Ulead VideoStudio 6

Richard Price
April 2002

Ulead VideoStudio 6 has to be one of the easiest to use home video editing packages I have looked at.

VideoStudio 6 puts users straight in the director's chair and, while not turning everyone into a Spielberg, offers a straightforward way to edit video on a home computer.

First time users should have no trouble capturing video from DV, D8 and Hi8 camcorders, adding a soundtrack, titles, special effects and them burning them to CD or DVD.

I like the look and feel of the new VideoStudio 6 interface. Handy panels provide drop down menus for quick access to functions and the preview window can now be resized to full resolution.

There are three ways a users can edit footage. The easiest way is to use the storyboard to drag and drop clips and add transitions. The Expanded Storyboard provides more space to organise clips. The Timeline can be used for frame-accurate editing. Titles, sound and overlay tracks can also overlap more than one video track.

VideoStudio 6 has a full set of tools to make capturing footage simple. Of course the camera has to be connected to the computer and VideoStudio 6 supports IEEE 1394 (Firewire) which is the best way to go. USB is also an option although it is slower. An analogue capture card is needed for analog cameras.

The MPEG-Direct feature lets users grab DVD/VCD-ready MPEG video straight from a DV/D8 camcorder.

Automatic Scene Detection reads the tape and cuts the video so that scenes are separated into placed into separate files. This speeds up the editing process.

I was impressed with VideoStudio's Instant Preview mode. Effects can be previewed in real time without having to wait for them to be rendered.

This makes editing clips a lot more fun. VideoStudio comes with over 100 adjustable transition effects that can be dragged and dropped between clips. Customisable video filters can also be used to correct video problems or add creative effects.

Having one of the latest processors helps immensely when editing and VideoStudio 6 has been optimized for both Intel Pentium 4 and AMD 3Dnow.

Adding titles and captions is a real breeze with VideoStudio's on-screen text editing capabilities. It is possible to change the font, size, spacing and alignment, or even the look of each individual letter. Titles can be animated in the Animation Option panel. Numerous custom animations and effects can be dragged-and-dropped from the Animation library.

As well as any audio that is part of the original file, VideoStudio supports two additional audio tracks. This allows for voice-over narration or background music from CDs or MP3 files.

There are a variety of output options for the final footage including CD, DVD, e-mail or Internet. It is also possible to record movies back to a DV/D8 camcorder for viewing on a TV or re-recording to VHS.

The DVD wizard guides users through the process of burning to DVD, VCD or SVCD. A number of customisable DVD menu templates are provided to add a professional touch.

Video editing places a lot of demands on a computer. It is important to consider the size and speed of your hard drive. One hour of DVD video requires 13GB of hard disk space. Although a 450 MHz Pentium II and 64 MB of RAM are the minimum requirements for VideoStudio 6, more RAM and a faster chip will be more sensible.

Overall VideoStudio 6 is a versatile program that will suit anyone looking for a quick and easy way of getting into video editing.

Price:AU$99.95
www.asiapac.ulead.com

By Richard Price, Editor EnergyME.com

For information on getting a product reviewed email richard@energyme.com