Video Capture / Import
The main work areas of Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 remain the same and are accessable through three tabs at the top of the screen labelled Capture / Edit / Share.
The capture section really at this point of development needs no time wasted on it here.
Whether you are capturing standard defintion from a DV.AVI tape camcorder, high definition from HDV tape or from any of the many other solid state cards, hard disc recorders or whatever VideoStudio is equipped to handle it.
Supported Input file types:
Video Input Formats:
AVI, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, AVCHD?, MPEG-4, H.264, BDMV, DV, HDV?, DivX®, QuickTime®, RealVideo®, Windows Media® Format, MOD (JVC® MOD File Format), M2TS, M2T, TOD, 3GPP, 3GPP2
Audio Input Formats:
Dolby® Digital Stereo, Dolby® Digital 5.1, MP3, MPA, WAV, QuickTime, Windows Media® Audio
Image Input Formats:
BMP, CLP, CUR, EPS, FAX, FPX, GIF, ICO, IFF, IMG, J2K, JP2, JPC, JPG, PCD, PCT, PCX, PIC, PNG, PSD, PSPImage, PXR, RAS, RAW, SCT, SHG, TGA, TIF, UFO, UFP, WMF
Import From Disc:
DVD, Video CD (VCD), Super Video CD (SVCD)
Video Editing
Like most of the main players in this market VideoStudio Pro X4 has finally gotten a grip on the newer highly compressed video file formats and handles them very well.
All of the video file formats listed above can be maipulated easily by VideoStudio Pro X4 these days… BUT…
Be aware that if you are editing AVCHD or even MPEG4 video files using the H.264 codec (in HD format) your success with these files will largely depend on your available computer resources.
In the past we could point the finger at the software as being at least partially resonsible for trouble with these files but not any more.
On a computer equipped to deal with them, VideoStudio is more than up to the task. The result of their improved processing utilization is a faster video editor and a much smoother editing experience.
Fortunately for those who are a little “resource challenged” VideoStudio Pro X4 offers a proxy editing feature it pioneered a few years back.
This feature allows you to create smaller, more manageable files at lower resolution which you can use to do all of your editing. Once you finish and are ready to create your final product the software then uses the high definition versions to create the final file.
As you would expect from a program that has been around for a while, Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 is more than capable of doing everything as far as editing goes with ease.
It has all the tools you need for cutting and trimming your video files and has a multi-trim tool which allows you to segment larger files while they are on the timeline.
Part of the multi-trim feature and also the import feature is scene detection technology that works very effectively to break up bigger files into more manageable sizes.
An addition in VideoStudio Pro X4 is improved integration of Windows Explorer into the library allowing for greater vesatility in how and where you place you video, audio and image files.
Even though the editing area of VideoStudio is the main work space this version has retained the wizard based automatic and semi-automatic project creation functions.
These can be used from start to finish or you can switch to the normal editing interface at any point to fine tune any aspect of your project.
Video Editing Effects and Video Transitions
VideoStudio Pro X4 comes equipped with way more than enough transitions for those of you that love those things. Most of them are customizable using key-frames offering excellent control.
Transitions can be added to a project by simply dragging and dropping the transition on to the timeline where you want it.
Any specific effect or setting that you use regularly can be saved as a personal preset then dragged to the timeline any time you need it in the future.
The program comes with a huge range of filters and effects outside of the transitions allowing you to apply all sorts of weird and wonderful effects to your projects.
There are video and image correction tools within the effects library that are quite effective once you get the hang of using them.
Filters, effects and transitions can also be applied to video clips placed in overlay tracks. This gives you full control over how they enter, depart and playback as part of your overall project.
Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 has once again included the 3rd party NewBlue®FX filters in addition to those already in the program.
The most important one is the NewBlu Essentials II, PiP (picture in picture) effect which you can use as a kind of “poor mans” moving path tool.
If you are not familiar with moving paths probably the easiest way to visualize it is to imagine an arrow pointing at one player in a video of a basketball game.
As the game moves around and the picture constantly changes, including the position of our player within the picture, the arrow follows that player and continues to point at him.
This kind of effect is achieved with moving paths, so providing this in VideoStudio Pro X4 is a very useful and welcome feature.
All of these video filters, video effects, correction tools and transitions are very well organized into the new library structure and are easy to find and deploy.
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