Ulead VideoStudio 11 Plus

As with the previous version of VideoStudio, the best additions have been saved for the Plus edition. This is required if you want to edit HDV or AVCHD, and is the only version to support burning to HD DVD. It also comes with a copy of WinDVD 8 Silver for playing DVDs and AVCHD discs, and offers seven overlay tracks, where the standard one sports merely two. So although it's £17 more expensive, it's better value. We still recommend Adobe Premiere Elements 3 for serious video hobbyists, but VideoStudio has almost as much editing control and is a must if you've just bought an AVCHD camcorder.

Author: James Morris