Export/Production:  

PowerDirector 8 Deluxe supports a number of output formats. You can output to MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (with Dolby Digital 5.1), MOV, WMV, DV-AVI, QuickTime and RealMedia, iPod and PSP H.264 format, and MPEG-4. You can even write back to your HDV tape or HDD camcorder.

Uploading your finished masterpiece to YouTube or Facebook to share with friends and family or the world is super easy, and can be done from directly within the PowerDirector software. All you have to do is input your account/profile information, and the video will be directly uploaded. This version of PowerDirector now even supports the ability to upload HD content to YouTube.

Version 8 of PowerDirector now has SD to HD upscaling. Basically, it optimizes your standard footage and makes it higher definition. The TrueTheater optimizations also take care of some noise removal and lighting tweaks, provide virtual surround sound, and improve overall quality. We found that this feature works amazingly well; effectively refining the footage and upscaling with impressive results.

Editing Effects/Transitions:  

Impressive effects and transitions can take your movie to the next level, and PowerDirector 8 Deluxe has a great selection of both. With nearly 100 effects and filters and over 150 transitions, you can give your feature film a whole new look and feel whether you want a grainy old-time look, snowflakes, lasers, retro TV look, or even a hand-drawn feel, PowerDirector’s quick effects and filters make it easy.

PowerDirector can also be used to masterfully handle slow-motion. You can turn your intense scenes into extra-smooth slow-motion parts without getting choppy.

PowerDirector 8 now includes advanced particle effects. Whether you use the premade particle effects, or customize your own, they can add some really neat effects to your movies.

And if all those effects and transitions aren’t enough, purchase of PowerDirector also gives you access to the online DirectorZone community. Not only can you find several more user-generated effects, transitions and menus, you can share complete videos, so you can see how other users are editing their movies. With over 180,000 registered DirectorZone members and growing, at the time of this review the online community was hosting 1,187 custom DVD menus, 89 particle effects, 1,973 motion objects, and much more.

Disc Creation:  

It’s easy to create DVDs (as well as VCDs or SVCDs) with PowerDirector. You can even burn to a dual-layer DVD. PowerDirector Deluxe does not burn Blu-ray discs; for this functionality you should upgrade to PowerDirector Ultra.

It’s pretty easy to add a menu to your DVD, and you can even create your own with some pretty impressive results. You have complete control over the titles, scene selection, and the DVD menu structure. You can even add subtitles if you want from a TXT or SRT file.