Think of entry-level video editing and the products that spring to mind are probably Adobe Premiere Elements or Ulead VideoStudio, but there should be another on your shortlist; Magix Movie Edit Pro 11 Plus. As the number suggests, this is a mature product, but isn't as well known in the UK as it is in the rest of Europe.

Although intended primarily for home video, it has many features which make it suitable for the semi-pro market as well. The main screen is laid out in a conventional style, with a preview panel on the left, a timeline of up to 16 channels at the bottom and access to files, effects and other tools through a selector on the right. There's a standard menu bar at the top and three mode buttons which switch between the main areas of work: Record, Edit and Burn CD.

In Record mode you can load video from digital video cameras or grab it from analogue recordings, with an appropriate video capture card. You can record TV from an analogue or digital TV tuner card, too, and load video files in most common formats, from disk. The software automatically recognises scene breaks in VHS tapes and can import still photos, which you can organise with the bundled Photo Manager applet.

Edit mode is where most of the work is done; you can work with storyboard or scene overview displays, if you find the timeline initially too complex. In any display mode you can cut together video scenes, add transitions and effects, overlay video clips and modify individual scenes. New one-click effects include auto-lighting, colour, brightness and sharpness and can be tuned to work from a frame up to a complete video.

Sound control is a particular strength of Movie Edit Pro 11 Plus and there's a separate effects rack to spice things up. The new program is fully Dolby ProLogic-compatible and you can place different sounds throughout the multi-channel sound stage. If you're in a hurry, the program will generate music to fit particular video sequences and can be given a style, like fun, exciting or mundane (Magix's adjective).

The final stage is making up your finished video in a form where you can view it or send it to others to view. As well as supporting most CD and DVD Video formats, including SVCD and MiniDVD, the program can also configure video for Playstation Portable, iPod and SmartPhones and even put your finished video up on your Web site.

Verdict
Magix Movie Edit Pro 11 Plus is a comprehensive and inexpensive tool for home and semi-pro video editing. It has most of the necessary features, including HD Video and HD TV support and the ability to create videos in many multimedia formats. It does take a bit of work to learn, though, if you're new to video editing.

Company: Magix

Contact: 01242 633 646

Tags: ipod minidvd smartphone video editing tv tuner card corel videostudio dvd-video adobe premiere elements