Ulead MediaStudio Pro 8

Ulead MediaStudio Pro is a complete video and audio editing solution. You really should read the help file before using this software. Unless you read the documentation, you may never find all its features. Even though Ulead MediaStudio Pro is very complex, it's also easy to use. The main features can be accessed easily. You should have no trouble in executing the simple tasks like capturing and adding simple video or audio effects. Because there are very many effects and filters, I won't even try to start enumerating them. The features are very nicely structured and they are easy to apply by using just drag-and-drop.

The MediaStudio has three applications. The first part of this software package is the Audio Editor, which should be used to edit or record audio files. A dialog appears once you start recording, asking you to adjust your Windows recording volume depending on a VU meter. This VU meter shows you the current sound intensity. This application also supports opening an existing file with audio content, as well as being able to open soundtracks of video files and letting you edit them.

The next application is a video capture utility, which you can use to record video from your favorite capture device. You can specify the duration of your movie before you start recording. If you don't choose this option, the program will capture video until you press Escape or you click the mouse. Video Capture comes with a couple of capture plug-ins like the DirectShow, Import DVD, or Windows Media Format. You can also capture video directly form a DV or HDV source by using the DSW MPEG or the HDV capture plug-in. You should choose the appropriate plug-in depending on the source, resolution, and format of your video. The compression technique and subsequently the quality of the movie can be adjusted using the program's option dialogs.

The third is a video editing program. It's only natural that this part of the software package is called "Video Editor". Everything in this application seems to be based on timelines, meaning that you can easily move video and audio fragments back and forward in the project's timetable. The main timeline is divided into two big parts. On top, you can edit the video, while the bottom enables you to edit the audio. Besides editing, you can also convert videos, adjust the movie's frame rate, or just create image sequences out of movie files. The Video Editor can be used to insert title clips into the timeline. These title clips contain nice looking text, which is very easy to customize.

If you haven't looked at the price tag for this software, it's time to do it now. However, don't get scared, because this software package is worth its money in my opinion. Compared to similar products, from Adobe for example, it delivers the same professional features, but at a lower cost. It could be used by advanced users, who want to create professional music or videos. However, I feel that the program is also accessible to beginners. I didn't have any experience in editing video files, but I managed to capture and modify one of my home videos in a matter of minutes. The more I used the program, the more I liked it.

Pluses: The user is able to resize and reposition any component of the user interface. In addition, every pallet and window supports docking.

Drawbacks / flaws: I couldn't capture video from my webcam, using the DirectShow capture plug-in. When I tried to start capturing, the Video Capture application always displayed a message about a checkbox called "Force to use preview mode". I couldn't find this checkbox.

In conclusion: If you need to edit or record multimedia files at a professional level, using a user-friendly program, you might want to download and try Ulead MediaStudio Pro.

version reviewed: 8.00.0028