OK, for the past few weeks, I've played with Cinemaster, ATI, and then MGI SoftDVD. Suffice it to say, I've been living in the Interface DESERT as far as features go! VaroDVD in fact has one of the better interface layouts I have tried. I was impressed, and the more I used it, the more I generally liked it.

Don't get me wrong, there is room for improvement. But many things I've said were missing from interfaces in past reviews were there in VaroDVD, or at least were good enough. It covers most of the major bases, it isn't a strain on the eyes, and it is full of little touches that are very helpful. Though it doesn't have the incredible skin support that PowerDVD offers, it does at least let you change the colors in case the default champagne selection is not to your liking.

A touch that I really liked is RIGHT-CLICK on panel buttons. Some interface buttons are ON/OFF, but others have to be clicked several times to cycle through all the available options they control. ATI 4.0 and VaroDVD allow you to access mini-pulldown menus on interface buttons by a right click. Then you can quickly select exactly the setting you want from that button. I really LIKE this feature! Popup help is available on active buttons, and sometimes on inactive ones, but it's unpredictable. Those wanting to disable the popup help are out of luck. It seems to be ALWAYS ON.

The general layout of the interface is solid. The buttons are good sized and easy to click and figure out. The display portion of the interface could be a bit better. It is hard to read and seems cluttered, but it gets the job done.