Adobe Premiere Elements 9

Pros: This application offers great features of expert products for beginners.

Cons: There are multiple applications contained in this product which can be confusing.

The Verdict: This product will give you great results in a few hours without a lot of hassle.

Some people may consider this video editing software to be less than its counterpart Premier Pro CS5 but the true difference between the programs is not the features available or the overall versatility of the application but the intended audience. Adobe Premiere Elements is a powerful program that is geared for anyone one to use with little difficulty. Now you can make videos like a pro and not feel bogged down by complex programs that take hours upon hours to master.

If you already own a version of this application you may be wondering if it is worth upgrading it. The answer to that question is a resounding yes. While the latest version of the product doesn't have radical changes to it, Adobe has improved the features in a way you will be wondering what took you so long to make the change. There is also great news for those of you who use Mac. This application is now available for you, too.

This application offers you the ability to import video and files directly from the source. You don't have to work in the extra step of transferring the files to your hard drive and then into the application. So long as you have the right hardware, you can import files from ultra-portable camcorders, DSLR digital cameras, webcams and even cell phones. This saves time and reduces the risk of losing the files somewhere in the vast space of your computer's memory.

Export options have also been enhanced to stay right in step with the burgeoning popularity of online video sharing. While the previous release of Adobe Premiere Elements afforded the capability of uploading directly to YouTube, Elements 9 also permits rather simple uploads to Facebook as well. We’re particularly fond of the new option to create web DVDs. With this feature of video editing software, the user is able to create menus and add soundtracks to uploaded videos just like on a physical DVD. Even better though, these videos can be created and uploaded in full HD while a DVD is limited to standard definition video.

Adobe Premiere Elements 9 video editing software has numerous improved options to enhance your ability to make sophisticated videos. Upgraded functionality allows you to fix imperfections in the audio track as well as the video. Many automated features are available so that the program can be easily used by newcomers to the world of video editing software, but they can be overridden and enhanced to satisfy the creativity requirements of more advanced users.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 and Adobe Premiere Elements 9 are available together in a value priced bundle. They share files from the same Elements Organizer application, so they work especially well together.

Video Capture/Playback: 

The Adobe Premiere Elements 9 video editing software comes packaged with Elements Organizer, a separate media management hub application which houses all your video clips and still images. Once in Elements Organizer, the files are available for use by Photoshop Elements as well. Those who edit both video and still images will likely find this shared application of great value. The application comes complete with 2GB of free online storage. That can be upgraded to 20GB for an additional charge.

Within Elements Organizer, there are four tabs that allow you to access most critical functions. The Organize tab allows for sorting, tagging and searching of clips and photos as well as protecting them with automatic online backup. The Fix tab provides easy-to-use but effective editing features. Create is where you can make InstantMovies, which we discuss in the Ease of Use section of this review. It also allows you to create slide shows and print creations. Finally, the Share tab is the key to uploading to the internet in a variety of ways.

Elements Organizer is integral to using both Adobe Premiere Elements and Adobe Photoshop Elements. The shared data makes the two applications work seamlessly together. Nonetheless, it can be a bit confusing in that some functions that seem to belong in the Premiere Elements application are actually part of Organizer and the two must be run simultaneously. It’s mainly a matter of getting used to the division of labor, but we think that a more user-friendly solution is attainable.

A wide array of import and export file formats are usable with this video editing software. Most significant among them are AVCHD (import only), Blu-ray Disc (export only), DV-AVI (import/export on Windows, import only on Mac OS), DVD, Dolby Digital Stereo, H.264, HDV, MPEG-1 (import only), MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MP3, QuickTime and Windows Media (Windows only). It is also compatible with many other formats.

Adobe claims Premiere Elements 9 can support up to 99 video tracks and 99 audio tracks, but we found that this actually sells the application short. There’s nothing that prevents adding tracks 100, 101, 102, etc. Indeed, if there really is a limit, we couldn’t find it. Consumers aren’t likely to ever approach that many tracks, but it appears the maximum number is only limited by your computer’s hardware.

Ease of Use: 

Adobe Premiere Elements 9 is amazing in its many capabilities. It offers options that only the pros had available to them a very short time ago. The only notable downside to this video editing software is that it’s a bit complicated to use, despite great progress by the manufacturer to make it user-friendly.

Using Adobe Premiere Elements, tagging clips is a key to managing the video editing process. You can tag clips into categories such as people, places, travel, events or any term that is meaningful to you. They’re stored that way in Elements Organizer to help in retrieving them when needed. Smart tagging makes the process even easier and works automatically when clips are imported. Beyond categorizing clips by subject, it includes an Auto-Analyzer function which sorts clips by quality based on criteria including lighting, contrast, audio, motion and more. You can select one or more criteria to find clips that meet your specific needs.

Among the best ease of use features that we’ve encountered with video editing software is Adobe’s InstantMovie. When selected, it searches for the best clips based on user-specified Smart Tag criteria like quality and subject. InstantMovie can place clips in the correct order based on your script and eliminate clips that don’t meet the quality you’ve specified. The program coordinates music, transitions, titles and effects. It includes a number of themes to get you started and will even add a scene index. All in all, it’s a great way to get started with video editing and can provide the foundation for more advanced editing as you learn by experience.

Editing Tools: 

After you have imported your video project, Premiere Elements 9 lets you choose to view it in either a timeline or storyboard format. In a timeline view you will see the project displayed as a vertically stacked arrangement of video and audio tracks, whereas a storyboard (or sceneline) is a series of images that represents each clip in a project. Regardless of which view you choose for your projects, you will have access to a variety of editing tools including split/trim, text tools, video stabilization and color correction.

Almost everything in this video editing software supports the drag and drop feature. This allows you to do everything from importing video and audio tracks, apply transitions and effects, clipping and trimming, and even publish your project, all from the main user interface.

Beyond that, there are automatic options to fix imperfections. Camera shake, lighting and color problems can all be remedied with the SmartFix feature. Smart Trim can help in deciding what to keep and what to cut out of your movie by making suggestions based on your criteria. If you usually accept the recommendations, you can choose to make the video editing software simply accept them by default.

Export/Production: 

These days, everybody wants to share their video masterpieces online. Adobe Premiere Elements 9 makes it easy to upload your creation to YouTube or Facebook. Videos can be uploaded directly to YouTube from the Premiere Elements. In a bit of a twist, Facebook uploads must be done from the Elements Organizer application. It’s not a problem just something to keep in mind.

Perhaps the best way to share a video online is to create a web DVD and upload it to Photoshop.com or your own website. In this way, you can create a virtual, interactive DVD complete with menus, scene indexes and chapters. It’s a great way to share, and you can do it in full 1080p HD.

Editing Effects/Transitions: 

Premiere Elements video editing software comes loaded with a large selection of effects and transitions. Motion Tracking allows you to attach images and effects to specific portions of a clip. For example, you can highlight the area surrounding a person’s head and insert an animated butterfly. The software will then track the highlighted area throughout the clip making it appear as though the animated butterfly is following the person in your video. This can also be used to insert thought clouds, blurred objects and other fun effects.

This video editing software supports green screen, or Chroma Key, editing. Adobe calls it Videomerge. Though blue and green backgrounds are most commonly used, any solid color background can be used as long as it isn’t close to flesh tone or the color of the subject's clothing. With it, the person being filmed can be placed in front of any background. Just for fun, Adobe Premiere Elements 9 has added a cartoon mode which can instantly make your live action video appear as an animated cartoon. Various filters can be applied to create the cartoon look that suits your specific desires.

Disc Creation: 

With Adobe Premiere Elements 9, you can burn your completed movies to DVD or Blu-ray discs. The application includes disc creation options including menu templates, menu customization, chapter separation and audio tracks for the menu screen.

Audio and Photo Editing: 

Adobe Premiere Elements 9 has six new functions for fixing audio problems. They include audio polish, auto mute, cleaner, hum remover, noise fader and noise reducer. We found the audio polish option to make the greatest improvements, and while there are default settings for each, we seemed to have better luck by tweaking the setting to obtain the best results. Track mixing, trimming, cross-fading and even 5.1 surround sound support are also available using this video editing software application.

Help & Support: 

Support for Adobe Premiere Elements 9 is available by telephone or email. The manufacturer’s website features several helpful tutorials on a variety of subjects like getting started, importing and exporting files, customizing themes and capturing video. There’s also a searchable FAQs section for this video editing software.

Summary:

It’s hard to beat Adobe Premiere Elements 9 video editing software, whether you’re new to the subject or are an accomplished prosumer. It offers a great balance of automated and manual editing tools which make it easy for those who need it and foster ultimate creativity and control for those who want it. Combine this with Adobe’s Photoshop Elements 9 and you’ll have a complete media editing system.

Corel VideoStudio Pro X4

Pros: This application has stop motion animation and time-lapse effects.

Cons: It takes lots of time to learn how to use this application to the fullest extent.

The Verdict: This application has great features and gives you a lot of freedom when using it.

With the release of Corel VideoStudio Pro X4, we are pleased to see another batch of improvements in an already great video editing software application. Now included in this application is a flexible workspace, enhanced timelines, stop motion animation, time-lapse animation, DVD authoring and 3D capabilities. As we tested this application we noticed how easy it was to find what we were lucking for, especially since you determine how everything looks. You no longer have to search through countless menus and dialog boxes to get the result you want. You won't be disappointed with this application and everything it has to offer.

Video Capture/Playback: 

Video playback is smooth and utilizes VideoStudio’s Smart Proxy technology. You can enjoy the high-performance video editing workstation benefits even if you don’t have a high-end machine. Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 requires fewer system resources, which results in faster, smoother playback and video editing. This is especially helpful when editing standard definition video, not to mention the beneficial effects on editing HD video, which is much more resource intensive. Corel implemented NVIDIA CUDA and GPU acceleration and second-generation Intel Core optimization to ensure this video editing software application ran quicker and smoother.

Ease of Use: 

It's easy right from the get-go to start using Corel VideoStudio Pro X4. Corel changed the interface for this video editing software application to ensure it never is an obstacle in the process. Not only are common editing tools easily accessible but the workspace is flexible. We were especially pleased to see we were able to utilize dual monitors so you can rearrange all the windows how you want. This streamlined interface simplifies the workflow during the editing process. The library and the timeline are both enhanced for this version. Not only is everything neatly organized but it is simple to find the information you are looking for. The timeline makes it that much easier to apply transitions, titles and filters to the various tracks.

Editing Tools: 

There are a lot of different options for viewing your files such as timeline or storyboard mode, which are useful for adding video, picture, text, audio, and music tracks. You can also trim or split your video into sections for better continuity, adding transitions and enhancing with effects with this video editing software.

Once you have uploaded your video you will want to trim and divide the video segment into clips. Trimming is marking the beginning and end of an entire clip, while multi-trimming is useful to divide one segment into multiple clips. Multi-trimming is extremely useful when you need to remove a scene or mark it for inclusion in a blooper reel. We found Corel VideoStudio Pro X4's trim and multi-trim tools both powerful and easy to use. It’s important to note that the video editing software application utilizes non-destructive editing, so no matter what you do to a video segment, the original is never cut or overwritten. When the application was finished trimming, the results were impressive; many of what we termed “non productive” segments were trimmed down and made individual scenes that we could move or delete.

Now you can make quick edits or combine video clips, photos, music and voiceover clips to create the perfect project. If you need to finish a project in a short amount of time, this option is one we recommend. Smart Proxy editing allows you to edit HD content just as easily as standard-def because the video editing software application uses fewer resources to focus on the editing process. This application has batch editing, which makes modifying a group of files easy.

Export/Production: 

Once your edits are complete, you can export your work to a number of formats. Standard formats include FLV files for YouTube, MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, AVCHD, WMV HD, RealMedia, Windows Media and QuickTime. The newest version of this video editing software gives you the option of exporting 2D into 3D. This features is a great way to make your videos even more eye-popping. You also have the option to upload your work to Vimeo, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.

Editing Effects/Transitions: 

New to this version are the stop motion animation and time-lapse effects. With stop motion, you can make animated movies of toys or objects with just a series of photographs. This is a great way to bring memories to life even if you didn’t have a video camera. The time-lapse effect creates a unique effect from footage. All the application does is removes a few of the frames and speeds up the video. This is a useful effect if you have video and want to show progression, such as a flower growing or the stars moving.

Disc Creation: 

When you create a disc you choose whether or not to include menus. These menus include selecting from a list of videos and selecting chapters within the videos. Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 comes with several different menu templates, and if you don’t like any of them you can create your own. If you don’t want to manually select chapters, VideoStudio will automatically detect scenes and make them into chapters for you. Creating a final disc is easy with the amount of options this video editing software application gives the video enthusiast. You can burn onto a DVD, Video CD or Blu-ray Disc.

Audio and Photo Editing: 

You can add audio files to your projects in Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 a number of different ways. This includes adding audio files to the library from your hard drive, ripping music from a CD, recording a voiceover clip or using SmartSound Quicktracks. You can add audio files to the library by clicking on the folder icon in the library panel. This video editing software application allows you to record voiceovers with a single click.

You can insert background music into your project with this video editing software from your hard drive or an audio CD. SmartSound Quicktracks allows you to create high-quality soundtracks from royalty-free music. Once you’ve determined which audio clips you want, you can adjust their volume, trim and cut their lengths, stretch their duration, make them fade in or out, use the surround sound mixer, adjust their stereo channels or apply audio filters to them.

Not only is it easy to tweak the music but with Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 you can import photos from a number of different formats to create a photo slideshow or customized menus. You can add a text overlay to any image and extract them from a number of different videos.

Help & Support: 

Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 comes with solid customer service options. They have a thorough knowledgebase and telephone support until 7 p.m. EST. This application also comes with a printed manual. There are multiple tutorials available for those who need a little more help getting started. Overall, we didn’t have any problems when using Corel VideoStudio Pro X4.

Summary:

Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 has everything you could want in video editing software. Not only does it provide great options for editing videos but also the pictures and music that will make your final movie stellar. There’s always a learning curve with video editing software, but Corel makes it less of a headache for first-time users thanks to a flexible workspace.

CyberLink PowerDirector 9 Deluxe

Pros: This application uses TrueVelocity which keeps it from slowing down your machine.

Cons: This application has so many great features so it takes time to master completely.

The Verdict: The best all around video editing software for any skill level is PowerProducer.

Not only does this application have all the great features you expect in video editing software but it is built with both novice and advanced users in mind. This application uses the hardware of your machine to the fullest extent which gives you the best environment for creating movies that you will want to share with friends and family.

Now you don't have to worry about making your movies look professional. With this video editing software you can make all of your home movies look professionally done without paying someone to do it for you. With all of the new technologies today it is simple to create a lasting impression of your children and share it in a variety of ways just by using this application. Not only can you combine videos taken with your camcorder but add photographs and music for that extra touch and export the whole thing in full HD.

This application doesn't even have the persistent video editing software ailment of being slow. While other products may bog down your machine with all of the demands of running such a large program, PowerDirection came up with a unique solution. The TrueVelocity is a combination of software and hardware techniques that will provide you with a quick and easy experience when using this application. You'll only find this solution in CyberLink products which is why we ranked this product number one.

CyberLink PowerDirector Deluxe incorporates five of the six techniques that make up TrueVelocity. The final, and likely most significant speed factor, native 64-bit processing, is available with the upgraded Cyberlink PowerDirector 9 Ultra video editing software. It’s well worth the small extra investment if your computer is equipped with a 64-bit operating system.

All other aspects of TrueVelocity are incorporated into both versions of CyberLink PowerDirector 9. The TrueVelocity Parallel Engine makes it so all cores and threads of dual and quad core processors are being fully exploited simultaneously for fast video production. This includes a process called general-purpose computation on graphics processing units, GPGPU, which utilizes the computing power of high-end GPUs for purposes other than creating graphics. TrueVelocity Accelerator augments production speed further by allowing for hardware acceleration of video decoding and encoding. Using Direct Memory Access, DMA, content can be moved from video memory to system memory far more efficiently, essentially bypassing the CPU, making it available to accomplish other production chores.

Another facet of TrueVelocity is called FastRender, which saves time by allowing video production without re-encoding an entire video. With it, portions of a video that haven’t been changed don’t have to be decoded then rendered again, the most time-intensive part of the video creation process. An added benefit is that there’s no loss of quality because the result is identical to the source material. UltraSeek further speeds the overall process by using parallel processing to locate and index frames very quickly. It also provides full HD video previewing in real time. Finally, RapidEffect exploits the computing power of the GPU to increase the speed of computer- intensive processes like effects rendering.

Video Capture/Playback: 

Capturing video using CyberLink Power Director video editing software is a simple matter. The key is the logically designed capture window which can be accessed by clicking the Capture button on the main user interface. You're then set to capture an extensive array of file types from just about any device. Standard and high-definition input file types, from the most common to cutting-edge new formats, include HD MPEG-2, DVR-MS, DV-AVI, DAT, DivX, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, VOB, VRO, ASF, WMV, WMV HD, MOV, MOD, MPEG-4, AVC (H.264), TS, MTS, M2TS and WTV (single channel). New to this version of PowerDirector is the ability to capture flash video, or FLV format and MKV, the format that has become preferred for high definition for the internet.

Full HD video can be captured from a HDV camcorder directly to CyberLink PowerDirector. AVCHD capture or importing requires upgrading to the Ultra version. The fully digital format does not require conversion before use on the computer. Similarly, footage from a DV camcorder can be captured without need of conversion. Using the single scene capture mode allows you to transfer a long video segment without skipping sections. Batch capture can be particularly convenient for capturing multiple video clips automatically. You can even transfer the footage from your camcorder directly to a DVD using CyberLink PowerDirector's DV Backup functionality.

Of course, camcorders aren't the only devices that can be used to transfer files to CyberLink PowerDirector video editing software. You can also capture scenes from a webcam, a DVD or even a TV signal. You can also grab audio material to add to your video from a CD or microphone. Regardless of the format or source of the material, it's shown in the Captured Content area and, upon returning to the Edit window, it appears in the Media Room library.

Ease of Use: 

Most functionality in CyberLink PowerDirector video editing software uses drag-and-drop technology. You can get started by simply dragging clips from the Media Room to the timeline. Adding transitions and effects, trimming and splitting clips, and setting clip duration are all just as easy by dragging them or making selections on a menu.

Easiest of all to use is the Magic Movie Wizard. Even the newest user can easily experience the satisfaction of creating a high-quality movie, complete with edited video blended with professional looking effects and transitions by using this automatic programming. There are a number of other Magic features as well, which serve to make beginners look like seasoned pros or more experienced users look even better. The Magic Fix function can remove shakiness from footage, remove red-eye or enhance the focus of photos. Magic Motion will apply panning and zooming to your videos. It can even be used to animate still photos to make remarkably creative slideshows. You can also use this feature's Magic Motion Designer to manually customize motion. The Magic Cut feature can automatically condense long clips into shorter ones that contain only the highest quality footage. And finally, Magic Style gives you the ability to add pre-designed style templates for a professional look.

Editing Tools: 

The whole point of video editing software is to enhance raw footage that generally contains unwanted images and ones that are of less-than-desirable quality. CyberLink PowerDirector provides a seemingly endless array of tools to solve these issues to produce a final product that you'll be proud to show and that you're audience will want to watch. Most of this work is done in the drag-and-drop timeline, which allows for reordering clips as desired as well as adding effects and transitions to make the movie look its best. The timeline is also a great creativity tool in that it offers the use of 100 video and 100 audio tracks, far more than most users will ever need.

Splitting a clip is one of the most useful features of this video editing software. You can split a clip as many times as you like and move it wherever you choose on the timeline. You can also trim unwanted portions of video and audio content from your final product. A particularly useful property of trimming is that it doesn't delete anything from your original content, so anything that might be erroneously deleted can be easily redone.

The duration of clips can be modified by simply dragging their beginning or end points on the timeline. TrueTheater video enhancements are available to perform a number of impressive editing tasks. The ability to upscale standard-definition video content to HD quality is among our favorites. You can also enhance image details, naturalize colors and automatically adjust chroma and luminance using the TrueTheater Lighting function. Video noise can be removed from grainy clips and shaky images can be stabilized in real time.

A group of functions called Power Tools is also included as part of this video editing software. They include the ability to play a selected clip in reverse, crop and zoom in on selected portions of a clip, adjust the video speed freeze frame and even rotate the clip within the video.

Export/Production: 

The explosion in popularity of social networking sites has made sharing videos on the internet extremely popular. Uploading your completed project to either YouTube or Facebook is available at the click of a button with this video editing software. Loading your videos to portable devices like the iPad, iPod or iPhone is also a snap. So too is transferring them to a BlackBerry or many other mobile phones, PSP, Zune or most similar devices.

Editing Effects/Transitions: 

CyberLink PowerDirector offers a wealth of effects and transitions that can be applied to your video to make it look even more polished and professional. One of the most creative effects – unique to this video editing software – is the Particle Effect function. With it you can be remarkably creative by using a huge selection of dazzling images to trail across your video. You can even direct the path of images for just the right look. Adding picture-in-picture images is a snap, and adding from an enormous library of transitions and titles, including 3D ones, is easily done on the timeline.

Disc Creation: 

CyberLink PowerDirector 9 makes burning your finished movie to a disc easy. You can choose to burn to single or dual-layer DVDs and, new to this edition of the Deluxe version, you can create Blu-ray discs. Included is the ability to add professional looking title sets and chapter navigation. If you choose to upgrade to the Ultra version, you have the additional option of burning to the new BDXL discs with their enormous 128GB storage capacity.

Audio and Photo Editing: 

This video editing software takes photo editing to a new level. It includes the ability to import video footage or still images from many DSLR cameras. This includes importing still photos in RAW file format. Once imported to the application, all of the extraordinary editing features are available, including the ability to make slideshows that include 3D and motion effects.

You can edit audio, including 5.1 surround sound, using the integrated WaveEditor. It allows you to adjust volume and pitch, change speed and reduce noise effectively. Audio content can be separated from video for greater flexibility and creative control.

Help & Support: 

The DirectorZone is one of the most valuable features of CyberLink PowerDirector video editing software. It's an online community that allows users to download more than 100,000 effects, templates and tutorials. Users can upload their completed projects to the site allowing others to see them. Learning from the successes, as well as the shortcomings, of others is facilitated in that viewers can see not only the completed movie but also the project timeline to see exactly what others have done.

CyberLink's website includes a searchable FAQs section, tutorials and downloadable user manuals. Technical support can be contacted by email.

Summary:

CyberLink PowerDirector 9 Deluxe is our undisputed choice as the best video editing software available for hobbyists and beginning to intermediate users. This edition has new software architecture which makes the program notably faster and more stable than its already impressive predecessors. For an even higher level of performance that rivals even professional software, we invite you to view the accompanying review of CyberLink PowerDirector 9 Ultra.