Improvin All About CD and DVD Burning (NAPSA)}—TIf your computer, digital camera and camcorderare getting overloaded with digital files—photos, movies, music and data—now’s the timeto buy software that will let you creatively “burn” everything onto CDs and DVDs. You may have heard about this type of software, but aren’t exactly sure what it does. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions: What does “burning” a CD or DVD mean? “Burning”is just a technical term for “copying.” Today’s software products let you burn digital files that are on your computer, your digital camera and camcorder—and even VHS tapes—and make personalized CDs and DVDs that you can play anywhere. Whyshould I burn copies of mydigital files? It’s important to make backup copies of all your digital files in case anything happensto the originals. Floppy disks andzip drives are good for copying small amounts of data, but today’s photo, music and movie files need more space—which can only be found on CDs and DVDs. What does the software let me do? CD- and DVD-burningsoftware, such as DVD MovieFactory Disc Creator from Ulead, doesn’t just make copies of your files—it also lets you add creative elements before you copy everything onto a CD or DVD disc. Here’s a look at what you can usethe softwarefor: * Movies. Is that vacation or wedding movie a bit too long or boring? Use the software to trim Today’s software lets you copy files that are on your computer, digital camera and camcorder to make personalized CDs and DVDs. unwanted scenes, add in creative titles to highlight a special moment, add Hollywood-style transition effects between scenes and insert some voice-overs and music. Then burn copies to share with (and impress) your friends and family. * Music. With this software, you can burn your music collections and create your own “great- est hits” CDs with all types of audio, including MP3 and WAV. Photos and Slideshows. Use the software to store your photos, or make them cometo life in a fast-moving slideshow. Add motion menus, transitions between photos, titles and music, before burn- ing toa DVDdisc. To makethingsreally easy, look for one of the new versionsofsoftware from companies like Ulead (www.ulead.com) that let you drag files to the quick-drop icons on your desktop without having to fully launch the software.
