I am author of Video Watermark Pro, I am so sorry for the bug when you launch Video Watermark Pro it will call IP 61.55.167.140. And now, I have fixed the bug, sorry for every user again.

NOTE: on two different Vista PCs I installed this program and checked 'create desktop icon' -- after installation, there was NO VISIBLE icon on the desktop .... however, go to File Explorer / Desktop and it IS listed (it's just invisible!!)...

right click on the shortcut in the File Explorer, select Properties, then 'change icon' and select the icon that is shown and poof, it shows on the desktop.

I still wonder where everyone's getting the idea that the program won't work unless it calls home. It works fine for me. And it doesn't actually "call home", as it's not even accessing the dev's site. It seems it's a library that the app uses trying to get more hits on its own site. No actual information about your computer, AFAIK, is being sent.

Uninstalling due to the need to be connected to the internet in order to use the program. As a video editor, I use minimal internet access on my video machine to both free up RAM and processing power, and to protect my computer from the "between update viruses and spyware".

As for watermarking, I will continue to do mine watermarks manually, hiding my copyright info in active motion areas of muy frames. I know where my watermark is. Someone watching, or stealing something of mine won't be able to remove what they don't even know is there. The perfect GOTCHA! in my humble opinion.

Installed easily on win 7 64 x, as said in post #16, Comodo will block "calling home," and the program still runs. The program seems to not care the "name" of the person registering (use your own), and the registration serial number is included in the read-me file. File - Close does not actually close the program (not sure what it does) but clicking the "X" in the top-right of the program will.

Added watermark to a .flv movie, and there were lots of options and an easy learning curve. I think - now that the phone-home is blocked by Comodo, that this will be a nice program to have around. I think it's a keeper.

Thanks all!

This is ridiculous, a program that won't run unless your connected to the internet?? Stop the call home feature and I might give you $20 for it but $70 and it calls home, im not feeling it, sorry. Fail big time.

It's a shame that putting a "watermark" over a video ruins a part of the video production. I worked in TV from the 1960s to the 1990s and got out when the watermarks found their way in to our productions. Can you imagine how Rembrandt would feel if people painted a logo over one of his works? My video productions were just average, but many people's productions are better than mine, and some of these people whom I know, have nothing but scorn for watermarks.

On the "security" side... have watermarks ever actually stopped a video from being copied? I didn't think so. Watermarks can easily be cropped out or removed in some other fashion. So what good is that? I have seen people with illegally copied videos that still had their original watermarks, and they still didn't care!

TRUE SECURITY is a system that inserts virtually undetectable pixels on random fields or frames and then records these essentially invisible changes in a database. A suspected bootleg broadcast or disk can be automatically compared and whatever information was encoded in the pixels (production source,DVD master date, reseller, wholesaler, lot, etc., etc.) can be readout. This is perfect for narrowing down the suspects. In a copyright infringement case, this database is entered as evidence and a conviction will be secured more easily.

This is ALREADY being done for feature films. They don't risk loosing viewers to something as silly as a watermark. TRUE SECURITY has already nabbed a suspected bootlegger of a pre-released feature film!

If you think violating copyrights is ok, and true security is hindering bootlegs, then be sure to click on no (below) for my comment. I believe people are entitled to have their original, plus one copy which they never sell or loan out.

Works as advertised. Very useful. Very fast learning curve. Was able to figure it out and add a logo to an MPG in less then a minute. Thanks! XP sp3.

Thanks! I'm getting ready put some of my father's old movies on YouTube. They are of events in the 60's that happened at the college where he taught. I like the idea of being able to put a watermark on them. I did one film clip and this was really easy to use.

Thank you GAOTD...also want to say thanks to #7 & #8 for the outstanding input. However, many may disagree but considering everything that's going on these days regarding cyber security (and that my friends is not considered PARANOIA), I must admit that I am in total agreement with Sally # 11. I also agree today's GAOTD offer is tempting and is probably a wonderful piece to add the the program collection but I think I will let this one pass. This, of course, is my personal opinion and my 2C. Anyway, Keep up the great work folks and stay vigilant as always. Thank you...

Being able to call home without my permission is a huge security threat. If it can call home unattended it can send your personal info unknowingly by you.
Uninstalling it right now and never deal with software that are allowed to do background monitoring of your sessions and sending info in China.

I apologize in advance, because I do not have experience in editing photos.
Is it possible with this software, or with others, to place a semi-transparent photo behind, or to the side of a regular photo, so the transparent photo appears ghost-like?
Thanks,

Advertised as supporting MKV. Doesn't. That was the only reason I downloaded and installed it. Thanks for a nice program. Sadly truth in advertising doesn't seem to apply here.

The calling home really doesn't look like the developer's fault. This is the page it calls: blog.chinaunix.net/u/25783/index.html. It's some dev's page. I bet it's put in there by that guy's library (the one at the top, presumably). Blocking the request does not hang the program. I'm using COMODO, and it outright denies the request (makes it look like no Internet connection), and doesn't just let the request time out.

I tried blocking all ports from it, and it does run normally, at least on my xp sp2 system.

Doesn't handle mkv... calls "home" to China?.. sorry, not for me... Call me paranoid, but I don't like my sys "talking" to places I don't know. Pass.

It would be helpful if Video Watermark Pro explained why the product communicates with their site every time you launch it and explained why they charge money for this when free programs that do the same have been available since the 90s. i.e VirtualdubMOD which even allows placement of watermark images.

All of the Windows Movie Maker software allows you to add text to video. This type of software seem to be used to put ads for websites on video more than protect video.

The newest trend in video editing software is the feature to remove watermarks. Although there are some free programs that do that. I suggest Video Watermark Pro add that feature to make the program of any value above free.

Maybe it's 'ease of use' that makes this worth $70? I just think that when freeware programs are out there that do the same thing, part of a costly program's description should include explanations as to why they are superior to freeware alternatives. Makes perfect sense to me.

The program was easy installed on my laptop with windows XP professional. Registration was easy as well.

Now when I started the program and tried to add a movie, I saw the first huge drawback. The program does not support .mkv files.

MKV is used very much where I work so this program falls flat in that area.

Other than that there were only a few translation errors, such as when loading a non-supported file format I got the message "Here are 1 file can not be load". That didn't make much sense to me.

But I would say try to program out, it is great aside from the problems I mentioned.

#6's observation about phoning home is correct, and #7's link brings up the "WhoIs" Information. The outlet is China, and its IP address is not in the ARIN database, but rather it is in an Asian registry called APNIC, which "doesn't operate networks using this IP range, and is not able to investigate spam or abuse reports relating to this IP address." This is concerning for a program that won't run unless it can phone home first. I think I'll pass despite it sounding like a great program.

Very nice program. only problem is as #6 "tackrik" stated, it likes to call home on every start up and when I block the call home with Zonealarm the program fails to start. it just hangs there.
here is the info on where it phones home to http://www.xfastpc.com/phonehome.html

I may keep it, seems to be useful but haven't got time this morning to fully test. But Im sure it will end up a keeper.
no flags by any of my security programs, thats a plus.

thanks GOTD & AoaoPhoto

Dear GOTD,

Many useful or not so useful programs I have seen, tried, removed and kept and a selection of wonderful free software on my computer is the result of visiting this site every day.

Thanks al lot everyone over there!

Kind regards Joeres

Truthful Product Price Representation Integrity (suggestion)
Just thinking for integrity purposes GOATD might want to state that the product "is" available for $34.95 and not $69.95 as is currently stated at the time of this writing.

According to a Google archived cache of the product page from June 4, (before being offered as a GAOTD) the selling price was $34.95 then as well.

Technically, one could say the publisher's aren't actually stating it was ever sold by them for $69.95,though are planning on raising the selling price to $69.95 in the future. But no matter what the publisher chooses to state, allude to, or display for marketing purposes, the actual "IS" price is definitely $35.95, not $69.95
I'm just afraid if members begin to notice product information not being represented accurately or truthfully (especially in the favor of the product's publisher), members might become suspicious of GAOTD, as well as reviewers, bloggers, etc... and I'd hate to see that happen, because GAOTD is one of the greatest shining stars of the web today.

I like: easy installation, simple to use.
I do not like :at each startup software
call home : 61.55.167.140

Thank you GOTD team for today's useful gift! It is very easy to be used. T'Up guys.

The Homepage says the Pro version of the program supports animated image watermarks, layer editing and video conversion. I may be able to use the application for simple video compositing. Worth downloading to find out.

Well, easy to use, but the video conversion function is so easy. I think total video converter from mac-videoconverter.com can deal with many popular video formats, no matter what os you're using.

Tested and converted my first movie clip with a logo I added. It works like a charm !!!(Win7/32)