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Hi,
I installed the latest patch but since then my performance has been awful. Almost 100% CPU utilization much of the time. I've spent a week uninstalling drivers changing every setting imaginable etc. I don't want to have to uninstall the entire program just to get rid of a bad patch, but I can't see any obvious way to remove it. Hopefully I just missed it and it's easy.
Off topic review of PD11 Ultimate:
- much more unstable than PD10. Random crashes are common so I'm continually saving at every step (I was hoping the patch would help but instead it made PD unusable). And no, it isn't my computer - it's the program.
- great usability updates. Annoying and easy UI fixes are finally fixed! Makes me wonder if the developers ever use the program themselves. A few more little changes are still needed like being able to lock it into Movie mode, having a setting to remember directories, remembering your last "Produce" settings and it'll be much more enjoyable to use.
- annoying that it removes for example the PD10 Media backgrounds - since I used one on a PD10 project and when I upgraded it erased the old backgrounds I had purchased.
- it still has a frustrating lack of new stuff - music, titles, Pip are rarely updated with anything new. I bought the higher version to get the vacation pack etc but what a rip off. NewBlue effects are fine if making a rock video - but a $450 value? Uh huh, right. And vacation pack - seriously awful. For example 3/12 route 66 titles? Fine if your making a video about route 66 - but totally useless otherwise. Same with the frustrating other things they always do like make travel themes with a picture of the leaning tower of Pisa in them. Fine if I ever go to Pisa - but just wasting space otherwise. The extra packs are useless with a tiny amount of content and mostly so focused on one thing that you can't use them - I felt ripped off. Same with like the disc menus - not enough generic stuff - the cool ones are mostly unusable unless you go to broadway or pisa for example.
- love the Pip designer, but again some inexplicable things like if you want a border on something it HAS to have rounded corners. Um, most pictures have sharp corners so if you want to do a photograph effect it's a ton of work, so why no option?
- disappointed that basic things like a decent picture or audio editor aren't included like with the competition. What do you have to do to get them - buy the super extra cherry on top supreme ultimate dooper version? I just use free tools - but it's highly annoying when you buy an ultimate version it doesn't come with them. Or you still don't get all the soundtracks or even any new ones - the "purchase" option is highly slimey and should not be there.
- Power tools, PIP designer, Fix/Enhance are all pretty nice now - but you kind of wish they were all together rather than having to figure out is it an enhancement, power tool or pip effect I'm looking for.
- The user interface fixes make me stick with this version rather than reverting back to PD 10 or a competing product - but I'm wasting serious time now that this patch slowed everything down. I just wish they'd offer fixes and enhancements rather than have to wait for a new version to finally fix ripple editing for example. I suspect any new problems found won't be fixed until the next version. Focus on making the software work well rather than just new 3d or formats that nobody even uses.
- oh, and if you change the speed of a clip I don't want it to move every other clip on every other track randomly as it does. Sheesh!
- effects now usually cause crashes or hangs. I rarely use them, but now I don't even try at all.
- It would be nice if you could crossfade (overlap) video and audio right in the track since transitions to do it are rarely smooth and require a lot of time wasting. (similar time wasting like selecting multiple clips will often not let you apply things to all of them at once)
- Producing AVC clips with HD content introduces random artifacts and ruins the output all the time. Why can't I set it to take longer and work properly? Same with burning a DVD - output is awful (better with dual layer, but odd how a 1 GB movie looks so bad on DVD). It seems like WMV is much better - but with my hanging issue with this new patch I can't even produce a movie that was done last week. Argh.
Anywho, back to my original question. Can patches be removed - or do I have to spend 1/2 day reinstalling from scratch? I'm seriously thinking about moving back to a competing product it's so frustrating.
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What does Samsung mean when they state their players can play BD-R's but only if written in BD-RE format? Does Cyberlink support this? I thought -RE meant eraseable so that doesn't make sense to burn -R in -RE format. Or if it does make sense how do I go about doing that? (using PowerDirector 10 ult)
Has anyone had any luck reading Blu-ray BD-R's in a Samsung? (my specific model is a HT-E6530).
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Hi,
I'm not sure if I found a bug or I'm just missing something...
I worked on a project which included some Fix/Enhance options relating to Audio Denoise. I split the audio from some mpg video and made a lot of timing and noise adjustments. I burnt it to DVD last night and what sounded fine on my cheap computer speakers sounds awful on my TV stereo.
I opened up the project again with the intention of adjusting the audio denoise. The only problem is I can't get to the tool to do that. If I select an object on the master track, there is a Fix/Enhance button. You can tell it has been fixed by 2 little lightening bolts on top of the image. If I select one of the sound files from the voice or music track that contains a lightening bolt there is no option to fix/enhance. If I select the video file and remove the audio fix it doesn't help, because the audio isn't on that track, it's in the music track. Using "apply to all" in the master track does nothing to the lightening bolts in the music track. I can't remember if the lightening bolts were even in the music track in the past, and if I create test videos I can never get a lightening bolt in the music track. The music track isn't locked. I've upgraded to 2220 and it hasn't helped.
I suppose I can delete the entire track and start over but that took me several hours of work, removing clicks, adjusting timing etc. All I want to do is remove Audio Denoise from that entire music track. Any thoughts on how I can do this?
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Hello,
Does anyone know which of these results in the better quality DVD?
1. Select the Produce tab, then create a (HD) MPEG-2, 1080i file. Once you have the file go to the Create Disc and burn with HQ - Best Quality. (importing the produced video file)
OR
2. Skip the Produce tab completely. Just go directly to the Create Disc tab and burn with HQ- Best Quality. (using the PowerDirector project file)
The Produce tab has a lot more quality choices and options than the Create Disc tab, but in the end I have to create a disc anyway so is producing it first just pointless? Especially if the Create Disc process just reduces the quality no matter what you do. If Create Disc always reduces the quality (I'm not saying it does, I'm asking if it does) you have to wonder if it's best to produce the highest quality MPG file using PD, and then burn it with Windows DVD Maker (comes with Windows), would result it a higher quality DVD in the end.
(sorry if this is covered elsewhere, I haven't checked. It seems like a good question for this thread since we're trying to produce the highest quality SD DVD)
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Thanks Adrian,
I did try changing the saturation etc (sorry, I didn't mention that) but it resulted in grainy looking video. I forget the source video format and can't check yet because I'm not on that computer, but I think it's was high def .wma. I tried a test with an .mpg file and moving the saturation all the way to the left does make good looking black and white. I'll remember to try the saturation slider again then next time I need B&W.
Thanks!
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Hi,
PD8 build 2013. If someone knows a quick way to turn part of a movie into black and white please let me know.
I was just finishing up a movie and thought it would be a simple process to switch a video clip to black and white (to make the clip look older than it was). I went to the effect room and applied the Black & White effect. When I played it I noticed color would fade in and out. A little editing showed that there were keyframes set by default to change the degree of color. Odd, but I just removed the keyframes and made sure the B&W was fully set. No luck, the edges of the video stayed in color. I then noticed you could mask the effect in a square or circle. This still doesn't help. If you mask out the color it just adds color to the resulting video edges.
I didn't want to use the "old movie" effect since it makes it look too old. I just want high quality black and white. My solution was to import the clip into the free MS editor and quickly turn it black and white. I find it really odd that PD can't do this and was disappointed I had to resort to using another product for what should be a simple effect. Considering all the powerful effects I can't help wondering if it can do it but I'm just missing something. Oh well, even if nobody has a suggestion I guess this experience might help someone else.
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Thanks to both of you for your suggestions. They'll make my life easier!
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Hi,
The preview window has a Movie and a Clip button. The program automatically changes between them depending on what you are doing. My issue is that with the way I work I always prefer to be in Movie mode, so I can quickly see the final outcome. It drives me nuts that I continually have to click on "movie" to see the result, since anytime I adjust a clip (which is often) it goes back to Clip mode.
I can't find any preference to lock it into Movie mode. Is there a built in way to change this? If not, perhaps even a registry modification would do.
Thanks,
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I figured this out. The grid effects I was looking for are actually classified as transitions, and are available in the transition area.
I feel kind of dumb, but hey, I'm a newbie to PowerDirector. The previews in the effects and transition areas should really show you using a real picture so it's easier to recognize what they do. (I'm already excited about V9, since V8 is impressive and only a few tweaks could make this my favorite program of all time!).
By the way, my first impressions of this program are all mostly really positive. It crashes an awful lot on me with Windows 7 (a disappointing 2-3 times a night), but other than that it's very easy to use. I've used 2 other highly rated editors and I'd rate this far superior. Way to go CyberLink!
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Hi,
The slideshow maker has some cool effects, like that grid going over the pictures. Is there any way to add these grid effects manually (add them to the effects library)?
I realize a "grid" effect is available but it's nothing like the slideshow grid. It's just a bunch of thick lines over the picture (and editing this effect is bizarre and doesn't produce the same grid effect as the slideshow maker which is cool).
You might tell me to just use slideshow maker but it's too random for me and you can't edit it after it's done. That's fine if someone gives you 15 minutes to produce a slideshow but I'd prefer some control over the results.
Thanks.
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