Although Media Maker 9 Ultimate creates Blu-ray movie discs, its import file support is disappointing and varies between modules. It imports AVCHD for BD but not DVD. Also with DVDs, it understands MPG just fine, and some AVI files, but not some other common types such as more-recent WMV, MP4, or Xvid. It doesn't seem to understand DirectShow, either, so you can't expand support by installing codecs. This is a possible deal-killer for more-knowledgeable users and video enthusiasts.

At a lower price, I'd see a niche for NTI Media Maker 9 Ultimate. At $100, though, it bumps up against some pretty capable competition. Its ease of use is compelling; but unless your needs are truly basic, you'll find it restricting. I'd also like to see more professional-looking templates for the DVD and BD menus.