With every new software upgrade, we hope to see some valuable improvements to the product. Pinnacle Studio HD is no exception to this. Avid did a good job at filling in some of the gaps that this application had compared with other video editing software. With the addition of AVCHD import support, an increased number of audio tracks and HD capability, you will find that this video editing software is a good choice if you only need the basics and don't want to slow down your machine with some of the more resource-consuming features.

When you're looking at purchasing video editing software, there are few key points to keep in mind. The first aspect is the options an application has for capturing video. If you can't import your desired movie files, there is no point in even getting the software. With Pinnacle Studio HD, the developers have come a long way in this area. We have always been impressed with this application's wide variety of options, including HD video options and the ability to import photos and music. However, with this latest release, Avid added the capability to capture video from AVCHD. This feature is nice to have available.

The second aspect to take into account is the application's editing tools and options. The latest version of Pinnacle Studio HD has also improved in this area. Now you can have up to four audio tracks in a movie you make with Pinnacle Studio. This isn't as many audio tracks as some other products on the market have, but it is an improvement over the previous version of the software which only had a couple. We were also pleased that there is an option to import images. Having images interspersed with video files can make for engaging and eye-catching movies.

The final point to consider is the application's export and production options. There is little point in making a movie if you can't share it with your family and friends. There is support for HD files in this version of the software, and Pinnacle Studio has added the option to export a movie project in RealVideo. The HD support alone is a great reason to look into Pinnacle Studio HD, but it also includes plenty of other file-type options. One of the few features missing is the ability to burn movie projects to Blu-ray Discs. This is something that, with HD capability, would be useful to have.

The help and support offered by Pinnacle Studio is the best we've seen with video editing software. Not only is there free email, phone and live chat support, but there are also tutorials, FAQs, forums and even a printed manual. All of these options make this application a great choice if you are worried about learning to use the software. Now you don't have to worry about being stuck because you can always contact the company for help.