Roxio Copy & Convert 3 - TechRadar UK

The amount of media we now consume is on the increase. Also, the number of formats you can convert your digital media into is steadily on the increase, so it makes sense to have a software tool that can handle them without you having to worry too much about the technology behind them.

This is where Copy & Convert 3 comes into play, as Roxio has put together a straightforward interface for its program that allows you to specify the device you're converting the software for. Unlike most tools, which will only convert directly to a portable player, this software can copy to your hard drive or a DVD disc.

It's worth pointing out that like all such tools, you can't copy protected DVDs, which means DVDs you've bought, but any unprotected DVDs or those you've captured yourself on a digital camcorder are readily supported.

If you have a collection of clips that you've edited down and want to store them on the same disc, you can create a simple menu to access them from. It may not be as fully rounded as in Roxio's other products, but it works. If you've invested in the latest hi-def camcorders, you'll find this is readily supported, as is burning to Blu-ray discs.

To help you keep track of discs, there is now a cataloguing tool that has a simple search interface, so if you're looking for an elusive video clip, as long as you know the name, it'll tell you which disc it's on.

This is all pretty powerful stuff considering the price. What's more, you can even rip ISO images of your discs, so you won't actually need to run the disc, as it will run straight from the hard drive. This is of particular interest to laptop users, as if will help them conserve battery life.

Roxio Copy & Convert 3 doesn't offer anything more than a host of similar tools already offer, but we found it an easy piece of software to get used to and, as it hides away all the complicated processes, you can choose which format you want to copy to and leave it to do the rest.