

If you're a beginner looking for an easy-to-use program, I'm not quite sure it deserves its popularity. However, CyberLink has solved some problems in the latest version of the program, so for power users, PowerDirector should be a contender. I tried to use the program on a faster machine, but that didn't always work. I had issues with clips starting to ghost for no apparent reason, and sometimes the program would hang. If you're a little more advanced, you may find the program's performance lacking. If you're looking for a fast editor for the basics, PowerDirector is a slam dunk. The difference is, you can just apply those tracks to the new group.

Up to 10 groups of effects can be applied to individual tracks, so you can cut to them and duplicate them to new tracks if you need to apply those same effects to every track. Where PowerDirector gets extra credit is for its unique way of applying every effect to individual tracks within a clip, which makes it easier to tweak, without having to remove and reapply effects to multiple tracks. PowerDirector's user-friendly scrolling interface separates the edit and render features and even lets you toggle between them. It's not just because CyberLink crammed so much extra function into the program.

PowerDirector Ultimate has an amazingly slick user interface for people who have editing and graphics production experience in other programs.
