Packed with features and closer to Adobe Premiere Elements, CyberLink PowerDirector 8 is close, but still not close enough.

This version brings some real improvements, but there are still a few features missing.

Another big improvement, but this time it’s enough to make PowerDirector a worthy alternative to its mainstream rivals

Some interesting new features, but they’re too niche to justify the price.

With its limited editing features, it would be hard to see anyone choosing PowerDirector 5 over the Adobe, Pinnacle or Ulead competition.

PowerDirector 3 is the latest version of CyberLink’s DV editing application aimed at home video enthusiasts. It has been radically overhauled since the previous version 2.5, and includes many new features as well as a revamped interface. On the capture front, a new quick-scan option enables fast pre-capture preview of an entire 60-minute DV tape in just six minutes. There’s also a new title editor, Picture-in-Picture (PiP) motion effects can be easily added, a three-track audio mixer provides real-time mixing during playback, and you can now record voiceover narration during timeline playback of a project.

Blu-ray takes another tentative step towards the mass market, but is now the time to buy?

Always the enthusiasts favourite optical drive, Lite-On delivers as expected with its new range.

Anyone with $400 to spend on a graphics card should currently be looking at a RADEON X800 XL. It boasts the same 16 pipelines as an X800 XT, and also packs 256MB of GDDR3 memory to boot.

Hallmark has opted to take advantage of Intel’s Extreme Graphics 2 integrated shared graphics, taking up to 64MB of video memory from the on-board 512MB of PC2700 DDR to power the display. While not designed for gaming, it did manage to churn out almost 3000 points in 3DMark01SE with some help from its Pentium M 1.6GHz CPU.

Despite sitting in third place for write speeds and fourth overall for the read portion of our testing, this drive has a couple of trump cards up its sleeves.

A bargain route to getting HD DVD playback for your PC or Xbox, but there are limitations.

A final price will decide the fate of this chipset. It needs to be well under $200 to compete.

Fair price, but better-equipped cards cost a similar amount.

Video capture and two full games of your choice make this a Decent alternative to the 7600 GT.

A well featured card, but it can’t match the 7600 GS for value.

Performance, software and value that almost snatches away the A-List crown.

One new drive, three subtle variations, all the optical drive you'll want from the current generation.

Everybody, who hasn’t already got one, wants a decent laptop.

Not all multimedia notebooks have to weigh in around the $5000 mark. Digital Star’s 15.4in widescreen PowerNote Z71V offers very good value for money for a laptop sporting a 2GHz Pentium M, 1GB of RAM and a 128MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 6600 graphics chip.