CyberLink PowerDirector Version tested: 11 Ultimate

Versions Available: 11, 12 or 13 / 11, 12 or 13 Ultimate / 11, 12 or 13 Ultra / 11, 12 or 13 Deluxe.
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Interface And Workflow

Providing all the standard tools to trim and adjust footage CyberLink PowerDirector leaves the originals files untouched which is always good methodology in this digital age. Cropping or zooming, clip speed adjustment, or catching a freeze frame are all possible and automated image enhancement is available for those unsure of themselves when it comes to knowing the different between their chroma and their luminance.

Drop and drag is now the standard way of placing transitions, effects, etc., so no surprises there and the Magic Fix/Magic Motion tools give the opportunity to cure shaky hand syndrome or pan/zoom within scenes. In fact, everything seems to be magic; Magic Cut finds the best quality footage, whilst Magic Style slaps on a pre-designed template.

The work-flow interface allows so many tracks that you, or rather your computers capacity, will get tired before the software. If you really want to use 200 video and audio tracks then maybe you should be working at a TV network because your home PC isn’t going to like it – prepare for a crash…

Sensibly most people wouldn’t even go there, in which case CyberLink PowerDirector optimizes soft and hardware performance to give a healthy increase the rendering process speed compared to previous versions.

Importing and Exporting

More than 20 formats can be imported into the Media Room, so if you have other equipment as well as your GoPro it’ll do the job. As with most editing suites, you can use a microphone to lay on a dialogue during post-production if you have to mute the screaming or the wind-noise from the original.

Export formats allow videos to be played on smartphones, PlayStation 3 and Xbox among other things, and end products are easily uploaded to the well-known social media sites. Single- and Dual-layer DVD formats are supported as is Blu-ray, and the tools to add titles, menus, and navigation on such formats are included forming part of this professional looking package.

With so much to offer, including 4K and 3D, you would be hard pushed to find such a good no-nonsense highly power piece of software at this price. In fact we’d probably say at any price, as the complexity tends to rise along with the currency. With nice touches like the beat detection to help you line up video with your music, this is where the amateurs smart cash would go.
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Pros

• Wide user base and community.
• Supports 4K footage.
• Version 12 now includes some new effects, such as tilt-shift.

Cons

• Can consume computer resources.