Review: PowerDirector 5

Review: PowerDirector 15 Posted on: May 15, 2017 /

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Categories: Video Basics

We always applaud early adopters. Cyberlink's PowerDirector 15 added 360 video editing capabilities before anyone else, similar to how we added 360 and VR stock footage to our library before the rest of the competition. So, we gave their software a spin with some b-roll to see how it stacks up against the industry leaders, and this is what we learned.

Firstly, if you work in Windows, PowerDirector 15 is definitely worth a try. It is not Mac compatible sorry Apple users but pulls a lot of weight as an intuitive editing program for the other half. We all know the dominant software in the industry is Adobe Premier Pro and Final Cut Pro, yet the costs can be prohibitive. With pricing in the range of $74.99 $129.99, PowerDirector offers (mostly) the same professional tools at a more affordable price.

Now let's get into the software specifics.

Features

360 Editing Navigating the interface for 360 editing is surprisingly intuitive. Arrows allow you to move left, right, up, and down, within the frame. All the basic editing tools work, but many of the advanced and special features cannot be applied for 360 exports. Currently, there is no way to mix other formats of content with 360 footage. You can still add titles and transitions, manipulate speed, and use keyframes among other essentials.

Action Camera Power Director 15 contains specific settings to support POV footage, like GoPro videos. It allows you to stabilized your video (to a certain degree), but like most stabilization technology, there may be some warping. The most practical features include freeze frame, replay, and the ease in-and-out tool all adding that epic feeling to your Vail snowboarding footage.

Assisted Movie Making A good template can save a lot of time and energy, which is the goal of assisted movie making. PowerDirector 15 includes nine Express Projects, as they're called, which allow you to create a variety of video series. From trailers to wedding videos to travel stories, the simple drag-and-drop technology makes it easy to turn out DIY projects that have some professional polish.

Other:

Motion Tracking

Content Aware

Keyframing

Multi-cam Editing

4K Support

3D Support

Audio Timelines

All the Basics (Trimming, Splitting, White Balance, and More)

Summary

Pros: Fast, user-friendly interface with plenty of effects and a full scope of editing capabilities including 360 and action cam video. From screen recording to content aware, PowerDirector 15 offers pretty much all the major features an editor could want.

Cons: You have to use Cyberlink Cloud Storage in order to automatically sync your files to a cloud service. If you use a different provider, there are extra steps involved. Also, you can easily export to Facebook and Flickr, but not any other sites or social media platforms. Also, the source panel does not include trimming.

Want to test out the program with some b-roll footage? We have 4MM+ HD clips to choose from.

Find HD Footage

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Tags: 360 Video, b-roll, stock footage, video editing

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