Product Review: Page (1) of 4 - 07/26/05

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CyberLink PowerDirector 4 is an entry level ($69.95) video editing application that enables you to create videos with special effects, transitions, titles, picture in picture, and other features found in most other video editing tools in its price range. It uses both a Timeline or a Storyboard approach to video editing, as well as a three tab approach to projects, what CyberLink calls PowerDirector Modes. Because of the ease of use of most entry level video editing applications, no longer are specialists required to create some interesting digital movies. Let's take a look at some of the features and tools of this application.

Capture
Unless you already have video or audio, this mode is where you start the capture process for video. Clicking the capture tab will cause PowerDirector 4 to automatically search for a capture device. It can capture from most digital video cameras attached to a FireWire port, as well as most USB based cameras, audio input devices, webcams, and even TVs. The interface, which applies to all the capture devices, includes a capture option window that enables you to capture media either via time limit that you set, or via size limit.

The capture window in audio capture mode

The next window is the Captured Clips window, which details the clips that have already been captured. PowerDirector 4 captures to the default MyWorks folder, though you can change this to a folder that you specify. Below this folder is a snapshot of your disk space. It is color coded and enables to to get a view of the recorded space, free space, used space, as well as dropped frames during capture. This window also showcases the type of audio and video data being captured. Version 4 also includes the capability to manually batch capture clips fom your DV camcorder or other capture device.

Edit
The Edit window is fairly typical of most types of nonlinear editing applications with the exception of the Magic Tools toolbar, a new suite of tools that we'll discuss later. The Edit window features icons on the left side that includes the Media Room, which holds all of the potential media that you'll add to your project; the Effects Room, which houses all the different effects, of which there are 25.

To preview an effect, simply click on it and it will play in the preview window, which is located on the right side of the window. Below the Effects Room is the Titling Room, which features 57 different titling effects; The Transitions Room follows, which includes 127 transitions.

To view the transitions in motion, you simply mouse over the one which you wish to view and the software will present a thumbnail view of the transition. If you wish to see a bigger representation of the transition, simply click on it and it will play in the preview window. Following the Transitions Room is the Audio Mixing Room, the Voice-Over Recording Room, and the Chapter Setting Room for setting chapters for a DVD. The Chapter Setting Room enables you to set chapter markers at the beginning of each video clip, at a fixed interval, or evenly throughout the project.  

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