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Editor's picks

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  Pinnacle Studio Ultimate v 15

  Software (Avid Software)
  

  Rating (30 reviews):

  (2.9/5)

  

  Nothing new; same problems as Studio 14

  I just downloaded and installed Pinnacle Studio HD Ultimate. The downloaded size was 2.25 GB.I was immediately disappointed. I did not see anything new (compared with Studio 14)! The interface is the same. The options are the same. The features are the same.And once again, if you purchased any Hollywood FX, premium features or plugins for earlier versions of Studio (I bought many for Studio 9-12), you are out of luck. There is no option to revive them. You have to re-purchase. The advertisements falsely claim that Hollywood FX 1-3 will be included. It is a false statement (advertisement). My Ultimate version only included the very basic 2D transitions and a few of the very boring and free HFXs that have been freely available for some time.The common technical flaws continue to be there. For example, my preview screen went black very soon and so I was no longer able to view any of the clips, video effects etc. The only way to recover the preview... 1/5 A Teacher (Kansas) - See all my reviews This review is from: Pinnacle Studio Ultimate v 15 (DVD) I just downloaded and installed Pinnacle Studio HD Ultimate. The downloaded size was 2.25 GB.I was immediately disappointed. I did not see anything new (compared with Studio 14)! The interface is the same. The options are the same. The features are the same.And once again, if you purchased any Hollywood FX, premium features or plugins for earlier versions of Studio (I bought many for Studio 9-12), you are out of luck. There is no option to revive them. You have to re-purchase. The advertisements falsely claim that Hollywood FX 1-3 will be included. It is a false statement (advertisement). My Ultimate version only included the very basic 2D transitions and a few of the very boring and free HFXs that have been freely available for some time.The common technical flaws continue to be there. For example, my preview screen went black very soon and so I was no longer able to view any of the clips, video effects etc. The only way to recover the preview... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , October 6, 2011

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  There are better choices out there....

  I have been a user of for quite some time. Due to an attractive rebate offer, I thought I would give this one a try. I've decided to stick with Adobe.One point of frustration right off the bat was importing my files. I took mts files off of two camcorders, copied them to a folder on my desktop, and then renamed them to be in sequential order. When I went to import the files, the software would not allow me to look on my own C drive at all to browse for files. It didn't even list it as an option. I could only import from external drives. So, I had to copy the folder over to an external hard drive, and then import the files for editing.Once I did get the files loaded, I put them in the timeline and then added titles to the beginning of each video section...one for "Easter Morning," one... 3/5 MW (Miramar, Florida United States) - See all my reviews, October 9, 2011

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  Full of serious bugs

  Basically the same program as version 14, identical user interface, same slow clunky experience, same bugs. The user interface is quite well designed but that is no good when you cannot save your project or render the thing correctly. 1/5 Marcus - See all my reviews This review is from: Pinnacle Studio Ultimate v 15 (DVD) Basically the same program as version 14, identical user interface, same slow clunky experience, same bugs. The user interface is quite well designed but that is no good when you cannot save your project or render the thing correctly. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , September 7, 2011

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  List Price: $99.99
  

  All backed with incredible Dolby Digital 5.1 sound

  Share your screen sensations on YouTube, Blu-ray, AVCHD, iPod, Nintendo Wii, and everything in between.

  Create your best movies ever in clear high-definition video

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  Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Version 12

  PC Accessory (Pinnacle Systems)
  

  Rating (106 reviews):

  (3.2/5)

  

  What iMovie '08 Should Have Been

  Let me start off by saying that I'm a Mac guy and I do a lot of video. I generally work with Final Cut Pro but often drop into iMovie '08 for projects that need to be done quickly without the need for precision editing. After spending a few hours with Pinnacle Studio Ultimate 12, I'm almost ready to boot my Mac into Windows for those tasks I'd normally edit on iMovie.PROS:1. Awesome plugins: It's funny, but what I like best about the Studio Ultimate are the parts of it not made by Pinnacle! Included on a second CD are titling effects from Boris and professional-grade color correction from Magic Bullet. Magic Bullet adds a 'film look' to your video as well as a number of other color related effects. Everything renders quickly and looks great.Those two features alone usually cost several hundred bucks a piece (on top of the editing software), so their inclusion in the package certainly adds to its value.2. Instant conversion from... 5/5 Lon J. Seidman "lon401" (CT) - See all my reviews, September 1, 2008

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  Better than Premiere Elements, but ...

  I own Adobe Premiere Elements 3 and 4, so I am going to be comparing Pinnacle Studio to Premiere Elements.I have been using the Studio Beta 12.1 downloaded from Pinnacle's web site, so this review reflects the Beta program.Studio is a decent program, it has features similar to Premiere Elements. In general, Premiere Elements has more tuning features than Pinnacle Studio. For example, consider the task of rendering a movie to MPEG. Pinnacle Studio allows you to choose bitrate and frame size, and that's about it. Adobe Premiere also lets you choose I-frame and P-frame spacing, and field order.On the other hand, Premiere Elements crashes a lot. Some of the features appearing in its menus simply don't work. It is my least favorite piece of software by a wide margin. No bug fixes either: Premiere Elements 4 has lived its entire life without an update from Adobe. Premiere Elements 7 has already been announced. Pinnacle Studio Ultimate 12 is quite new, yet... 3/5 David Arnstein (California) - See all my reviews, September 6, 2008

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  Beware Pinnacle's Duplicitous Practices

  Pinnacle's Serial Numbers and Activation Keys expire after two years.This applies to all Pinnacle software, not just software downloaded online. Activation Keys bought online AND Serial Numbers for software bought in retail stores only work for two years.It's in the fine print - which you can't even see until you rip open the box (thereby forfeiting your right to a refund) and click the "Yes, I Agree" button during installation.If you have to reinstall the program (or any part of it) two years and a day after buying it, you will have to completely repurchase the software.What's especially fishy about Pinnacle is how it will suddenly start crashing at 2 years after initial installation. My video drivers stopped working at a point, I'd later realize, coincident with the 2 year anniversary of my having installed the Pinnacle software.In trying to fix the suspiciously-timed program crash I was mystified to learn that a number... 1/5 P T - See all my reviews This review is from: Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Version 12 (CD-ROM) Pinnacle's Serial Numbers and Activation Keys expire after two years.This applies to all Pinnacle software, not just software downloaded online. Activation Keys bought online AND Serial Numbers for software bought in retail stores only work for two years.It's in the fine print - which you can't even see until you rip open the box (thereby forfeiting your right to a refund) and click the "Yes, I Agree" button during installation.If you have to reinstall the program (or any part of it) two years and a day after buying it, you will have to completely repurchase the software.What's especially fishy about Pinnacle is how it will suddenly start crashing at 2 years after initial installation. My video drivers stopped working at a point, I'd later realize, coincident with the 2 year anniversary of my having installed the Pinnacle software.In trying to fix the suspiciously-timed program crash I was mystified to learn that a number... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , July 28, 2008

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  List Price: $129.99
  

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  Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 Production Suite

  Software (Sony Creative Software)
  

  Rating (87 reviews):

  (3.9/5)

  

  Best Value Video Editing Suite on the Market 9/10

  I have been a Vegas Movie Studio user for three versions now. Each one just gets better and better."Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 Production Suite" comes with three separate programs and some very cool extras thrown in.You get Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 to do all your editing and video making,DVD Architect Studio to make your DVD's and BluRay Discs,and Sound Forge Audio Studio which is a stand alone audio recording and editing studio - great for Podcasters and anyone making voice overs for talking books or tutorials.With this production suite version comes a new bonus 3D Text Generator and extra 3D Transitions and Effects from NewBlueFx. The biggest addition to Version 11 is a new "Title and Text" tool that gives you the ability to create animated text titles. Also you can now edit true 3D Video and import more types of video from DSLR cameras -which is becoming very popular now with videographers.I have been using Version 11 of the... 5/5 Dexter "Dex" (Australia) - See all my reviews This review is from: Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 Production Suite (Software) I have been a Vegas Movie Studio user for three versions now. Each one just gets better and better."Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 Production Suite" comes with three separate programs and some very cool extras thrown in.You get Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 to do all your editing and video making,DVD Architect Studio to make your DVD's and BluRay Discs,and Sound Forge Audio Studio which is a stand alone audio recording and editing studio - great for Podcasters and anyone making voice overs for talking books or tutorials.With this production suite version comes a new bonus 3D Text Generator and extra 3D Transitions and Effects from NewBlueFx. The biggest addition to Version 11 is a new "Title and Text" tool that gives you the ability to create animated text titles. Also you can now edit true 3D Video and import more types of video from DSLR cameras -which is becoming very popular now with videographers.I have been using Version 11 of the... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , July 11, 2011

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  Beginner Likes It

  This review is for brand new beginners like me. I've never used any of the many software programs for video capture or editing. A friend told me that Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum was the easiest and least buggy. BTW, I don't know what the word Platinum refers to or, for that matter, if there is a silver or gold version. Everyone but this one friend told me to shut up and buy a mac in order to use Imovie. I ended up going with Vegas rather than buying a new computer just to edit video.Here's what I've noticed in the first week of use: I was overwhelmed reading the instruction manual but then I stumbled onto the incredible sony training website. Sony provides a website dedicated to training for an earlier version of this program-- [...]This training website had a minor problem: I couldn't figure out the "plug in" update stuff, which I think does something to your browser to enable you to watch these training videos. However, it is easy to download each... 5/5 A. Rosenbach "A. Rosenbach" (California) - See all my reviews, November 14, 2011

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  Learing curve? Naw...

  Brief and to the point: Reviewed Corel pro/Pinnacle, Adobe and Sony. I did the trials.Sony was the most easy to manipulate and had the most bells and whistles. It did not crash when I rendered to DVD or to Youtube or to IMDB (IMDB's got some upload rules).Yes, there's a lot of information, but I went to Sony and found "support" under there is "training" and under that was webinars. I watched three webinars and all the training videos.I am a novice and did have to figure out the windows.For the money: their features, their interface and they way things work ESPECIALLY: "SHOW ME HOW!" are brilliant.NO, I do not work for them. I have nothing to do with Sony, but I do read all the post to see what people say and that adds to my buying decision. Given the choices and support, I take Sony. I bought the suite and saved nearly $40 ($124.95 on Sony--why, no idea, because I printed both spec sheets and compared notes: they were the... 5/5 MSL "msl" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 Production Suite (Software) Brief and to the point: Reviewed Corel pro/Pinnacle, Adobe and Sony. I did the trials.Sony was the most easy to manipulate and had the most bells and whistles. It did not crash when I rendered to DVD or to Youtube or to IMDB (IMDB's got some upload rules).Yes, there's a lot of information, but I went to Sony and found "support" under there is "training" and under that was webinars. I watched three webinars and all the training videos.I am a novice and did have to figure out the windows.For the money: their features, their interface and they way things work ESPECIALLY: "SHOW ME HOW!" are brilliant.NO, I do not work for them. I have nothing to do with Sony, but I do read all the post to see what people say and that adds to my buying decision. Given the choices and support, I take Sony. I bought the suite and saved nearly $40 ($124.95 on Sony--why, no idea, because I printed both spec sheets and compared notes: they were the... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , September 24, 2011

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  List Price: $129.95
  

  Create DVDs and Blu-ray Disc media with custom menus and graphics

  Includes 360 exclusive music soundtracks

  Share movies on PSP, iPod, iPhone, online, and more

  Follow along with Show Me How tutorials and learn as you go

  Edit and produce movies with special effects and transitions

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  Pinnacle Studio HD v.15

  Software (Avid Technology)
  

  Rating (9 reviews):

  (2.0/5)

  

  Operation Problem

  I had used an earlier version sucessfully but when I changed my operating system from windows XP to Windows 7 64 bit I upgraded to this version. I could not capture videos and audio even though I was using the same capture device as befor, Pinnacle's Dazzel DVC100. For the past two weeks Pinnacle's support group has been trying dilegently to help resolve my problem. Until version 15 is performing for me I cannot give a higher rating I think the product deserves. 3/5 D. Schaufelberger (Columbus, NE) - See all my reviews, August 20, 2011

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  There's a learning curve

  Pinnacle Studio 15 is my first attempt at video editing. I found the software to be cumbersome in the beginning. Part of that might be my inexperience. However, Avid tech support and their online chat was very helpful. They were patient with me and helped me work through a few problems. Now that I have used it more, it's becoming easier to navigate. If I were to do this again, I would order Studio Ultimate instead. I've already upgraded to Ultimate and it cost me more than if I had ordered Ultimate in the first place.ONE WORD OF CAUTION: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH GRAPHICS MEMORY. I upgraded my graphics card to 2 gig and the software runs faster and smoother. 4/5 Jerry S. "Big Jerry" (Grandville, MI USA) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Pinnacle Studio HD v.15 (DVD) Pinnacle Studio 15 is my first attempt at video editing. I found the software to be cumbersome in the beginning. Part of that might be my inexperience. However, Avid tech support and their online chat was very helpful. They were patient with me and helped me work through a few problems. Now that I have used it more, it's becoming easier to navigate. If I were to do this again, I would order Studio Ultimate instead. I've already upgraded to Ultimate and it cost me more than if I had ordered Ultimate in the first place.ONE WORD OF CAUTION: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH GRAPHICS MEMORY. I upgraded my graphics card to 2 gig and the software runs faster and smoother. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , October 13, 2011

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  Links bomb and no customer service

  I used Pinnacle products before and thought they were great. Something changed. Studio 15 Pinnacle has all the elements I was looking for a not-to-expensive software-based video editing system. The manual and help screens are limited and do not work one through problems like when transitions fail. In addition the links from within the program back to Avid® bomb. Avid® is the company associated with studio 15 Pinnacle. The error message is: "500 - Internal server error". It is almost impossible to contact customer service. When I did, via e-mail, I was told that Avid® did not support Kodak products. Here is a quote from the Studio 15 Pinnacle web site "Brought to you by Avid®, the world leader in professional audio and video creation technology, Pinnacle Studio(tm) HD v.15 makes it easy to edit". I am uninstalling Studio 15 Pinnacle and will use some other software-based video editing system. 1/5 Bluez - See all my reviews This review is from: Pinnacle Studio HD v.15 (DVD) I used Pinnacle products before and thought they were great. Something changed. Studio 15 Pinnacle has all the elements I was looking for a not-to-expensive software-based video editing system. The manual and help screens are limited and do not work one through problems like when transitions fail. In addition the links from within the program back to Avid® bomb. Avid® is the company associated with studio 15 Pinnacle. The error message is: "500 - Internal server error". It is almost impossible to contact customer service. When I did, via e-mail, I was told that Avid® did not support Kodak products. Here is a quote from the Studio 15 Pinnacle web site "Brought to you by Avid®, the world leader in professional audio and video creation technology, Pinnacle Studio(tm) HD v.15 makes it easy to edit". I am uninstalling Studio 15 Pinnacle and will use some other software-based video editing system. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , July 14, 2011

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  List Price: $72.75
  

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  Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Collection v.15

  Software (Avid Software)
  

  Rating (11 reviews):

  (2.5/5)

  

  DO NOT BUY AS UPGRADE!!

  If you already own a somewhat recent version of Pinnacle Studio...DO NOT BUY THIS!! I have been a fool to buy the newer versions of Studio everytime it comes out. NOT A THING HAS CHANGED SINCE STUDIO 9! Sure, you can make blu-rays now, but I got better results from Studio 12. I've made 4 blu-rays with Studio Ultimate Piece of Crap Collection HD 15 and not one has worked. I made countless blu-rays with 12 and had relatively no issues. And the product is less stable than previous editions. Sure, it looks nice because they changed things around, but the overall funtion is the same. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY UPGRADING! Ever since Avid took over Pinnacle, the customer support has been worse then it was before (which was terrible). They want to charge me $20 to ask why their program is making bad discs. I highly reccomend against the upgrade. If you are a first time buyer, this is a good program to consider. Just be aware that it crashes a lot and you need a really high powered... 1/5 jlamp - See all my reviews This review is from: Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Collection v.15 (DVD) If you already own a somewhat recent version of Pinnacle Studio...DO NOT BUY THIS!! I have been a fool to buy the newer versions of Studio everytime it comes out. NOT A THING HAS CHANGED SINCE STUDIO 9! Sure, you can make blu-rays now, but I got better results from Studio 12. I've made 4 blu-rays with Studio Ultimate Piece of Crap Collection HD 15 and not one has worked. I made countless blu-rays with 12 and had relatively no issues. And the product is less stable than previous editions. Sure, it looks nice because they changed things around, but the overall funtion is the same. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY UPGRADING! Ever since Avid took over Pinnacle, the customer support has been worse then it was before (which was terrible). They want to charge me $20 to ask why their program is making bad discs. I highly reccomend against the upgrade. If you are a first time buyer, this is a good program to consider. Just be aware that it crashes a lot and you need a really high powered... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , April 23, 2011

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  Do not buy - Save your money and go with Adobe or someoone else

  I spent a long time weighing the price of this versus Adobe Premiere elements. I have been using Pinnacle Studio 12 for awhile now and really enjoyed it, so in the end I decided to go with this product as opposed to learning a new one with Adobe. This was a costly mistake.1) Performance - My computer is decent, but the code for this product is lacking in quality. It takes a very long time to apply effects and insert videos.2) Effect selection - I loved the quality of the effects as well as the title overlays, however...3) Technical support - After creating one working movie I started having issues with certain movie formats and effects. Contacted technical support. Six weeks later and still no resolution. The length of time it takes to get a response from the Avid support team is 2 days at a minimum, and responses are very short and ineffective.Comparison - Once I ventured into Adobe and even the built in Windows 7 movie maker it was clear how... 1/5 Jared Kellenberger - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Collection v.15 (DVD) I spent a long time weighing the price of this versus Adobe Premiere elements. I have been using Pinnacle Studio 12 for awhile now and really enjoyed it, so in the end I decided to go with this product as opposed to learning a new one with Adobe. This was a costly mistake.1) Performance - My computer is decent, but the code for this product is lacking in quality. It takes a very long time to apply effects and insert videos.2) Effect selection - I loved the quality of the effects as well as the title overlays, however...3) Technical support - After creating one working movie I started having issues with certain movie formats and effects. Contacted technical support. Six weeks later and still no resolution. The length of time it takes to get a response from the Avid support team is 2 days at a minimum, and responses are very short and ineffective.Comparison - Once I ventured into Adobe and even the built in Windows 7 movie maker it was clear how... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , October 27, 2011

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  Would give it a zero stars if I could... utterly useless for larger AVCHD projects

  I have been using Pinnacle since version 9 and upgrading along the way. I read all the product propaganda on this release being better (more efficient supposedly) at AVCHD work (a format that is now HIGHLY common off HD camcorders). With version 14 I was able to plod through working with AVCHD content and creating AVCHD disks to play on Blu Ray players. It was a SLOW process with stalls, crashes and freezes.... but in the end I would get a usable end product. With version 15, the amount of stalls, freezes, and crashes are literally 5 times worse and more often. I have lost countless hours fighting with this software trying to make a highlight video from a season of football plays (every play is its own AVCHD file)... in the end, the project is made out of about 200 AVCHD files. The only way I could get the project built was to take every game and make a highlight project of each game... then one by one cut and paste them into a single project (with much pausing and crashing all... 1/5 J. Walsh (Milwaukee, WI United States) - See all my reviews, December 31, 2011

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  List Price: $99.99
  

  Import video and photos from video cameras, digital cameras, phones, DVDs, and more

  Edit HD video on your computer-with ultra-fast performance when using AVCHD and H.264-based formats

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  Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Version 11 [OLD VERSION]

  Software (Pinnacle Systems)
  

  Rating (111 reviews):

  (2.6/5)

  

  BEWARE before uploading your videos

  I have been a studio user since version 9. I have upgraded each time and have continually been searching for one of the programs that will convert my video for use with Flash. Magix I tried (see my review there). When Studio 11 touted it would convert to Flash, I was happy. I promptly ordered.Initially, I could not even make a video. It would lock up on the rendering process. They recently released an upgrade (if you purchase, ensure you download all the upgrades before trying to use) which finally allowed me to complete a video.When I went to save my movie as a Flash file, I found, once again, that you have to upload it to a website. Pinnacle offers such a site "free of charge." However, READ THE FINE PRINT before you join.If you upload videos to their website you are granting them free, unrestricted use of your video without compensation to you. If you don't mind that they may use a family reunion video in something they do, etc, then knock yourself out... 3/5 B. Babb "kites0852" (Virginia Beach, VA United States) - See all my reviews, July 5, 2007

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  You're on your own

  I bought Pinnacle Studio 11 because I needed a way to edit video from my new AVCHD camcorder. I've used Pinncale 10 in the past, but I far prefer Adobe Premiere. (Pinnacle's support for Vista with Studio 10 consists of releasing betas every couple months which time out, requiring you to download the next beta.)After installing Studio 11, I got error messages about the Adorage plug-in. I called Pinnacle "support" and waited on hold for 52 minutes before a barely-understandable person told me to uninstall and reinstall. I said I just wanted to disable the plugin, but they told me there was no way to do so. I pointed out that their own discussion forum had postings on how to do so -- which I found while waiting on hold -- but they didn't know how and said I might corrupt my installation. I pointed out that this would only require me to uninstall and reinstall, which was what they wanted me to do anyway.The product works, more or less, but I'm not a fan of the interface... 2/5 patchman512 (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Version 11 [OLD VERSION] (CD-ROM) I bought Pinnacle Studio 11 because I needed a way to edit video from my new AVCHD camcorder. I've used Pinncale 10 in the past, but I far prefer Adobe Premiere. (Pinnacle's support for Vista with Studio 10 consists of releasing betas every couple months which time out, requiring you to download the next beta.)After installing Studio 11, I got error messages about the Adorage plug-in. I called Pinnacle "support" and waited on hold for 52 minutes before a barely-understandable person told me to uninstall and reinstall. I said I just wanted to disable the plugin, but they told me there was no way to do so. I pointed out that their own discussion forum had postings on how to do so -- which I found while waiting on hold -- but they didn't know how and said I might corrupt my installation. I pointed out that this would only require me to uninstall and reinstall, which was what they wanted me to do anyway.The product works, more or less, but I'm not a fan of the interface... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , June 13, 2007

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  Far better than preceding versions

  I've only had Studio 11 for a few weeks, but my initial take is that it's far, far more stable than versions 9 and 10 were. I've been able to import high-definition AVCHD footage and render it to MP4 and DivX files without a crash. (I know simply failing to crash is a low standard, but the previous version crashed incessantly, especially with HDV content.) Be warned (and don't blame Pinnacle): editing AVCHD requires a very fast computer. 4/5 Joshua D. Auerbach "jdauerbach" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews, June 14, 2007

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  List Price: $129.99
  

  Create multi-layer effects like Picture-in-Picture, Chroma Key or A/B editing with two video tracks

  Automatically create background music to fit the length of your movie

  Select from hundreds of real-time, key-frame-able 2D and 3D effects and transitions to give your movie polish and style

  Achieve sophisticated effects and transitions featuring light rays, color matching, artistic film looks and much more

  Add drama and documentary-style motion to high resolution stills with StageTools MovingPicture precision pans and zooms

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  Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Collection V14 [OLD VERSION]

  Software (Pinnacle Systems)
  

  Rating (106 reviews):

  (2.7/5)

  

  Simple interface, poor functionality/installation, horrible customer support

  The Pinnacle Studio line of video processing software has avery simple and intuitive interface. It is relatively easyto learn the software. Even though it is for beginners/homeusers, it does provide options for more advanced, Hollywoodstyle video processing. But only when it works.I have used Studio consistently since its version 9. Themost recent version is now Studio 14 and it comesin several variations: basic, ultimate, and ultimatecollection.My recommendation: 4 stars for its simple interface. Zerofor everything else.* Installing Studio 14 (in my case the Ultimate version)If you purchased earlier "Ultimate" or "Plus" versions ofStudio, or if you bought fancy "transitions" or similarpremium features for earlier versions of Studio, the ONLYway that you can take advantages of only SOME of them,is to re-install the older Studio versions. In previous... 1/5 A Teacher (Kansas) - See all my reviews This review is from: Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Collection V14 [OLD VERSION] (Software) The Pinnacle Studio line of video processing software has avery simple and intuitive interface. It is relatively easyto learn the software. Even though it is for beginners/homeusers, it does provide options for more advanced, Hollywoodstyle video processing. But only when it works.I have used Studio consistently since its version 9. Themost recent version is now Studio 14 and it comesin several variations: basic, ultimate, and ultimatecollection.My recommendation: 4 stars for its simple interface. Zerofor everything else.* Installing Studio 14 (in my case the Ultimate version)If you purchased earlier "Ultimate" or "Plus" versions ofStudio, or if you bought fancy "transitions" or similarpremium features for earlier versions of Studio, the ONLYway that you can take advantages of only SOME of them,is to re-install the older Studio versions. In previous... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , December 8, 2009

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  Some stability issues but otherwise 5 well deserved stars

  This is my third iteration of Pinnacle Studio, having owned versions 11 and 12 as well. I also own and have used several other video editing packages running from high to low end. At the top of the low end range, Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Collection 14 comes in as a solid five-star performer - if you are willing to tolerate some minor stability issues. For reasons I don't pretend to understand, all video editing programs seem to have stability issues to one degree or another. Sometimes I think I may be part of the problem as I rush ahead performing other operations while the CPU is still rendering what I've already done. Other times, I just plain don't know: like Adobe Premiere Elements 7 simply not running on a Vista 32-bit system while it ran on a 64-bit version without problems. Given time, I could probably narrow down the issues, but I'm not that concerned. With Pinnacle, I am politely informed that the program has malfunctioned and given an option to close the program. Do that,... 5/5 Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews, November 7, 2009

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  Comprehensive Review of the top 7 video editing software titles

  Sorry about the formatting, Amazon is removing all my spaces when I publish even though it looks fine in the editor.Computer Specs:Intel Core2 Duo @ 1.86 GHz2 GB RAM256 MB Video32 bitWindows VistaMy test:Added 2 videos.Added image stabilization to one3D transition between them.Rendered the project.AVCHD in and MPG2 out (both in full HD, 1920*1440, Dolby 5.1 if available)Video length 4 minutes and 20 seconds.Overall Review:***** Corel Video Studio Pro X3***** Cyberlink PowerDirector 8*** Sony Vegas Movie Studio Pro Plus 9**1/2 Adobe Premiere Elements 8** Magix Edit Pro 15* Roxio Creator 2010* Pinnacle Studio Ultimate 14Package Options:My reviews are against the top versions of each product line. You will find that most of the differences between the top versions and the base are Blu-ray export options, and some add some extra... 1/5 C. Helm "THROW?" (USA) - See all my reviews, March 5, 2010

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  List Price: $129.99
  

  Studio Ultimate editing software, plus plug-ins and Chroma-key green screen

  Create top-quality movies in high-definition video; share in widescreen format

  Share on Blu-ray, AVCHD, YouTube, iPod, Nintendo Wii, and more

  Motion titling, plus exciting new title designs, DVD menus, effects, and 80+ Montage templates

  Include stunning effects, transitions, animation, and incredible Dolby Digital 5.1 sound

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  Pinnacle Studio Version 12 [OLD VERSION]

  Software (Pinnacle Systems)
  

  Rating (12 reviews):

  (2.3/5)

  

  Just love it!

  The product is easy to install and use. Simply by experimenting with it, I put together 3 short movie stories using the same pictures we took on a recent trip. We were laughing and had a lot fun, because the edited movies telling complete different stories, involve mystery, intrigue, exotic land, which is very different than the real uneventful pictures. My computer is Gateway F541s with NVIDIA® GeForce 8600GT 512MB DDR3 Graphics w/ 2xDVI. I do not have a separate sound card, but Studio 12 works fine without it. I had tried version 8 before with my emachine, it was a pain to use it with that version and a less powerful machine. 4/5 Chou Young "Value Quality" (Columbia, Md USA) - See all my reviews, July 31, 2008

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  Works Great!

  I really like it. It is much easier to use than I expected (I don't typically read instructions). I had a reasonably edited video in less than 30 minutes my first time using it.I would certainly recommend this product. 5/5 Jimbo "fan" (Detroit) - See all my reviews This review is from: Pinnacle Studio Version 12 [OLD VERSION] (CD-ROM) I really like it. It is much easier to use than I expected (I don't typically read instructions). I had a reasonably edited video in less than 30 minutes my first time using it.I would certainly recommend this product. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , October 6, 2008

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  Pinnacle's Problems

  I bought this versin (12) of Pinnacle (owned by Avid) due to the many problems I have had with upgrades. I started with version 9 and got periodic upgrades afterwards, including version 12. I had called Pinnacle prior to the purchase to see if I could get a deal on 12 since I had been a loyal customer for years. I was promised a 10 percent discount and free shipping. I hesitated for a few months, then finally decided to get it. It was the only program I could use to capture live TV and VCR input. I called Pinnacle back. I was shocked to find out that they had moved their sales department to the far east. The people there would not honor the discount or free shiping as promised. I then decided to try Amazon. What a find. I got version 12 for just $25.00. It was selling for $129. in retail stores. So I bought it. So far, it is working well. I also found Sony Vegas editing software. I tried their trial version and I liked it, although the learning curve is a bit steep. I bought some... 2/5 FLRON "Ron" (Winter Springs, FL United States) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Pinnacle Studio Version 12 [OLD VERSION] (CD-ROM) I bought this versin (12) of Pinnacle (owned by Avid) due to the many problems I have had with upgrades. I started with version 9 and got periodic upgrades afterwards, including version 12. I had called Pinnacle prior to the purchase to see if I could get a deal on 12 since I had been a loyal customer for years. I was promised a 10 percent discount and free shipping. I hesitated for a few months, then finally decided to get it. It was the only program I could use to capture live TV and VCR input. I called Pinnacle back. I was shocked to find out that they had moved their sales department to the far east. The people there would not honor the discount or free shiping as promised. I then decided to try Amazon. What a find. I got version 12 for just $25.00. It was selling for $129. in retail stores. So I bought it. So far, it is working well. I also found Sony Vegas editing software. I tried their trial version and I liked it, although the learning curve is a bit steep. I bought some... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 14, 2009

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  List Price: $49.99
  

  Enjoy your movies on your Sony PSP, Apple iPod, DivX certified players, and even 3GP cell phones

  New theme-based video editing gets you up and running fast

  Share and archive your creations on DVD, YouTube, and more

  11 Themes + 81 associated templates for easy moviemaking

  Enhance your videos with photos, music, titles and effects

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  Pinnacle Studio Version 11 [OLD VERSION]

  Software (Pinnacle Systems)
  

  Rating (21 reviews):

  (2.3/5)

  

  Is this software from 1999?

  This movie-making software does not even offer scrolling titles or text, unless you upgrade it to Plus or Ultimate version. What kind of so called video editor doesn't even offer that?This video is bare bone basic video editing, I used to use Arcsoft Showbiz from 2002 and it has better features than this piece of junk. I only upgraded to Studio because the product was compatible with windows Vista, however, Microsoft's movie maker software is even better - how pathetic.Don't waste your money, now I have to spend another $80 to upgrade to the plus version of this software to get any usability out of it. Then each feature you want to add to the editor is another $20-$100, by entering activation codes. Pinnacle nickle and dimes you every step of the way. This is the last time I will purchase a Pinnacle product. 1/5 Scott (California) - See all my reviews This review is from: Pinnacle Studio Version 11 [OLD VERSION] (DVD-ROM) This movie-making software does not even offer scrolling titles or text, unless you upgrade it to Plus or Ultimate version. What kind of so called video editor doesn't even offer that?This video is bare bone basic video editing, I used to use Arcsoft Showbiz from 2002 and it has better features than this piece of junk. I only upgraded to Studio because the product was compatible with windows Vista, however, Microsoft's movie maker software is even better - how pathetic.Don't waste your money, now I have to spend another $80 to upgrade to the plus version of this software to get any usability out of it. Then each feature you want to add to the editor is another $20-$100, by entering activation codes. Pinnacle nickle and dimes you every step of the way. This is the last time I will purchase a Pinnacle product. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , June 11, 2007

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  Works great for me

  We recently bought a , took it on vacation and wanted to create video DVDs when we got home. We tried Windows Movie Maker, but had nothing but problems.We bought this software on the recommendation of a friend who has been working with it for a while. It installed on our XP system with no problem and has been working great. Had to use the HELP file several times, but we're really pleased with our first efforts at movie production.We now have a new computer running Vista, a Gateway GM5632E. We installed the software easily and, so far, it has been working great.It is frustrating that so many of the extras seem to be available, but really aren't. We will probably be upgrading soon. 4/5 TEFL Ellen "TEFL Ellen" (Pearland, TX USA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Pinnacle Studio Version 11 [OLD VERSION] (DVD-ROM) We recently bought a Sony DCR-DVD308 DVD Camcorder + Lenses + Filters + Pro Accessory Kit, took it on vacation and wanted to create video DVDs when we got home. We tried Windows Movie Maker, but had nothing but problems.We bought this software on the recommendation of a friend who has been working with it for a while. It installed on our XP system with no problem and has been working great. Had to use the HELP file several times, but we're really pleased with our first efforts at movie production.We now have a new computer running Vista, a Gateway GM5632E. We installed the software easily and, so far, it has been working great.It is frustrating that so many of the extras seem to be available, but really aren't. We will probably be upgrading soon. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , October 19, 2007

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  Pinnacle Studio Version 11 still doesn't work with Vista

  I had Pinnacle Studio Version 10 with a computer with an XP operating system. When I got a new computer running Vista, the Pinnacle Studio Version 10 would not work. So, I bought version 11 that was advertised to work with Vista. It doesn't work. I can capture the audio portions of VHS tapes but for video, I get only a still of the first frame of each clip. 1/5 Steven Spiker "Steve Spiker" (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews, September 7, 2007

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  List Price: $49.99
  

  Share your creations on DVD, the Web and more

  Select from hundreds of 2D and 3D effects and transitions to give your movie that Hollywood look

  Create impressive movies as easy as 1-2-3

  Quickly import photos and video from a wide range of devices

  Enhance your video with photos, music, titles and effects

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  Pinnacle Studio 15 Revealed

  Book (Dtvpro Publishing)
  List Price: $29.99
  

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