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Is there an easy way to insert some time into the middle of the timeline? I.e, move everything after a certain point forwards, so I have space for something new?
Just insert the something new in between the 2 clips where you want it. You could use a color space as a de facto placeholder, but once you have a clip to go in that space you'd have to remove it.
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Thanks for the help, Chris! 
I'm planning to buy a laptop this summer, and its specs are more suitable to work with videos like the ones I have, so I'll be trying when I get it.
You might want to rethink that. MPEG4 and AVCHD are the most demanding video formats currently. Editing them demands a high-end computer. Unfortunately, most laptops, even ones with fast processors and a lot of RAM, choke on such formats because their often integrated video subsystems can't handle them. I would do as much research as possible before I invested in a laptop system for editing either of these formats on, especially since you are already complaining about sync problems.
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OK, now we're getting somewhere. Almost all laptop computers have integrated video cards (part of the motherboard) and share system RAM. When playing a video within a program like Windows Media Player the video is output directly, but in a program like PD6 video playback is often placed on an overlay. Unfortunately, some integrated video cards do not do overlays well or at all. Vista has some very extreme graphics requirements, many of which are turned off on a laptop that doesn't meet the preformance standards required. This may be why the preview video does not work. You need to contact the computer manufacturer and find out what settings you may be able to change in order to get video to work properly. It may be a simple BIOS setting or something in the OS that needs to be changed. And it may turn out that trying to do video editing on a laptop will be an exercise in frustration.
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Just one additional question. When I produce in Director, I put chapters in the video. But when I open the finished movie on Producer, it does not show any chapters. Am I missing something here?
Using AVCHD file type during the production in PD.
The output formats within the Produce module do not support chapters or menus. To use either you must output your video using the Create Disc module and either burn to a disc and/or to DVD folders on a hard drive.
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Video clips (or any element for that matter) in your library don't actually show up in the timeline until you place them there. Are you saying that after placing a video clip in the timeline you can't see it? To preview a clip in the timeline all you have to do is click on it once and then click Play in the preview window. Shouldn't matter to PD6 if you're using Vista or XP.
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Sorry for the long post, Dafydd. I'm a writer and used to getting paid by the word.
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I recently found myself in a jam with Ulead's Video Studio, a program I have been using for about 3 years and have regularly upgraded. It's always been a bit hit-and-miss, but I could manage to finish my movies with it. Until recently. For some reason it choked on a re-edit of a movie I did for a client over 2 years ago. I had reimported the clips as MPEG-2 files and simply added some new titles and a menu. Couldn't get it to burn without crashing VS. In a panic I downloaded the trial of PD6 and was pleasantly surprised that it handled this same video with nary a whimper. I had to create a clumsy 18 page menu (lots of chapters in this movie) because of limitations with the trial version, but I delivered the product on time. I was particularly impressed with the stability and speed, rendering took less than 50 minutesfor a 1hr12min movie. VS had been rendering over 3 hrs on the same project. Of course, I went out and bought the retail boxed version of the program ASAP ($69 from Amazon)  .
I also recently bought a Canon HV-20 for an upcoming project for this same client. I've been playing around trying different things just to test the camera and PD's ability to handle HDV content. I'm not about to spend the money on an HD burner just yet because I need the widest compatibility for my output and few people I know have Blu-Ray players (including me), but after shooting, downloading and burning some HDV content onto a SD disc I am convinced I made the right choice as far as camera goes. The quality of the video even though downconverted from HDV to SD is far better than that of a regular camera. I know because I bought a Sony cam for evaluation. I returned it yesterday after a weekend of shooting and evaluating it with the Canon.
I was hesitant to go to HD because of all the horror stories I've read here and on the Ulead forum with downloading, editing and outputting HD content. Based on that education I decided to avoid the hard-drive and DVD format cameras (especially AVCHD) and stick with MiniDV. This limits one's choices, but for budget editing it is the way to go. PD6 handles this format with ease, although it doesn't like seing tapes with mixed formats (SD and HDV), I discovered. No problem, I won't do that anymore.
VS had trouble even recognizing this camera and crashes regularly. I think I've seen the last upgrade of that program. There are some things about it, though, that I would like to see in PD. For one, the ability to change the workspace view. VS has 4 different configurations of the workspace that change where elements like the preview window and library appear on the screen. I'd like to see some flexibility in PD for this. Menu creation in PD6 is far and away better than in VS, more intuitive and certainly more flexible. I would like to be able to create custom menu templates the way VS does with their photo editing software. I especially like that I can erase DVD+RW discs while in the burn module. I almost always output first to this format to avoid making anymore shiny coasters and this is a huge convenience. I've only been using the retail version for a few days, but I am very impressed with how robust and stable this program is at only version 6, especially when compared to VS, which is already at version 11. I'm so glad that PD kept me from going back to Pinnacle' Studio. That program was responsible for my premature hair loss.  
One other big positive. PD works flawlessly with my TV tuner card. Not only can I capture from the tuner, but I can also capture from its RCA inputs. This means I can connect a VCR to simply convert VHS tapes to DVD. I could never get this to work properly with VS. I had to first dump the VHS tapes onto my MiniDV camcorder (my old Sharp cam has RCA in/out) and then download them to the computer. Not the best way, but the only way with VS. This alone makes PD worth the investment.
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It only works in the EDIT mode.
There are no visual adjustments other than preview quality.
Yeah, I figured both out on my own. Here's a suggestion for others on the preview quality. If you have an Nvidia display card it installs an applet that allows better control of the video card properties. It is usually accessible by right-clicking the desktop, but instead of clicking on Properties you should see a selection for Nvidia Control Panel. Inside there are myriad choices for game settings, multi-monitor settings and display quality. Within the display quality settings you can make changes to brightness, contrast, saturation, etc, far beyond what your monitor's own controls will allow. Using this I was able to match the preview window output to what I see on my camera's viewfinder LCD, which is pretty darn close to what I see in the final output on my HDTV. Well, at least as far as brightness and contrast go. I believe ATI has a similar control panel for their cards. Hope this helps someone else.
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Does that work even if you're still in the Edit module? Also, is there any way to adjust the brigthness of the preview window? It is far darker than the source video and my finished output.
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Rick,
I am just curious about what features were missing from PD6 that you are used to?
Mainly, the ability to control more of the output settings like bit rate, audio sampling rate, quality and being able to trim individual clips prior to placing them on the timeline. I'm still getting to know the program and I'm impressed with its stability and speed. If I find a way to use my SmartSound libraries with it I may make it my primary editor. 
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Well, after doing even more research it looks like HD is still aways off for most of us. Another consideration is that HD downloads in an MPEG format (2 or 4) for most cameras. Unless you have a top of the line quad-core system and lots of patience, editing MPGS will likely be an exercise in frustration. Then there are the compatibility problems discussed earlier. I've also seen some testing that shows the quality of mini-DV to still be better than that of HDD and DVD camcorders. Looks like I'm sticking with mini-DV for at least this next project.
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Thanks, guys. After further review, I've pretty much decided that HD is not a viable option at this time. Despite the expense associated with it, few of my friends and family have the equipment to view such content. Also, some of my work is commercial and needs to be distributed on the most likely platform, which is standard def, 4:3, stereo. As far as distribution goes, HD just isn't ready for prime time yet. For this current project I have I am going to shoot in 16:9 because I need the extra field of view, but beyond that I'm sticking with standard def. For now.
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Thanks, Robert, but that didn't help much. I mean, I see that PD6 supports HD and AVC-HD, but does that cover the gamut of current HD formats? Am I limited in my camera choices just to those on the list? Also, I see the list of approved burners so I'm guessing I need an HD burner and not just HD media? Do HD discs play in standard DVD players, albeit at lower resolution? I'm beginning to think a move to HD is premature, especially if it will limit the viewing capability of my productions to only those with HDTVs and HD DVD players. Thanks.
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I think you want the PowerDirector form, if you post there you are more likely to get an answer. Power DVD is playback software.
Oops!  Can a mod please delete this thread? Sorry.
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I've had it with Pinnacle and Ulead products and am looking for a new video editor. I downloaded the trial version of PD6 and while it didn't have some of the features I am used to with the aforementioned products, it was easy to use and I was able to flawlessly create a project that has been giving me and Video Studio fits for several days. I have a new project upcoming that I am considering going to HD for. Is AVCHD the only format supported by PD6? Will I need a new burner for the output? Will the full version allow me to designate the number of chapter buttons per menu page? This is important because my commercial projects use many chapters (virtual walkthroughs) that require the ability to move to clips at will from the menu. How long will I be eligible for updates and is release of PD7 imminent? Thanks for the help. Sorry to be so needy with my first post.
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I've had it with Pinnacle and Ulead products and am looking for a new video editor. I downloaded the trial version of PD6 and while it didn't have some of the features I am used to with the aforementioned products, it was easy to use and I was able to flawlessly create a project that has been giving me and Video Studio fits for several days. I have a new project upcoming that I am considering going to HD for. Is AVCHD the only format supported by PD6? Will I need a new burner for the output? Will the full version allow me to designate the number of chapter buttons per menu page? This is important because my commercial projects use many chapters (virtual walkthroughs) that require the ability to move to clips at will from the menu. How long will I be eligible for updates and is release of PD7 imminent? Thanks for the help. Sorry to be so needy with my first post.
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