Corel VideoStudio Pro X2

lb44 · Post by **lb44** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:07 am

I've downloaded the Demo version of X2 Pro and for the first time can now play and edit clips in 'Project' and 'Clip' mode without a 'VS stopped working' message. Also have burnt a AVCHD dvd at 1920x1080 and 3/2 audio successfully.
Both 'Project' and 'Clip' modes play clips normally.
Les

Post by **Ken Berry** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:30 am

lb44 -- that's particularly good news since I know you were one of several users having trouble with the AVCHD from a Panasonic SD9 camcorder. That gives me even more incentive now to download the trial version and see if it works with the SD9 files I have...

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 3:54 am

You, Ken, need incentive to play with new software?

Post by **Ken Berry** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 6:49 am

No, it's just that with VS, I have had a standing policy till now never to install the trial version. Even if I think I can uninstall it fully, just think of all those other users who have had trouble when they activated TBYB versions...

Post by **Ron P.** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:12 am

Ken, I've used several of Ulead's and Corel's TBYB versions. However I've stuck to my policy of never activating. Thus far,no problems with uninstalling, or interfering with my other Corel/Ulead programs.

keithf · Post by **keithf** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:20 am

I'd buy it but can't get to the checkout for some reason

[quote="alanball"]If you have a look at our new Zealand Web page (New to me!!) we have 3 versions!! standard, Pro and Ultimate!! with full HD editing!! :lol:

http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/ ... bview=tab0[/quote]

Post by **Ken Berry** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:23 am

I have in fact downloaded the trial version, but not yet installed it. I knock off work in about 30 minutes and will start playing then!

pangwu · Post by **pangwu** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 1:33 pm

[quote="Ken Berry"]lb44 -- that's particularly good news since I know you were one of several users having trouble with the AVCHD from a Panasonic SD9 camcorder. That gives me even more incentive now to download the trial version and see if it works with the SD9 files I have... :lol:[/quote]

Good news! Just tried VS X2, the problem encountered in VS 11.5 does not happen in VS X2. "Fast forward clips using slider in preview window or multi-trim". Besides, the speed to convert Full HD clips (panasonic SD9) into DVD file is fast. Mine is Upper Field First for Full HD clips. The quality of the converted DVD file is also good.

skyml · Post by **skyml** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 1:39 pm

What a silly group some of us are. Waited a long time to see this VS Pro version and it came out exactly as I thought.

First off I've read the comments of some of the first user's and some of the stuff they seem pleased with is some of what was already in Media Studio Pro two years ago (transitions in overlay tracks, easy transitions by overlaping clips). Paint Creator sounds very similiar to the Video Paint option in previous versions of Media Studio Pro.

The thing that gets me is the marketing hype and the dissapointment (plus I paid for the Pro upgrade two days ago and still can't get it installed due to a serial # error that Corel is slow to fix).

VS Pro isn't "PRO" and all it's features (content really) really should be in the standard version.

The "Pro" version really should have included many of the features that made Media Studio Pro "Pro!" For example... the option to display both source and preview windows and a more customizable work space, nested timelines, scissor tool, easy access buttons for adding clips, titles, audio and color clips, the ability to insert Photo Impact ".ufo" files directly in the timeline, the ability to load ulead cool 3D projects in the timeline (I know it's a dead product), virtual clips, and the ability to right click any clip and quickly access features like slow and fast motion (speed), reverse clip, freeze frame, delete and add attributes (like filters, moving path, overlay), even split by scene. And what about the power of the moving path feature that could be used on any clip, image or title in the timeline?

I say there is nothing "Pro" about Video Studio Pro X2 - Corel let us down and we allow ourselves to be fooled by their hype - since the take over of Ulead, Corel's focus has seemed simple - make money on Video Studio, a product made for basic home use only and the hell with the rest of us. VS Pro X2 does not fit the bill - at least it's priced accordingly but too bad most buyers can't install the full version yet.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 1:52 pm

Pangwu -- thanks for your input. If I recall correctly, you too are one of the Panasonic SD9 group, so it is interesting X2 works for your too. You have never filled in your system button, and I am afraid I cannot recall what your computer set-up was.

I have to say, by contrast, that my initial experiments with X2 on SD9 video, while better than VS11.5+ overall, are at best mixed. First, though I set up the new File > Preferences screens to 'show message when first insert video in timeline', you still don't get a message when the first AVCHD clip is inserted. Nor -- so far as yet -- have I found a way to set Project Properties to AVCHD standards. However, since I mainly ignore Project Properties anyway, that is not a biggie for me, though it may confuse other users.

SD9 footage played perfectly in Clip mode. In Project mode, the best I can say is that it played erratically, though at least it played. This is in contrast to VS11.5+ where SD9 footage cut out after varying times measured in seconds, sometimes even causing VS to crash. This never occurred on my Quad in X2, but after a few seconds, the playback in Project mode slowed to a crawl then would jump a few seconds, but at least it continued without stopping totally, let alone crashing the program...

The really curious thing, though, was that just a couple of days ago, I downloaded some AVCHD sent by another user with a new model Panasonic (I think) which only uses a max bitrate of around 12 Mbps, which I found a bit strange. Now the curious thing was that I had no trouble with that video in VS11.5+ (apart from aspects of the filming, as opposed to the properties of the video) either in Clip or Project mode. But the same clip in X2 was rather jerky and erratic in playback in Clip mode, but -- get this -- played perfectly smoothly in Project mode. I would have expected the opposite...

As already noted in an earlier post, my time is not my own right now, so I have limited time to experiment. But rest assured, I shall continue. However, so far at the hard end of the spectrum, I am not particularly impressed...

kinglerch · Post by **kinglerch** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 1:56 pm

Any chance they allow for speed changes (video and/or audio) by less than 1% increments? 1% is so large (a 5 minute clip changes by 3 seconds, a 60 minute clip changes by 36 seconds) that it's almost unusable.

Rich2Putt · Post by **Rich2Putt** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 1:59 pm

skyml........while you made some good points, most of us here did not have Media Pro. The upgrade to Pro x2 is anvery nice improvement over the current version (s)

The $58 to upgrade is worth it for me & for the full version price of $99 is a steal for what this software does & the ease in learning it.

If I wanted a "real" pro version there's always, Vegas, Adobe, Final Cut etc... to choose from.

Rich

skyml · Post by **skyml** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:12 pm

Rich2Putt -

I gather your point but want to state that the difference between the standard and "Pro" versions of the new VS is silly... there is nothing "Pro" about the pro version of VS X2 - it's all marketing hype and this does nothing for those of us who need or prefer a true Pro editing program like MSP and those others you mentioned.

You see, Corel went as far as to hint that the Pro version of the new VS might offer features many of us were looking for. In this I feel they failed.

If you look at the comaprison between the standard, pro (and Ultimate version in some countries - not available in the USA) you'll see that they just omitted certian content and encoding features (and the # of tracks) in the standard version. But, in all - the programs are the same and the offer of a Pro version hints at much more powerful features that many starting VS users will surely soon be wanting and once was available in the form of Media Studio Pro (now dead).

jpmorgan49 · Post by **jpmorgan49** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:20 pm

I just ordered the upgrade to Pro. I'm still in the learning stages but since I'm retiring in December I should have lots of time to learn.... I hope

Post by **Ken Berry** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:21 pm

skyml - Yes, and I take your point too. But the reality of the matter is that VS, regardless of what they call it, was never ever going to be a substitute for MSP. Many of us regret the passing of MSP, yes. And MSP could do a lot of things that VS, even in its current form, cannot and probably will not in coming versions.

But as you also pointed out, the price differential between the late lamented MSP and the latest VS remains considerable. It seems to me that Corel decided to drop that higher priced end of the video editing and authoring market, period. So it also seems to me rather pointless to then object that their use of 'Pro' is inappropriate in relation to MSP. It was never going to be an MSP look-alike. And they are obviously just using the term Pro as a marketing ploy -- yes, I agree. But it is to distinguish it from the vanilla version of VS, not to distinguish, compare or contrast it with a program that is now a dead parrot in the unfortunate Monty Python use of the term...

EDIT: Just read another interesting post by another former MSP user at http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... 725#166725

Alludo USER to USER Web Board

Corel VideoStudio Pro X2

Panasonic SD9 HD files now ok on VS X2 Pro

X2 Upgrade