more manageable format. With more formats supported than any other video converter, you'll be hard pressed to come across a video file that Prism can't handle.

Switch Audio Converter There are a lot of different audio file formats out there, and a lot of places you might want to keep your favorite music, from CDs and iPods to your computer or online, just to name a few. Make sure you always have the right format for every song and every application with the Switch Audio Converter.

FastFox Typing Expander Ever find yourself typing the same things over and over? FastFox can be a huge helping hand at home or at work. Use keyboard shortcuts to expand to anything you commonly write, and save time inserting signatures in email, filling out online forms, and writing long responses to customer questions.

Debut Video Capture Whether you want to transfer the video from a camcorder to your computer, are trying to record a video from your webcam, or even recording your screen, Debut is your single software solution for capturing video.

Express Burn Disc Burning Software Burn pictures, home movies, resumes, portfolios, or back up your files to CDs, DVDs and even Blue-Ray discs in a variety of file formats with Express Burn. Simply drag, drop and burn.

PhotoStage Slideshow Creator Bring your digital photos to life and share your favorite memories with family and friends. Tell a compelling story, display your best images, or show off your proudest moments. PhotoStage lets you combine images, video clips, music and narration in a fun and dynamic fashion.

WavePad Audio Editor No list would be complete without one of our all-time favorites: WavePad. WavePad is the perfect application for any audio project in the sound studio or at home. The easy-to-use interface will have you up and running quickly with all the powerful tools you need at your fingertips.

Give A Gift of Memories

If you are looking for a really special gift idea, why not give new life to your home movies? Whether they are on VHS cassettes or just taking up disk space, you can easily edit them together and create a memorable home movie DVD for a truly priceless gift to give your loved ones.

First, collect together all of the home videos you want to use. If you have any old analog home movies stored on an old camcorder or VHS tapes you can use a Golden Videos VHS to DVD Converter with a video capture device to connect your camcorder or VCR to your computer and digitize your home movies in no time.

When you have all your video clips collected you are ready to start editing with a quick and easy video editing program like VideoPad. Trim down clips, arrange on the timeline and select transitions. Add a soundtrack or record your own narration to share your memories about the recorded events. VideoPad also has a video stabilization feature to help clean up shaky video if your hand wasn't very steady when you were recording. And for a little extra emphasis you can even adjust the speed of video clips to add in an instant replay of that first home run or other momentous event. VideoPad is very user friendly so editing your home movies really only takes a little time and a little creativity.

Once your editing is complete you are ready to package everything together. Give your video the finishing touch by burning to DVD and adding a custom DVD label for a polished and professional looking final product.

See our software gift ideas page for more ideas on software programs to give, or other ways to add a little personal flare to your gifts.

Software for Musicians

Audio Software is one of our biggest categories, and sound editing is just the beginning; we have lots of tech solutions for musicians too. From music recording software to other handy musician software tools, each program is specifically designed for a particular music related task so musicians can go high tech while tuning, transcribing or even just practicing. Check out a few of our audio software favorites for musicians:

TwelveKeys Music Transcription Software is perfect for any musician trying to learn how to play a piece of recorded music, or for notating compositions. TwelveKeys provides a visual aid for musical transcription using a graphical representation of the music, allowing musicians to notate any orchestration with accuracy and ease.

Crescendo Music Notation Software is a simple way to work with musical notation. Crescendo allows musicians to compose, save and print music from their computer. The wide array of notation symbols, time and key signatures, and text on a free-form layout gives you complete control over musical arrangements.

PitchPerfect is a free guitar tuner that also works great for other string instruments. It automatically detects the note you are playing and lets you know if you are sharp, flat, or perfectly in tune. Performing will be less daunting, having this product to eliminate the need of tuning a guitar conventionally.

TempoPerfect is a free software metronome. Designed to help musicians play in time, this tempo software creates accurate beat patterns for simple or complex rhythms. TempoPerfect provides a clear and precise beat that won't wind down, making it an essential tool for all musicians.

WavePad Sound Editor is designed to be an easy to use audio editing package. Within minutes you will be able to open or record a file and edit it. It has many robust tools including audio effects to amplify, normalize, reverb, a free sound effect/music library, text-to-speech voice synthesis, and a voice changer, just to name a few. Combined with MixPad multitrack mixing software, these two audio applications are perfect for any audio project, from making soundtracks and podcasts to creating high quality demo CDs for your band.