MAGIX Video Deluxe 2.0 Plus is an intriguing video editing package. It features 32 tracks that can be used for anything including audio or video.
 | Review (added 1/21/03) |
| Main Screen |
by Allen Pilgrim
INTRO
MAGIX Video Deluxe 2.0 Plus is an impressive entry in the video editing market. What struck me from the moment I installed this product was the overwhelming number of tools. This package not only comes with a video editor, but also comes with: an audio editor, music maker, Photo Clinic software for your images, a jukebox, a CD cover and label maker plus a number of internal tools.
FEATURES
Another great feature is that it features 32 tracks to use in your project. The standard version has 16.
CAPTURE
I captured a 4 minute video and it only dropped 1 frame. One of the nice features of this product is that it gives so much information about the video. The downside is that it creates 5 completely separate files for each capture. It actually separates the audio and video into different files. This makes it more difficult to use in other programs.
EDITING
There are many nice features that can't be found in software at the same price range. I really like the mirror effect.
PROBLEMS/BUGS
There are several negatives aspects to this program. One is that it is extremely slow when doing scene recognition. When I opened another program and then came back to it the screen looked like it had frozen up. In fact Task Manager reported that the program was "not responding" yet I could still see the progress bar move from time to time.
Another problem is the way it arranges files. To me this all seems awkward. There is also no recent files list.
The Song Wizard only works if you have the CD in. I would like to see this changed to allow the choice of location for the music.
There are several bugs that make this package less attractive. There were a number of times when I made a selection and it completely froze. I had to use End Task to even use other programs on the computer. Another serious problem is that I created an SVCD and it would not work in my Toshiba SD-2800 set-top DVD player. SVCDs created with various other video editing packages, including Pinnacle's Studio 8, have worked fine.
BOTTOM LINE
The bottom line is that MAGIX Video Deluxe 2.0 Plus would be a great addition to anybody serious about video editing. You will need some patience as the learning curve is steeper than most others in this same price range. Hopefully there will be some bug patches to fix some of the problems with it. However, the extra features and Royalty-Free goodies make this a product that I didn't want to pass up.
ADDENDUM
I would not recommend this software as your primary video editing software. In further testing I have discovered a number of bugs that are apparently well known. Their Support Forum has a number of users complaining about the same issues. They were hoping to have some fixed with the new patch. I installed it when it came out and many of the problems still exist. Only purchase this if you want to take a risk OR are interested in the extras.
