| User review:
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version 8.10.3
I wish this rating had a section for bugs because I would give this software a 10 for ease of use, a 6 for functionality and a -10 for bugs.
Background: I got studio 8 with that came bundled with an ati aiw radion 9000, along with guide plus and catalyst for $150. I figure ati paid pinnacle about $20 for my copy (which is a full version.)
Learning curve: this is a wicked easy program to use. my nine-year-old can take three 30 minute episodes of jimmy neutron he captures off cable, make chapters and a menu with screen shots and have a dvd that plays perfectly in a stand alone player with ten minutes of labor (rendering, compiling and burning may take up to two hours, but that is unattended).
Overall the interface is quite intuitive and you get a very accurate "wsiwyg" before burning.
Bugs: One day after installing a new version of nero the "burn from previous project button permentantly shaded. What the heck? OK so one can burn from nero after figuring out two files to leave out, and nero burning verifies os not to bad. But, red flag, I wrote tech support and got the most idiotic form letter reply that had nothing to do with my issue but did communicate the message: forget support on this product.
Next I noticed that longer mpegs over 70 minutes or so always lost audio sync. I knew the capture wasn't a problem as the mpegs played perfectly from every player i had. but studio eight consistantly lost audio synch on long (say movie length mpegs) before and after rendering/compiling. So now i capture in avi and studio 8 doesnt have a problem.
[note: the latest beta, 8.10.3, seems to have mostly fixed this issue]
Support: Forget IT! I guess I don't blame them they bundle this product with boards costing less then $100 so they must be giving it away. Your only hope is the forums: http://webboard.pinnaclesys.com/read_forums.asp?WebboardID=1&SectionID=143&lng=1
summary:
this software does a lot and very easy to use. It is also cheap. Thre are many projects it handles without a hitch. But if you run into a bug with a functionality that studio 8 should have, be ready to bang your head on a wall. |
