Ulead MediaStudio Pro 7.0 Digital Video Description:

Ulead MediaStudio Pro 7.0 Digital Video review:
4 stars (Great Potential, but somewhat unstable.) - I bought this program after previously owning VideoStudio 7 and 8, but I almost always picked XP's Movie Maker 2 over both of them. All these programs soon proved to be far too simple for the tasks I wanted to accomplish with my video projects, and for me it was either Adobe Premiere or MediaStudio Pro. I've used Premiere 6.5 in school and can say that overall, I'm more impressed with Media Studio. Anyway, I picked Media Studio 7 up for 100 dollars off of academic superstore (sorry amazon!)at upgrade price, which pretty much sold me on its own. This program is definitly worth 100.



PRO'S:



Media Studio can be tricky at times to figure something out, but tech support is very efficient in replying to REGISTERED users tech support requests. A couple of other people mentioned the tech support being almost non existent, but I've submitted forms about 5 times now, and have recieved responses, (while not always solving the problem in its entirety), the very next day. Also, read through the whole manual!



It really is possible to do almost anything you want, and I am yet to find something critical that I can accomplish in Premiere that I can't in MSP 7.0.



CONS:



I have a P4 3Gig, 512DDR RAM, and 130GB HDD, but I am already considering upgrading to 1GIG DDR RAM and buying an external hard drive. Video files take up a lot of space, quick. While it does appear to run smooth, I have problems opening up my video project without MSP crashing on me, at least a couple times a day. This is a real draw back and should've been fixed in Ulead's MS Serivce Pack 2, but it wasn't. And, that file was just a ten minute clip! (although it was packed with filters, titles, overlays, and multiple audio/video tracks).



I guess my "bottom line" on the product is:



If you don't want to spend the money on Premiere, and already own a pervious copy of MediaStudio or VideoStudio, then GO WITH MSP7!!! But if you don't have a strong computer, a hefty amount of free-time for video editing, and a lot of patience, stay away from it. If all you want is to slap a few transitions in your family vacations, add a few titles, and burn to DVD, then by no means purchase MediaStudio. Everything is harder, yes, like mentioned in someone elses review, but it is much more rewarding. You really are in control of what your final project will look like.
5 stars (Not for lightweights) - This is definitely the program for those who are interested in an intense movie making experience!! It definitely takes patience to get the hang of and is not for the easily frustrated. If you have a vision for your movie, you now have the tool to accomplish that vision. If you have a serious attention to detail complex...this is the one for you. Otherwise, I would say go with Adobe Premier...excellent in its own right and still highly effective (and the cost benefits are super). Happy movie making!
4 stars (A step up from Windows Movie Maker2) - After reading some of those heavy handed reviews of MediaStudio Pro, I decided to add my comments. Although the program is a bit tricky to learn, once you've mastered the ins and outs it's great. There's a lot of flexibilty for creating FX and transitions, but you may have to read the tutorials and extensive help screens. This is a definite step up from Windows MovieMaker2. It allows you to be much more creative. It's not for those seeking instant editing solutions. It's a great stepping stone from the consumer to real editing world. It also works on my old Pentium II machine! You don't need a $1500 P4 to use this software. It preforms well on windows XP pro. Get the free 'trial' version a judge for yourself.