Cyberlink PowerDirector - 5.0 Instruction Manual

CyberLink

PowerDirector 5

User’s Guide

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of CyberLink Corporation.

To the extent allowed by law, POWERDIRECTOR IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY WARRANTY FOR INFORMATION, SERVICES, OR PRODUCTS PROVIDED THROUGH OR IN CONNECTION WITH POWERDIRECTOR AND ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

BY USING THIS SOFTWARE, YOU AGREE THAT CYBERLINK WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL LOSS ARISING FROM THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE OR MATERIALS CONTAINED EITHER IN THIS PACKAGE.

The terms and conditions here under shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of Taiwan.

PowerDirector is a registered trademark along with other company and product names mentioned in this publication, used for identification purposes and remain the exclusive property of their respective owners.

International Headquarters

Mailing Address

Web Site

Te le ph o ne

Fax

CyberLink Corporation 15F, #100, Min Chuan Road, Hsin Tian City Taipe i C oun t y, Ta i wan , R .O.C .

www.cyberlink.com

886-2-8667-1298

886-2-8667-1300

Contents

Introduction ................................................... 1

Welcome! .....................................................................2

Where to Begin Reading ............................................2

The Movie-Making Process .............................................3

Pre-Production ..........................................................3

Putting Your Story Together ........................................3

Editing ......................................................................4

Producing and Burning Your Movie .............................4

CD-Key Activation ..........................................................6

Upgrade Your Software ..................................................7

Uninstall Your Software ...................................................8

Uninstall from the Start Menu .....................................8

Uninstall from the Control Panel .................................8

Latest Features ...............................................................9

The PowerDirector Program ..........................................10

PowerDirector Modes ...............................................11

PowerDirector Projects .............................................11

System Requirements ....................................................13

PowerDirector Versions .................................................14

Capturing Media.......................................... 15

Capture Mode .............................................................16

Capture Preferences .....................................................17

Capture Options ..........................................................18

Capture Limit Options .............................................18

Profile Options ........................................................19

Analog Video Capture Options .................................20

Audio Capture Options ............................................21

CyberLink PowerDirector 5

Webcam Video Capture Options ..............................22

CD/Microphone Capture Profile Setup ......................23

Captured Clip Options ............................................23

Capture from DV Camcorder ........................................25

Capture a Single Scene ............................................25

Batch Capture .........................................................27

Capture from HDV Camcorder ......................................34

Capture from TV ..........................................................36

Capture from Digital TV ................................................38

Capture from Webcam .................................................40

Capture from Microphone ............................................41

Rip Audio Tracks from CD ............................................43

Record a Voice-Over ....................................................44

Add Text Captions ........................................................46

Creating Your Story ...................................... 47

Working with Project Files .............................................48

Create a New Project ...............................................48

Save a Project .........................................................48

Open an Existing Project ..........................................48

New Workspace ......................................................48

View Project Properties .............................................49

Preferences ..................................................................50

File Preferences .......................................................50

General Preferences ................................................51

Editing Preferences ..................................................52

Confirmation Preferences .........................................52

Produce Preferences ................................................53

Set the Project’s Aspect Ratio ....................................54

The Library ..................................................................55

Media Room ...........................................................56

Effect Room ............................................................56

Title Room ..............................................................56

Transition Room ......................................................56

Audio Mixing Room .................................................57

Voice-Over Recording Room ....................................57

Chapter Setting Room ..............................................57

Contents

Managing Media in the Library ......................................58

Import Clips into the Library ......................................58

Sort Clips in the Library ............................................59

Remove a Clip from the Library .................................60

Rename a Clip in the Library ....................................61

Restore a Clip’s Original File Name ..........................61

View Clip Properties .................................................62

Detect Scenes in a Video Clip ...................................63

Managing Clips in the Workspace .................................65

Timeline View ..........................................................65

Storyboard View ......................................................68

Add a Clip to the Workspace ....................................69

Move a Clip in the Workspace ..................................73

Select Clips in the Workspace ...................................73

Cut/Copy/Paste a Clip in the Workspace ..................73

Align Clips in the Timeline ........................................74

Remove a Clip from the Workspace ..........................75

Replace an Effect in the Timeline ...............................75

Set Chapters ................................................................76

Viewing SVRT Information .............................................78

Preview Your Movie ......................................................79

Preview Your Movie in the Preview Window ................79

Preview Your Movie in the Media Viewer ...................80

Editing Clips ................................................ 81

Editing Media Clips ......................................................82

Split a Clip ..............................................................82

Trim a Video or Audio Clip .......................................83

Mute an Entire Media Clip .......................................88

Mute an Entire Track ................................................88

Take a Still Snapshot of a Video Clip .........................88

Change the Speed of a Video Clip ............................89

Stretch the Audio Portion of a Video Clip ...................90

Change the Color of a Visual Media Clip ..................90

Edit an Image Clip in PhotoNow! ..............................91

Set a Video Clip’s Interlacing Format ........................92

Adjust a Video Clip’s Aspect Ratio .............................93

Change Audio Clip Volume Levels ............................95

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CyberLink PowerDirector 5

Add a Fade Effect to an Audio Clip ...........................97

Restore an Audio Clip’s Volume Levels ......................97

Using Magic Tools .......................................................98

Magic Clean ...........................................................99

Magic Motion .......................................................103

Magic Cut ............................................................104

Magic Fix ..............................................................105

Magic Style ...........................................................107

Magic Music .........................................................108

Modifying Effects ........................................................110

Set an Effect’s Duration ..........................................111

Modifying a Video Effect ........................................113

Modifying a PiP Effect ............................................114

Modify a Title Effect ...............................................124

Preview a Clip ...........................................................136

Preview Window ....................................................136

Media Viewer ........................................................138

Producing Your Movie ................................ 141

Production Mode .......................................................142

The Production Wizard ...............................................143

Create a File .............................................................145

Create an AVI File .................................................145

Create a DivX File .................................................150

Create an MPEG-1/MPEG-2 File ............................152

Create a PSP File (Optional) ...................................154

Create an AVC File (Optional) ................................156

Create/Modify a Profile ..........................................159

Create a Streaming File ..............................................166

Create a WMV File for Streaming ...........................166

Create a RealVideo File for Streaming .....................168

Create a QuickTime File for Streaming ....................171

Write Back to DV Tape ...............................................175

Creating Disc............................................. 179

Create Disc Mode ......................................................180

Customize Your Disc’s Menu Page ..............................181

Contents

Burn to Disc ...............................................................188

Set Your Burning Configuration ..............................188

Burn Your Movie to Disc ........................................190

Appendix ................................................... 193

Technical Support ......................................................194

Web Support .........................................................194

Fax Support ..........................................................194

Telephone Support ................................................195

Hotkeys .....................................................................196

FAQ .........................................................................205

SVRT2: When Can I Use it? ........................................209

Disc Types & Formats .................................................210

Disc Types ............................................................210

Disc Type/Format Compatibility ..............................214

Video Formats & Qualities ..........................................215

TV Formats ...........................................................215

Video Qualities .....................................................216

Glossary ....................................................................217

Licensing and Copyright Notices .................................222

License Disclaimer .................................................223

Downloading Source Code ....................................223

List of Components ................................................224

Licenses and Copyrights .............................................225

Dolby Laboratories ................................................225

Intel License Agreement For Open Source Computer Vi-

sion Library .......................................................225

GNU Lesser General Public License ........................226

CLAPACK Copyright Notice ....................................238

Index......................................................... 239

CyberLink PowerDirector 5

Chapter 1:

Introduction

This chapter introduces CyberLink PowerDirector and the digital video editing process. It provides a discussion of the different kinds of technology you will use in the digital movie-making process, as well as system requirements for working smoothly with CyberLink PowerDirector.

This chapter contains the following sections:

• Welcome! on p.2

• The Movie-Making Process on p.3

• Register Your Software on p.5

• CD-Key Activation on p.6

• Upgrade Your Software on p.7

• Uninstall Your Software on p.8

• Latest Features on p.9

• The PowerDirector Program on p.10

• System Requirements on p.13

• PowerDirector Versions on p.14

CyberLink PowerDirector 5

Welcome!

Welcome to the CyberLink family of digital video tools! PowerDirector is a digital video editing program that can help you create professional-looking video movies, complete with music, voice-over, special effects, and transition effects.

If you don’t have experience making movies, don’t worry. CyberLink PowerDirector provides home users with a simple tool to help them do something a little more creative with their home videos. You don’t have to be a video professional or have aspirations of a box office hit to enjoy using PowerDirector.

Where to Begin Reading

Of course, we recommend that you read through the entire User ’s Guide for complete information on working with CyberLink PowerDirector. However, some people like to jump in and get working on specific projects. If you are one of those people, please refer to the list below for the page numbers of the information you are looking for.

• If you have questions about the program or the digital movie-

making process, start by reading the Introduction on p.1, then check out some of the information in the Appendix on p.193 (in particular, the FAQ on p.205).

• If you want to capture media, read Capturing Media on p.15

• If you want information on using project files and putting

your media clips together into a story, start by reading Creating Your Story on p.47.

• If you want to modify your media clips, read Editing Media

Clips on p.82.

• If you want to create a disc, read Creating Disc on p.179.

The Movie-Making Process

The digital movie production process involves a combination of artistry and technology, beginning with raw video footage and ending with a movie production. CyberLink PowerDirector provides the easiest way to produce your finished movie and publish it to the medium of your choice.

Pre-Production

Before you edit your movie using CyberLink PowerDirector, you must first create (or gather) its component parts: video clips, photos, music, and narrative voice-overs.

If you collect raw footage yourself with a camcorder or other recording device, you can capture that content in PowerDirector’s Capture mode. PowerDirector has functions for capturing from a DV camcorder, TV, webcam, microphone, or Audio CD. If you want to use files that are already on your computer, simply import them into the Library. However you collect your content, you should have all of the bits and pieces of your movie on hand so that the video editing process goes as smoothly as possible.

Introduction

Putting Your Story Together

Once you have your raw footage on hand, import it into the workspace in PowerDitrector’s Edit mode. The workspace offers both timeline and storyboard views to suit your preferred working method. Add and rearrange clips in the workspace - even lock tracks to avoid making mistakes while you work.

CyberLink PowerDirector 5

Editing

CyberLink PowerDirector’s Edit mode offers loads of options for editing audio, video, and image files in addition to video transitions, video effects, titles, and PiP effects. You might expect to use the functions in PowerDirector’s Edit mode to perform the following tasks:

1. Condense a long video clip to a desired duration using Magic Cut.

2. Clean up audio, video, and image files using Magic Clean.

3. Add a special effect to a video clip.

4. Add background music using Magic Music.

5. Adjust the sharpness, contrast, and color of a video clip.

6. Mix your background and voice-over tracks.

7. Add transition effects between video clips.

8. Add a pan or zoom effect to an image using Magic Motion.

9. Add a title and picture-in-picture (PiP) effect.

10. Automatically generate a movie with video effects, transitions,

PiP effects, and titles using Magic Style.

11. Stabilize shaky videos and enhance the focus on blurry photos using Magic Fix.

12. Preview your production.

Producing and Burning Your Movie

After editing your media and creating your movie, it’s time to produce your project. You can choose to make a disc, create a movie file for playback on your computer, create a streaming file for use on the Internet, or write your movie back to DV tape.

Register Your Software

After you install the program, a registration window opens, prompting you to register your product. It is important to register your software in order to receive technical support or other information from CyberLink.

Introduction

To register your software, do this:

1. Enter your personal information in the First Name, Last Name, and Email entry boxes.

• Check one or both of the options to receive information from

CyberLink, or uncheck if you do not wish to receive this information.

2. Click Register Now.

• If you would like to register this product at a later time, click

Remind Me Later. The registration box will open each time you run the program until you register.

CyberLink PowerDirector 5

CD-Key Activation

The first time your run PowerDirector, you are prompted to upgrade immediately from the trial version to the version you have purchased.

To upgrade PowerDirector to the version you have purchased, do this:

1. Open PowerDirector.

2. The Activation dialog box appears.

3. Enter your activation key, then click OK.

Note: You can copy and paste your activation key into the first entry field.

Upgrade Your Software

Software upgrades may be periodically available from CyberLink. To

upgrade your software, click on the Tool bar. The Upgrade

window will open and you can select to download new upgrades and patches. You will be redirected to CyberLink’s cyberstore if you choose to purchase new upgrades.

Introduction

Note: You must be connected to the Internet to use this feature.

CyberLink PowerDirector 5

Uninstall Your Software

If you need to uninstall your CyberLink software for any reason, you can do so either from the Windows Start menu or from the Windows Control Panel.

Uninstall from the Start Menu

To uninstall your CyberLink software from the Start menu, do this:

1. Click Start > Programs > [name of CyberLink software package] > Uninstall [product name]. The uninstall wizard

opens.

2. Follow the uninstall wizard to remove the program.

Uninstall from the Control Panel

To uninstall your CyberLink software from the Control Panel, do this:

1. Click Start > Settings > Control Panel.

2. Double-click Add or Remove Programs.

3. Select the program name, then click Change/Remove.

4. Follow the uninstall wizard to remove the program.

Latest Features

This section describes the latest features in the CyberLink PowerDirector program.

Capture

• Support for HDV devices

• Support for true 16:9 widescreen DV/HDV capture

• Text captions on captured DV/TV videos

Edit

• Output previews by tracks

• Adjustable preview quality

• New Magic Style for automatic timeline generation

• Enhanced Magic Fix to correct shaky videos and blurry

photos

• Enhanced Magic Clean to instantly correct color temperature

• Enhanced Magic Motion for custom pan and zoom effects

• New and improved visual effects and titles

• Enhanced RichVideo support

Produce

Introduction

• Support for true 16:9 widescreen production

• Support for Sony PSP video output (optional)

• Support for AVC-MPEG4 video output (optional)

Other

• New Create Disc mode for enhanced integrated authoring

• Support for HD-MPEG video, AVC-MPEG4 (optional), and

Sony PSP (optional) video formats

CyberLink PowerDirector 5

The PowerDirector Program

When you first open PowerDirector, the program appears as follows:

Edit function buttons Open editing rooms dedicated to a specific task

Mode buttons Click to switch working modes

Magic Tools Provide easy ways to work with media clips

Library Contains media clips as well as the various effect and media ‘rooms’

Preview window Provides playback controls to preview clips and movies

Media tracks Insert media clips here

Function buttons Provide shortcuts to common functions

PowerDirector Modes

PowerDirector has separate modes that enable you to perform different tasks: Capture, Edit, Produce, and Create Disc.

Mode Description

Click to switch to the capture interface. See Capturing Media on p.15.

Click to switch to the editing interface. See Editing Clips on p.81.

Click to switch to the production interface, which opens the Disc Wizard. See Producing Your Movie on p.141.

Click to switch to the authoring interface. See Creating Disc on p.179.

By default, the program opens in Edit mode. However, the PowerDirector program changes appearance depending on mode. In addition, certain parts of the program may change within a specific mode. For example, the Library changes display when you click an editing function button, and the workspace can toggle between Timeline and Storyboard views. The different modes and the varying appearances they bring to the PowerDirector program are all described in the sections that follow.

Introduction

PowerDirector Projects

Changes you make to your video clips, audio files, or photos in CyberLink PowerDirector do not affect your original media. Since your settings are all saved in the project file, you can trim, edit, or delete clips in PowerDirector, but still keep your original files on your hard drive, untouched. So let yourself get creative! If you end up changing things too drastically, you can always start over.

CyberLink PowerDirector 5

You can open and save a PowerDirector project file just like any other file in Windows. You can also create a new file or save the current file under a different file name.

System Requirements

The system requirements listed below are recommended as minimums for general digital video production work.

Screen Resolution:

• 1024 x 768, 16-bit color or higher

OS:

• Windows XP/2000 (Windows XP Service Pack 2 is required

for HDV capture)

Memory:

• 256 MB required (512+ MB DDR recommended)

• 1 GB DDR2 Ram recommended for HD content editing

CPU:

• Capture/produce AVI: Pentium 2-450 MHz or AMD Athlon

500 MHz

• Capture/produce VCD Quality (MPEG-1): Pentium 3-600

MHz or AMD Athlon 700 MHz

• Capture/produce DVD Quality (MPEG-2): Pentium 4-2.2

GHz or AMD Athlon XP 2200+

• Capture/produce High Quality MPEG-4 and Streaming

Videos (WMV, QuickTime, RealVideo, DivX): Pentium 4

2.4 Ghz or AMD Athlon XP 2400+

• Produce MPEG-4 AVC and MPEG-2 HD Files: Pentium 4 3.0

Ghz with HyperThreading or AMD Athlon 64 recommended

• Edit HD Contents: Pentium 4 3.0 Ghz Duel Core CPU

recommended

• PowerDirector 5 is optimized for CPU with MMX/SSE/

SSE2/3DNow!/3DNow! Extension/HyperThreading technology

• PowerDirector 5 editing engine is optimized for Intel Duel

Core CPU.

Video Capturing Device:

Introduction

CyberLink PowerDirector 5

• PCI or USB1.0/2.0 capture device compliant with WDM

standard (i.e. PC Camera and TV tuner with WDM driver)

• DV camcorder connected via OHCI-compliant IEEE1394

• DVD camcorder connected via USB2.0

• Sony MicroMV camcorder

• JVC Everio camcorder (GZ-MC100, GZ-MC200)

• Sony HDR-FX1 (HDV)

• Sony HDR-HC1 (HDV)

• JVC GR-HD1U (HDV)

Hard Disk Space:

• 5 GB required (400MB for SmartSound Quicktrack Library)

• 10 GB (15 GB recommended) required for DVD production

• 100 GB (7200 rpm) recommended for HD content editing

CD/DVD Burning Device:

• CD/DVD burner (CD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW or DVD-R/RW)

is required to burn VCD/DVD/SVCD titles

Microphone:

• A microphone is required for recording voice-overs.

PowerDirector Versions

PowerDirector is available in many different OEM versions and the full retail version. File format support, editing features, disc-making functions, and other features vary depending on the version that you have. For information on the availability of specific functions in the PowerDirector version that you are using, please check the PowerDirector Readme file.

Chapter 2:

Capturing Media

This chapter explains how to acquire media for use in CyberLink PowerDirector. You can acquire video and audio from a wide variety of sources, including a webcam, DV camcorder, HDV camcorder, TV, Digital TV, VCR, microphone, and audio CD.

This chapter contains the following sections:

• Capture Mode on p.16

• Capture Preferences on p.17

• Capture Options on p.18

• Capture from DV Camcorder on p.25

• Capture from HDV Camcorder on p.34

• Capture from TV on p.36

• Capture from Digital TV on p.38

• Capture from Webcam on p.40

• Capture from Microphone on p.41

• Rip Audio Tracks from CD on p.43

• Record a Voice-Over on p.44

• Add Text Captions on p.46

CyberLink PowerDirector 5

Capture Mode

When you click the button, PowerDirector enters Capture mode, in which you can capture media from a variety of capture devices. In Capture mode, the program appears as follows:

Capture device selection area Allows you to switch capture devices and set capture limits

Captured Clips area Displays media clips after capture.

Capture preview window Displays media clips during capture.

Information display area Displays information about captured file size and available HDD space

Capture Preferences

Before you begin to capture, make sure your capture environment is set according to your preferred working methods.

To set your capture preferences, click Edit > Preferences. The Preferences dialog box opens. Available options are as follows:

• Add captured files to Library: Check this option to import

captured files into the Library after capture.

• Add captured files to workspace: Check this option to

import captured files into the workspace after capture.

• Use video overlay for capture: Keep this option checked

during capture unless you have an older VGA card that does not support video overlay. (Unchecking this option in this event avoids the unsupported overlay display error.)

• Enable automatic file replacement when recording voice-

over: Check this option to overwrite existing audio if the voice-over overlaps during recording.

• Do not detect scenes during capture: Check this option if

you do not want to activate the scene detection function during capture.

• After capture, detect scenes by changing of video frames:

Check this option to perform scene detection during video capture. In scene detection, PowerDirector compares captured frames to decide when there is a scene change. Each scene is saved as a file as recording continues.

• During capture, detect scenes by timecode, and save each

scene as a separate file (DV-VCR mode only): Check this option to detect scene-break signals and to save each scene as a separate file. (DV camcorder generate a scene-break signal on the tape whenever users release the REC button.) This feature is only available in DV tape capture.

• DV Parameters button: Click this button to set the buffer

parameters for your DV camcorder. Setting a buffer time ensures that your DV camcorder and your batch capture or DV writing device begin at the same time. Without a buffer, batch capturing or writing to tape may begin before the camcorder is engaged.

Capturing Media

CyberLink PowerDirector 5

Capture Options

Many of the options for capturing are shared by different capture modes. These options are described below. Not all of the options described in this section are available in all capture modes. Descriptions of options specific to a single capture mode are found in the section that describes that mode.

Note: PowerDirector’s capture functions vary, depending on version. For information on the availability of specific features in the PowerDirector version that you are using, please check the Readme file.

Capture Limit Options

You can set limits on the size or duration of video that PowerDirector captures. When the limit you set is reached, capture automatically stops.

To set a maximum capture length, check Time limit, then enter a time in the timecode box.

To set a maximum captured file size, check Size limit, then enter a size limit (in MB).

Profile Options

Click Profile. The Profile Setup dialog box opens.

Note: For information on selecting a profile, see Create/Modify a Profile on p.159.

• Click the Comments and Details buttons for more

information about the profile.

Capturing Media

CyberLink PowerDirector 5

Analog Video Capture Options

Click Video. The Analog Video Settings dialog box opens, displaying the Video Setup tab. You may select your capture source here.

Click the Adjust Video tab and set the video options, if necessary.

Click the TV Setup tab and set the TV options, if necessary.

Audio Capture Options

Before you capture from microphone, there are several options you can set.

Drag the volume level slider to set the input volume level.

Check Begin with fade-in to start an audio capture in with a fade-in from silence.

Check End with fade-out to end an audio capture with a fade-out to silence.

Capturing Media

Click Audio. The Audio Setup dialog box opens. You may select your audio input device, audio input source, and input volume here.

CyberLink PowerDirector 5

Webcam Video Capture Options

When capturing from a webcam, click Video to set up your webcam capture profile. Under the Video Setup tab, you can select your capture source. Click Advanced Settings for more options.

Note: Advanced settings may differ depending on the webcam you are using. Please refer to your webcam’s user guide to configure advanced settings for it.

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