The other day a friend of mine showed me their new cellphone. I couldn’t tell a difference between their old one and the new one. The new version looked exactly like the old one. This has happened to me before with various things, like software programs for example. Sometimes the new version simply doesn’t provide enough reason to upgrade. Avid bought the Pinnacle software line a couple years back and turned Pinnacle Studio into Avid Studio, which I reviewed in the summer of 2011. It was a serious, fundamental change from the Pinnacle Studio I had grown to love, but my review was favorable. And now Avid recently sold the software line to Corel who decided to return to the Pinnacle brand loved by so many. So with the new release of Pinnacle Studio 16 Ultimate, would version 16 live up to the Pinnacle brand I had known and loved? Would it best Avid Studio? Would it again be another complete departure from previous packages? Let’s find out!
When I opened Pinnacle 16 the first time I thought I was looking at Avid Studio. Honestly, I thought I had mistakenly opened the Avid Studio package because I was expecting to see an updated Pinnacle interface from a previous version of Pinnacle. But what I discovered was that Pinnacle Studio 16 is an upgrade from Avid Studio. I initially couldn’t see any difference between them, which caused me to be a little disappointed. But that quickly changed, as you will soon find out. But first…
My initial thoughts when I opened the box:
- Green screen sheet. Nice.
- 3D glasses… whoa… what’s this? Interesting indeed.
- Tutorial DVD… nice touch as well. Although the same videos are on the Pinnacle website.
- Installation guide. Helpful.
- Quick-Start Guide. Very helpful.
- Free 25GB of storage from Box, and an additional 25GB when you register the product. Wow. 50GB?? That’s more than I have with Dropbox, Google Drive, and Skydrive. Sweet.
So I got the Pinnacle Studio 16 Ultimate package ($129.95), which is a step up from the Pinnacle Studio 16 Plus ($99.95). So what do you get for that extra $30? A bunch:
- Green screen sheet
- Red Giant toolkit
- Motion Graphics toolkit
- 2,000+ 2D/3D effects, transitions, titles, & templates (as opposed to 1,800+)
- Unlimited audio and video timeline layers, instead of 24 you get in Plus
Installation and first use
I had some issues right after installation. My video camera that I use the most records in .MOV format. And none of my .MOV files would play in the timeline. I submitted a tech support request (after registering my product, of course), and working with them revealed that there was an issue with the codecs that my files were using and the Pinnacle software. Tech support provided me some files to replace on my system after they discovered the issue, and it was resolved. I give them props for a quick resolution to that problem.
What’s new in Pinnacle 16?
I am going to refer several times to Avid Studio, since this package is an upgrade to it, so if you want to read my review of that package then go here.
I discovered a whole host of upgrades and enhancements from Avid Studio to Pinnacle Studio 16. Little things that I didn’t initially notice but that now are really big in my mind. Let me simply list them in bullet form for you. (Some screenshots that refer to these bullet points are below.)
- There is a toolbar right above the timeline. You can customize which buttons show up on that toolbar, which you couldn’t do in Avid Studio. Very, very nice!
- In Avid Studio if you wanted to grab a still frame from a video (which is a common thing to do in these video packages), you had to open up the clip in ‘corrections mode’ and then grab it there. Big hassle. Now with Studio 16 you can use the Snapshot button on the timeline toolbar without opening up anything else. This is one of the biggest improvements, and whoever decided to do this deserves a hug. Seriously.
- Also on the Timeline toolbar is the Dynamic Length Transitions button, which allows you to set the duration of the transitions you add. If you don’t have this selected, a standard transition length will be added, which you set in the project settings.
- All the options available in the Import tool remain (webcam, DVD, computer, stop motion, snapshot), but now you can also import media from the “cloud”, which is that free Box.com account that I previously mentioned. It sure would be nice if they integrated Dropbox, Skydrive, and Google Drive as well.
- In the Library when you preview clips, you have many more options, including scrubbing through the clip, uploading to Box.com, applying tags, etc.
- The Export tool in Avid only had options for File, Disc, and Web, and the only destination for ‘Web’ was YouTube. Now the Export tool has options for File, Disc, Cloud, and Device. Cloud allows uploading to Box.com, Facebook, Vimeo, and YouTube. And Device adds types for Apple, Nintendo Wii, Xbox, PSP, and PS3. This update to the Export tool is awesome, and much needed.
- The Export tool also added an ‘image sequence’ output option, which creates a series of HDV TIFF images.
- In the Control Panel, you now have an option for “Keyboard”, where you can create your own keyboard shortcuts for almost every task you can perform. Very nice touch!
- The Corrections Editor and Effects Editor have more options available to you. In fact, in the Effects editor you can now apply affects to any transitions that are attached to the clip, which is a nice addition.
The updated Import Tool:
The updated Effects Editor tool:
Timeline zooming
One of the biggest interface changes is something I wanted to specifically mention. In Avid, if you wanted to zoom the timeline to see more or less of it on the screen, you had to use this Zoom Selection window below the timeline. The use of it grew on me, yet the manner in which you use it still doesn’t seem natural. In Pinnacle 16 ,they completely changed it so that you simply grab the ends of the scroll bar on the left or right ends and drag it to show more or less of the timeline. I will be honest and say that I think this is a step back. Not in the aspect of how it works because once I figured it out, I get it. But for the average person, especially the novice, this feature may never be discovered because the usability of the feature is unlike anything in use today.
I think that Avid needs to quit getting creative with the zooming for the timeline. Just make a zoom slider to do it, which most users will recognize because they are used in a bunch of other software programs. In fact, there is already a simple zoom slider in the library panel view, so why not do the same thing for the timeline?? Makes no sense to me. The person who came up with that does not get a hug.
3D features
A big enhancement in Studio 16 is the ability to import 3D clips, edit in the timeline and apply effects to the 3D clips, and output in full 3D format. Using the 3D glasses included in the package you should be able to use the package for all your needs. Unfortunately I didn’t have any 3D footage to test this, so I can’t speak to how it performs in this regard.
Claiming your Box.com account
The first time you export to the cloud to Box.com, you’ll be prompted to open your free Box.com account with the free storage. There are no instructions in the box on this, so let me just go ahead and say “you’re welcome”.
Studio 16 update
Before using Pinnacle Studio 16, go grab the system update here. There are many improvements and fixes, which you can read about at that link.
Performance
The bottom line in performance is that the software imports files faster, renders faster, plays preview clips faster, and generally operates faster than Avid Studio in just about every way. I am very, very happy about this.
Bottom Line
The improvements and enhancements between Avid Studio and Pinnacle Studio 16 are huge, although you won’t be able to initially tell it by looking at the interface. But make no mistake, this update is big. And the fact that they knocked off $40 from the price and gave you more is simply icing on the cake. The price is still higher than other consumer-level products, so that will keep some folks away. And I still think, as I did with Avid, that this package is a little more than the complete video novice will be able to handle. But what you get for the price is amazing, and the interface and performance improvements will make existing customers upgrade for sure. There are still some improvements that Avid can make, but on a scale of 1 to 10, I give this package at least an 8, maybe a 9.
Product Information
| Price: | $129.95 |
| Manufacturer: | Corel |
| Retailer: | Corel |
| Requirements: |
|
| Pros: |
|
| Cons: |
|
Send to Kindle
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
Great review! Some additional info… Corel, yes the PaintShopPro and VideoStudioPro people, over the summer bought Pinnacle from Avid. So, it is a part of the Corel family. Corel’s plans, at least for the moment is to keep Pinnacle “separate” from the Corel website. Whatever you need to access concerning Pinnacle can be done in Pinnaclesys.com.
I know that there is a lot of cram into a review, and time will bring out further what enhancements and improvements PS16 has over AS1, but there is now a “Storyboard” feature, while not as easy or intuitive as Studio, it works for those that like “Storyboard”. Me personally, I never use it, but it’s there. The 50gig free Box account you get will allow you to upload files up to 2gigs. Nice. If you have Avid Studio, when you upgrade to PS16, you will notice that in Red Giant, while you gain Mojo, Cosmo and Warp, you lose ToonIt and 3DStroke. BUT, they can be copied over from Avid Studio and work just fine.
All in all, I haven’t touched Avid Studio since I have gotten PS16 Ultimate! I hope Corel continues moving this product forward.
And thanks for reviewing a product that I really enjoy working with. Oh, I do not work for Pinnacle or Corel, I am just a very satisfied user!
@TonyP You are correct…. Corel is indeed the owner of the Pinnacle line now. I communicated with Corel folks several times regarding this product, so that mistake is a pretty big one. Thanks for catching that. I have made that correction in the text, but I still refer numerous times in the review to ‘Avid Studio’ because I am comparing this version to that previous version.
I am glad that you make the reference to Avid Studio. There has been much confusion for some people thinking that PS16 is an upgrade for Studio15 and shocked to find out it isn’t. Especially after buying it! Some people just want to edit the family vacation. Studio15 was easy to use and great for that. But I guess Corel figures it has VideoStudioPro (I do have both X4 and X5 Ultimate) which was a direct competitor to Studio15. Some people can not make the transition. I guess Corel was leaning on the marketing value of the Pinnacle Studio name.
Hey, the next time you communicate with the folks at Corel, tell them to add some prosumer features like secondary color correction, dynamic time warp, OpenCL support, the Classic Title from Studio (the current one produces soft titles), 2k & 4k support (for marketing purposes), multicam with auto sync, and you add some too!
Re timeline zooming – I did not know you could grab the end of the timeline scroll bar to zoom, until you mentioned this I clicked and dragged in the timeline just above it. Now you’ve told me about this method I love it – because it gives a high speed zoom compared with the method I was using. How this compares with the industry standard I don’t know. I don’t do enough video editing to comment on industry standards but I know that, having started with Pinnacle 8 and since used 9, 12, 14 and Avid Studio 1 and 1.1 before Pinnacle 16, I’m loving this ‘version’. Studio 1.1 was good but there were times it could make me quite frustrated. Corel have made a whole bunch of unlisted changes to Studio 1.1 and, to my mind, all for the good.
I am just waiting for them to update how ‘titles’ are handled – these are still a cause of annoyance but, judging by what they’ve done so far, it shows they’re listening and I’ve no doubt it will be on their ToDo list.
Paul
Paul, I too have griped about the quality of the titles. What is missing is the Classic Titler from legacy Studio. The old Title Deko that made working with Titles so much faster and easier, along with producing a better output.
@Paul Clicking above the timeline and dragging is a hold-over from Pinnacle Studio, but in my opinion that isn’t intuitive either. I still think that a zoom slider makes the most sense and from a usability standpoint, most users would recognize that. There is plenty of room in the toolbar above the timeline for it, so it is just a matter of them putting one there. I feel good about Corel’s responsiveness to customer feedback, so I think the titler will get updated.
@TonyP
>> What is missing is the Classic Titler from legacy Studio. <<
Indeed, a wonderful example of if it aint broke don't fix it. The Titler in all previous versions of PS worked just fine.
@Sreve
You may be right in that it's not intuitive but, like all things, once learnt it's OK and some, like me, may prefer it. Not that I'd object to a zoom slider as you describe – so long as it was added as opposed to substituted.
Great review, very balanced and above all clearly written, it has made my mind up to upgrade from Avid Studio which although frustrating at times was the best I have used.
I also agree with Tony P about the Classic Title Editor and Auto Sync – these would be a tremendous help that I would be willing to pay for !!!
Thanks again
Bob
Excellent review as I have always used Pinnacle for editing this has given me a clear picture of the upgrade, but I have just bought a new higher spec 64 bit computer and a Panasonic HC-X900 camera. Will I be able to load the video direct into Studio through a USB 3 port as the camera does not have a firewire connection on it? If so I will purchase it.
Thanks for the info
My computer specs are Win7Pro 64bit with 16gigs RAM, ATI HD5870 w/2GIGS ram, OC’ed AMD 1090T 6core CPU and the program works well. I edit Canon AVCHD and Canon DSLR mov videos with no problem.
What I would suggest to you Richard is to download the trial version first before making the purchase. If you have any issues, the best place for answers is the Pinnacle Forum. The download can be gotten here http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/us/Products/Consumer+Products/Home+Video/Studio+Family/Pinnacle+Studio+16+free+trial.htm
The user forums is http://forums.pinnaclesys.com
@Richard TonyP gives good advice. Download the trial and wear it out to make sure it does what you need. I think you’ll like it.
I just bought this product due to an issue I was having making movies in the simple Windows Movie Maker – issue being the program would not read the video in my .mov files – which are the only ones I have and need to make movies with.
Will I be able to still use the program with my .mov files from a Nikon Coolpix S8200 camera?!
@Courtney… you should be able to edit those .mov files. I use a Canon DSLR and edit the .mov files all the time without any problems. My suggest is, IF you haven’t opened the software yet and can return it, download the trial version first (30days trial) and see if you can work with your HD files. You can get it here..
http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/us/Products/Consumer+Products/Home+Video/Studio+Family/Pinnacle+Studio+16+free+trial.htm
TonyP speaks the truth. He’s the bomb. I also use .mov files with my movies, which were created with a Kodak camera.
Thank you so much for the quick advise! I am working on making videos for my company. I will take the advise and get started, thank you!
@Courtney, no problem! I have used the software since it was released and it’s precursor, Avid Studio. Yes, the software does have some problems, but I have been able to finish whatever I have started. There is a learning curve, but the tutorial DVD helps getting you up and running. For additional help, you can log into the Forums. Plenty of good people there willing to help out others.
http://forums.pinnaclesys.com/forums/242/ShowForum.aspx
@Steve, you are much too kind! I enjoy using the software and use it almost daily. Hoping for continued improvements from Corel in the future! BTW, Happy New Year!
Okay, so now my only problem is that I do not know what program to open the downloaded free trial file in . . . I do not really have anything close to what it is on my Windows 7 computer . . . any suggestions?
Add .exe to the end of the file and then double click on it.
Have just spent the last 2 hours being shuffled back n forth between Pinnacle’s site and Corel while I try and download the product I purchased. The set up of existing Pinnacle accounts and the new ownership by Corel is a total shambles. Different user names and passwords for your account, the store and technical support. Can’t find my existing order as the password Pinnacle sent me is INCORRECT !!
My recommendation is GIVE THIS PRODUCT A MISS…find a much more user-friendly software manufacturer and particularly a much more user-friendly web site. The new owners of Pinnacle are turning a well supported product into total chaos. Shame on you Corel !!
Peter T, I can totally understand your pain in this. The migration from Avid to Corel should have been done a long time ago. Corel obtained Pinnacle last summer, in the midst of Avid Studio (the name for PS16 at that time) being updated to Avid Studio v2 (now PS16). The Pinnacle Forums (http://forums.pinnaclesys.com) would be the place where you can get the most assistance. There are user Moderators that are in touch with the “powers that be” along with a couple of employees that stop by to trouble shoot. Give it a shot at least.
I still use my original user name and password that I have had since DV500 and Studio 8 days. Have you tried http://corel.force.com/pinnacle?lang=en
Can you log in here with your previous account info?
http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/us/MyPinnacle/
Stop by the forums and make a post. There are those that can help.
Also, try this phone number 1-877-582-6735
I hope it helps.
I also was a Pinnacle user from ”Studio 9” 11” 14” and now 16” ultimate witch is the worst.
The layout is done very nicely and I was able to see some extra FX that I needed to purchase separately in the earlier versions.
Advid which also makes Pro Tools DAW audio recording program sold Pinnacle to Corel and just like I thought, this transition sucks. Pro Tools is also loosing it’s popularity as well, except for the studio’s that started with Pro Tools and invested thousands and thousands of dollars.
I needed help to solve a problem uninstalling the earlier Ultimate 14 from my Laptop the every time I boot it up it gives me an several error codes that is very annoying, I tried to get help for almost three days and it is totally impossible being directed to Pinnacle to obtain a service code number then be directed to Corel and back and forth with no phone support, I even called a listed support # that was disconnected, this is a total nightmare.
I got refunded and may wait until Corel totally implement the Pinnacle setup into their program.
Hopefully it will get better in the future but for now, do yourself a favor and avoid Pinnacle 16 like a plague.
@Reggmail Sorry to hear about your troubles. My experience has been much better than yours. I still stand by my review of the software, and I still use it often. thanks.
Reggmail. You say PS16U is the worst but give no real reasons why. Yes, there are bugs with the program and they have been reported. The Forum Moderators are keeping up with issues that can be reproduced. So exactly, why is PS16 Ultimate terrible?
As for your inability to uninstall S14, that can be from many many factors that are not related to S14 but your computer. You failed to give what errors you get. I have had Studio since version 8, so I pre-date you on the usage of Pinnacle software. I’ve had every version from S8-S15U and have uninstalled them without any problems. IF you really want help, then stop by the Pinnacle user forums, log in and make a post with as much detailed information that you have. Saying I get errors does not help. Give the error code and what it says.
People will blame a piece of software for not doing “something”, when a lot of times, it is user error or some issue with their computer. If many people are using it and are able to uninstall it and you can’t, where do you think the problem is?
Hello Steve and Tony P.
Thank you both for your response.
Here is a copy of the request in (specifics) that I sent to Avid Support.
Recently you requested assistance from Avid Customer Success. Below is a summary of your request and our response.
To update this case, reply to this email leaving the subject line as it is and enter your response at the top of the email.
If there is no response, we will check in with you in 5 days.
If you have a support contract you may use the following link to log in and view, create and manage your cases (does not apply to Avid Vantage or ASC cases):
Description of my problem.
I am receiving these messages on my laptop after uninstalling Pinnacle 12 &14 and then installing Pinnacle 16 Ultimate. Every time I turn on my Laptop I receive at least tree or four of these messages below. ”The feature you are trying to use is on a network resource that is unavailable. Click ok to try again or enter an ultimate path to a folder containing the installation package ‘status msi’ in the box below”. C:\Users\Reggie\AppData\Local\Temp\7zS4EAA\OJ6500vE709_Full_14\setup\status\ C:\Users\Reggie\AppData\Local\Temp\7zS4EAA\OJ6500vE709_Full_14\setup\status\ C:\Users\Reggie\AppData\Local\Temp\7zS4EAA\OJ6500vE709_Full_14\setup\status\ What do I need to do to stop this from occurring. Thank you.
Reply from Avid Support. Dear Mr. Sutton,
Thank you for contacting Avid Support.
Regarding your query, please be informed that all Avid Studio and Pinnacle products have
been purchased by Corel . As a result, all Studio related queries should be addressed directly to them.
For more information on how to contact support, please visit the following websites:
http://www.corel.com/corel/pages/index.jsp?pgid=800145
http://corel.force.com/pinnacle
Also, I can advise you to use the Pinnacle forums in order to find solutions to the issue.
http://forums.pinnaclesys.com/forums/default.aspx
Please don’t get me wrong, and I apologies if my letter seem to be downing Pinnacle as the worst Video program…it is not. In fact, being with Pinnacle as long as I have should prove that.
It’s just that I got very frustrated when I tried to call, write, email, going back and forth from Corel to Avid getting case number’s lots of hassle on top of the original problem issue, and received no direct response to solve my problem.
Being a music producer I have used many programs over the years and most companies respond and help solve your issue, without hoop jumping.
Pinnacle at this transitional time for me was the worst costumer service I have dealt with in years. (Then they direct you to the forum where helpful people at times use trial and error options that may work and sometimes can make matters worst.
I truly hope that Pinnacle 17 if they continue the brand have better technical service people will deal with issues and not pass them off. again thank you for your response.
@Remail, first, Avid has not owned Pinnacle since last year, so you are writing to the wrong people. The links they sent you should work. Also, the link to the webforum is best to try and get help. In general, run a registry cleaner after uninstalling will remove bits and pieces left in the registry by just about every program. I use Ccleaner which is free.
For further help, go by the Pinnacle forums.
Thank you for your response Tony P.
As I mentioned in the response before, I did notify Corel the owner of Pinnacle 16 and was not successful after many tries. That is why I got frustrated. As I also stated earlier for the time that the ownership changed hands, the customer technical department response, should be just as accurate and efficient as the sales department. In my experience, at this time that is not the case.
I do use C Cleaner as well and it wasn’t able to salve this ongoing problem, thank you for the suggestions.
@Remail, looking at the location of those files, they are in the temp folder. I have a couple of suggestions. Run CCleaner “Cleaner”. See if when it finishes analyzing that those links show up. If not, since it is a temp folder, rename them something else. Those are “hidden” folders so that you have to “show” them. Open My Computer>Tools>Folder Options. Select the tab “View”, then Advance Settings>Files and Folders>Hidden Folders. Tick “on” Show hidden files, folders and drives. Then you can go to that directory and do the renaming.
Hope it works.
Thank you again for your help TonyP.
I will give this a try, it does show up in C Clean when I run the registry. Then I allow C Clean to fix /delete the files but when I reboot, the annoying gray three boxes of notification comes back.
I will give your suggestions a try…thanks again for your help and concern.
hey tony. how big is the green screen?
@Stephanie, I really don’t know. Mine is still in the vacuum sealed blister pack. But I would have to guess it’s big enough to be put on the wall so that one person can be “green screened”.
What I would strongly suggest is that you download the program, look for tutorials on green screen and see if you can’t pull it off with another flat wall color using Chromakey.