PowerDVD 12 is a very capable media player, for instance. Power2Go 8 caters for all your disc burning needs. MediaShow 6 is an excellent media management tool, and PowerDirector 10 is arguably the best consumer video editor available today.
But that’s just the start. PowerProducer 5.5 provides speedy template-based disc authoring; MediaEspresso 6.5 converts media files to more mobile-friendly formats; other bundled tools include PowerBackup 2.6, PowerDVD Copy 1.5, LabelPrint 2.6 and InstantBurn 5, and the helpful PowerStarter provides a front-end menu which makes it easy to find and access the particular function or feature you need.
As previously, CyberLink has made Media Suite available in two flavours.
Media Suite 10 Pro ($99.95) is the budget build. It includes all the applications we’ve listed, and has added many new features since the last release, including YouTube/ Facebook/ Flickr integration; DLNA support; MKV/ FLV import; faster video rendering; and the ability to import and browse 3D and many RAW image formats, amongst others.
Media Suite 10 Ultra ($129.95), though, can also play back Blu-ray movies. Strong 3D support sees the package able to play Blu-ray 3D movies, 3D videos and photos. It can edit 3D videos, too (there are even new 3D effects), and there are a few other high-end extras on offer (such as support for playing back Dolby True-HD/ DTS-HD).
Both suites do at first seem very much cheaper than buying the packages individually. As we write, for instance, PowerDirector 10 Deluxe is $69.95, and PowerDVD 12 Standard is $49.95, so buying Media Suite instead looks like it will save you $19.95 on those two apps alone and get you everything else for free.
However, the math is actually a little more complicated than that, because Media Suite 10 uses special and slightly cut-down versions of its various applications. The Media Suite 10 Ultra, for instance, doesn’t include PowerDirector Ultra, but instead comes with PowerDirector HE3D, which has a simpler workspace and assorted minor omissions (you can’t export to MPEG-2 with Dolby Digital 5.1, for instance).
If you think you might be interested, then, it’s absolutely essential that you try before you buy. And, fortunately, trial builds of Media Suite 10 Ultra and Pro are available. The only problem: all this functionality makes for monster downloads, each over 1.5GB in size, so patience may be required before you can try the packages out for yourself.
This article originally appeared at softwarecrew.co.uk
