We’ve lengthy been champions of CyberLink PowerDirector. Incomes 4.5 stars in our evaluation, it’s not simply one of many greatest video enhancing software program on the market, however after in depth testing, we discovered it one of many greatest alternate options to Premiere Professional, too.
However that’s on desktop computer systems. We needed to know if the corporate’s iOS and Android software is likely one of the greatest video enhancing apps on your cellular machine – or whether or not it’s greatest left on the slicing room ground.
Cyberlink PowerDirector app: Pricing & plans
- This can be a subscription-only app, however when you don’t thoughts a number of limitations and a few watermarking, you may also use it without cost
Though you need to use PowerDirector without cost, you’ll be lacking out on some superior options, resembling Auto Captions, Video Enhancer, and even Changes (that’s proper: fundamental picture calibration is taken into account a premium function right here). Some results and transitions may even be out of bounds. On the plus facet, it is possible for you to to incorporate these into your venture; you simply received’t be capable to export it with them nonetheless current with out subscribing.
One other draw back, which is in fact completely anticipated, and extra cheap than forcing you to pay for color changes, is a ‘PowerDirector’ brand stamped on the decrease proper of your video. And eventually, the best decision you possibly can count on to export without cost is HD (1920×1080). 4K is a premium function. You possibly can attempt all of those premium options and even export your work with out problem, free for 7 days. After which, when you don’t cancel, you’ll be charged on the yearly fee.
Cyberlink PowerDirector app: Interface
- An excellent interface that can be utilized in any orientation – disgrace that setting isn’t switched on by default
PowerDirector is designed to make enhancing simpler, and with that in thoughts, it makes for a number of the greatest video enhancing software program for rookies due to a collection of shortcuts ought to you should make a fast edit on a single clip. You can, for example, use ‘Video Enhancer’ to enhance your shot, or ‘Velocity’ to hurry it up or sluggish it down. Wish to blur faces in a clip (or your complete physique, and even simply the background)? Then ‘Mosaic’ is for you. ‘AI Color’ is designed to robotically enhance your picture’s colors, whereas ‘Face’ and ‘Physique Reshape’ are there to present you an instantaneous new look with out altering the background. All these are however a click on away and in addition include a fast animated tutorial to present you an thought of how they work.
Backside of the display is an icon labelled ‘Demo’. It incorporates a collection of brief templates you possibly can obtain and use in your personal tasks, dashing up the creation course of.
For those who’d relatively simply begin from scratch, simply faucet on ’New Mission’. Any current movies you’ve already began work on, may even be accessible within the ‘My Tasks’ part beneath it.
In terms of the enhancing interface, you’re in a position to work in both orientation, though that isn’t instantly apparent by default: if you first open PowerDirector, you’re locked in portrait. You could go into the Preferences, and manually change to ‘auto-rotate’ to have the ability to work in both orientation. It’s a bizarre factor to limit, particularly when their promotional info makes an enormous deal that this app is orientation agnostic.
When working, you’ll discover the interface very clear and simple to make use of. You’ve got a big preview part on the high, beneath that’s your timeline, and on the backside a collection of instruments. When engaged on a telephone, these instruments may be made to vanish in panorama if you’re not utilizing them, to additional declutter your display.
Cyberlink PowerDirector app: Video enhancing
- An excellent collection of enhancing instruments is at your disposal, making it simple to assemble your venture
You’ll discover enhancing is nearly as good as the most effective of them. It’s simple to scroll via your venture, zoom out of the timeline to get an even bigger sense of scale, then zoom in for wonderful, frame-accurate work. You possibly can add as many clips as you want, trim them, reorder them, work with a number of layers, the works.
Want to make use of a software? No downside. The icons and their titles are giant sufficient to be learn simply, however sufficiently small to not really feel like they’re taking over an excessive amount of room.
You possibly can add stickers, titles, particular animated results generally known as ‘decors’, and filters. These seem as clips on separate layers, making it simple to maneuver them round, and apply them throughout a number of clips if you wish to. Altering their parameters is just a query on tapping on them and seeing all accessible contextual instruments on the backside of the interface.
In terms of enhancing your textual content layer, repositioning the phrases is a straightforward matter of dragging it in the principle preview part. Resizing and rotating is finished in the identical manner. You’ll additionally discover a lengthy checklist of instruments related to textual content layers, starting from animation to movement monitoring. Merely faucet, alter the parameters, and also you’re good to go.
There are additionally superior options resembling chroma keying, though we discovered the outcomes to be not so good as the competitors, particularly when it got here to messy hair, the place shades of inexperienced stubbornly remained in between unruly strands.
However actually, for a cellular app, it does a fairly good job, with an interface that’s not too small, and comparatively simple to make use of. The one fiddly bit is shifting clips round because it appears to take a short while for the app to understand what you’re attempting to do. However other than that, it’s fairly good.
Cyberlink PowerDirector app: Media limitations
- Good direct connection to a handful of on-line media library, however sadly PowerDirector runs roughshod over your request for privateness and insists on seeing your whole photograph library
It stands to cause {that a} video editor could be ineffective with out media to edit. And that can assist you with that, PowerDirector hyperlinks you on to free on-line libraries for botj Pexels and Pixabay, the place you possibly can select as many video clips and images as you’d like. There’s additionally a hyperlink to iStock, however that content material isn’t free.
For those who’d desire to make use of your personal footage, no downside: you possibly can entry your machine’s Pictures Library too. Besides there’s a fairly main hiccup for the privateness aware. As with every different app, the primary time you launch it, you’re requested when you’d prefer to grant it entry to your whole library, or prohibit it to simply the media you need to use. Thus far so good.
Sadly, when you want to add extra clips after that first batch, you possibly can’t. There appears to be no manner to try this, and PowerDirector insists it must see all of your media to work. However genuinely, that shouldn’t be the case: different apps work wonderful with simply the clips you enable it to make use of.
PowerDirector additionally insists it wants full entry to your library in an effort to export any tasks. Once more, different apps export wonderful with out being granted full entry. Which begs the query: why is PowerDirector so adamant your privateness is secondary to its wants?
CyberLink PowerDirector app: Scorecard
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Row 0 – Cell 1 | Row 0 – Cell 2 |
| Pricing & plans | Restricted free model, easy subscriptiuon improve | 4 |
| Interface | Good interface that can be utilized in any orientation | 4 |
| Video enhancing | Loads of instruments to make video enhancing as simple as doable | 4.5 |
| Media limitations | Nice without cost on-line property, however requires entry to all images in your telephone | 1 |
Ought to I purchase?
Purchase it if…
You’re searching for a chic cellular video editor, with many simple to make use of instruments, and haven’t got entry to any of the most effective video enhancing computer systems or the most effective laptops of video enhancing.
Do not buy it if…
You do not like a video enhancing app side-stepping your privateness, and also you’d relatively purchase one thing outright than subscribe to it.
CyberLink PowerDirector app: Alternate options
For a number of the greatest alternate options to PowerDirector on iOS and Android, we advocate trying out LumaFusion, DaVinci Resolve for iPad, and CapCut.
