Installation routines should provide a gentle introduction to a software product.  By that I mean that user-interaction should be kept to a minimum and the process should provide a degree of feedback as to the status of the progress.  Unfortunately the installation routine of VideoStudio 10 Plus from Ulead failed to impress me on either of these counts.

The installation of the main product was time consuming with minimal feedback being provided.  At the conclusion of this installation a reminder is given about the different content found on a bonus CD.  This disk contains sample audio, images and video clips plus three additional applications.  These applications are Cool 3D 3.0 SE, Pocket DP Show and InterVideo WinDVD 7.  The installation of the latter product caused a problem due to the presence of an earlier version of the software already in residence on the hard disk.  An offer was made to remove this software so that the installation could proceed. 

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Unfortunately this task proved too difficult and the routine was unable to continue.  What made this all the more surprising is the fact that Ulead has recently merged with InterVideo and you would expect there to be a close relationship between the various software items.  Luckily I was able to delete the earlier version of the software using Control Panel's Add or Remove Programs feature.  I was then able to restart the WinDVD 7 installation and this proceeded smoothly. 

WinDVD 7 provides playback facilities for your digital media whether home or commercially produced.  Cool 3D allows you to create eye-catching, animated 3D titles for your home movies.  Pocket DV Show can be used to burn DVDs straight from your camcorder.

VideoStudio 10 Plus opens with a choice of accessing the main Editor module for the more experienced movie makers or opting for Wizards designed to lead you through the movie production processes as well as providing help in burning your work to disk.  You have a choice of working with standard 4:3 aspect ratio or the widescreen alternative of 16:9 format.  Support is provided for those luckily enough to have access to high-definition video (HD).

The layout of the program's main screen certainly helped compensate for my earlier problems.  This layout is clear and intuitive.  Tabs are used to let you quickly switch between modes for Capture, Edit, Effect, Overlay, Title, Audio and Share.  There is a large preview screen with familiar navigational control panel.  Available content is shown as thumbnails in a Library pane while an Option pane displays items relating to the current mode.  Finally a Project timeline lets you position and organise the content making up your project.

Content can be captured from various sources and it will be automatically added to the current library.  You can preview items at will and carry out a range of editing activities.  When this content comprises of HD content then VideoStudio 10 Plus has a feature called Smart Proxies that can help.  This innovative feature, especially for those who do not have the latest powerful processors, automatically creates lower-resolution versions of the HD file.  This can then be used for editing purposes without too many time-consuming delays being involved.  Once the editing is completed then the changes are automatically apply to the original HD file.

Other new features include using multiple video tracks; an anti-shake filter; ad-zapper for removing commercials from captured TV programs; and DVD menu transitions.  The program makes it easy to convert content for using on a web page; sending as an email attachment; or transferring to a mobile device such as the iPod.  Audio aspects have been enhanced with a surround sound mixer and the ability to edit music and sound effects.

Overall I was impressed with the ease-of-use and capabilities of VideoStudio 10 Plus.  The software will suit the home video-editing enthusiast working on a limited budget.  I wish I could be as positive regarding the products' User Guide.  While containing relevant information, it arrives in a disappointing A5 size and it would have benefited from a more spread-out presentation and a larger type face.

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