Review - Ulead VideoStudio 11 Plus - Video Editing and DVD Authoring Software

Ulead (a part of Corel) has once again released a quality upgrade to their excellent VideoStudio Video Editing and DVD Authoring software. VideoStudio 11, available in both a regular and Plus version, gives newbies and power users both a great way to capture, edit and export their analog, digital or HD (Plus Version Only) video. Users new to VideoStudio will enjoy using the Wizards for easy DVD Burning or Video Editing. VideoStudio advanced users will see the familiar interface now with more options for outputting video to a variety of sources. A good bargain for an all-in-one Video Editing and DVD Authoring Suite.

Pros

Cons

Once installed, VideoStudio 11 Plus gives you three options to begin with. VideoStudio Editor, Movie Wizard, and DV-to-DVD Wizard. VideoStudio Editor is the full editing interface. Different tabs at the top of the screen allow users to capture, edit, add titles and music, and output the finished video to file, DV or HD tape,DVD, mobile devices or the Web. The interface for editing will be familiar to users who have used VideoStudio in the past, but everything seems a little larger and easier to use. I especially liked the nearly full screen preview mode for your video. The ability to edit HDV and AVCHD Video and then output back to your HD Camcorder is a big plus, as well as the ability to create Dolby 5.1 surround sound. Movie Wizard is nice for beginning video editors who don't want to learn the full editor right away. It lets you create a video using templates and a wizard. Capture, edit and burn to DVD in several easy steps. The DV-to-DVD Wizard lets users transfer an entire DV tape to DVD in a few steps. One issue I have with VideoStudio 11 is that it advertises support for HD DVD Burning, but HD DVD Burners are non-existent. I wish Ulead had included the ability to burn HD Video to Blu-ray Disc instead, as Blu-ray burners are readily available. You can record about 40 minutes of HD Video to DVD DL (Dual-Layer) disc, and then play it back in an HD DVD or upconverting DVD player, but you won't experience true HD quality.

Overall, Ulead's VideoStudio 11 Plus is a great product for beginners or advanced users. The Plus version gives the added features of HD Video editing from an HD Camcorder and 5.1 surround sound creation. An excellent value at under $100.