AVID STUDIO VS. CYBERLINK POWERDIRECTOR 10

Question: Hi. I am a home video hobbyist and film just about every event that happens in the family. I have purchased three video cameras over last five years and can say that the software that comes with them is far from adequate for my needs.

I have used Power Director since version 5 and now I am using Version 10 which costs around $100 at the moment which is heavily discounted. Having said that, I am always interested in betterment. Does Avid Studio which is similarly priced have any advantages over the Power Director?

Answer: Thank you for your question.

There are a few differences between Avid Studio and Cyberlink PowerDirector 10.

Avid Studio has unlimited timeline tracks. PowerDirector has 100 timeline tracks. We don't think most consumer video hobbyists will need more than 100 tracks so we will call this one a tie.

If you like being able to share projects and files the Director Zone is a valuable resource. Avid Studio does not have this feature.

Avid Studio comes with Red Giant software which provides you with multiple effects presets. You can also change the effects in any way you want. PowerDirector has a huge number of effects and the particle designer. Even though these are great tools they are no match for the Red Giant package.

Each time you want to add media to the timeline you have to import it with PowerDirector. Avid Studio has a powerful media library that is updated as soon as you add files to your computer or hard drive. No more importing (unless you import straight from your camera). You can also use the media library to create ratings, specific file names, and more. When you trim a video from the media library it keeps those settings so you never have to trim it again.

Although Avid Studio renders video quickly PowerDirector renders video and effects faster. Cyberlink uses what they call their TrueVelocity rendering engine, OpenCL support, an enhanced video encoder, and Intelligent SVRT technology to speed up rendering and create high quality videos.

Those are the main differences. If you need more info on Avid Studio watch our review on our Avid Studio page. You can also watch our tutorials on our second YouTube channel AvidStudioPro.

If anyone has any additional information or insights on Avid Studio or Cyberlink PowerDirector 10 please add your comments below.