There are a lot of video editing applications in the market nowadays, targeted at various types of users. However, not all of them are easy to learn and some of the professional level applications require specialized hardware as well. If someone is looking for a video editor that has a easier learning curve yet delivers top notch result, he can opt for the CyberLink PowerDirector 8.
CyberLink has a number of media editing and playback applications which are quite popular. PowerDirector 8
differs from the rival products in speed. It makes working with video on a home PC a hassle free affair. Besides, the software is optimized to run on various kinds of hardware. As of now, the software is available in two versions-Deluxe and Ultra. The latter offers AVCHD and Blu-Ray support along with shared editing features and has a price tag of $99.95. The Deluxe version can be purchased at a price of $69.
The application starts up faster and on a PC with multi core CPUs it will not take more than 10 seconds to launch. In comparison applications like Premiere Elements 8 and Pinnacle 14 take twice the time. The main interface of the PowerDirector 8 is divided into 3 segments. A content browser sits at the left corner of the interface and a preview pane accompanist it at right side. The time-line window is placed at the bottom part of the interface. There are four basic modes using which a user can capture video footage, edit it, make the final movie and burn it on a disc. The footage can be obtained from a webcam, DV camcorder, TV etc.
The top left section of the interface holds a lot of icons that can be used to view recorded media or preview transition effects. To get the most out of the software a user needs a PC or laptop that supports higher resolutions. Otherwise most of its screen icons remain hidden by default. The video preview pane in PowerDirector shows smooth video and edges ahead of both Pinnacle Studio 14 and Premiere Elements 8. If the user imports HD videos the application offers the option of making shadow files to boost processing speed. It does the processing in the background so that the user can continue with his work without facing any difficulties as such.
PowerDirector 8 sports a new feature named TrueTheater HD that up converts standard definition footage to HD. However, it can not improve the quality of inferior quality video. Though PowerDirector 8 does not have the Smart Fix tools offered by Premiere Elements, its advanced color control and effects go a long way in improving the quality of the end product. The users can export the edited footage to a plethora of formats including MPEG-2, AVI, H.264, WMV, RM. Sharing videos with YouTube is also possible. The application needs to improve in adding title and text effects to the footage, an area where Premiere Elements excels. However, its unbeatable speed and advanced optimization features make it an ideal deal for the power users who need a video editing tool with solid performance.
