Making Movies with Corel VideoStudio X9

VideoStudio X9 is the latest iteration of Corel’s flagship Windows-based video-editing software, which features multi-cam editing, an updated tracker, H.265/HEVC codec support and many other useful new tools. While the software is clearly aimed at the consumer/prosumer market, it does boast some competitive features when compared to its more expensive professional counterparts, such as Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro X.

Listed at a relatively low price of $79, Corel VideoStudio X9 certainly offers a lot of bang for your buck, but is it the right editor for you?

What We Liked

One of the most prominent new features in X9 is the multi-cam tool, which allows users to sync up to four different camera sources, and edit them easily in a multi-cam timeline. Within the simply designed user interface, editors can automate the process of syncing their footage, or can manually sync footage in cases where the software isn’t able to execute the task automatically.

Also new is the multi-point motion tracker, which provides a painless method for tracking objects in the frame that can later be masked, enhanced or otherwise adjusted as per the user’s preference. While the motion tracker is certainly not as advanced as the trackers you will find in Adobe After Effects or DaVinci Resolve, it is a welcome addition to the software and works quite smoothly considering it’s a newly integrated tool.

The final new feature we will touch on here is H.265 support, which applies to both importing and exporting HEVC files. H.265 is a highly efficient codec that is capable of compressing extremely high-quality video footage (even 4K source footage) into small, manageable file sizes. Typically, a video file that is compressed using H.265 will have approximately the same file size as an H.264 file, but with far more detail and color information. It’s rare to find even professional editing platforms that can import or export H.265 files, so it’s excellent to see that Corel has included this support on VideoStudio X9. To take advantage of HEVC encoding, your PC will need Intel’s Skylake processors.

User Friendliness

ideoStudio X9 is an extremely user- friendly editing platform, despite some of its shortcomings. Editors that have experience in any other post-production software will feel at home right away in VideoStudio X9, as the usual controls, filters, effects and other tools are exactly where you would expect them to be.

Content creators with no editing experience whatsoever will also likely find the software very intuitive and easy to learn, as it has clearly been designed with the entry-level editor in mind. The user interface is designed to be simple and clean, and ultimately allows users to navigate the various components of the platform with ease.

What We Liked

Having never used any version of Corel VideoStudio X9 before this, I was personally most impressed by the abundance of features incorporated into the software. While most consumer/prosumer-level editing platforms are extremely limited in their functionality, the toolset offered within X9 is surprisingly deep, and gives users the ability to tackle relatively complex tasks without needing third-party plug-ins.

For instance, the ability to copy-and- paste attributes from clip to clip is a simple but very powerful function that isn’t found in many entry-level editing platforms. The same could be said about the chroma key tools, export options and design tools. Although not all of these features feel completely polished or matured, they can be very useful for editors looking to complete their projects from end to end in X9, without ever having to leave the software.

What We Didn’t Like

Having worked primarily with professional post-production tools and editing platforms, the shortcomings of VideoStudio X9 were quite apparent to me when using the software for the first time.

For instance, when creating audio tracks, you are limited to a grand total of only eight, which can be severely limiting for many projects. It’s not uncommon for my editorial projects to have anywhere from 15 to 20 audio tracks, which consist of dialogue, music, effects, foley, voiceover and other elements. With that in mind, having to work within the scope of eight tracks would be less than ideal and would feel quite creatively limiting in certain circumstances.
In general, the X9 software seems to offer quantity over quality. It integrates many relevant features that may not be available in other editing programs in the same price bracket (such as multi-cam, motion tracking and others), but none of them seem to have the degree of control that professional editors would look for. These tools are capable of functioning on a basic level, and certainly can help you get to the finish line without ever leaving the software, but they don’t offer nearly the same control that you will find in other professional applications.

The heavy reliance on templates, presets and other amateur-level features make the software feel as if it is designed strictly for the entry-level user, even though it can be used in a more traditional way by avoiding the canned effects and presets.

How it Compares

For first-time video editors or those that are primarily focused on creating YouTube content and other relatively simple video projects, VideoStudio X9 is more than capable of delivering great results and offers a streamlined user experience.

Although VideoStudio X9 offers a good amount of value at its modest $79 price point, users that are looking to invest in their careers and professional development over the longer term would be wise to consider a more professional capable software. Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, DaVinci Resolve  and other professional platforms are now more affordable than ever, and in some cases are nearly as intuitive and as simply designed as VideoStudio X9. At the same time, they offer more functionality and more robust tools that provide the user with far greater control over their end product.

Noam Kroll is an LA-based filmmaker and founder of the production company Creative Rebellion. He’s worked on music videos, advertising campaigns and feature films.