PowerDirector

There is a whole bunch of editing software out there. Trust me, I know! The worst thing I had to do when I decided to start a youtube channel was finding the right editing software. I spent months searching for something that didn't confuse the hell out of me! Finally, I came across PowerDirector. Now the first thing you need to know is that PowerDirector is super easy to use. It's incredibly helpful, user-friendly, and flexible. Copy and pasting pictures, as well as downloading music is awesome. It also has filters, background color choices, video transition options, opening and end credits options that you can edit to your specifications, also a myriad of fonts and colors. Volume and audio editing features, as well as skin smoothing, panning, (that's when you do a close up then back to the regular video, for those who don't know). The saving feature varies from saving on your device to your gallery, as well as your dropbox, or social media.

There is no clear way to overlay. The feature is hard to come by. In case you don't what I am talking about, it means that if you want a video over another video for some reason you can't get that. When you add a video clip it goes to the end of your video, no matter if you put it in the position you want.

Easy, easy, easy to use. Most of it is intuitive. Even getting your plugins from Cyberlink’s homepage is pretty straightforward. Now, more nuanced tactics like keyframe editing and blending modes are trickier and take some practice. But once you figure out the best technique for applying them, it’s pretty easy to get back into the flow of things. Even though I got my copy in a bundle a few years ago, recent editions are also reasonably affordable. Integrates well with Cyberlink’s other products. Being able to render videos on an integrated graphics card is a bonus.

There aren’t many plugins that really standout, making a video’s overall quality inferior to anything produced in a higher end product like HitFilm or Adobe Premiere. Its native special effects, while fine, are also limited. Adjusting sound in a clip is challenging, as there’s no great way to get those sliders exactly to where you want them. And getting the finest controls, like color grading, requires other premium Cyberlink products. But these are picky things, not worth passing on if your budget is too tight for the higher end products.