Powerdirector 16

Powerdirector 16 is Cyberlink’s newest and best video editing program. There are three different versions of the program, the Ultra, the Ultimate and the Ultimate Suite. The Powerdirector caught my eye because of the many good evaluations of the predecessor program and there was a good reason for that. The video editing program is fast and offers many features, some of which you won’t find in any other program in this price range, such as the editing of vertically recorded mobile phone videos. I was especially convinced by the price-performance ratio, because you get a successful package for the price, which you can even edit 360° videos. The Powerdirector is mainly aimed at beginners to advanced. Considering the many functions, I would recommend the program only to someone who has some experience in video editing.

Cyberlink Powerdirector 16 Ultra Test

Powerdirector 16 is Cyberlink’s latest video editing program and probably the best. There are three different versions of the program, Powerdirector 16 Ultra, Ultimate and Ultimate Suite. What the individual video editing programs offer in detail, you can find out on this page. Have fun!

Structure of the video editing program

When you start the program, first of all a window will open where you can choose in which mode you want to edit your video. You can also select the video format here. It is even possible to edit 9:16 images taken by the phone. A really cool thing that I haven’t seen before with any other video editing program.

Once you have made your selection, the main window of the video editing program opens. Depending on which mode you have chosen, the surface now looks different.

Here’s the comparison:

Timeline mode	Storyboard mode

Timeline mode

In timeline mode I cut my videos most of the time, because a timeline is simply very clear. The files are simply dragged and dropped into the Timeline and can be cut and edited there. You can see how long a video sequence is compared to the others.

The timeline mode looks very similar to that in other programs, of course, so if you already have experience with it, you will find your way around well here.

Storyboard mode

The storyboard mode is especially suitable for beginners (and looks a bit like Movie Maker). Here, too, there is a time axis. However, you can’t see how long a single video lasts compared to the others. The order of the video sequences can be changed. However, fades, effects and texts can also be inserted as in Timeline mode. The Storyboard mode is especially for beginners and is ideal if you want to go fast.

Slide show designer

If you only want to create a slide show, you can do this with the slide show creator. You simply select the pictures and the music, then you can easily edit them and choose a slide show form. The program now creates a slide show, which you can check during the preview. Finally, export the finished movie or burn a DVD.

Preview monitor

The preview monitor lets you watch your movie and preview effects. There is a preview monitor in every video editing program.

Below the preview monitor there is a bar with various symbols and the corresponding functions. Here, for example, you can only play the video sequence and set exact cuts, you can zoom in on the picture, change the volume, etc.

Menu

At the top left is the menu with all imaginable functions that make up a good video editing program. You can insert effects, apply fades, or drag animations into the Timeline. The menu is quite clear and contains everything you need.

At the top there is a bar with four different points.

Recording

Here you can record something directly in the program, for example your voice with the integrated microphone in the computer or you connect a camera and film yourself. Super handy if you want to put your voice behind the video or if you want to record something quickly and edit it directly. I have not yet seen a program with a similar function.

Edit

Here you can import and edit your videos. Quite normal..

Produce

Here you can export your finished video after you have selected a file format.

Create Disc

If you want to burn your video to a DVD, you can create a menu and a title here. So you can create a professional DVD.

The video editing program is in any case very clearly structured and has a nice design. I just downloaded the Powerdirector two days ago and am already getting along quite well with it.

What does the program offer?

The Cyberlink programs are known to offer a lot of features for a very low price, such as the 360° editing in the latest version. But is it worth buying the video editing program?

First of all, the new software comes to market with more effects and template packages than ever before. New are especially the titles and transitions for 360° videos or the color correction, which did not exist before.

You can also get a lot out of video material from Actioncams. Speed adjustment and video stabilization are available with almost every paid video editing program. The distortion correction or the still image is great for the Powerdirector. If you record movements that are too fast with too little fps, distortions in the video material can occur and this simply doesn’t look professional. The distortion correction improves the lens and the color.

New in the 2016 version is the designer for video collages, which I haven’t tested yet, because I rarely work with collages.

In addition, there is now a color matching that is very practical. especially if you have filmed with different cameras.

What’s really cool is the ability to create DVDs. You can create titles and navigation directly in the program and then burn the video to a CD. Very simple and uncomplicated and your own film of a family holiday is also a great gift and a nice memory.

Do you already need a 360° video editing function?

Of course, everyone has to decide for themselves. However, more and more 360° cameras are coming onto the market and I believe that virtual reality will become more and more important in the future. As you may have noticed, GoPro has recently released the new GoPro Fusion, which can now also record 360° videos. So for all those who already have a 360° camera or want to buy one, the program is perfectly suitable.

Which version is the best?

Like the last video editing programs from Cyberlink, the new program comes in several versions on the market. There is the Ultra, Ultimate, Ultimate Suite and Director Suite. Furthermore you can buy the Powerdirector together with the Photodirector of Cyberlink in one pack. But this is only about the video editing program.

First of all, all four programs offer exactly the same. The Ultimate version has a few more effect packs in stock and the two most expensive programs offer more effects in addition to the effects of the Ultimate version of five third-party plugins, such as the NewBlue Paint effects. This plugin transforms your videos into drawings that look as if they have been painted by hand.

The only difference between Ultimate Suite and Director Suite is the Photodirector, which is included in the Director package.

Which program would I buy?

Until now this was only rough information about the differences between the program variants. Personally, I would choose Powerdirector 16 Ultimate because it gives you much more possibilities to edit your videos than the normal version. One receives for example a wedding or Christmas package, which are then optimally coordinated with a wedding video or a film in the Christmas season. But if you only want to edit normal videos, the ultra version is enough. It offers everything you need to edit videos, even 360° editing. The more expensive program is only worthwhile because of the additional packages.
The Ultimate Suite costs 100€ more compared to the other video editing programs, which is really not little for a few effects in addition. The most important thing about the Ultimate and Director Suite is the audio and color directors that are included in the package and make up the big price difference. Those who really want to have a program that can not only edit videos, but also music and colors can edit, is best equipped with a suite version.

Photodirector: (included in the Director Suite and available in bundle with Powerdirector 16 Ultra)

With the Photodirector you can get a lot out of your photos. You can sharpen images or mix image layers, i.e. put one image in front of the other. In this way completely new works of art are created. You can also filter out still images from videos, which is super cool. Because it’s incredibly difficult to take a picture when something happens fast, like someone jumping into the air. Either the photographer misses the moment to pull the trigger or the image is blurred. Now you can simply record a video and take out a single photo at the right moment and edit it further. Of course, there are also ready-made templates available if you need a quick start. 360° photo editing is also at the start. You can do much more with the Photodirector, but I don’t go into all functions. It should actually only be about the video editing program 😀

If you have Instagram, you can search there for photodirector. Then you’ll see what’s possible.

Audio Director: (included in the Ultimate and Director suites)

For the optimal background music of your movies there is the Audio Director. This offers many functions to improve the sound. For example, it removes background crackling, mixes music with sound from your videos, and reduces annoying background noise.

Colordirector: (included in the Ultimate and Director suites)

The Colordirector offers an incredible amount of settings to optimize the colors of the videos, similar to the Photodirector, but now it’s about videos. It is also possible to adjust videos that have been made by different cameras or that differ in color to each other optimally. This function already exists in the normal video editing program, but the Colordirector is much more professional and it contains all functions to conjure videos in professional quality from normal videos. But the functions from the Powerdirector are sufficient for me. This tool is really only for professionals in the field. I probably can’t do much with most of the features.

Like I said, I would recommend Power Director 16 Ultimate. I like the Audio- and Photodirector too, but I wouldn’t spend 100€ more for it, because the normal video editing program already offers many functions in a slimmed down form.

I wouldn’t call the Directorsuite just a video editing program, but a collection of different editing programs to create stunning videos and photos of the highest quality.

The speed

What particularly impressed me about Cyberlink’s video editing program was its speed. Okay, I haven’t pushed the program to its limits yet. However, it runs smoothly in normal use and the preview monitor also shows the film without faltering too much. The Powerdirector 16 uses 64-bit technology, which also makes a very fast export possible. Who doesn’t know it? You have finished editing a video and can hardly wait to watch it and then you have to wait an hour until the program has exported the large file 😀

For whom is the Powerdirector 16 suitable and for whom rather less?

The program offers a lot of functions, including some that you don’t find so often in other programs, such as editing vertical videos. Thanks to the clear user interface, you will quickly find your way around, but the video editing software is a bit too complex for a complete beginner. If you already have some experience with video editing, even if it is only with free video editing programs, you will probably find this program very good.

Bottom line

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Powerdirector 15

CyberLink PowerDirector 15 Ultra Test

With the video editing program PowerDirector 15 there are no limits to creativity. The manufacturer states that the program is suitable for both beginners and advanced users.

Cyberlink’s video editing program is one of the best rated video editing programs on Amazon. But how good is it really?

What does the video editing program offer?

• Program supports 4K video footage and videos at up to 240 fps (frames per second)
• very fast processing possible
• TrueTheater technology included
• 360° videos
• Editing function for vertical recordings from mobile phone
• Express Projects

For a video editing program of this price class, the Powerdirector 15 offers an incredible number of functions and thus possibilities to edit its videos. Even 360° videos can be edited with the program, which is really cool. The Powerdirector is also known for the editing of vertical videos, for example mobile phone recordings. I rarely use my mobile phone for videos – but it’s still a great feature that I haven’t seen in other video editing applications before.

Not without reason the Powerdirector 15 is a very popular video editing software on Amazon. It offers many functions and also the price-performance ratio is great. However, there is already a newer version of the program, the Powerdirector 16. About this software I have written a much more detailed test and I also recommend everyone to rather buy the latest program from Cyberlink.

What is TrueTheatre technology?

With this function you can put the finishing touches on your videos. The program stabilizes shaky video, removes the annoying noise in the sound and improves the exposure by itself.

Express Projects

If you want to be especially fast, you can select a video template, insert videos and the video editing program creates a finished movie with titles, effects and transitions all by itself. Ideal for beginners to see how a video is structured in the timeline.

What’s different about the Ultimate version?

Powerdirector 15 Ultimate offers a few more features and additional packages, but you won’t find much about them on the internet.

Conclusion:

However, there is a newer version again, which I have tested more closely and which is not much more expensive than the old one. That’s why I’d rather buy Powerdirector 16 Ultra. Here you can see the test of the latest version of the program!