Answering the question as to which is the best video editing software is a difficult task given that everyone will have different requirements as to what they want that software to do.
So at a bare minimum here’s how I see the answer to that question.
What is the Best Video Editing Software?
- Imports files from a wide range of devices and sources into a flexible library system for effective file organization.
- An intuitive user interface that matches the user’s skill set providing easy access to all features.
- Efficient editing and compatibility with a wide range of digital file types.
- Effects, transitions and correction tools depending on user requirements.
- Renders to all common video files types for distribution or playback.
So with that in mind, these are my current (2020) choices for the best video editing software solutions at the consumer or home user level through to prosumer.
A more comprehensive review for each one can be found by following the links next to each one or just look to the menu on the right of the page for a link.
The order in which they are presented is based on my own experience in both using and reviewing each one on a standard “run of the mill” Win 10 computer that I also use for other things.
In other words, not a single purpose computer used for editing or testing software but more likely a computer that looks a lot like yours… although I hope for your sake it is not as messy!
I have also included lower on the page, my recommendations for easiest to use video editing software although there are some other choices for easy video editing software here.
If you are looking for best prosumer product at a reasonable price then Magix Video Pro X is my choice and you can read about it here: Magix Video Pro X review.
Finally if you are looking for a great video editor for Mac then take a look at these pages: ScreenFlow Review or Filmora Review
Obviously there are many other brands of video editing software out there and maybe the one you are looking at is not here.
It is not my goal to complicate the selection process for the best video editor for you any more than it already is so I have only included those ones I feel very confident in recommending.
What I do know is that within the software on this page you can get an excellent video editor to suit your needs and the differences between all of them are quite small.
I don’t mean to go on and on about it (OK, I do mean to go on and on) but please… use the free trials.
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#1 CyberLink PowerDirector 18
Cyberlink PowerDirector 18 was recently released and has continued to build on the success of the previous versions.
It remains the fastest kid on the block when to comes to rendering time and it’s ability to scrub through the timeline even when dealing with new highly compressed high definition video formats.
It’s overall speed and computer resource management abilities remain unmatched.
This year they have added an automated motion tracking feature which is a godsend for people trying to get objects or effects to track along with the motion of the video.
On top of that it now boasts the ability to deal with 360 degree footage “end-to-end.”
They have also added separate and advanced Adorage work spaces to deal with and remove unwanted shaky footage or camera shake, a vital tool in these high definition times!
Of all the mainstream software producers Cyberlink have continually set themselves apart from the rest by not only keeping pace with the changes in the files and file types they have to deal with, but in many cases being one step ahead.
This program has been my first choice for users at the consumer level of editing for a number of years now and although this year the competition has closed the gap to some degree, PowerDirector still offers the biggest bang for your buck.
It boasts a huge feature set, can do anything that the others can do and more, offers a relatively pain free introduction to the world of editing and is backed by a great online support community.
CyberLink PowerDirector 18 Review
Click Here to See Cyberlink PowerDirector 18
#2 Corel VideoStudio 2020 Pro and Ultimate
The latest version of Corel Video Studio Pro 2020 has added some great new features and they have built on their already excellent user interface making it fully customizable even across two monitors.
Time and effort has been well spent on improving the software’s performance and utilization of available computer resources resulting in a faster, smoother editing experience.
The easy to use “Wizards” for the beginner or the “not that interested in editing” have been retained and tweaked as well as many powerful features being added for those of you who wish to expand your creativity and technical prowess.
If you are considering a purchase of video editing software you certainly would be well served by VideoStudio Pro 2020.
Corel VideoStudio Pro 2020 Review
Click here to take a look at Corel VideoStudio Pro 2020
#3 Pinnacle Studio 23
It is only in the past few years that I have begun adding Pinnacle Studio as a recommended software for editing.
This is one of the original editing software packages that came to light when digital video at a consumer level was first becoming a reality.
The software has had over the years, times of being very good and times of being… well not so good!
Fortunately Corel bought the software back in 2012 and have finally tamed its little idiosyncrasies and gotten in onto a firm and stable footing.
Feature for feature it is probably the most powerful piece of software on this page in terms of what it can do and the level of control it offers.
It only sits down at number 3 because this site is aimed more at the beginner so let’s not fool ourselves here, Pinnacle is a complex program that requires some effort to learn.
Of course once learned it will reward you for the pain, but still, you have to go through that learning curve!
Click Here to Take a Look at Pinnacle Studio 23
#4 Magix Movie Edit Pro
Magix have impressed with further consolidation of their already feature rich editor, Movie Edit Pro.
Movie Edit Pro is not another version where they have added a multitude of new features to the software, and that’s a good thing!
The already impressive feature set represents just about everything the home user would ever need so endlessly adding new half baked tricks for the sake of marketing is pointless.
With this latest version they have worked hard on stability and user friendliness that was perhaps lacking in some earlier versions.
To achieve this they have completely redesigned the user interface to make it easier to use and far more intuitive as well as completely rewriting the code of the program based on 64 Bit architecture.
With this release they can’t really go to town listing all the new features because as far as new stuff goes there aren’t that many.
However it is vital to note that many of the so called “new features” the competition are touting have been present in the Magix product for years.
With this latest release Magix Movie Edit Pro could very well become the new darling of the Windows based video editing software world.
They have increased the size, range and customizability (OK! I KNOW that’s not a word!) for their existing video transitions, video effects, audio control and photo editing and have added some new features that have me very seriously considering jumping ship from my current video editor.
Magix Movie Edit Pro Full Review
Click Here to Take a Look at Magix Movie Edit Pro
Best Easy to Learn and Use Video Editing Software
#1 Wondershare Filmora
In Filmora, Wondershare have really put together a package that I would wholeheartedly recommend to absolute beginners or those who want to just do some editing and be done with it.
The program offers everything you will need to put together video without the complications of the larger programs.
To be honest, although people say they want all the bells and whistles, they rarely use them!
Filmora handles everything from import to export and it all happens via an interface that is simple, elegant and extremely intuitive.
The pr0gram is being very actively developed and despite its simplicity it still provides the user with an impressive array of features.
Click Here to See the Full Filmora Review
Click Here to See Filmora for Yourself
#2 muvee Reveal Encore
Muvee Reveal Encore is not really a fully fledged video editing software program when compared to the others on this page BUT!
It is a specialized home movie making solution that almost totally automates the production of your video project.
It does what it does very well but is not for the enthusiast.
If you are not interested in too much editing then this one is well worth a look.
Based on proprietary technology the program can take a collection of videos, images and audio files and by using that technology, arrange them all into a pretty decent final video project.
It does offer the ability to intervene at any point so you can fine tune, but it’s strength lies in the auto features.
To really understand and appreciate the program it is best to check out the review linked below before you go any further with it.
Hi Lance,
I have been using Video studio by Corel for years for my kids for their school and college work. It has served them well and they have learned how to use all the bells and whistles. My question is this. They have built a new computer Ryzen 7 2700X with 16 gig of ram, SSD, and GTX 1080 8gigg ddr5 windows 10 64-bit PC. The Video studio x8pro we have just doesn’t use the hardware acceleration this pc offers. In fact the software is so slow at rendering the final video it is crazy. Corel told me that even VS 2018 Ultimate works only with intel cpu for acceleration. Which video software would be better to utilize the hardware we have to speed up video rendering?
Hi Tim,
At the moment (note that disclaimer right there!) and for the past few years the top of the heap as far as utilising all available resources on any computer has been CyberLink PowerDirector.
They were one of the first to harness the processing power of the GPU and still are leaders in that field with regards to sheer speed.
Having said that remember that when it comes to computers… shit happens. (Not too technical there for you I hope.)
So I would recommend downloading the free trial of both PowerDirector AND the latest Corel VideoStudio 2018 and putting them both under a bit of stress with some nasty HD footage to see how they perform.
I suspect PowerDirector will come out on top but I would not be betting the farm on it!
Its so confusing to choose between the Video Editors. I normally use the video editor that comes with my screen recorder app. Now i am planning to choose an alternative to adobe premiere. Mostly for creating good looking video tutorials for my students. You think PowerDirector will suit my needs?
Robin.
Hi Robin,
Depending on what your tutorials will look like Premiere may be a bit of an overkill.
With PD you also get a free screen recorder thrown in so for explainer videos it is more than enough.
Hi Lance,
Love your site. I’m looking to buy a film editor to start creating VLOGS. We have a site & our viewers are now asking for VLOGS. Many ears ago, I used to use Pinnacle Studios and loved the background Music Library that was included & the features. I’m looking for something similar, but mainstream – what I mean is solid training support on the web. When we go to on-line training sites, we see tons of classes for CAMTASIA, but very little on Powerdirector, or Pinnacle. What do you suggest?
Hi Eddie,
OK, I can see your point with regards to Pinnacle.
Since Corel bought it back in the day they have been prioritising getting the thing stable and moving forward on a steady development path.
In the meantime yes, the provision of an online presence as far as training goes still leaves a lot to be desired.
To somewhat counter that they include a free 30 day (I think!) access to a professional course in the software provided by a company whose name I just can’t quite recall at the moment!
CyberLink have an excellent training area perhaps you have not discovered because in reality, almost no-one has!
You can find that one here: https://www.cyberlink.com/learning
If you are solely interested in creating “vlog” type projects you may also want to take a look at Filmora. Very simple to use, does the job, no unnecessary bells and whistles with a good video training area.
Get back to me.
Lance
Hi Lance,
I’ve been shooting and editing stills for years with a DSLR that also shoots video but is rarely used for video. After purchasing a GoPro and a Phantom Drone this year I have really started to enjoy shooting more video. I am currently using an older version of Adobe Premiere Elements (Elements 9) so my question is, where does the latest Adobe Premiere Elements fit into the above reviews? I need to upgrade and not sure if I should continue with Premiere Elements go a different route. Thanks.
Hi Doug,
I guess the answer to that question really involved just how far you want to take your editing.
The current version of Elements as opposed to the one you have could probably be best described as a more modern take on what you are already familiar with.
It has a few more bells and whistles thrown in and has been restructured in the back end to deal with HD footage more efficiently.
One of the biggest hurdles in dealing with any video editing software is overcoming the learning curve so because of that I tend to recommend staying with the brand you have… better the devil you know!
The other thing you may want to do is to download and play with a few of the programs I have recommended to see if there is anything you like better BUT!
The most important thing is to have a clear idea of what you want to be able to do with your footage and stick to those features in choosing.
Let me know what you think and we can continue the conversation… there’s plenty of time and those programs aren’t going anywhere!
Hi Lance,
I noticed that you really do take a lot of trouble in answering queries and you’re very prompt too. Thanks for all the help in advance.
Now… I am an Absolute Beginner to video editing. Of course around 3 years ago I used Windows Movie Maker to do simple basic editing. I managed to learn almost all of its features in a few days and make a few videos with basic editing… After that project I did not touch the software till date (7/12/17) because I did’nt feel the need to as I was busy with other things.
So if you ask me now, I kind of have forgotten everything I learnt about Windows Movie Maker.
Now my problem is this: I’m looking for a Video Editing Software that is EASY to LEARN and MASTER and at the same time has a FEW advanced features.
Basically my projects would include making simple videos for summer clubs, church feasts, guitar covers, religious song videos with subtitles…
I did a lot of research but to no effect. I have Corel Video Studio X7, but I gave up after a few tries as I found it too complicated…
So basically Im looking for something SIMPLE and EASY to MASTER within a few days and at the same it should have at least INTERMEDIATE LEVEL editing features. First I was thinking of Cyberlink Power Director.. then I read somewhere that it is at the same complexity level as Corel Video Studio…How good is Wondershare Filmora?
Please advise as soon as possible
(Pardon the length of the question)
Hi Nigel,
So let’s work our way through this!
First of all the idea that CyberLink PowerDirector is as complicated as Corel VideoStudio is simply not true.
It is WAY more complicated!
So here are some things you can safely rely on.
Any software I mention favorable on this site is good software. The difference with all of them is if it is good for you or not.
So in that sense and given your requirement both VideoStudio and PowerDirector are not good… for you.
To cut a long story short the one you need is Filmora.
It has a learning curve that is probably less steep than Movie Maker because there are lots of videos on their site that show you how to use it.
I doubt very much whether it lacks any feature that you will actually use and feel pretty confident that it will tick all the boxes for you.
Most importantly it offers a fully featured free trial you can download and use to see if it can do what you want.
Give it a go and if you are still unsure get back to me and we can continue the conversation.
Thanks so much Sir for your prompt reply and sound advise… So I guess I’ll try and work with Filmora and let you know about the results.. Thanks a lot…
Hey!
I am interested in getting some affordable editing software that I can use to have text & logos with different animations or effects incorporated on the video. I have heard that Adobe Premiere and Final Cut both have similar purchasable effects and titles, but was wondering to get a better opinion! Thanks
Hi Alec,
The reality is that the ability to add titles and have them to some degree animated is a very stock standard feature on just about every video editing software program.
In other words it is nothing special, they all do it.
You mention Preiere and Final Cut so I am assuming you are working on a Mac.
The simplest video editor on this site that has a version for Mac is called Filmora Review Here
And as simple as it is it has an entire module dedicated to creating titles, designing them, animating them as well as using all sorts of shapes and designs.
So unless there is some other professional feature you are looking for there is no need to go that far up the food chain (I mean price chain!) to get what you want.
Hi I do a lot of gaming videos and have been using filmora for pc. Now I’m looking for something with a little more advanced features. Director looks good. Which one do you suggest?
Hi Shannon,
To me the logical step up from Filmora would be to PowerDirector.
Like Filmora it also has an integrated Screen Recording module so you can record and go directly into the editor and also offers far more of the advanced stuff you are looking for.
Hi Lamce,
What are your thoughts on Lightworks?
Hi Brett,
The freebie is “ok” but crippled pretty badly and the paid versions are aimed at pro users who are not really the people I service here.
Hi! I have been using iMovie for years to edit my videos, extract stills to add to the videos, and add transitions and titles throughout. Then I export it to Garageband to add chapter markers. Then I export it to iDVD to make the DVD. This year I upgraded my Mac and making the DVD was more than difficult! I was not able to extrat stills which is very important and adding music to the menu sections of the DVD made the file too big for iDVD.
I think I would like to go to something different but it needs to be able to take numerous clips from the original video, allow me to extract and use stills from the original video, add transitions and titles different places, add music, and then be able to put in chapters and produce a DVD. It doesn’t need to be for the Mac, as I can use my Windows computer as well.
I have read a lot of your advice to others and would love your input on my situation.
Thank you!
Janice
Hi Janice,
Everything you have described is pretty much covered internally by most of the software I recommend on this site… BUT!
My initial choice for you would be Filmora as it has all the editing capabilities you need and more, and comes in a MAC flavor.
Unfortunately the world of video software is never that easy! Doh!
Filmora only offers very rudimentary DVD burning capability with no features for chapters, complex menus, background music etc so that one is out.
The only other MAC choices are specialist screen recorders like Camtasia (stupid expensive) and ScreenFlow 6 which are designed more for a different kind of project.
So… perhaps it may be better for you to come to the dark side! I mean Windows.
I think the first two you should take a look at are Corel VideoStudio and CyberLink PowerDirector.
They both offer everything you need within the one package, provide free trials and for you would be a complete end to end solution.
Of the two I would possibly tend towards the Corel product as it has a simpler user interface that won’t send you catatonic at the first sighting of it.
With regards to the version most suitable you don’t need to go for the fancy schmancy high end ones.
The most basic version of either will cover you needs perfectly well.
Get back to me here if you have any more questions.
Thank you for you ideas! I make a DVD of a dance recital each year. I import 4 different versions of each dance (2 views from the Sat performance and 2 views from the Sun performance). From those I choose the best one to put on the DVD. On iMovie it was easy to bounce between all four input videos. Will I still be able to do this? Also, do I just go to the sites for the specific program to find the trial? I think that will be very helpful to me! I am so glad I found someone to ask that is unbiased! Thanks!
Hi Janice,
Both the products I mentioned, Corel VideoStudio and CyberLink PowerDirector have a particular feature for what you want to do.
The feature is called multi-cam editing and in both of them, it opens as a separate module.
Essentially what it is a way of loading multiple clips of the same event only taken at different times or by a different camera.
Once you have all the footage loaded then you choose one video as the kind of “master” video and synchronize all the rest to that one master clip.
Then you can begin to play or step through the footage and switch from camera angle to camera angle or source to source as you go along.
Once you have done all that you save it and all the choices you made are applied.
It is very similar in operation to live sports broadcasts in theory.
In those, all the cameras are shooting continuously and the director is switching from one to the other and all the viewer sees is one camera at a time.
Check out this video to get the idea:
This is the one in Corel and the CyberLink one is similar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q6x3A43nuo
To get the free trials:
Click HERE for Corel VideoStudio, the link is at the top of the page.
Click HERE for CyberLink PowerDirector just scroll to the bottom of the page to find the download link.
I currently have PowerDirector Cyberlink. I’ve made one video with it that was in short, torture. I also have Movavi, which is simpler and works well, but I make book trailers for authors, and I needed the special effects I get in PowerDirector. Is VideoStudio UltimateX10 easier to use than PowerDirector or should I just save the cash and work harder at dealing with all the bells and whistles of PowerDirector. And yes, I did research prior, but can’t for the life of me remember why I went in the direction I did
Hi Monica,
The truth is that if you want the advanced special effects it doesn’t really matter which program you choose.
They all claim they are awesomely simple to use but the truth is there is a learning curve whatever way you go.
Sure, you can open up VideoStudio and “think” it looks simpler but as soon as you start going into the advanced stuff, your newfound calmness soon washes away!
The trick here is to really take advantage of the tutorial videos on the CyberLink site.
Start with the basics until your are comfortable and then delve into special effects.
Interesting thoughts on the editors. I tried Pinnacle for a few versions a few years ago. I experienced some stability issues. Tried a few trials of the others and then saw PowerDirector uses the GPU to render. I’m a gamer, so I have a pretty hot machine. It renders about three times faster with the GPU over the CPU. I’ve been fairly happy with PowerDirector since about v12. I’m currently using v14.
Personally, while the feature sets of the various editors are nearly identical, I would say that interface differences can be important. It’s certainly a personal preference thing. If the developers don’t think like you do, then using their editor can become very frustrating.
On to my question.
My projects are very simple amateur sports videos. Most of them hockey helmetcams. Powerdirector is just fine for stitching them together.
Occasionally, though, a teammate of mine will mount some cameras around the rink. I would like to edit multiple camera angles together. I have found the multi-camera function in Powerdirector to be nearly useless. The preview windows are postage stamps. Sometimes there are more than four cameras. And, the auto-syncing of multiple tracks rarely works (too many extraneous sounds, which defeats it) and the manual syncing is incredibly painful.
The dream would be if I could resize multiple track windows to whatever I want on my second monitor. And have them all play back in sync. And, if I could manually mark frames on multiple clips and have the program bring them into line, to sync them. And then I envision being able to use an effect when switching angles, to help keep the viewer oriented.
So, I was wondering if you had any suggestions for alternative software I might try for a multi-camera situation.
Thanks,
Drake Christensen
Hi Drake, ah yes the multicam.
So here’s the deal. Corel VideoStudio and their Pinnacle product have multicam capability, you know PD has it, Magix in both Movie Edit Pro and Video Pro X have it and I guess the list goes on an on!
All the multicam functions in most of these programs at the consumer level are about the same so what you are experiencing is what you get!
Their only real advantage is in the way you can “switch” to edit rather than fiddling about in the timeline… although you always end up fiddling about in the timeline anyway!
The real problem here is the point of syncing various clip together and as you have discovered, sometime that can be pretty unreliable.
If you look at the professional level editors they of course have multicam but with ONE big difference.
They are not delusional about the ability of a piece of software to work out how to sync together various footage from different sources!
They know that ain’t gonna happen and use timers and markers at the shooting stage.
I guess you could try some of the others but I really don’t think you are going to get much better (or worse) than PD.
Wow. Thanks for the quick reply.
Yeah, I had looked at the marketing material of a couple of the others. As you said, they seem to be stealing ideas from each other and ending up at pretty much the same place.
As for timing marks. I can find sticks hitting the pucks during warmup and other sounds, which serve the same function. But, the cameras are situated far enough apart, and are sometimes behind glass. That makes for enough differences in the sounds near the cameras to defeat the automagic syncing.
If they could just give me some way to drop a mark on each clip, and then hit a button to line up those marks, that’s all I’d need. Seems so simple. I would have to do it for each clip in a track, because some cameras overlap their clips and some don’t. And, sometimes a clip gets corrupted, so I end up with a gap in a track.
I sent/posted an enhancement request for this functionality, about the time that v15 was about to drop. So, hopefully, they can put someone on it for a few days to add this in a not-too-distant version. Doesn’t seem like a big task. If they could do that, I might be able to muddle through the rest with what they already have.
As for synced windows showing each track, that would prolly be a bigger job. So, it’ll remain a dream, for now.
Thanks again for the quick info.
Drake
Thank you for the robust reviews and comparisons on these products. The part I’m stuck on: Pinnacle 20U and Corel VS x10U are similar on paper in almost every way, and are both Corel owned, so what are the major differences? (It’s even harder to judge as there seems to be no official trial)
Thank you Lance!
Hi Keith,
Thanks for the kind words!
OK, so unlike most you have stumbled upon the ultimate video editing software “dirty little secret!
It’s not just VideoStudio and Pinnacle that are pretty much identical… it’s all of them!
In fact I have had to create over one hundred pages on this site dedicated solely to the task of making it appear there is a difference! Doh!
OK, so the real difference between Pinnacle and VideoStudio is not WHAT they can do, but HOW they do it.
Pinnacle evolved from the early days of video editing so has a layout and access system more akin to what a professional editor would be familiar with.
VideoStudio came later and is firmly ensconced in the point and click, drag and drop, system of most modern computer software.
The result is that Pinnacle offers finer control over certain functions whereas VideoStudio concentrates more on easy access and auto-controls.
In one sentence it comes down to this: They can basically do the same things, Video studio has an easier interface to learn.
Thank you Lance, for this gem of advice!! (and confirming my suspicions… 😉
Hi again,
as far as Power Director 15 is noncerned, the advantage Ultimate Suite ver over Ultimate is: ColorDirector, AudioDirector & € 1,000 of effects.
Could you please tell me what actually it is? (ColorDirector, AudioDirector & € 1,000 of effects), and when is worth to pay for it.
Thanks
Hi Andrzej,
OK, so just about all video editing software comes with at least some kind of color correction, color grading and audio editing capability.
In the case of audio this is usually the weakest module no matter what software you are looking at.
The core PowerDirector program has reasonable audio abilities which are probably all the average user will ever need.
However for people who want more control over their audio and greater capabilities CyberLink have created Audio Director.
You can actually buy this as a stand alone piece of software to edit complex audio projects.
As you have seen, in the Ultimate Suite version you get Audio Director thrown in and it integrates with PowerDirector so you can either use it alone or directly export audio to be further edited or enhanced then have it automatically pulled back in to PowerDirector.
Similarly PowerDirector has pretty good color correction and color enhancing tools built into the program.
For those who want more control and more features they created ColorDirector which can handle advanced actions like color grading or using LUTs.
Again, ColorDirector is a standalone program that integrates with PowerDirector so you can export directly to ColorDirector, do your work then have the footage pulled back into PowerDirector.
In both cases the reason there are separate modules is because not everyone wants or even needs the advanced features they offer.
If CyberLink tried to include all those features into the core PowerDirector program it would probably take an hour to load and use up all your RAM before you even started working!
The other effects I have no idea about and are usually extra effects from other suppliers like NewBlue or ProDad.
Ignore them, they are marketing tools to make it all seem attractive.
My advice is that if you think at some time you will need advanced Color manipulation software and advanced audio editing software and the price is good then get the Ultimate Suite.
If not just get the Ultimate version.
… I just showed my wife your reply… She said: what a crazy guy? 🙂 Of course 100% in positive meaning 🙂 You are really great!
It was really short question and very comprehensive answer! Many thanks!
Taking into account that I am still in the begining of my editing way, I believe I do not need “suite” ver. Could you tell when is this particularly useful? (especially ColorDirector)
Is there a noticeable difference in this area (color and audio editing) between PowerDirector 15 and VideoStudio Ultimate X10? (I mean built-in solution)
Hi Andrzej,
OK, to be fair, your wife is probably right because my wife says the same thing… a lot!
Here’s the the thing.
If you need to ask what a big separate module does then the chances are you don’t need it!
Possibly in a year or so you may be doing projects that are quite advanced and you think to yourself, “Hmmm… I need to be able to do blah!”
And that will be when you need it!
As far as VideoStudio goes…. DROP IT NOW!
You see what happens?
The marketing gets to you and you start to feel you are missing something or missing out on something and your decision starts to go out the window!
You have found PowerDirector and that’s a good thing so do this.
DO NOT get the Suite version yet.
Just get the Ultimate version and learn to use it. In about 9 to 12 months there will be an update to version 16 as certain as night follows day.
At that time, when you have gained some experience and knowledge AND if you feel the need, you can take advantage of the discounted upgrade path (because you are already an owner) and go up a level.
You are totally right! This is something I suffer from.
Suite version was just an extra nail in the coffin 🙂 Because my main choice is still between Cyberlink and Corel.
VideoStudio seems to be easier to use (because I have some experience in using it). PowerDirector in turn seems to be more advanced and that’s why I desire it 🙂
You mentioned that the only real advantage PowerDirector has over VideoStudio is that it is slightly faster when rendering.
Do not get me wrong I’m asking 🙂 but does this mean that VideoStudio does have all the same features as PowerDirector and I will not suffer from lack of any important option?
My regards to your wife!
Hi Andrzej,
OK!
When it comes to actual features it would be very difficult to find something that PowerDirector does that VideoStudio does not.
As I said the real difference is that PD seems to run faster on most computers but you have to remember that we are only talking about render times anyway so that not really a big difference.
The reason PD and VS look different is that many of the features in PD are displayed as buttons or controls on the interface for direct access.
This is because those features are part of the main program.
On the other hand VS implements those equivalent features by using plugins form 3rd party developers like NewBlue and Prodad.
To access them you have drag the relevant filter on to a clip, select properties and suddenly a whole new module opens up.
There is no right or wrong with either of these implementations however in the case of VS, it provides a simpler, less daunting looking interface.
In all reality you can’t go wrong with either of these programs, so you could just toss a coin at this stage and look like a genius!
VS has the advantage of your being already familiar with it, CyberLink has the advantage that perhaps into the future you may want to add the more professional features like the audio, image and color modules.
Lance,
I’m looking at several video editors now and am an intermediate user. I did not see you mention any of the purely free video editors but as I’m sure your fully aware that many now are quite good. I just started working with Hitfilm4 express and 2 others in the past that are good are davinci resolve 12.5 and shotcut. Any comments on those. some of firends swear by camtasia but i personally have not used it. I do see that cyberlink gets good marks in various places but not sure I have the cycles to test that many…lol thanks for all u do !
Hi Bruce,
So here’s the deal.
Most people search around for video editing software until they reach a point where their brains have turned to mush and they remain seated in front of their computers staring fixedly at the screen.
Once that state becomes unbearable they do one of tow things.
They either point and click to choose the one that is in front of them because they can’t stand it anymore or they walk away with the feeling that it is all too hard!
So the ultimate goal of this site is to point out the obvious… most video editing software is exactly the same but there are a few minor points upon which you can separate them to make a choice.
You on the other hand are in your own words “an intermediate user” and as welcome as you are I am not going to complicate it all for the others by going into a long dissertation on the pro’s and cons of those programs.
No I don’t include those ones because I am trying to simplify things, not complicate them.
Of the two you suggest and ONLY for you, either will be fine once you learn them although DaVinci offers more at the free level.
As far as Camtasia goes I am probably going to drop it from the site sometime soon as it has become irrelevant except for someone wanting to make demonstration videos commercially.
Most of the good programs have screen recording now so Camtasia has nothing compelling about it anymore. Unless they do a complete overhaul of the editing and output modules and cut the price at least in half you can do far better.
Lance, great reviews. Are any of the video editors optimized for touch screens? Not a requirement but would be nice. Thanks in advance.
Mike
Hi Mike,
You know I had a look around on that point but couldn’t really find anything that would indicate that any of them can.
Hi Lance,
Looking to get back into video editing after getting into drone videography and currently trying to decide on which way to go. Just wondering if you knew if there were any limitations on the video bitrates of rendered projects at all? The DJI Phantom 4 Pro records H.264/H.265 4k video at upto 100Mbps and I read in a forum somewhere that some of these entry level NLE apps have maximum export bitrates of 50~60Mbps. I cannot seem to find anything official to either confirm or rebut this for any of them.
Have you come across anything like this at all? Or do you think that my requirement for finer control of export bitrate/quality might bump me up into the prosumer category?
Hi Dom,
You know I sometimes wonder where that stuff comes from!
I think it just people getting confused when the software tells them there is a maximum bitrate or resolution for the file they are trying to create and so they think it applies to ALL files.
If I tell the software I want to make a DVD compliant MPEG2 file at a gaziliion Mbs I would hopw that it informs me that it is not such a good idea!
The only restrictions you will see in any software is when you are trying to output to a particular industry standard.
If you want to import a 4K video at 100mbs or more in and render it out to a 4K video at 100mbs or more then of course you can, after all it just file copying.
Hi Lance,
Thanks for the clarification. Seemed bizarre to me. Why would a developer go to the effort of supporting 4k and new codecs such as H.265 and then impose a bitrate limit that could well introduce compression artifacts on scenes with lots of complex fine detail movement.
Anyway, I was half way set to getting VEGAS Movie Studio 14, however see that it did not even get on your list. Might see if I can check out PowerDirector first and see what it is like.
Hi Dom,
Yeah those weird kind of rumours just keep floating around!
By the way if you were settled on Vegas Movie Studio you may want to save yourself the pain of sinking into complete confusion and trying another.. and then another… ant then another!
The only reason Vegas Movie Studio is not on this list is because I haven’t gotten around to updating the page… I keep meaning to!
Bear in mind that this website has over 300 pages dedicated to the task of creating the illusion that there is a difference between the offerings of all the major players!
Truth be told, there is very little difference between any of them and those differences are miniscule.
If you felt OK to go for Vegas, go for it.
If you are not sure then give PowerDirector a go, maybe you can get a better deal!
Bottom line is you are safe with either.
Yeah, don’t really want to try out each of the editors, however I know if I don’t the “what if” question will always be at the back of my mind. Seems PowerDirector and MAGIX have some discounts on at the moment, may sway my decision.
I know it probably shouldn’t, but one thing putting me off Cyberlink is that inconsistent pricing (looking at Director Suite 5) . On the main PowerDirector page it is listed as (all prices AUD) $399.93 discounted to $169.99. On one of their March sale pages it is listed as $729.93 discounted to $169.99. Finally, when I added it to my cart it was listed as $299.99 discounted to $169.99. I went ahead and purchased anyway, then I’m presented with a download page with my newly purchased product split into 14 different downloads (including Director in a 6 part RAR archive) I have to sort through and determine which ones I need to download. Not intuitive or user friendly in the slightest, hope the software is a good deal better.
I’ve also managed to try out MAGIX Movie Edit Pro which started off ok, however when trying to import my 4k MOV files from my drone it just crashed. Will give it another go in the morning as I suspect it is trying to create my proxy files and something is going wrong, not looking great though. With Corel VideoStudio Pro it just refused to import my files saying that I needed to have Apple Quicktime installed. Quicktime has not been supported by Apple on Windows for over a year.
Finally, I installed Movie Studio Platinum Pro. Bit of a clunky install process, but way better than the Cyberlink experience. Had not used it before tonight and I am finding it really intuitive. Imported media, created proxy files and am playing with applying filters/effects inside 10 minutes.
Hehe!
Bear in mind with Director Suite that you are downloading four fully fledged standalone programs there!
Power Director Ultimate, Color Director, Audio Director and Photo Director PLUS a mountain of filters, samples, effects and if you look carefully I think there is a kitchen sink in there somewhere!
Quicktime is still required by most editing software built for Windows if you are handling .mov files. There is a good chance you are going to need it at some point!
There was a lot of blah, blah a while back about Quicktime vulnerabilities but it was much ado about nothing, check here for the info: https://diyvideoeditor.com/the-friday-roundup-quicktime-for-windows-kerfuffles-and-onscreen-tips/
Hi Lance,
Managed to spend a few hours with Cyberlink Director Suite 5 today. All I can say is wow! After the initial not so good impressions going through the purchasing/downloading process, the installation turned out to be pretty smooth and easy.
More importantly, having spent only a few hours with PowerDirector / ColorDirector I was producing (or attempting to) cinematic style aerial compilations which I like to do such as this (link below) from one drone outing last weekend.
http://www.iis-aid.com/PowerDirector_70s-And-Vignette-LowRes.mp4
Not that complex as far as filters or effects go, but the exported video is very close to the way I visualized in my head. I think that is the important thing. There does actually appear to be a limit to the bitrate of exported 4k video, however it is 200Mbps rather than the 50Mbps I had read.
Hi Dom,
Glad to hear you managed to stumble through the installation and come out the other side still breathing!
Good to see your working your way through and the footage looks great.
Don’t forget that ColorDirector allows you to use LUTs as well.
I am currently working on an Asus VivoBook E403SA-US21 Full HD Laptop and I have had trouble with both Filmora and Corel VideoStudio Pro x10. Could my operating system be the problem? Although I am constatntly learning, I am not what you would call a beginner. I just don’t want to spend money on something that constantly freezes and closes unexpectedly.
I just downloaded the Cyberlink Free Trial.
Hi Tavon,
The bottom line here is that you have a seriously underpowered laptop that will always struggle with video, especially high definition video.
It has a bottom of the line processor, only 4GB RAM that is soldered in and can’t be added to.
The real sign for you is that Filmora has to be one of the smallest and most efficient programs around so if it can’t run that you are always going to have trouble.
Hi Lance,
I went through all comments and get the impression that Corel VideoStudio is not much popular software – despite you indicate it as a choice # 2. Isnt’ it? What could be the reason?
Somewhen I used Corel for few years but I ended on ver. 5 I guess. Now I want to come back and choose best solution. Based on my experience I would decide on Corel but on the other hand – based on your suggestion above – I am considering also Power Director.
So my choice is between:
– VideoStudio Ultimate X10
and
– PowerDirector 15 Ultimate
What would be your advice in this case and potentialy what will I lose if I choose Corel?
Thanks in advance for your support.
Hi Andrzej,
I have no idea why you think there have been comments that make VideoStudio seem less than popular.
Did you read them on this site or somewhere else?
Personally I have used VideoStudio for many, many years long before Corel bought it and I really like it!
The only real advantage PowerDirector has over VideoStudio is that it is slightly faster when rendering and that you can add other modules like Color Director or Audio Director to extend its capabilities.
Most people think they want all the advanced stuff but never actually use it!
Hi again,
thanks for your repaly.
If the only advantage PowerDirector over VideoStudio is that it is slightly faster when rendering, I think I will go with Corel which is cheaper and what is also important I am a little bit familiar with it.
Good idea!
Lance,
Thanks for the great response! So I’d jump on the Power Director 15 Suite in a heart beat if only it had the equivalent of Filmora’s FastCutter as well. FastCutter sounds awesome just thinking about it. I sure do remember the clunky effort of constantly reloading a clip to break out small 5-20 sec segments for rending as new clips for “final” editing. You would think Corel and Cyberlink would be all over this given the memory hogging nature of these new ultra high resolution formats (hint, hint). In the mean time it looks like Power Director will still be the best option for now.
FWIW, I just got a new Mavic Pro drone from DJI to add to my GoPro, and while not a pro level drone camera it is an amazing little contraption. I film a lot of water sports including kiteboarding, surfing, windsurfing, sailing, etc. Lots of footage required to get just a handful of worthy clips….
Cheers, Dave
Hi Lance,
Great reviews and very helpfull, especially the comment/question section. I still have my old copy of VisualStudio ProX3 that I really liked due to the easy learning curve. Now getting into using a drone for covering water action sports. Ultimate X10 seems like a no brainer keep-it-simple upgrade for me. Have two questions
1. Color grading/correction. I see that shooting in Dlog is popular followed by a greater level of color post processing to get just the effect you are looking for. Would you say that Ultimate X10 has enough color post processing to make Dlog work well?
2. Way back when, I never went above 1080 and even then mostly 720. Now my drone camera will shoot 2.7k and 4k decently at 24fps (4k probably overkill for me). Does/can the software use a smart proxy for lowering the cached resolution for editing purposes? I have this fear of the system locking up/crashing in edit mode at these resolutions. I have a Dell with an I5 with 8 gig of ram running Windows 10.
3. For every 15 minutes of footage, I probably have 5 to 10 decent 20-second clips worth keeping for an edit. The rest I want to throw away to preserve storage space. Is this something X10 can handle easily or would I be better off using something else to cull out the clips worth saving? In my 720-1080 days I just edited off the full 15 min capture
Thanks in advance!
Dave
Hi Dave,
Thanks for the nice comments!
OK, so lets take a look at your questions.
1. I doubt very much whether VideoStudio is going to really offer you much if you are going to shoot in D-log.
Sure it has perfectly workable color correction tools but remember the program is designed for the home user and even if you were using something like the Vitascene plugin that comes with it you would still be struggling.
It doesn’t take LUTs at all and I think on this point it would be unsuitable.
You would be far better served by something like CyberLink Power Director that can offer a full color correction and grading module like ColorDirector for D-log footage.
2. Yes, VideoStudio still has the smart proxy feature so you can edit everything in low res until the final output.
As a side note your computer is similar to mine as far as resources go and provided you don’t go rushing around all over the place on the timeline and are not trying to preview clips with 20 filters all loaded at once you will probably be OK with original files anyway.
3. There is only one program at the moment that offers the exact thing you want here and that one is Filmora.
They call the feature “Fast Cutter” and it is awesome!
You just load a clip, select the part you want and it instantly renders to a new clip of that section at the exact parameters of the original.
When that’s done you can move to the next section of that original clip and select again.
In every other program you have to load the clip on to the timeline, select the part you want on the timeline and isolate it by making cuts at the start and finish, delete from the timeline all the bits you don’t want and THEN render to a new clip for editing.
THEN… you have to reload the original clip onto the timeline, select the next bit you want, isolate it with cuts at the start and finish…. on and on.
It’s pretty much the same process but the Filmora module is much faster to work with however it is part of the whole package, not a standalone piece of software.
Has this reduced or added to the confusion?
Lance
Hi Lance!
First off, thank you for all of your work on this site putting together all of these great reviews!
Personally, I have used Adobe Premiere for almost all of my personal editing projects for years now. Currently though, I am in the process of helping a small business put together some videos. They don’t have the budget for Premiere Pro sub, so I am looking for an alternate that they can purchase since I won’t be able to use Premiere.
My first thought was to have them get Adobe Premiere Elements but it seems like it might be related to the pro version in name only. I’m worried I won’t have nearly the ammount of control I am used to. So looking for an alternative I’ve found a lot of good recommendations for Pinnacle Studio 20, and it is currently on sale. Then I came here and saw your write ups and found you recommend Power Director 15.
It seems though, a lot of the recommendations are aimed at new users.
Out of these three, which would you recommend for someone who is a long time Adobe Premiere user? Elements 15? Pinnacle 20? Power Director 15?
Thank you for your time!
Hi Kari,
Let’s be honest here, there are 250 pages on this site all trying to create the illusion that any of these software programs are in some way different!
Bottom line is that those differences are generally only cosmetic… I totally suck at marketing right?
Pinnacle will probably give you the interface features that will seem more familiar and if it is on sale then why the hell not!
All the brands you are considering are good but from your perspective I wouldn’t go with Elements.
Adobe have an interest in keeping it at a certain level of user so it will never give you access to features and controls you may be looking for.
Pinnacle and PowerDirector want to throw everything and the kitchen sink in because they have no interest in upgrading you to a higher product… they don’t have one!
Hey Lance,
Thanks for your swift reply yesterday! I went ahead and tried out the trial from Power Director 15 last night, and WOW the interface much cleaner/smoother than Pinnacle’s. To be honest I’ve only ever known Cyberlink as the company who provides DVD and burning software for laptop companies. What in the world would they know about video editing?
Well a whole lot it seems. After only 20 minutes of use, I went ahead and purchased the full PowerDirector 15 Ultimate version along with their Audio software in a bundle of the Valentines Day sale for 59.99.
Big selling points over Pinnacle for me are the much smoother interface, the ability to support more formats, and having blu-ray authoring included. I was surprised that Pinnacle still has blu-ray authoring as an extra cost.
Thanks again for your help, and for definitively confirming that Elements was only related to Premiere Pro by name.
Hi Kari,
Glad to be of help and also glad you snapped up a bargain there!
After reading all these questions and responses, I can’t wait to get feedback from you. I want to create my first video that will include digital photos and lots of video clips. For the photos, I’d like to have a good selection of “transitions/backgrounds”, able to add a caption. For the videos…I have taken some videos from my point and shoot camera and lots from my GoPro hero 5 in 4k. For the videos, I would like to take sections of the videos vs. the whole video. I’m expecting this to be between 1-2 hours long when finished…I hope closer to 1 hour. I would like to turn down the video audio while playing music (and pipe up the audio from time to time throughout the video clips.
So, with that said should I select CyberLink PowerDirector 15 or Pinnacle Studio 20. Or, something else?
Hi Amber,
What you are describing there is pretty much what every video editor on the planet can do.
Those ARE the basic functions of a video editor.
I would normally recommend something more basic than PowerDirector or Pinnacle to begin with but because you are using 4K video mixed with other resolution video you are in the right neighbourhood.
Given that this is your first editor I would go with PowerDirector as it is easier to get up and running with.
THANK YOU! I just went all out and purchased Cyberlink Director Suite 5 because it has all of the great features and was at an amazing discount! $159.99 I can’t wait to create a lasting memory of my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary/cruise. I have 8.5 months to do it in b4 Christmas…surely, I can make that happen. 🙂
Where do I find/subscribe to your newsletter that was mentioned in some of these posts.
Thanks again!
Hi Amber,
Wow! You went the whole hog then?
Actually that is a pretty awesome price for Director Suite so well done on snapping up that bargain!
I don’t have a newsletter as such but I publish a weekly roundup of tips and and stuff from around the web every Friday.
You can subscribe to get notification of that here: Subscribe
Also I do have a mailing list you can join to get the free editing guide which hopefully should help you out.
You can get that one HERE
In return for that email address you get the editing guide PLUS I get to mercilessly send you marketing emails full of offers for nose hair removal techniques!
OK, that’s not really true.
Sometimes I get contacted by software companies or other people with offers not usually extended to the general public.
If I think they are worthwhile I send an email clearly I am too lazy to engage in email marketing in any meaningful way… just ask my wife!
I have just purchased Power Director 15 Ultra a week ago and I can’t wait to install it and start using it. I will be importing video from a Galaxy S6, iPod Touch 6th Gen (great camera and video), SONY ActionCam and my Yuneec Q500 drone (only capturing at 1080p). I am running an INTEL NUC Skull Canyon maxed @ 32GB Ram and 2 Samsung 500GB SSDs and using the Intel 580 IRIS Pro on-board graphics. I have space constraints which is why I am using the Skull Canyon. Is this a decent enough setup to edit video and does Power Director 15 Ultra have a huge learning curve for someone whose never editing before. Thanks for your great insight.
Hi Sean,
Well looking at the specs of your computer I think you will be fine so I don’t see any problem there!
The only real source of danger for you is that you are intending to use footage from a number of different sources.
My advice would be at the first possible opportunity to work out all the various default file formats you are dealing with and try to get all the devices recording in the same format and at the same resolution, frame rates etc.
This may not actually be possible but bear in mind the more widely varying assets you have on the timeline the more difficult it is for any software to handle it effectively.
If you are still forced into the situation of having to use files with wide variation then decide on a “common” set of parameters and convert the non-compliant ones before you use them in a project.
Finally, go to the learning center on the CyberLink website and go through the videos a few times each.
Then just get into it and practice doing things and before very long it will all make sense…. well maybe it won’t make sense but you will be bale to use the software!
Check back here if you have any questions and I’ll always try to help out if I can.
I am considering the purchase of PowerDirector 15. I recently read an online discussion that stated that starting with the initial release of PD 15, Cyberlink hardwired the preview cache folder to the C: drive. Is this true? I have a small SSD for my C: drive and I want the ability to choose the location of any cache and scratch folders the application uses. Thanks for your time.
Regards,
Kurt
Hi Kurt,
To be honest I haven’t heard anything about that so maybe you could direct me to the discussions?
In the meantime I search it on the CyberLink forum and see what comes up there.
Hi, I’ve been using Windows Movie Maker for a couple of years and it works great…until it doesn’t. I’m using a 3 yr old laptop, Lenovo Yoga 2 w/i5 processor, with a solid state hard drive that doesn’t have enough memory to run the huge project file that I’ve created with MM. So far the 1 hour file has over 500 items in it, i.e., photos, video clips, narrations & captions. I’m currently running the project file from a 2T external hard drive in order to keep it from crashing.
I feel confident I can learn to use any of the editor programs you’ve discussed, so my question is. Which one(s) can handle very large complicated files? I’m wanting to enlarge my ‘movie’ to be at least 1.5 hours long and feel that MM will not be able to handle it. I’d also like to be able to export the file in HD instead of a lesser quality made for computer viewing.
Maybe there are improvements I can have made to my laptop to better handle larger files? Oh ya, I’m using Windows 10 and I know MM is not supported for that.
Thank you for any help / advice you can give me.
Rhonda
Hi Rhonda,
Boy! If I had a dollar for every one of these I’d have… OK… maybe a hundred bucks or so bit anyway…
The ONLY real problem you have with Movie Maker is that it can’t output the final file in the larger format that you want.
Just about all software including Movie Maker can handle any size file you throw at it.
Sure, some can handle things a little more elegantly than others but the software is not the core problem here.
Your real problem is a lack of computer resources to be able to deal with the project you are working on.
An i5 CPU on a laptop will get you by as long as you don’t go rushing around and give it time to keep up.
Your SSD hard drive should be able to keep up OK and your external drive’s ability to help in the whole thing will depend on how it is connected to your laptop.
If it is USB 3 you should be OK, if it is USB 2 you will struggle, either way it is only just buying you time.
And finally we come to the big one, RAM.
Your laptop is trying to hold all that data and all those editing choices plus the operating system itself in the RAM so you can keep working.
I don’t know how much you have but clearly it is not enough.
Your first priority would be to work out if you can add more useful RAM to the laptop.
If it is running on 32 Bit Win 10 you will be limited to 4Gb in this and by the way, 32bit systems are another source of “reasons” why my computer can’t keep up.
If you have a 64 bit system then the RAM is unlimited so check all that out first.
Finally you would probably benefit from better editing software in that it should have a small footprint on the computer and can utilize your resources a little better.
I would recommend WonderShare Filmora (review in the sidebar menu) but remember the resources (RAM) are the key to what’s happening.
hi..
i am a begineer and wants to make some health related videos using slides/images with voice on youtube.
can you please suggest me which is best among 1-Camstudio and 2-Filmora ?
my PC Specifications are-
RAM 3GB
hard disk- 320 gb
processor- intel i3 .
please reply .
Thanks
Filmora would be the best one for starting out with and completing simple projects like you describe.
Thanks for this review, very helpful. I’m looking for linear editing software for youth basketball games to create highlight videos of each player. More specifically; instead of clipping and removing unwanted segments from the entire game video, I’m looking to clip and save or export specific segments to various folders in mp4 to be used later. Ideally in as few steps as possible, for example clip, clip, right click save as or export to a desktop folder setup for individual players. I currently use Adobe premiere elements; however, it requires way too many steps to accomplish this and with 10 players on a team there are a lot of individual segments to clip and export. Can you recommend a software package that can accomplish this?
Hi John,
OK first up I don’t really think you want linear editing software!
Most likely you want non-linear editing software unless you intend to spend your days in a darkened room cutting and splicing miles of video tape!
So, there is no clip, clip right click save thingy going to happen at anytime in all of this regardless of the software you are using.
The system that you are having to follow is the system that all software like this is going to follow so you don’t need another brand of software or form of software.
If you feel this is long, slow, tedious and repetitive… congratulations and welcome to the word of video editing!
The only way you can reduce the pain here is to try to develop a logical sequence of actions to achieve the result you are looking for and then follow it every time.
Yes, meant non-linear, thanks for the correction. I was hoping Power Director provided this functionality as I’ve heard good things about it.
The logical sequence I use is straight forward. Start at the beginning of the content and clip and export specific segments to a various desktop folders (by player) one at a time sequentially for what I want to include in various highlights videos later on.
I can do this today with premiere elements (clip, clip, adjust work area bar on either side of the clipped segment, then export to whatever format I want). It’s the adjusting the work area bar for each segment I want to export that becomes tedious. I was hoping another program would simply enable me to export by right clicking on the clipped segment and exporting in place of setting the work area bars each time.
There are a lot of other things that can be done with a segment by right clicking on it after its clipped, so adding the feature to export from there seems obvious. I was hoping another software developer had already considered this and had this functionality.
I guess I’ll just have to wait and hope developers see value in this and eventually add this capability. I can’t imagine I’m the only one that uses video editing software this way.
Thanks for your feedback.
Hi John,
So just to be sure I have checked CyberLink PowerDirector, Corel VideoStudio, Pinnacle Studio, Vegas Movie Edit Pro, Magix Movie Edit Pro and Filmora.
None of them will allow you to simply isolate a portion of a clip then offer a “right click” or anything else to go directly to a render (export) of that portion.
Welcome to video editing hell!
Just as an update to this thread, the latest version of Filmora has added a totally separate module called Instant Cutter.
You can just load a clip, isolate the section you want and then automatically output that section to a new clip at the exact same parameters of the clip it came from.
Awesome time saver!
Lance,
Love the touch you bring to the reviews, it feels like you are just talking like a normal guy instead of trying to sell something!
I’m looking for a Video Editor that I can get in and learn and stick with it for the long haul. The two I’ve been looking at (one you covered) are
*Pinnacle Studio 20 Ultimate
or
*Sony Movie Studio 13 Suite
I like the motion tracking capabilities of Pinnacle better but the Sony product is a full fledged suite with other programs like Sound Forge. Between the two (learning curve is no issue) which do you prefer?
Hi Brian,
Thanks for the kind words!
OK, so both of them have a bit of a learning curve associated so there is no separating them there!
Vegas has a great built in learning system that I really like but on the other hand Pinnacle gives you three weeks access to the Studio Backlot lesson for free so we are still neck and neck.
Vegas Movie Studio does have the separate audio module which if you feel that is important does put it ahead.
Otherwise all in all they are pretty much equal.
One other point to keep in mind is that with Pinnacle what you see is what you get, you can’t “trade up” at any point because you are as “up” as you can get.
With Vegas… by the way it is not Sony anymore, it and all the other video / audio software previously under the Sony banner was bought by Magix a few months back… anyway…
With Vegas, if you are looking long term it offers an upgrade path to Vegas Pro should that ever become a possibility… just sayin’.
The real deal here is that you can’t go wrong with either, so if the audio point is the only point that you can separate them on then so be it! Go for Vegas Movie Studio.
My review is here: https://diyvideoeditor.com/vegas-movie-studio-review/
I am trying to decide between Corel, Pinnacle and PowerDirector. I’ve had all 3 in the past but haven’t done anything with them in years but want to get back into it again. I have a camera mounted on my motorcycle and want to create travel & trip videos as well as record events attended.
The choices are all about the same price. I do have an i7 PC with 16 Gb of RAM and happy to upgrade my RAM and my video card if required. They each tend to list their bonus features or special effects as what sets them apart from prior versions or other software, but I can’t find details of which each software includes and how it might differ from other software or they have the same special effects and bonus features as the other.
So, feature for feature, which of the 3 would be the most feature rich choice.
Thank you for your recommendation.
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn, OK, so your computer as is should be good to go regardless of what software you choose.
I tested all three using HD videos on my own computer that is only running an i5 processor with 8gig ram and they were fine.
To put it simply:
CyberLink is the most feature rich of the three.
Corel slightly less features (not by much!) with an easier interface to use and understand.
Pinnacle about the same as CyberLink as far as features goes, offers more fine control over the editing process, difficult interface to learn to use properly.
Did that help?
Yes, that does help. Pinnacle was the most recent one I had but now I’m going with the Cyberlink. Thinking my past experience will help with any learning curve and give me the most tools to work with. They also seem to have a rich video tutorial library as well.
Thanks very much for your timely response. I bought the Ultimate and the PhotoDirector, AudioDirector, Holiday Pack, and Travel Pack as part of their New Year’s Sale and got all with extras for under $100