Corel VideoStudio Pro X2 Review P.2
Special Video Effects
Video Preview
Audio
VideoStudio X2 is as good as any I have tested with the exception of AVCHD files which as I have said before are terribly demanding.
Corel have acknowledged this as a shortcoming of the program with regards to AVCHD playback and are apparently "working on it" and... working on it!
Corel have acknowledged this as a shortcoming of the program with regards to AVCHD playback and are apparently "working on it" and... working on it!
Video Output Formats
The big news here is the addition to VideoStudio Pro X2 of Painting Creator. This an advanced tool that allows you to draw over a frame or video and have the results appear as an animation or still image.
Picture-in-picture effects have been greatly improved allowing video to play within a frame that can be a simple shapes. You can add a border and adjust its thickness and color to your liking.
Green or blue-screen special effects (Chromakey) has been a feature of VideoStudio for some time now and remains as a feature. It performs very well in VideoStudio Pro X2 as it has done in previous versions.
There are corrective effects for color, brightness, and back-lighting which all work well.
As with many video editing packages now there is a motion correction feature to clean up any shakey shots you may have.
As with many video editing packages now there is a motion correction feature to clean up any shakey shots you may have.
VideoStudio Pro X2 has increased the size of the effects configuration windows so that the ability to use unlimited key-frames is actually a reality.
Previously the windows were so small it was nearly impossible to do very fine work.
Previously the windows were so small it was nearly impossible to do very fine work.
The titling tool remains pretty well as it has in past versions although VideoStudio X2 has added a second titling track to the timeline and a few more preset title animations.
More importantly it now lets you insert a customizable image or backdrop behind the title text to make it more readable.
More importantly it now lets you insert a customizable image or backdrop behind the title text to make it more readable.
Corel VideoStudio Pro X2's audio capabilities are adequate for most users and as I mentioned on the video-editing software page I do not really expect a great deal here and neither should you. It is a video editor not an audio editor.
Conclusion
As in previous versions, you can create AVCHD discs, Blu-Ray and traditional DVDs in a separate module that opens when you go to the Share tab of the video editor. I like VideoStudio Pro's menus which are highly configurable into chapters and sub menus and the automatic YouTube uploader.
The DV-to-DVD Wizard uses simple preset menus and largely automates the conversion of DV tapes to DVD. It's a very useful feature if you've got a DV tape (or lots of them) to convert but don't have time for meticulous editing.
There is also offers the option to switch from the Wizard into the editing module for any fine tuning you may wish to do.
There is also offers the option to switch from the Wizard into the editing module for any fine tuning you may wish to do.
Overall Corel VideoStudio Pro X2 remains at the forefront of the consumer level video editing software market. It offers the widest possible range of input and output formats and handles them very well.
Corel continues to include SmartSound which is a good solution for providing generic background music for your productions. For most editors VideoStudio X2's audio capabilities should prove sufficient and the program handles a very wide range of input formats.
It is one of the most active forums on the internet both for problem solving and sharing of ideas.
It is manned by many but the core of the forum is a group of about 15 people spread out in time zones all over the world that represent a vast storage of both knowledge and experience. There is nothing forbidding or elitist about the board and is place where good manners and the spirit of helping others prevail.
It is manned by many but the core of the forum is a group of about 15 people spread out in time zones all over the world that represent a vast storage of both knowledge and experience. There is nothing forbidding or elitist about the board and is place where good manners and the spirit of helping others prevail.
The preview capability of any video editing program is going to be monitored, to a large degree, by the power of the computer it is working on, the type of file formats being worked with and the complexity of the editing that you have applied.
The obvious work around is to use the Proxy files feature if your computer is struggling.
VideoStudio X2 is equipped to send the video to a second monitor if you have a suitable video card on your computer and you can preview on your DVD camcorder.
VideoStudio X2 is equipped to send the video to a second monitor if you have a suitable video card on your computer and you can preview on your DVD camcorder.
You can draw things like an animated arrow that is pointing to someone in the video and moves with them or a whole host of other applications. The only limit with this new tool is going to be your imagination.
None of these consumer level anti-shake filters will produce miracles and all will induce some degree of picture degradation in reducing the motion. VideoStudio Pro X2 is no exception and I would rate this feature as no better or worse than anything else around in its class.
This is no-longer the case with the configuration windows being able to be enlarged to almost the full size of the screen. This all a considerable improvement and is combined with the ability now to switch the effects on and off for comparison purposes.
You can adjust volume via rubber-band controls which gives sufficient control for most users. There is also a mixing console for individual track control and a graphical interface for handling Dolby 5:1 Surround sound.
Corel have included in the Ultimate package of VideoStudio X2 Pro the Steinberg WavLab 6LE audio editing program which is quite an advanced audio editing program.
The program has been juiced up to take advantage of modern processors yet has been kind enough to have a feature (proxy editing) to help those of us that are resource challenged!
VideoStudio Pro X2's final "ace in the hole" is not part of the program itself.
It is actually the User to User forum (opens in new a window) hosted by Corel and manned by VideoStudio users themselves. Whilst it could be said that the "new" customer support is, in fact, these forums, in the case of VideoStudio this is very true.
It is actually the User to User forum (opens in new a window) hosted by Corel and manned by VideoStudio users themselves. Whilst it could be said that the "new" customer support is, in fact, these forums, in the case of VideoStudio this is very true.
This is page two of the VideoStudio Pro X2 review. This version has been superceded by VideoStudio Pro X3 as of 2010. Click the link to go to that review if you wish.
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