Pinnacle Studio 20 Ultimate Test - Video Editing Software

First impression of Pinnacle Studio 20 Ultimate

 Versions 

Pinnacle Studio 20 is available in three different versions. These are divided into a standard version, which works without effects and plugins of "NewBlue" and is mainly suitable for easy editing of amateur recordings. The Plus version has been enhanced with additional effects and also supports the editing of 3D recordings. Only the Ultimate version combines all functions of the first two versions and also offers additional cutting effects, as well as templates.

If you want to cut 20 4K video recordings with Pinnacle Studio, its selection is inevitably limited to the Ultimate version, as only this supports 4K video editing. Unfortunately, the developer does not offer trial versions of Pinnacle Studio 20.

 What's in the box 

If you buy the boxed version of Pinnacle Studio 20, you get a CD with the editing software, the product key and an information card for the digital download. A manual is not included and must be downloaded as a PDF.

 Installation 

Installation is straightforward. In order to start the installation, the product key must be entered. During the installation, you can choose whether you want to install additional software and bonus content in addition to the main program. However, these are downloaded separately in the installation manager. Updates are also downloaded and installed via the installation manager.

Unfortunately, the bonus content was not installed correctly during my first installation, which caused errors during the installation. Only the digital download could help.

Surface and application

 Clarity and usability 

The interface is clearly laid out and hardly differs from video editing programs from other developers. In addition to the project window, which can be used to create projects, import files and load effects, there is also a video player with timeline, an overview of the video and sound tracks and a toolbar. The size of the individual windows can be adjusted individually. You can also select which tools are to be seen on the toolbar. Only the position of the window cannot be determined.

All settings are easily accessible and contain a brief explanation. The extensive keyboard shortcuts can be freely adjusted. Film and image files can only be imported via the import manager. Unfortunately, there is no function to drag files directly from Windows Explorer into the cutting bar.

 video Editing 

Video editing with Pinnacle Studio 20 Ultimate is easy. Imported files can be dragged into the A / V tracks and cut with the "Razor Blade Tool". With the magnetic grid, cut files can be easily joined together. To cut the soundtrack, it can be automatically separated from the video.

 Effects and image correction 

There are numerous effects in Pinnacle Studio 20 Ultimate. Except for a few transition effects and the "NewBlue Effects", the remaining 3D effects and audio effects are not suitable for YouTube videos. Some of the effects are poorly animated and no longer up-to-date. NewBlue, on the other hand, offers attractive filters, similar to those of Instagram, as well as a well-implemented image stabilization.

 keyframes 

You can work with keyframes using the media or effects editor. The function of the keyframes is explained in detail in the operating instructions. At first glance, this function looks a bit hidden and complicated, but after a short reading it can be worked with the keyframes without any problems.

 Export 

Completed projects can be exported in various formats. In addition to the common standards (.MOV, .AVI, MPEG, etc.), more specific DivX and the Sony XAVC standard are also supported. Settings for the frame rate, the resolution or the bit rate can be made depending on the standard. In order to speed up the rendering of the videos, an additional hardware acceleration (Cuda, Intel) can be activated.

An interesting and useful function is that recordings can be loaded directly into the cloud. All you have to do is select the destination (Box, Facebook, YouTube or Vimeo) and Pinnacle Studio 20 will do the rest. DVDs can also be created using the Export Manager.