Customer Reviews

Video Deluxe 2.0 Plus

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have used this program with mixed success. While I love the multi-track editing feature, the interface took a bit of getting used to. The printed manual was not very helpful at all, and onscreen help was no better. Regardless, I was able to create some very nice digital photo slideshows with dazzling transitions and smooth music scores. I even made a few short videos with synchronized split-screen (PIP) effects from my camcorders.

But it takes an embarassing long time to load large movie files, and often crashes from simple video clip manipulation operations such as copy and pasting on large files. Then I have to wait while it reloads the movie clips again, followed by another crash, etc.

Because of the bugs and crashes, I found it to be most comfortable creating slideshows and short video clips no more than 5 minutes in length. Any larger projects were simply a waste of time and cursed with crashes.

I had little trouble capturing digital video from my Samsung MiniDV (FireWire) camera, or NTSC analog video through my ATI All-In-Wonder card, although it had noise trouble with mono audio sources.

I just wish they had spent a lot more time debugging the software before releasing it.

I completely agree with the previous reviewer from Belleville IL. I have been trying for two months to capture video from my MiniDV Sony Handycam without success. My computer far exceeds the system requirements, and I have no problems capturing with Windows Movie Maker. However, with Video Deluxe 2.0 Plus, the captured video is choppy and the audio is out of sync. I have tried everything suggested on the small users forum as well as the skimpy FAQ section on their website. Moreover, technical support is slow, surly, and totally unhelpful. I am throwing this useless software in the garbage and this will be the last product I ever buy from Magix.

I first gave the program 5 stars but had to come back and say a bit more. I really do like the program and give it 5 stars. It works great for me and I have played around with it quite a bit and have learned some cool tricks like getting my movie to play in reverse. I also found out how to do picture in picture and a few other tricks. but none can I thank to the manual.

The manual is fine as a quick start guide and then some. It give basic information on buttons and controls and so forth, but as I learn the program I find it quite vage and at times down right unhelpful as in what some of the advanced controles do and how to get them to work.

Case in point what is DV Logging? The progam gives this as an advance over Video Deluxe 2.0 (it's only in the "Plus" program) but gives only a little note about it in the manual as to the fact you can do it. After some playing around I figured out what it is and how to work it. But a few more words would have made my time a bit more productive.

As a supliment I am reading Digital Video For Dummies but it leans to Pinnical Studio 8. Yet it is very helpful in learning what all the lingo is all about which helped to understand Video Deluxe's manual and buttons and choices.

All in all the program has worked great for me with few problems. The program seems to have a lot of flexability and is a blast to play with and edit videos.

I just wish it had a manual that matched. I feel I am only understanding what this probram can do at a basic level. I think they put a lot into creating and working this progam and it shows, but they need to tell the customer how to use and understand all the great work they put into it.

I so far understand about 50% or 60% of what this thing will do but there are no other places to find more advanced information. So I just play around on my own thinking "OK what will it do when I chose X instead of Y next time."

All in all First rate program with a good standard manual. It will get you started and making some great movies out of the gate. But your on your own for advance study.

I bought this product based on the reviews from this site. While I see how this software certainly could be great (very powerful and easy to use) it failed me in two key areas:

1.) For whatever reason, the AVI files from my Cannon Powershot S400 digital camera are not compatible with the Video Deluxe 2 Software. The Magix support staff, of course, blamed Cannon and provided no help whatsoever, even though the Cannon AVI files work fine with competitor software produced by Roxio and ArcSoft. Considering the popularity of Cannon cameras, this incompatibility is a major liablity.

2.) Again, for whatever reason, the Video Deluxe 2 software crashes my computer every time I attempt to burn a VCD or DVD. Again, the Roxio and ArcSoft software work fine, so the problem is only with Video Deluxe 2.

Despite downloading the most recent patch, it is a shame this software is so riddled with bugs. It certainly has tremendous potential if not for the bugs.

I loaded Video Deluxe 2.0 on my Compaq 1.6 -- 80 GB, Windows XP computer. I ran about 12 minutes of video onto the hard drive in "raw" form. I later decided to delete this video after my trial with the download appeared successful.

That was the last time this software ever worked. I am unable to download any additional video. This, after trying several "fixes" suggested by the Manufacturer. I am unsure if the problem is in the software or my system. I just know that I wasted $70.00!

Works just as advertised. Multiple tracks for video and audio makes creating and syncing video easy. The burn to Video CD feature works like a charm as well as the mix to Mpeg feature. The only critisism that I have is that it doesn't allow you to capture video to an AVI file. It defaults to the Magix format which is a smaller file but not as good of quality as AVI. I use either Dazzle 80 or Virtual Dub (Freeware) to capture and then edit and mix-down on Video Deluxe 2.0 Plus.

I bought this product on the recommendation of TechTV and have to say I love it! It is incredibly versatile and will do most of what the average consumer wants to do with their home videos. Their support bulletin board is like an open classroom and those who know what they're doing share with those of us who don't! :o) Members also create their own additional transitions and effects and post them for download. I can't say enough good about this product. The only drawback is that it is a little more difficult to master than some of the entry-level video editing packages, but it is DEFINATELY WORTH IT!

But I wouldn't exactly know cuz I never get to use it long enough to really find out.
I've yet to successfully exit the program on my own, without an error closing it up. I do enjoy what I've been able to play with so far tho.

I have a brand new computer with 2 hard drives, one dedicated JUST to video editing. I run WinXP Pro(came pre-installed), a pentuium 4, 2.80ghz, 1GB RAM, 1GB Video RAM, 120GB Hard Drive & 80GB Hard drive both 7200 speed with 8MB Cache...so I have all the requirements to run this program yet it still gives me errors & kills itself!

My system is pretty clean & new still so there can't really be much of a conflict in software since I haven't installed very much yet but who knows right?

I cannot even load a video mpeg2 file that is over 10min. or it completely freezes up.
Also, this program installs A LOT and is pretty big. It doesn't give you a choice of what you want installed like some other programs and thats another thing that concerns me. Pretty minor tho if you have a fairly large drive.

I think this could be a great program tho if I could get it running better...(at all?). Has lots of features and it pretty easy to use. I love the audio editor for video files & such tho.
Magix support has not been very helpful in answering me or addressing my problems so I don't know what to do but if you can get this program running smoothly than ya could have a pretty good lil program for the price I think.

I bought this software about a month ago. I have had my eye out for this type of software for sometime. I have a 3 year-old emachines running at 512MHz with 320Mb SDRAM. My video camera is an analog 8mm Sony about 4 years old. I was looking for some software to really spruce up my home movies. I wanted something to add music and transitions. It does this wonderfully and burning it to a VCD is so easy. I have really been inspired by this and I have started taking even more video. I have done several 5 or 6 minute clips of all types. I love it. While it does freeze up occassionally, it has not been nearly so bad as I read on some other reviews. It does NOT, however, import my video. I have had to use an older Dazzle product and software to do this.

I've tried the software that came with my Sony PC and it just didn't work very well - there were always jerky sections. I bought this software based on the reviews posted here and it works very well. Both my PC and digital video camera are made by Sony and I've had no conflicts or lock-ups.

The only real issue I have with the software is that neither the manual or the help screens are very useful. They do a much better job pitching the features than they do describing how to actually use them. For example, I was unable to find basic instructions such as how to save a project! You have to learn by using the software, so assume you are going to ruin some DVDs while you are learning.

You also are going to need a large hard-drive because a 55 minute video is going to eat up 11 gig.