Pinnacle Studio 12 in Software

The remainder of the new features are focused on the Plus and Ultimate versions of Studio. HDV and AVCHD capabilities were added in previous versions, as was the option to burn to HD-DVD (assuming you could find a burner). Now you can also burn to Blu-ray, with a choice of MPEG-2 or AVC encoding.

The Ultimate version comes with a rather different bundle to the previous incarnation. You still get the Dolby Digital 5.1 encoding plug-in and ProDAD VitaScene. This provides its own interface for applying custom lighting, texture and colour effects. However, BIAS SoundSoap and StageTools Moving Picture have been replaced by Boris Graffiti and Red Giant Software's Magic Bullet Looks.

The Magic Bullet Looks collection is another plug-in with its own interface, but here the focus is on replicating the appearance of familiar film and video treatments often seen in film, TV, advertising and music videos. Boris Graffiti supplies yet another, different interface. It offers sophisticated 3D titling, with a plethora of presets on offer. But the hugely powerful Advanced mode will be too intimidating for most Studio users.

With the exception of Montage and Blu-ray burning, Pinnacle Studio 12 doesn't add many major core features. It's still a great option for new video editors, with the Plus and Ultimate versions offering room for growth and a wealth of effects. But despite Montage, Studio's lack of extra video layers remains a disadvantage. We can't help thinking that an AVCHD-enabled version of Adobe Premiere Elements will steal its thunder, when that eventually arrives.

Author: James Morris