Your post sorta indicates you are aware of the ini "hack", but I agree the route should/could be easier, within PD's normal UI. You might get an answer from their Facebook page. HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT

In the case of generating media-compliant output, whether it be for Blu-ray, DVD or whatever, I can understand why PD would want to stick to specific resolutions and frame rates (and bitrates) so that the generated files would be more likely to work properly on those devices. But in the case of the 'Produce' tab, where I'm just rendering a file for who knows what purpose, I don't get why those options would not be there. Sure, there are a million commercial, open-source and/or public domain programs that can do that, but it sure would be nice to be able to do this without yet another rendering step. Not to mention that the SVRT would not have to render the video if the output (resolution, frame rate, etc) is going to be the same as the source - Maybe only the transitions, overlays and modified audio need to be rendered, potentially saving a LOT of time.

Anyway, I guess I have to see it at least partially from Cyberlink's point of view: PowerDirector's primary purpose is not to be the be-all/end-all of video file generation, but is probably intended as a tool for the beginner to intermediate user who wants to create fun and/or interesting videos for DVD or Blu-ray. That being said, though, how much trouble would it be to add this capability to at least the 'Produce' portion of the program, Cyberlink?

Russell1967 System specs: Windows 7 Professional x64; Gigabyte Z77-DS3H motherboard with i5-3579K 3.8Ghz processor with 32GB RAM; Zotac GTX 760 w/4GB; 1xWestern Digital 1TB 10,000RPM HD; 1x Samsung 840 Pro SSD System Drive

I understand that there are few standard screen to view the image, 4x3, 16x9, etc ... standard resolutions must be obeyed for these.
What you see there are several types of encoder / decoder that uses other resolutions with ituito to create smaller files or even create a reserve market for your product.
Then a video with resolution nonstandard conevrtido and must be converted to be shown on a monitor using a specific encoder.
PD12, works with common standards but I think.
Yet whenever I have a video that does not fit in the preview, I have the tools to adjust it perfectly.

Note: It is my view, I am no expert on the subject. AMD-FX 8350 / 8GB DDR3
SSD SUV400S37240G / 2-HD WD 1TB
AMD Radeon R9 270 / AOC M2470SWD
Windows 7-64 / PD16 Ultimate

The problem is this: If I need a video to be in a resolution that is not standard (for some portable video player, for example), I can not currently use PD directly for this. Even if the aspect ratio is 4:3 or 16:9 it does not necessarily fall into a standard vertical x horizontal resolution. (example: 1600x900 is a 16:9 aspect ratio, but is not a standard format).

The other problem is that if I have a very large video, I can't utilize SVRT - to speed up the rendering process dramatically - even if I'm just adding titles or transitions because I can't keep the original resolution. Lots and lots of videos on the internet are non-standard resolutions (but mostly with square pixels).

If I'm just creating Blu-rays or DVDs then, yes, PD12 needs to produce them according to certain standards. But the 'Produce' capability is not necessarily for this purpose.

Russell1967 System specs: Windows 7 Professional x64; Gigabyte Z77-DS3H motherboard with i5-3579K 3.8Ghz processor with 32GB RAM; Zotac GTX 760 w/4GB; 1xWestern Digital 1TB 10,000RPM HD; 1x Samsung 840 Pro SSD System Drive

The other issue is that some of these custom resolutions don't play well when using HW Acceleration as the GPU mfr tend to stick with the stds as well. I'd suggest that you create a custom profile that is close to what you want then edit the ini file and see how well the output works (I'm guessing you will get the best results with HW Acceleration OFF).

To me this is a sensible compromise for a Mid Tier editing package. They have all the std templates that the majority of users would need but the ability for those that need to tweak to just edit the ini file in notepad. Give it a go, it is not that hard to work out and once you have the profile you need you can use it over and over. PD 64 Bit-Win10 64 Bit-32GB RAM-80TB HDD
Sony FX6 - 500Mbps 4k/50p AVC-I HLG
Canon XF400 - 150Mbps 4k/50p AVC
GoPro Hero6 Black
Pana HS700-28Mbps 1080/50p AVC (High@L4.2)
Canon HV20-HDV 25Mbps 16:9 1440x1080/25p MPEG

Seems sensible. I'll check it out.

Russell1967 System specs: Windows 7 Professional x64; Gigabyte Z77-DS3H motherboard with i5-3579K 3.8Ghz processor with 32GB RAM; Zotac GTX 760 w/4GB; 1xWestern Digital 1TB 10,000RPM HD; 1x Samsung 840 Pro SSD System Drive