Canopus first made its name providing top-notch 3Dfx cards. Realising the deadly competitiveness and pace of that market, however, Canopus has moved on and repositioned itself as a company specialising in video editing.

Pocket-sized digital camcorders are becoming more capable all the time. We round up ten of the best

There was a time when Pinnacle dominated the PC video-editing market. But, after its initial success with the DV500, the advent of sophisticated realtime editing seemed to leave the company behind. While it was a good product, the company’s Pro-ONE arrived when competitive products from Matrox and Canopus had been available for some time. The Pinnacle Edition PRO 5 is an entirely different matter.

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AVCHD support and some useful new effects keep this as the leading entry-level video editor.

A new interface, smart albums, guided editing and photo merging keep Photoshop Elements ahead of the pack

A great entry-level video editing app, but Montage is the only major addition unless you go for the Ultimate edition

HD camcorders enter the mainstream once and for all. With image quality like this, there’s little reason to spend more.

Not content with dominating the semi-professional end of video editing, Matrox has reworked its 'Power of X' technology for a more humble audience.

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

Not only slightly cheaper than the last version, but now Encore CS3 and OnLocation CS3 are included too.

Excellent features and performance, but it’s pricey and you need a suitably powerful PC to make the most of it.

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

HDV support and seven video tracks make this a massive upgrade, but only for the plus version.

Surprisingly powerful for the price, even if the best features are reserved for the more expensive Plus version.

Great real-time performance, particularly with high definition footage. But the EDIUS Pro software still needs a few more features to usurp the competition.

A dinky AVCHD camcorder, with respectable video performance and a reasonable price.

Editing performance with HDV remains sluggish, but DV-editing ability is formidable.

HD DVD support is the big new feature, but the automated ad-removal tool and enhanced menu customisation make this a great app for the money.

Vegas has a huge array of editing features for the money, plus powerful bundled DVD authoring.