Fast Video Render Settings Everyone Should Know – PowerDirector
Over the past few years as we have all moved into working with high definition footage, many of the tasks previously executed by the CPU have transferred across to the GPU.
This of course has coincided with GPU’s becoming more and more powerful as a result of modern codecs demanding that greater processing power.
As you can imagine there are a gazillion different configurations of computers these days and the whole concept of load balancing between the CPU’s and GPU’s is a bit of a crap shoot!
Most software at the moment can make a fairly good decision as to how it should assign work being done when you are video editing but that doesn’t mean it always gets it right.
A great little exercise you can do on any computer you are using for editing is to go into the settings of your editing software and see what the setup is that it is using.
In the video below you can see the process as it applies to PowerDirector and understanding these settings will help enormously.
The concepts being discussed in this video apply generally regardless of what software you are using.
However here’s the important thing to note.
Once you have set up your computer and software to run in a configuration that your software thinks is best… test it!
Test that optimized configuration then test a different one just to make sure.
By test it I mean load a project, mess about in the timeline, aggressively scrub through the footage and do a timed render of a small portion.
Then repeat under different settings.
The reason I say this is because very often what “appears” to be the ideal setup just doesn’t work out that way.
Other factors like motherboards, RAM speed, RAM capacity and hard drive speed can have an effect as well.
5 Editing Tips for Views on YouTube in 2025
One of the keys to success on YouTube comes down to the fact that people on that platform get very used to certain styles of video.
To some degree it has to do with what is considered to be fashionable but mainly it has to do with presenting that type of content in an engaging manner.
In the video below they take a little more of a deep dive into some of those styles especially from an editing point of view.
How to Color Grade Like A Pro with HSL, Color Curves and Color Wheels
When it comes to adjusting color in video it is quite easy to get totally lost in the process and lose all perspective on where you started, where you are now and where the hell you thought you were going in the first place!
There are two important things to do when it comes to color correction and grading.
The first is that there is no getting around the fact that you have to understand the controls you have and how they work.
I have never seen an auto-correct tool that EVER made a video look perfectly fine and that applies to A.I. driven modules as well.
In the video below you can see how to use some of the more advanced color tools in Filmora and how they work.
You just have to learn it and then use it… a lot!
The second important thing to learn is to walk away at regular intervals.
Our brains work in conjunction with our eyes so if we keep looking at something that isn’t quite right, our brains will adjust slowly over time to make that thing look right.
If you don’t believe me do this:
- Correct a badly shot piece of footage.
- Make it something that will take quite a while to do and do it all in one session.
- Then walk away and come back to it the next day.
I can almost guarantee that what you will see when you return will be a horror story and you will wonder how you could have possibly thought that was OK!
HitPaw AI Video Enhancer – VikPea
Over the past few years the world of AI has been slowly working it’s way from the subject of enhancing still images through to videos.
The gold standard for this has always been Topaz Labs Video AI (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-video-ai) and to be honest the results it can get are remarkable.
There have always been a few problems with it though.
The first is the cost.
Coming in at around US $300 not a lot of consumer level video enthusiasts can really justify that kind of outlay for a single use program.
The second has been that the software itself, due to the nature of the work, has required an industrial strength computer running all night to make any progress!
The final problem has been that the interface was designed for commercial purposes so is a nightmare to understand well enough to get the best results possible.
Fair warning here, I have it and I hate it!
Yes I can use it and yes I have used it… but I hate it!
As of right now, AI technology is working its way down through the video food chain and there are some more reasonable alternatives emerging.
Here’s one from HitPaw demonstrated in the video below and it is one that I have tested myself and found it to be pretty good.
You can test it out for yourself here:
Tips on Using Lens Flare Effects in the New Interface – PowerDirector
About a year ago PowerDirector underwent a major user interface update which in my opinion was something they really needed to do.
Of course there were the usual tears before bedtime from current users because after all, it was the devil they knew!
The bottom line was that none of the previous features of the software were lost or dropped by CyberLink and in fact a whole range of new stuff was added.
For existing users the only real problem was working out where a particular item had been moved to.
For new users this wasn’t a problem because they had no idea where anything was in the first place.
In the video below one of those features is shown and that feature is the lens flare effect.
Now to be honest I have no idea where it used to be or what it looked like because I never used it, although apparently it has been improved and extended… so there ya go!
Master Split Screens with 2 Tricks – Even If You’re a Total Beginner!
One of the downsides to using DaVinci Resolve is that the program is designed for professional editing at the “Hollywood” level.
That means that very often quite simple things appear to be more complicated than they actually are.
In a more basic piece of video editing software there is probably a button or a setting for some action whereas with Resolve there are a gazillion buttons and dials and things you have to navigate through!
The video below is a great example of this and deals with creating a split screen effect.
For the average user they just want a split screen.
For the professional user they want a split screen but also the ability to exercise a whole range of other options within that effect.
As a result, things look way more complicated!
But as you can see in the video, once you work it out, it actually is quite simple.
Canva Video Editing Tutorial – For Beginners (Mac and PC)
Over the past year or so the folks at Canva have been beefing up their video editing capabilities to the point where it has become a viable alternative to hosting software on your own computer.
With that being said it is still a pretty simple service but if you are looking at basic editing for a YouTube video or something for your own use then it is worth taking a look at.
One of the main reasons for that is that all the actual computing necessary to process the video and audio files is being done by their servers and not your own PC or Mac.
It is a great alternative especially if your computer struggles with high definition footage.
Anyway here’s a complete walk-through of what it can do and how to use it.
Stay in SYNC, Position Lock Your Tracks – DaVinci Resolve
This is just a “quick tip” in the form of a #Short on Youtube from Daniel Batal for this week but it is crucial.
One of the key settings you have get under control and always be aware of in any video editing software is “locking” which is the ability to lock something in place so that other adjustments do not affect it.
There are a number of ways you can lock and unlock things things on a timeline and being aware of this is vital.
You can lock a track so that nothing moves regardless of what you do on other tracks or you can unlock it so that everything moves when you make cuts or adjustments.
You can lock one item on a track or in a project so that changes only apply to everything else leaving that one item untouched.
When you have a very simple project this isn’t such a big deal.
However once you start to get a little more complex with your editing and the number of assets you have on the timeline… things can go pretty wrong, pretty fast!
This is a demo of locking in DaVinci Resolve but remember all software has something like this.
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