Magix Movie Edit Pro 10 Plus review

With Movie Edit Pro 10 Plus, Magix has taken its feature-packed video-editing program and stuffed it with even more features.

This latest version adds previews on a TV screen, which it routes through a DV camera connected by FireWire (which sounds complicated but it works), high-definition (HD) import and export, 3D transitions, automatic colour optimisation, two-layer DVD support, a jog/shuttle preview control and a huge list of other new tricks and tools.

It's good to see low-cost packages adopting HD, but we're still waiting to see one that gets it right. We managed to import a range of HD video formats, but the software rejected some files while accepting other, seemingly identical formats without problems. More problematic is the fact that Movie Edit Pro can't capture directly from HDV cameras. WMV HD export is included, although it's well hidden under the advanced export settings. The same is true of MPEG4 export; this useful feature is rare among editing packages, but many users won't even realise it's available.

The new 3D transitions are either spectacular or ridiculous depending on your taste. Examples such as Heart, in which the outgoing clip curls up into a heart shape and floats out of view, certainly challenge the bounds of good taste, but others are technically impressive. They're far too over the top for most home-video productions but might suit pop videos or other creative projects.

Movie Edit calls on the graphics card's processor to render these transitions for smooth real-time previews, and preview quality is pretty good in general as long as you're happy with the small default monitor window. Previewing in full screen on a second computer monitor or TV screen over FireWire takes a heavy toll on the preview's smoothness, though.

Double-clicking a video clip on the timeline opens a new effect editor with tabs for colour correction, creative effect presets, transitions, movement and rotation. These are reasonably accessible and effective, but they serve only as an alternative interface for the existing effects, which are still available through the slightly baffling Video Controller window.

You can also access effect presets through the tabbed window to the right of the preview. With this method you can preview an effect instantly without having to apply it, and double-clicking or dragging an effect applies it permanently. Sadly, though, this freedom to access effects by various routes complicates rather than simplifies the proceedings, and keyframe animation for automating parameter changes is just as untidy and confusing.

Magix Movie Edit Pro 10 Plus can be frustrating if you're the sort of person who needs quick, precise tools with which to execute your ideas. If, on the other hand, you prefer to experiment and let your ideas develop according to what the software can do, there's plenty here to keep you entertained, and the results often look excellent. However, you'll also need to invest quite a bit of time in familiarising yourself with the software's interface. With experience, Movie Edit Pro can be quick to use, but those new to this area of computing are likely to feel overwhelmed by all the options and overlapping editing modes.