Amazon.co.uk Review
Pinnacle Studio DV Version 8 is designed for anyone who has a digital video camera and wants to edit home movies or professional footage, such as estate agents' sales videos. It includes hardware to connect camera to PC and the software to edit the transferred video. The core of the system is
Pinnacle Studio Version 8, the 2002 release of the company's video editing software. The application has an elegant, simple design, making it easy for beginners to work their way in, while still offering quite sophisticated facilities for the more experienced user.
There are three main parts to the Studio 8 display: first there's the album, which can show video clips, transitions, sound clips or DVD menu screens; to the right of this is a preview panel that can run your video at any stage during the editing process; below both of these is the storyboard, where you drag-and-drop the various elements that make up your finished video. This display can be switched to show a timeline or a file list in case you prefer working with either of these aids. As you call up other functions of the program, such as sound facilities or titling, the appropriate editing windows slide up or zoom out as needed. Video capture calls up a separate display, where you can control your video camera from within the software and pull in just the scenes you want to add to your edit. At the other end of the process you can burn your completed video to a CD or DVD, again from within the program.
Also in the Pinnacle Studio DV Version 8 box is a three-port Firewire card and specialised Firewire cable. The card fits into an expansion slot in your PC and provides an easy way to connect a digital video camera. You can transfer video data directly to your hard drive in this way--for best results you should consider fitting a second hard drive just to hold video. The manual shows you how to connect everything up, but there's little in the way of printed documentation for the software itself. --Simon Williams
Manufacturer's Description
Studio DV integrates with your digital camcorder, ensuring that the high quality of your movie is guaranteed, year after year. Capture the film and then edit it using the wide range of Studio software tools that can help you to choose all your best shots. With more that 100 professional-style scene transitions and over 300 looks and styles for titles, youll be spoilt for choice. Studio DV also features integrated authoring, so you can save you movie to CD or DVD quickly and easily. You can also save your movie onto DV tape or make video files for email and the web. Pinnacle provides amazing video effects such as Slow and Fast Motion, Colour Correction, Emboss and Posterize allowing you to add a professional touch to your productions.
Only Pinnacle Studio includes SmartSound, a background music generator that instantly creates a soundtrack perfectly matched to the movie. Pinnacle Studio also includes a professional sound FX library and audio editing tools to make sure your movie sounds as good as it looks.