bit-tech Shopping: Corel VideoStudio 11 Plus

• Audio Editing/Capture
• Plug-ins
• Video Editing/Capture

• Microsoft Windows Vista
• Microsoft Windows XP
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64

Rating: 8

Time with product:

Strengths: Easy video editing. 5.1 surround, MPEG-4, and HD support. Supports for many devices.

Weaknesses: None so far.

Summary: VideoStudio 11 Plus is an easy video editor. It has support for many popular video, audio, and image formats, such as Dolby Digital 5.1 sourround, MPEG-4, and HDV support. It also allow creating output of such formats. VideoStudio 11 Plus has the anti-shake function for the shaky home videos. It also have built-in DVD authoring that allow users to transfer videos to DVD-Video. Device support for VideoStudio 11 Plus is great. It support almost all the devices recognized by Windows. Though there might be some devices not supported by it, but no such problem has occurred yet. VideoStudio 11 Plus is a good video editor that offers good support and functions and can be purchased at fairly good price. It even comes with WinDVD player software.

Rating: 2

Time with product: 5

Strengths: Had all the features needed including Dolby audio capture, very good user interface, trouble-free video capture and editing for a few days before it quit. (See below)

Weaknesses: Inability to capture audio stream from a USB video audio capture device - must connect audio separately through a sound card Line input. Wrong display of audio source even then, showing CD Input.

Summary: I enjoyed the trial version of 11 Plus for 5 days and was about to purchase it. Then it quit starting, which was not fixed by reinstalling it. A second reinstall after a complete scrub of all Ulead keys from the registry still didn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t work. Corel offers no way of email contact despite a website link that seems to suggest that. Their FAQs omit this problem, which I see has been experienced by others. One user said they cured this by reinstalling XP SP2, which I refuse to do for defective software. Thank goodness I held off on paying for this! If Corel ever hears about this problem and fixes it, I would try the 30-day free trial again (for all 30 days).

Rating: 10

Time with product: 5 Days

Strengths: Reads and writes high-def, even to ordinary DVD-Rs

Weaknesses: Don't forget to download update and power pack

Summary: I have been using VideoStudio for years, but I hadn't gotten around to upgrading from version 10 until a friend who is a small-time video producer was desperate. His very expensive Mac program running on his very expensive Mac could not reliably bring in HDV footage from his very expensive high-def video camera. The various "experts" suggested various expensive fixes, all of them bogus. (The problem is a known bug with no fix.)I loaded VideoStudio 11 Plus on a Windows computer, downloaded and installed the latest update and power pack, then calmly began to bring in the HDV footage--flawlessly. He is now asking Apple et al. some very pointed questions about how a program that (after rebate) is 25x cheaper, on a computer that is 5x cheaper, can get the job done when the expensive stuff can't.VideoStudio 11 Plus also had no difficulty bringing in my own high-def in MP4 format from a Sanyo HD1. VideoStudio 11 Plus advertises that it can write high-def, in either Blu-Ray or HD-DVD format, to an ordinary DVD-R which will then be readable at full resolution on a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player. That's amazing if true--I need to try that.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 6

Strengths: Fast (I have a good set-up). Does what it says.

Weaknesses: This is my first foray into (home) video editing, and have not found any so far.

Summary: At it's price point, you would be silly to overlook this software package, especially if you take rebates into consideration; Corel do pay up on these if you fill in the rebates correctly. Unlike some other software titles that Corel have taken over buy buying smaller companies out, this one has no major flaws.I would write a longer review on the software itself, but really haven't got into anything too technical yet. From the features I have used, it comes recommended! :)

Rating: 10

Time with product: 1 Month

Strengths: Powerful video editing, DVD authoring, and even HD DVD authoring.

Weaknesses: Takes a little while to get a hang of the software (like any other software).

Summary: This software allows you to capture video and photos from camcorders, VHS tapes, personal DVDs, and digital cameras. You can then add professional effects to your captured files and then produce a DVD. It helps to have a powerful machine when editing videos, or else you might be disappointed in the speed of the software. Other than that, an excellent software choice.