Deadlines vs. New Software: Bet on The Deadlines To Win
The video from the post “Blog World Expo ‘09 (Part 4 of 4)” could use some editing (As could the video from the 1-3). And I wanted to have that all wrapped up and edited before Monday and Tuesday’s, 140 Character Conference.
So I bought a product from Cyberlink, “Power Director 8 Ultra,” that was apparently top-reviewed etc. by numerous review sources.
I’ve used pro-sumer editing programs before everything from Movie Maker to Final Cut Pro. And I already own a copy of Cyberlink’s Power DVD 9, a DVD/BluRay playback program which has worked very well. So I went with Cyberlink Power Director 8 Ultra without hesitation.
Keep in mind that the main reason I needed new editing software was because the video I was shooting was on the lower end of HD — 720p; most video editing programs I had used in the past were incapable of editing these HD files.
I also didn’t want to down-convert the files in to a format that would detrimentally effect the resolution. What’s the point of using HD if you can’t show it in at least the low end of HD, right !?
Well, the Cyberlink’s Power Director 8 Ultra has “frozen-up” on me more times than I care to count in the last couple of day. I literally have not edited one clip successfully using the program in the two days I’ve had it.
Cyberlink forums have not helped, cyberlink instructions have not helped, friendly geeks on other video editing forums have not helped. 
Some would argue the following: ”well the Power Director 8 program just came out in August, ‘09 and your desktop may represent the small percent of the system set-ups that fall through the cracks when a software company does pre-release program tests on a new product. So, give it some time and Cyberlink will come up with a fix for it.” And, maybe those people have something there.
Thing is, the desktop I am using is a newer hot-rod job, but it’s nothing exotic. And there are certainly no setting issues or conflicts with other editing programs — I deleted the others!
I’ve already contacted Cyberlink and their response, contrary to the one I expected — ”Here is an additional300mb download that will fix all the problems with your new Cyberlink purchase” — was to the effect of the following: ”if you’d like a refund, then follow these directions.”
So, I am apparently going to get a refund and maybe buy something else — maybe the (allegedly “hardier”) Power Director 8 Deluxe, not the Ultra Version, maybe some other programs such as Corel’s Video Studio Pro 2010 or Sony Vegas Movie Studio, or just have my friends on their “bullet-proof” Macs do the editing for me 
Anyway, I write all the aforementioned because, frankly, I still have a lot of video from the BlogWorld & New Media Expo ‘09 that I wanted to put up in Post 4 of 4 in that series (And I will if it’s the last thing I do!).
But, hey, The LA branch of the 140 Characters Conference just finished yesterday and frankly I want to get you the video from that that the other “outfits” — if there are other outfits – aren’t going to have up for a week or two if at all. And I have exclusive interviews with some of the corporate folks working the booths
Good news is that, frankly, the video I shot from 140 Characters Conference doesn’t need editing in most cases. However I would recommend skipping through the “establishing” shots in rapid fashion — these are the little 20 second files establishing where I was, internal views of the Kodak Theatre, etc.
OK – and I am making a faux pas here and put up two posts tonight — the next post, tonight, will kick-off the coverage of 140 Characters Conference in LA.
Since it really needs to get out there to you, for now, I have to say new editing software be ”d–ned.” And in a contest between a deadlines vs. new software, I say bet on the deadlines to win.
Additional Author Information:
Chris Franklin's LinkedIn Profile, or Chris Franklin's Personal Blog
View our post archive for Chris Franklin!
