Pinnacle Studio 9 Plus

Most low-cost video-editing programs are aimed at beginners, and emphasise ease of use rather than powerful features.

Pinnacle's Studio 9 is already one of the leading video editors for beginners, but Pinnacle has recognised that many of its users master the basics quite quickly and has released Studio 9 Plus, which includes a number of more advanced features.

These include support for Dolby Digital surround sound in movie soundtracks, and the ability to create 'dual-layer' DVDs that store twice as much video as ordinary discs. You will need a dual-layer drive to make the larger discs.

However, the most important new feature is the addition of a second video track in the main Timeline editing window. Rather than simply placing video clips in a linear sequence on a single track, you can now use the second video track to create more complex editing sequences and superimpose one video clip over another.

This opens up two major new possibilities: creating picture-in-picture effects, where the second video clip is played in a small window in the corner of the screen; or 'chroma-key' effects (also known in Hollywood as 'matte' effects) where you record a video clip against a coloured background and then replace the background with a second video clip.

We're also impressed that Pinnacle has managed to preserve the program's ease of use, and this combination of power and ease of use makes Studio 9 Plus one of the best editors in the sub-£100 category.

Contact: Pinnacle Systems 01895 44 20 03
www.pinnaclesys.com

Also consider: Roxio VideoWave 7 Professional