PowerDirector video editing software from CyberLink bridges the gap between professional editing and user-friendliness. It frequently outperforms professional competitors in terms of support for new formats and technologies. It also includes tools to assist you in creating a compelling digital movie complete with transitions, effects, and titles. Best of all, it’s simple to use and renders quickly. Everything you need to know about Cyberlink PowerDirector is included in this review.
It continues to offer the same easygoing user experience, making it one of the top video editing products available. And because of its internal strength, it ranks well as one of the top contenders for the title one of the best Premiere Pro alternatives. PowerDirector 365, a subscription service that simulates Adobe’s Creative Cloud, is even an option.
CyberLink PowerDirector Overview
Both Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 and 21 bridge the sometimes hazy line separating expert and novice video editors. The older versions of PowerDirector’s video editors continued to provide support for new technologies and formats.
Cyberlink routinely adds new features every month, much like Office 365 or more recent Adobe products. Last month’s additions included AI wind reduction, speech enhancement, and sky replacement. Additionally, if you choose the Director Suite 365, you’ll also get regularly updated audio and photo applications.
The included Cyberlink video editor has all the tools and capabilities needed to produce high-definition digital movies. Additionally, the program’s user-friendly interface enables editors to swiftly render their work.
Is PowerDirector a decent program, if you’re wondering? It’s undoubtedly effective and challenging to the top as a video editing application.
Features of CyberLink PowerDirector
The PowerDirector interface
The software’s user-friendly interface was one of Cyberlink PowerDirector 18 Ultra and Cyberlink PowerDirector 19 Ultra’s standout features. Additionally, PowerDirector 21 and 365 carry on this custom.
Any program will struggle to offer a complete set of tools in a seamless and clutter-free manner. And although PowerDirector may not be as simple as programs like Adobe Premiere Elements or iMovie, it is unquestionably orderly and tidy.
To make it simpler to use, the business frequently updates the user interface and rearranges the elements. For instance, because it isn’t utilized as frequently as some other functions, the Capture mode is now a menu option rather than being on the main screen.
The program’s interface offers several editing options when you first launch it, including Storyboard Mode, Full Mode, Slideshow creator, Auto Mode, and Learning Center. However, there is a checkbox to remove the settings if you want to disable them and always use Full Mode.
You can choose your aspect ratios from this screen as well; options range from the common 16:9 and cinematic 21:9 to other social media and mobile-friendly ratios.
When switching between windows, the interface allows you to double your preview windows so that you can see both the source video and the altered version.
Users can add effects, audio clips, and transitions in Storyboard mode without switching back to a chronological view. To find media quickly, there is a search tool as well. You can also do this to limit your search to just audio, video, or pictures.
Additionally, you may modify your timeline for simple navigation, and it has a quick-add option for quickly adding up to 100 additional tracks.
Last but not least, they’ve included tools in editing mode that let you better arrange your media for drag-and-drop simplicity into the timeline or source panel. When you’ve got a lot of clips to work with on a project, tagging features are a huge plus.
Video Editing Options
The capabilities in this category make it simple to edit videos using CyberLink PowerDirector. You can connect, trim, and edit clips right in the timeline, of course. Any clip you drag to the very end of your timeline will immediately jump to the clip before it for easy viewing.
A tooltip box with options to Crossfade, Insert, Insert and Move All Clips, Overwrite, or Replace appears when dragging a clip to the center of the timeline. You may easily align things by using the Insert option. Additionally, you have access to a multi-trim tool that enables you to place several in and out marks on your timeline as well as a trim tool with a range that goes as low as a single frame.
The Precut function in PowerDirector is among its strongest features. You can trim and cut clips using this capability before adding them to your timeline. Since this is the approach that experienced editors prefer, it represents a significant improvement over earlier iterations.
PowerDirector features a whole area devoted to Fix/Enhance options, which include buttons to improve color and sharpness as well as tools to reduce audio noise. Lighting and color correction are often significantly simpler with PowerDirector 21 and 365. To perfect things, you can individually change a variety of variables.
Nested projects
You can move groups of edited footage around as a single unit using a crucial professional editing capability from leading software. With the new Nested Project functionality in PowerDirector, you can now create a project and then insert an existing project into it. You can modify both projects separately or add the second project as a picture-in-picture by using the interface tabs that appear above your timeline.
Effects and Keyframe animation
Many people enjoy keyframe editing, and PowerDirector provides all the resources you require to do so. Any effect or edit can be added to a keyframe, and the Hold function allows you to be even more inventive with your effects.
There are more than 100 transitions and special effects in PowerDirector, and you can add or buy more. Cyberlink is constantly expanding its library with new effects from various firms.
Express project tool | CyberLink PowerDirector Review
Express Project is a feature of PowerDirector that may be used right from the launch screen. This combo enables inexperienced editors to follow a step-by-step procedure to generate the content they desire using the Magic Movie Wizard. Even other Express Projects made by other people are available for download.
Two steps make up the procedure: Add an open, middle, and end clip to the timeline before adding more material to the tracks. Although it isn’t as user-friendly as other of PowerDirector’s rivals, it is still a useful feature that will aid in the production of reliable and well-rounded movies.
Shutterstock and iStock integration
You have access to stock photographs, images, videos, and audio from Shutterstock and iStock when you purchase Director Suite 365 or PowerDirector 365.
The source panel of the user interface has thumbnails for Shutterstock and iStock that take you to a search window for their libraries. Users may readily locate video and music from their excellent stock thanks to this, but they should be aware that just a portion of the collection is accessible with membership.
360-Degree video editing on PowerDirector
As more filmmakers use the technology, 360-degree footage editing is becoming more and more popular. When adding a 360-degree clip to a project in PowerDirector, a pop-up window asking whether you want a 2D or 360-degree output appears. We plan to write CyberLink PowerDirector Review about its 360-Degree video editing tools.
You can select the point-of-view from the video and then adjust the angle using three axes in the preview when you want to edit in 2D. Additionally, you may flip between different points of view using keyframes, and you can use the Ease In function to give your videos more organic motions.
It’s crucial to remember that you can utilize both the stabilization and motion tracking features with the 360-degree video editing in PowerDirector, even though we’ll discuss both in more detail later. Non-360-degree and 360-degree videos, however, cannot be combined in the same project.
Tools for GoPro action cameras
PowerDirector can handle footage from action cameras and GoPro cameras like it do the majority of editing applications. When you click the Designer button after choosing a clip in the software, an Action Camera Center will load. You can use this functionality to add action camera-specific effects like fisheye, camera shake correction, freeze-frames, and replays of sporting events.
Color features
PowerDirector includes a superb Color Match tool that is useful when working with video that was captured from various perspectives. By doing so, you can choose two clips and scrub for the exact same frame in both clips.
LUTs, or lookup tables, are another tool you may use with PowerDirector to bring consistency to your productions. Since it accepts a wide range of file types, you can also install LUT packs from independent sources.
In addition to the conventional color grading, the Director Suite 365 includes the ColorDirector program, which enables you to incorporate a wider range of cool color effects.
Audio tools
In PowerDirector, when you open an audio track, waveform lines appear that you may click and drag to change. PowerDirector’s Audio Room tool, which enables you to alter songs with effects like Normalize to even audio levels, stands out in this regard.
Additionally, PowerDirector offers a Voice-Over Recording Room reserved only for voice actors. But it also enables editors to use cutting-edge tools like distortions and other special effects to make their audio edits even more intricate. Even certain effects from third parties can be added.
Get the Director Suite 365, which includes Audio Director, if you require even more sophisticated audio options.
PowerDirector pricing
PowerDirector software has two pricing options: lifetime and subscription. PowerDirector Ultra and Ultimate both come with lifetime licenses. You’ll need to purchase a subscription plan if you require PowerDirector 365 or Director Suite.
When choosing between PowerDirector Ultimate vs. Ultra or PowerDirector 365 vs. Director 365, price is one of the most crucial considerations.
You can try out PowerDirector for free before making a full purchase because it is both available in a full version and a full download.
CyberLink PowerDirector Review | Alternatives
You have read the CyberLink PowerDirector Review, benefits and drawbacks, salient features, and cost. Here is a list of several editing programs that are comparable to PowerDirector if you still want to compare your options.
CyberLink PowerDirector Review | Final thoughts
One of the most user-friendly programs I’ve ever used, CyberLink PowerDirector has a smart design, is swift and efficient, and is also quite intuitive. Being a moderately competent video editor, it was never required me to look things up online or read manuals to figure out how to use the program’s many functions. Learning is actually that simple. Look no further than PowerDirector if you’re a novice video editor or a moderately technical rookie looking for a quick, straightforward, and reasonably priced application to put simple videos and home movies together.
In light of this, it appears that the CyberLink development team put all of their attention into creating a user-friendly and intuitive interface at the price of the overall caliber of the program’s built-in video effects. PowerDirector doesn’t offer many of the sophisticated video editing options that its rivals do, and the program’s built-in transitions, effects, and default templates aren’t even close to being adequate for creating videos of a professional caliber. PowerDirector isn’t the best option if you’ve already invested the time to learn a more advanced video editor or want to pursue video editing as a hobby.
FAQ
Although PowerDirector is not free, you can test it out for 30 days without paying for it. You can use almost all the functions during the free trial, but all films created during it will have a watermark in the bottom right corner.
Completely. Direct software downloads are available from the trusted CyberLink website. It poses no risk to the files on your computer or to the integrity of the system because it is free of viruses and bloatware.
Without a doubt, it is the most user-friendly video editing program I have ever used. PowerDirector has a number of tools that allow users of all ability levels to quickly and easily splice together basic videos in a matter of minutes. These tools are designed to reduce the hassles you’d have to struggle through learning more complicated software.
CyberLink PowerDirector Review
Summary
CyberLink PowerDirector is ideal for content creators who require a little assistance because they don’t understand video editing instinctively. It’s a wonderful option for PC and Mac users alike thanks to its simplified UI and quick processing.
Overall
-
Interface
-
Usability
-
Features
-
Speed
-
Support
-
Price
User Review
( votes)Pros
- Rendering is quick and error-free
- Uncluttered work area
- Easy to use
Cons
- Missing some professional tools
- Lacks a few color correction tools
