I'm sure I'll get the hang of this stuff eventually.
I'm sure I'll get the hang of this stuff eventually.
Member since:15.07.2008
Reviews:5
PowerDirector 7 Ultra is a fairly big step forward from version 6. The main improvements have been made to the editing side of the program. The importing of media and outputting to file/disk have always been good.
PowerDirector 7 Ultra can capture directly from many sources including DV, HDV, analogue and digital tuners, webcams and AVCHD. The following file formats are supported:-
HD MPEG-2, DVR-MS, DV-AVI, DAT, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, VOB, VRO with Dolby Digital 5.1/2.1, WMV, WMV-HD, MOV, MOD, live capture, TOD, AVCHD (M2T), MPEG-4 AVC (H.264)
The most notable improvement over PD6 is the increase in PIP (Picture in Picture) tracks to 6. Previously only a single PIP track was available. Also it is now possible to layer up to 7 effects on a single clip, again previously only 1 effect could be applied to a clip. Effects can now be key framed making them easy to manipulate over the duration of a clip.
The Magic functions have also been improved. There are better controls for colour correction and lighting, including brightness, sharpness, contrast, hue, saturation and white balance. There's also an Extreme backlight setting. Video stabilisation has been improved as well.
The slideshow designer now has 7 presets including an impressive 3D effect. There is some user customisation available for most of the presets, and you can even match the slide show to music using the built in detection.
Subtitles are easier to match to dialogue than before, and are edited in the subtitle room.
Output can be streamed using WMV, RealVideo or Quicktime, and then there's AVI, Mpeg1, Mpeg2, Mpeg4, and AVCHD to write to file or disk. Full control is available for each codec.
There is a clever "Smartfit" option for DVD. The standard choices are DVD LP, DVD SP, or DVD HQ. A full length film at HQ (high quality) needs over 8GB or a dual layer disk. SP (Standard play) only uses about 3GB. The smartfit option uses the highest quality settings without going over the disk size, so about 4.7GB on normal single layer DVD's. This offers a better video quality than SP and isn't far short of HQ quality.
PowerDirector 7 Ultra can author to DVD, SVCD, VCD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray on DVD, and AVCHD. There are quite a few built-in customisable menu templates, and using the new on-line DirectorZone, it's possible to upload and share other user's templates and effects.
I've made 10 films about 15 minutes in length, and 1 full 90 minutes DVD movie. Overall I've rated the program as "Good". It is very good value for money, as a lot of the features are normally only found on much more expensive programs. It is very easy to use. I managed to get my first 15 minute film out in a day. It also has an attractive and intuitive interface that is less daunting that some other Video editors.
However, I have found that the program crashes quite a lot, and being a member of the Cyberlink forum, I'm aware that the main issue raised about PowerDirector is its apparent "buggyness". Tech support appears to release bug fixes quite quickly, but only when many users report the same problem. Usually there is a work-around, and the fact that I and others continue to use the program indicate that the good points out weight the bad.
I've tried trail versions of lots of other video editors, and PowerDirector 7 Ultra compares well with any of them. The ones at the same price point as PD7 generally offer less features and options, while the high-end packages are aimed at the expert user. PD7 is a good way to get introduced to the world of digital video editing, and will suit most amateur film makers.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
very helpful by (100%):
