Pinnacle Studio was one of the first programs that regular people could use to edit videos at home. Following years, it got a bad name for being buggy and limited, which was not good. But ever since Corel bought Pinnacle in 2012, the app has steadily gotten better and should once again be considered one of the best video editing programs. Pinnacle Studio 24, the recent version, came out in August 2020. It comes with a brand-new title editor, dynamic masking, face tracking, and more detailed keyframing controls, among other things. It looks like a good choice for someone creative who wants to make a professional video.
Pinnacle Studio: Description
Software for editing videos called Pinnacle Studio has a lot to be proud of. It has a beautiful user interface and a layout that makes sense, which makes it very simple to use and get around. Its basic plan is a great deal for what you get, but its more expensive plans could use some work. This software is great for beginners and editors on a budget because it is easy to use and doesn’t cost much for the base plan. But it’s not the best choice for professional editors who want something more advanced.
Pinnacle Studio: Pricing
Pinnacle Studio comes in two levels. The basic version costs $59.99, and the Ultimate version costs $129.99. The Ultimate Bundle adds a lot of content and effects and gives you access to Pinnacle’s Studio Backlot online community, which has training, support, and stock content. Prices are for licenses that last forever, with no monthly fees.
You need to pay for Ultimate if you want to edit 360-degree or 4K content. Ultimate also gives you unlimited video tracks, color grading, video masking, and high-end effects from NewBlue. Some of the new features we talk about here are only available in this level. In line with what other stores charge, the prices are fair. CyberLink PowerDirector Ultimate costs about the same ($139.99), Adobe Premiere Elements costs $99 (which isn’t as professional), and Corel VideoStudio Ultimate costs $99.99.
Pinnacle Studio Key Features
This software for editing videos, Pinnacle Studio, is very strong and flexible, and it comes at a fair price. Anyone who wants to edit videos well should choose this one.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Video editing | Pinnacle Studio offers a wide range of video editing features, including multi-track editing, trimming, cropping, splitting, merging, and transitions. It also supports a variety of video formats, including HD and 4K. |
| Effects | Pinnacle Studio includes a library of over 2,000 effects, including titles, transitions, filters, and motion graphics. You can also create your own custom effects. |
| Audio editing | Pinnacle Studio offers basic audio editing features, such as trimming, cropping, and fading. It also supports a variety of audio formats, including MP3 and WAV. |
| Screen recording | Pinnacle Studio allows you to record your screen and webcam, and then edit the footage in the software. |
| Sharing | Pinnacle Studio makes it easy to share your edited videos online, including on YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo. You can also burn your videos to DVDs and Blu-rays. |
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Pinnacle Studio Versions
Studio, Studio Plus, and Studio Ultimate are the three types of Pinnacle Studio. All of them let you work in 8K, but the first two have some restrictions. There isn’t a free version. As you might expect from a professional desktop suite like this one, though. This is very important. Studio, for example, only lets you work on six tracks at a time. It does, however, have some color correction tools, basic 2-camera editing for multi-camera work, and keyframe controls.
You can work with 4 cameras in multi-camera mode and 24 tracks in Studio Plus. It also has basic motion tracking tools, blend mode, an advanced audio editor, and batch processing. Ultimate has everything, like the ability to mask video, track smart objects, edit videos in 360°, and work with alpha channels. There are three different versions of Pinnacle Studio:
Pinnacle Studio Standard: It’s the most basic version of Pinnacle Studio and is great for people who are just starting out. It has all the basic tools you need to edit videos, like the ability to edit on multiple tracks, trim, crop, and add transitions.
Pinnacle Studio Plus: All of the features of the Standard version are in this version of Pinnacle Studio, plus extra features like motion tracking, stop-motion animation, and video masking.
Pinnacle Studio Ultimate: This is the most advanced version of Pinnacle Studio. It has all the features of the Plus version plus even more advanced ones, like editing videos in 360 degrees, editing videos from multiple cameras, and Boris FX title creation.
Pinnacle Studio: User Interface and Design
The interface of Pinnacle Studio is well thought out and simple, which makes it easy for anyone to learn and use. There are three main parts to the main window: the Media Library, the Timeline, and the Preview Window. You can add and organize your media files in the Media Library. To make it easier to find your files, you can make albums, tag them, and rate them. You can change things about your videos in the Timeline.
You can trim clips, add effects and transitions, and add clips. You can see what your video will look like when it’s done in the Preview Window. The fact that Pinnacle Studio’s interface can be changed a lot is one of my favorite things about it. You can move the panels around, change the size of the windows, and even make your own workspaces. This makes it simple to change the interface to fit the way you work.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Media library | Import, organize, and preview your video and audio files. |
| Timeline | Add and trim clips, add transitions, and apply effects. |
| Preview window | See a real-time preview of your project as you edit. |
| Built-in tutorial | Learn the basics of video editing. |
| Help videos and support articles | Get help with specific tasks and features. |
Another great thing about Pinnacle Studio is that the interface is very quick to respond. Clips move right into place when you drag and drop them on the timeline. This makes it simple to make videos that look great. I’m generally very happy with how Pinnacle Studio is designed and how easy it is to use. It’s well-designed, easy to use, and can be changed to fit your needs. Pinnacle Studio is great software for editing videos that is both powerful and easy to use.
Pinnacle Studio: Effects and Transitions
The many video effects in Pinnacle Studio are one of my favorite things about it. You can change the brightness and contrast and fix colors. For more advanced effects like slow motion, fast motion, and reverse playback, there are effects for that too. A lot of different effects can also be used to make transitions between clips that are unique and fun. There are many transitions to choose from in Pinnacle Studio, which is great for making videos.
Besides fades and dissolves, there are also wipes, zooms, and spins that are more complicated. Some transitions, like 3D transitions and motion graphics, can also be used to make the video more interesting to look at and full of movement. It’s easy for me to use Pinnacle Studio’s effects and transitions. The software has an easy-to-use interface that makes it simple to add effects and transitions to your videos. It’s also possible to find tutorials online and in the software that can help you learn how to use the effects and transitions better.
Pinnacle Studio: Exporting and Sharing Options
There are several ways to export and share your finished videos from Pinnacle Studio. Among the file types you can export to are MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, and MPEG-2. You can also send your videos straight to Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo. Just click the “Export” button in the top toolbar to send your video somewhere else.
This will bring up the Export box. Other settings can be made in the Export dialog box, where you can also choose the file format. You can also watch a preview of your video before you send it out. When you’re happy with how things are set up, click “Export” to send your video to another device. After that, Pinnacle Studio will encode your video and save it where you chose.
Some of the best ways for me to export and share files in Pinnacle Studio are listed below:
- Export to a variety of file formats: Pinnacle Studio lets you export files in many types, so you can pick the one that works best for you. You can export your video in MP4 format, for instance, if you want to post it to YouTube. You can export your video in MPEG-2 format if you want to burn it to a DVD.
- Export in different video qualities: Pinnacle Studio lets you use different video qualities when exporting your videos. This is helpful if you want to export your video in high definition or with a smaller file size.
- Export directly to social media: You can directly share your videos on social networks like YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo from Pinnacle Studio. You can send your videos to family and friends this way.
Pinnacle Studio: Performance and Speed
Pinnacle Studio is well-known for having a lot of features and being cheap, making it a good choice for editing videos. Some users, though, have said that the software can be slow, especially when they are working with high-resolution footage. Since I’ve been using Pinnacle Studio for a while now, I can say that the latest versions are much faster and work much better. From my own experience, Pinnacle Studio is now a very quick and responsive video editor.
I can edit 4K and 8K video without any lag or slowdown that I can see. One of the things I like best about Pinnacle Studio is that it can use hardware acceleration to make things run faster. If you have a graphics card that is only used for graphics, Pinnacle Studio will use it to encode and decode video. This can greatly improve performance, especially when working with video effects and transitions that are hard to understand.
It is important to keep in mind, though, that Pinnacle Studio’s speed and performance will depend on the hardware on your computer. It’s possible for your PC to lag and slow down when working with high-resolution footage if it’s not very powerful. Your PC should be able to handle editing 4K and 8K video, though, if it’s in the middle or top range.
Pinnacle Studio: Pros and Cons
Pinnacle Studio is good software for editing videos for both new and experienced users. It’s cheap, simple to use, and comes with a lot of extras. But you should know that there may be bugs and crashes, and that exporting videos may take a while on some systems.
Pros
- Affordable price
- Packed with professional tools
- User-friendly interface
- Stable, new, and improved features
- Plenty of effects, transitions, and overlays
- Multi-cam and screen recording
- Good performance
Cons
- Some bugs and crashes have been reported
- Can be slow to export videos on some systems
Final Words
You can make good videos with this tool because it has almost all the features you’d expect from basic video editing software. You can spice up your videos with its many transitions, templates, and effects, but if you’re used to professional-level software, you might not find everything you need. Anyone who wants powerful video editing tool can opt for this one.
