Customer Reviews

Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus [OLD VERSION]

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I bought the Canon Vixia HF100 and shooting exclusively in HD mode. My Computer is a Pentium Core Quad processor with 4 gigs RAM, SATA drive of over 500 gigs, plus an external Firewire drive. I bought this software with high expectations however the following issues are present, even with all the current downloads:

Extreme Choppiness in video editing. After uploading my video files (.m2ts files), I incorporated into the time line and noticed extreme latency making adjustments, rendering and playing back temp editing. This is totally un-useable. I made a number of adjustments including checking that DMA was enabled, Disk Caching was disabled, and increasing swap file size (Bizarre since I am running over 4 gigs of memory), Plus I also enabled the smart proxy service which should assist in making such noticable delays go away. Not so. Nothing worked here. I imagine all the positive reviews were from users not using HD format.

Unless I have some type of fix for this issue, I am forced to find another software replacement. I am looking into Sony Vegas pro 8 as an alternative and will test the trial download.

Stay away from Video Studio 11.5 if you are using a High Def Camcorder.

UPDATE: I've since tried Sony Vegas Pro 8. Absolutely no latency with importing and editing Hi Def files. Sony has it right. It is more expensive, but you get what you pay for, ULEAD has a nice interface, but it can't handle the Higher Def files. This is the selling point. If you sole mission is to put highly compressed video onto the internet, ULEAD may be ok. If you want to do more in-depth editing and work with higher definition files go with Sony Vegas Pro 8 period. Save the hassle

Video editing is something new for me. I only recently purchased a videocam so I can write only from recent experience and only about this product as opposed to comparing it to other editing programs.

Loading the software went smoothly, although it seemed to take longer than average to install. Once installed everything worked properly, though.

The software comes with a 168-page user's guide that covers the various features and tasks of the software. While the print is rather small, the guide is easy to follow and to the point as it leads the user through the necessary steps.

I did a simple task, taking a video file of a piano recital, adding chapters and burning it to DVD. Everything worked as it should, and the software comes with various templates that made the process easier. I also originally added some subtitles to the file but removed them in order to keep things as simple as possible. It was very easy to add and remove them. Everything works on layers progressing on a timeline as you mix and add things, making it pretty easy to produce a decent video. For an amateur like me, this product has more than enough features for my needs and I am eager to explore and experiment with them.

For the money, this is a nicely-designed product that is pretty easy to use and comes with all the features most "amateurs" will need. I am very happy to have received this as an Amazon Vine sample but I would not hesitate in purchasing it or recommending it to others. It's worth the money.

5 STARS for the ability to burn/edit/ watch in AVCHD.

Well, I just got ULEAD VideoStudio 11.5 Plus software and the Sony PS3 yesterday. Although I prefer Sony Vegas Studio to do the editing, I bought the Ulead because of the claim that Hi-Def videos could be burned on standard DVDs and viewed through the PS3 in Hi-Def. I have a Canon HG10 camcorder and so far Sony Vegas Studio is incompatible with Canon AVCHD format. Editing and burning to a standard DVD is a benefit because Blu Ray burners cost around $400 and up, and Blu Ray blank media costs $10 PER DISC and up. Well, the software works well! If you tape,transfer, edit, and burn in the AVCHD format, the resulting DVD plays in (BluRay compatible) Hi-Def video. It looks fantastic!

Here are the basics:

* Captures video and photos from your hard drives, video input (camcorder, vcr, dvd, digital cam, etc.), tv tuner cards, all the normal stuff here. One highlight is that the software will accept both NTSC and PAL format input without issues - so feel free to share those videos with friends around the world.
* Has a full suite of special effects that you can add to your presentation, and when I say full suite, I mean a LOT. Hundreds of transitions, overlays, titles, and effects.
* Output options are vast - it's not just about writing it to a flat video file, you can send it back to a camcorder tape, mobile devices, youtube*, DVD and HD DVD, and more. It comes with all the expected menuing options as well (to create menu's on your DVD splash screen).

Here's what I like:
* File support can't be beat. No more limits to mpg, avi, wmv like you get in things like Windows Movie Maker*, this program pretty much reads everything including Quicktime* and Flash*, and as I mentioned before, PAL format too. This was a big win for me recently because I was putting together a video presentation that included video from the US and from India. Ulead was the ONLY program I had that would read the files without having to convert them first.
* Effects are vast. If you are used to some of the cool transitions you get in Windows Movie Maker* you're familiar with things like flips, rolls, slides, shatters, etc. Ulead steps it up a notch with 3D flips and spins, colour masks, clock style transitions, texture effects, peels, pushes, rolls, slides, stretches, wipes, and more. It even comes with a set of pre-installed flash animations that plug right into your movie or overlay on an existing slide.
* Audio options are significantly enhanced. Not only can you put it into waveform view, but you can dynamically change the volume and direction of the audio. These features are like Audacity* or Cakewalk* - you can drag and drop volume changes and even shift audio to left and right channels. This was pretty incredible to me and not something I've seen in any other movie maker software. Voice track is also available but not something I have used since I use pre-packaged audio for my movies.
* Setting exact time for a slide. In other programs it's difficult to set a slide to display for an exact time down to the split second. Ulead makes this easy with a detail page for each slide that you can configure timeline and other functions. I use this all the time. This detail page also offers dynamic pan/zoom and resizing of the image you're using, and if it's an image, instant colour correction. Very powerful. If it's a video you can reverse it, change the speed, split the audio, and dynamically trim the clip.

What bothers me:
* Limited TITLE templates out the box. The templates they provide seem pretty hokey, but you can do some level of customization and then save your new template (I just wanted more out of the box) - the other issue here is that you have to create a blank colour box (with associated duration) and overlay the title on it. This is very different from other tools that will automatically create a title slide for you. Titles are very important to me, as well as credits, which this tool doesn't have out of the box.
* Adding transitions and effects is clunky and time consuming. Drag and drop takes a while because of the distance between the transition and the timeline. Additionally, you can not highlight multiple sequences and apply a transition to each one en masse. In other words, if you want the same transition between 10 slides, you have to do it 10 times.

Overall Rating: 4 of 5, with 1 point removed for minor usability issues and insufficient title templates out of the box.

Summary: One of the most powerful video editing and movie creation tools I have used. Easily beats competitors like Roxio* and Windows Movie Maker*, although, for free movie creation, WMM* does provide a lot of functionality. For professional movie creation and the flexibility this program offers in input and output options, I'm very impressed.

* Product names are copyrights and trademarks of their respective companies.

Let me preface this review by saying that I am extremely tech savvy and have an IT background. That said....

I bought the Canon HG10 hard drive HD camcorder a few months back and it came with a version of Corel's Ulead video editing software. I was a little hesitant to buying an HD camcorder due to a lack of software selection that can edit AVCHD format, but it seemed like Corel finally produced a reasonable product that can do this. The software that came with the camera was a "slimmed" down version and the interface seemed pretty decent, so I decided to upgrade to the latest full version (11.5 Plus) to take advantage of all of the features of the software. At first glance the software interface is very attractive and easy to use. Importing video was fast and easy and creating transitions, effects, etc.. was also a cinch. NOW, here's the problem.......

When I create the video with effects, transitions, etc... in the storyboard and go to play the video back in the storyboard or timeline view, the video and audio are VERY choppy and is unbearable to watch. One main purpose of the storyboard/timeline view is to review the video you just spent hours creating to make sure it looks the way you want before rendering the video. Well, if the video/audio is choppy then this feature is useless. So, what is the next logical step? Search and install all updates from Corel's support site to make sure my software is the latest and the greatest. I did that and the results were the same! Next step? Contact Corel Tech Support. First of all, you can't speak with a tech unless you pay for it. I find this to be absurd since I already paid for the software and that should entitle me to some support from a real person. Since I wasn't going to spend money on support, the next option was to email them, which is free. I emailed them explaining my issue and they responded VERY quickly, which was comforting. Problem with that was I received a response from someone who probably started working there "yesterday". His/her answer was to make sure my computer could handle HD editing and that I had all updates installed. Interestingly enough, my email to them stated that I had a DUAL Intel Core 2 Duo processor machine with 4GB of RAM and that I already installed all updates. I guess they don't read your email, they just send out the script that's in front of them. I respond back with a "can you please give me a better answer" response and I get the response back a day later saying that I should uninstall & reinstall the software then apply the updates AGAIN. I responded explaining to them that I followed their instructions for installing the software and all updates the first time and reinstalling was not going to fix the problem. Honestly, I was very upset at this point and just wanted some "real" tech support and a "real" answer as to why the video/audio was so choppy. I then asked them if they had a lab environment in which they could replicate my problem and then threatened to write a poor review of their software if they couldn't give me a reasonable answer. A few days have gone by and they have not answered!

I believe Amazon's policy does not allow opened software to be returned, but I am going to do my best to return it anyway. I absolutely DO NOT RECOMMEND this software for HD (AVCHD) editing. The two stars are for the interface being easy and attractive. Other than that the software is useless unless tech support can fix this issue!! Right now it seems they are not willing!

Sony Vegas Pro 8 here I come! It's very expensive, but I downloaded the trial version and all is going well! I've created the same exact "storyboard" in Vegas Pro and the rendering was flawless!! I guess the saying is true..."you get what you pay for"!

If anyone is using Corel's Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 PLUS for HD editing please let me know what your experiences are by commenting on this post. Thanks!!

I've had a love/hate relationship with Ulead products in the past when they were an independent company. The products were generally good, but usually had quirky interfaces and relatively poor documentation. I used to use their photo editing program, but finally gave up on it. It had lots of nice features - but, overall, the programs had a steeper learning curve than I felt was necessary.

Corel purchased or merged with Ulead. I know that Corel had seen some hard times, but having recently tested their CorelDraw package, I knew their products were still pretty good. So I elected to test the Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus.

What a pleasant surprise. Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus installed on an XP machine without a single hiccup. The user interface is aggressively simple and they even include a pretty decent printed user manual, though the type is small.

The interface can be fairly described as intuitive and even the newest user will soon figure it out, particularly if they consult the online help or manual.

There are storyboard, timeline and audio views. This is not intended to be a heavy duty video editing program. Everything is designed to be as easy as possible and the designers have succeeded in reaching that goal. Chromakey, automatic editing and some other reasonably sophisticated features are available and don't require a knowledge of rocket science.

VideoStudio accepts all the ordinary inputs and AVCHD, one of the first programs to do so. Multiple output formats are available, including to iPod (H.264) and YouTube.

Overall, VideoStudio 11.5 Plus seems to be aimed at the video editor who needs enough power, but not so much that they have to surmount a steep learning curve. I found the program to be very stable under Windows XP. I performance and response were crisp.

On the whole, this program is on a par with Adobe Premiere Elements for a lower price. Not a bad deal at all.

Jerry

If you're looking for expert opinion - do not read another word. I'm very far from an expert re computers and software (say as far as from Texas to the moon). A really challenged computer person, I'm usuallyreluctant to try anything new or different. It makes my day when I can log on and travel about, send and receive emails, and search.
Nonetheless, I'm here to say that this worked for me. I have nothing with which to compare it because this was my first time to try any sort of video enhancement or editing. I used to envy all the folks who put up their videos on YouTube and never really dreamed that I'd be able to do it. Granted, I did have a little help but after the initial lesson everything went smoothly.
I like very much the ease with which we can share movies and pictures with relatives and friends on various devices. Why, I can even do voices and add special effects.
Who would have ever believed that I could do this? Certainly not my husband!

Video editing and authoring is generally an expensive proposition, and while this program is not perfect or professional grade Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus packs a wallop of features for a VERY good price, at least compared to what this software has historically cost.

The amount of export options has to be a big plus, and it includes the ability to easily format any video file or project for any of your mobile devices including your iPod, iPhone, Zune, PSP, etc. That's a huge thing that many people are looking for.

Some of the newer options like HD and BlueRay authoring aren't going to get wide use immediately, but they are must-haves for the growing HD crowd out there.

Within Video Studio there are a few basic options. The Movie Wizard is a quick and dirty import and export tool. This is the easiest option to choose to convert, trim and condense video files. There's also a bunch of templates included for standard transitions to add some openings, endings, fades and credits. Once again, even with the Wizard alone you can really clean up some video files fast.

You can even import them directly from you digital recorder, but I opt to save my files and import them afterwords. I always like to have a backup seperate from what I'm working on, so this makes it easier for me to keep track of my import and export areas.

In the full blown Video Studio tool you can open up video and audio files and add them to a project. The benefit of that is that you can merge and splice your files and add custom transitions and graphics to really make your videos pop. Once again, there's a lot of features here. You really have to spend some time playing and exploring.

Media One is kind of an extra, but it makes it easy to do some basic graphics and picture stuff to add to your videos. Another extra is Intermedia DVD player, which is included on many OEM system software packages but didn't come with my box. So that's a nice extra too.

One positive thing is that there are a bunch of tutorials and help file documentats included on your extras disks. There's also plenty of clips to play with and test your skills on. If you haven't done video editing before that's probably the best place to start.

Still, I think this program is user friendly enough to do basic things like import / export and conversions out of the box. Since most people will want to start by collecting all their videos, that's a nice plus in terms of the usability.

One con I have to note is that converting videos to certain formats seems to use pre-set frame rates that take some time to customize. And it seems to convert some of these formats frame by frame, instead of using much faster file conversion techniques. Behind the scenes it may be doing more, but for this price I don't really mind waiting a few minutes for my files to convert.

I also own the Pinnacle software that comes with their integrated hardware offering, Pinnacle Studio MovieBox Ultimate, Studio Ultimate Version 12. While there are more basic versions of the software that are closer in price to this guy, I find that the Corel Ulead software is more stable overall.

Don't get me wrong, the Movie-box ultimate package is a great value because it includes the hardware interface. If you don't have all the connectors you need, that might be a good alternative. But if you just compare software to software, Corel Ulead stacks up well against Pinnacle Studio Ultimate.

Truth be told, for this price I have to forgive the other minor cons I noted. That includes mainly that the menu and icon graphics aren't the snazziest. Still, compared to Apple's Built-in editor and Windows built-in movie editor (from Vista Ultimate) this guy includes more formats and features right out of the box. And once again, for what you get this is really a great value in software.

Definitely check this out. The Corel site has some clips and information to get you more used to the kinds of things you can produce.

Enjoy!!!

I had been using Windows Movie Maker to publish videos on YouTube and other sites. While Movie Maker is essentially free and powerful enough to accomplish many of the general tasks needed to polish up a video clip, it lacks some features that are found in Corel Ulead 11.5 Plus.

Corel Ulead Videostudio allows you to view samples of video effects in the thumbnails section, giving you a better way to sample the effects before you apply them as your transitions. The title and text boxes allow you to easily crop and move them around in the video. Microsoft's Movie Maker was extremely restrictive with placing text, or it was difficult to manipulate. With Ulead's Videostudio, the interface was extremely intuitive and easy to master. I was able to add background music, text, and transition effects within 5 minutes of installing the program. The number of formats available for exporting the final product is nothing short of impressive. Ulead offers H.264, WMV, MPEG-4, Blu Ray, HD DVD, DVD/VCD/SVCD/MPEG1/MPEG2, and HDV in 720p/1080i.

The bonus disc includes a few extra programs such as WinDVD8 (DVD player) and MediaOne (photo editor). MediaOne is a very simple program and lacks too many features to make it a worthwhile replacement for Paint Shop or Photoshop. WinDVD8 is simple to use and works well for playing DVD movies on a PC.

Pros:
-Affordable
-Powerful entry/intermediate level video editing
-Works on slower PCs without any problems
-Impressive number of export formats available
-Large selection of filters/attributes to apply and edit for your clips
-Almost full control over the exported file settings

Cons:
-There are some commands added to your registry that start up various applets during a fresh boot of the PC.
-The installer asks if you want to install the Google toolbar in your browser.

Overall, if you are looking for a better way to express your creativity and personality using the magic of audio/visual presentations and want to keep it within a decent budget, Corel's VideoStudio fits the bill.

Boy, I wish I'd read David Carlin's review before buying this thing. I also have a hi-def camera and was hoping to find a decent piece of editing software to do just some basic tasks -- trimming video, splicing a couple of clips together -- nothing too fancy.

Unfortunately, while Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 says it supports being able to import .m2ts files, I think you have to interpret "supports" as "opens the file without crashing." If you're hoping it means, "opens the file in any way that might be usable," you're going to be severely disappointed. Even doing something as presumably simple as moving backwards 5 seconds in some of my movie clips would take a ridiculously long amount of time to process, and this is on a pretty darned good machine.

In the end, I also decided to switch to Sony's Vegas product; the only software that seems to be able to import my video files in any useable way. While it's got its own issues (if you actually want to output any video in AVCHD format, you've gotta buy the $600 professional package), it seems to be the only real option available for me at the moment.