Version X6 of Corel VideoStudio brings the super-intuitive and easy-to-use video editor/producer within into a virtual dead heat with the feature sets offered by its competitors. New tricks in its bag include animation overlays, controlling DSLRs for stop motion animation, free-form motion editing, layer swapping, motion tracking, support for 2K and 4K video, and variable speed.

VideoStudio X6 also supports 50p/60p editing, AVCHD 2.0, 3D, surround sound, Blu-ray and most everything you could ask for. One cool new feature for subtitling is a form of audio beat detection that allows you to sync subtitles to speech more easily. There's even a whiteboard capture for animation overlays. Creatively, the VideoStudio X6 is very well-rounded.

Most video editors have dark, paneled interfaces that rightfully focus your attention on the video. However, VideoStudio X6 manages to do it more cleanly and intuitively than Cyberlink PowerDirector or Adobe Premiere. It helps tremendously that Corel hasn't sized the icons for microscopes and has used them sparingly.

VideoStudio X6 also has a nice simple storyboard view that makes adding and arranging items a more intuitive process. You then use the timeline to tweak location and lengths, and add audio, multi-tracking, subtitles, and the like. I've only mentioned a few of the logical interface design decisions, but all told, they make VideoStudio X6's interface friendlier and more intuitive than just about anything out there.

VideoStudio X6 has a ton of transitions, effects, title styles, and what Corel calls instant projects which are basically templates. Drag an instant project element to your project, then edit details such as the audio file to be used, colors, text, videos to be used, etc. It's a bit different from the automatic productions you get from Muvee and others in that it requires your participation and creativity, but it's cool nonetheless.

The Pro version of VideoStudio X6 costs $60, while the $100 Ultimate version adds a boatload of very nice effects from NewBlue and proDAD, plus the latter company's excellent video stabilization technology. Ultimate X6 is likely worth the extra $40, especially if you're editing lots of home video that needs steadying.

Corel may not be the powerhouse it once was, but the company is still putting out some very good software and VideoStudio Pro X6 is the evidence. For the average user it delivers a significantly easier, more intuitive, and more creative video editing experience than its major peers.

Note: The Download button on the Product Information page takes you to the vendor's site, where you can download the latest version of the software.