As before, tabs along the top let you select the part of the program you'd like to use, while a timeline with multiple display options slides along the bottom. Even here, Ulead has kept a good mixture of the advanced and the intuitive, so while there are several options for adding advanced effects, navigating around the program is easy. Most of VideoStudio 9.0's new features are in the advanced VideoStudio Editor. You'll also find video clips and image backgrounds. The CD offers extra DVD menu templates-a must since the basic program is light on templates-and video tutorials. You'll be ready to launch the program in minutes, but we recommend that you explore the Bonus CD first. Installation is quick and easy with the Ulead wizard.

This is an impressive app and one that we feel confident recommending. While VideoStudio 9.0 lacks the sophisticated audio-mixing tools of Pinnacle Studio 9.0, it's far more stable.

Ulead's VideoStudio 9.0 combines the ease of Apple's iMovie with a better feature set. It also satisfies video nuts with high-end features such as chroma key and ripple editing, which make it easy to create polished movies. This version caters to nontechies with a new burning wizard that creates attractive results with little effort.

Ulead VideoStudio 9.0 is better at meeting this wide audience than any other program we've seen. At one extreme are the nontechies who simply want to burn their videos to DVD and aren't concerned with how it gets there at the other are the dedicated hobbyists who demand professional tools and results without the professional price tag. Video-editing tools have to appeal to a wider range of users than most programs.

Ulead video studio 11 tips