Review by Lincoln

Cyberlink PowerDirector 12 is a solid video editing platform. I feel that the target audience is advanced beginner (those who want to do a little bit of editing) to amateur (those who string together multiple video clips to build YouTube videos or DVDs). But for those who run studios, use green screens, overlay audio tracks, create special effects, etc., Cyberlink falls short. But I don’t expect Cyberlink to compete with Sony Vegas Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro - the two leading professional level video software programs for PC. I’ll give you a run down of my software analysis….

Features >>> Side-by-side with other similarly priced software ($80-$125), the list of features are right on. I don’t feel that Cyberlink gives me as much as Corel VideoStudio Ultimate (Corel easily is the most featured packed software for video and image editing). But it Cyberlink definitely gives me more than Adobe Premiere Elements (best selling beginner software).

*** To see the list of features in Cyberlink, just read the Amazon software description. It’s pointless to repeat that here.***nnReliability >>> After 30 days of testing I have not experienced a single bug or software glitch. This is impressive. Adobe by far has been the most problem-laden software I’ve used. Sony and Corel ran basically problem free.

Speed >>> Compared to my other softwares, Cyberlink comes in slower than Adobe Premiere Pro and Sony Vegas at rendering and adding special effects. But Cyberlink renders a hair faster than Corel (but too close to be important) and noticeably faster than Adobe Premiere Elements.

Ease of use >>> PowerDirector is about as easy as you can get. I feel that the menu system and layout is excellent - making it great for beginners or people wanting to do a little more with their videos.

Learning >>> Again, PowerDirector shines here. It’s very easy to use.

My Own Preference >>> Sony Vegas Pro has become my video editing software of choice for 2013 and 2014. Previously I was using Adobe Premiere Pro (for 4 years) and Adobe Premiere Elements (for 2 years) before that . I decided to leave Adobe after the company only offered Cloud-based software (in 2013). I don’t feel that Cloud software is as safe, reliable or speedy as using software installed on my home PC. And the Adobe prices were getting unrealistically high. Sony Vegas Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro are professional level software. I never expected Cyberlink PowerDirector to compare with these. I will still continue to use Sony Vegas Pro because the user interface is excellent and the software runs fast and problem-free.

More direct competition with Cyberlink PowerDirector is Adobe Premiere Elements and Corel VideoStudio Ultimate / Pro. I had used Adobe Premiere Elements for 2 years and thought it was a very easy, intuitive and simple software program. I did run into some freeze ups and failed renderings. However that was many years ago, and I have since migrated to more powerful software. I feel the newest versions of Adobe Premiere Elements are excellent for beginners, but lack the features that more experienced users will want. This is where Cyberlink PowerDirector wins out. PowerDirector has a nice list of editing features, and special effects. Compared to Corel VideoStudio, however, PowerDirector has less features and effects. Plus Corel’s Ultimate version software costs ¹⁄₂ the price of PowerDirector. So I feel that Corel wins out.

Nonetheless, PowerDirector is a very solid video editing software package. It runs well, has few problems, has a clear menu system and user interface and renders final videos quickly enough for most people. Ultimately it’s a good choice.