CyberLink PhotoDirector 2011 User Reviews
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Or, Learn More About CyberLink PhotoDirectorOutstanding
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"cyberjunk don't buy"
Version: CyberLink PhotoDirector 2011
Pros
good advertised features
Cons
tech support is a joke
Summary
Unless you pay $30 for a couple months of tech support you can talk to nobody. I just wanted all the features of my legal and paid for cyberlink program to work and there is a activation issue. There is no number to call, not even for sales, and it is very apparent through thier email support system responses they could care less. That is if you get a response. If they made a good product don't you think they wouldn't be afraid to help thier customers?
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"Nice mid-level photo album and photo editor"
Version: CyberLink PhotoDirector 2011
Pros
Nice fresh layout
Good editing tools, easy to use but powerful
FastCons
Can only sort folders alphabetically
Full screen isn't full screen
Hard to split/merge foldersSummary
I use iPhoto on my Mac at home but have to use a Windows PC for work. To me, iPhoto is the gold standard. I was using Picasa for a while because it was free and it was iPhoto-like. But it wasn't "like" enough and I had to find something else.
I considered Photoshop Elements except it does TOO much and because it installs around 3 GB of files. PhotoDirector has a nice set of tools for organizing photos and making corrections. After a short learning curve, I feel right at home.
My biggest complaint is that if offers little help in organizing photos. iPhoto lets you combine or split folders of photos easily so that you have "events" that represent the birthday party, the vacation, the walk on the beach, etc. You don't have to go under the covers (i.e., in the file system) to do that stuff. Maybe there is a way that PhotoDirector allows you to do these things, but mostly I have to go to "My Photos" and use Windows commands.
Another thing that iPhoto lets you do is sort by the dates in the folders and not by the name of the folders. To organize my folders I have to name them "2011-03 Walk on the Beach". Then the only way it sorts A-Z which means your oldest photos are at the top and you have to scroll all the way to the bottom.
I'm dwelling on this because most of what I want in a product like this is to organize photos for my enjoyment and to show friends. You can't do a full-screen view of a picture unless you maximize the program first.
From now and then I want to really edit a photo but most of the time I want to brighten it or balance the colors. PhotoDirector has an enhancement shortcut that seems to work pretty well. The other controls are standard and intuitive enough. No complaints here. Unlike Photoshop Elements, they don't throw the kitchen sink at you.
The price is a little high, but I bought it anyway. It does the job and is much better than Picasa. I wish, however, it could upload pictures to Picasa on the web. It only natively supports Facebook and Flickr. -
"Very similar to Lightroom"
Version: CyberLink PhotoDirector 2011
Pros
Many useful presets.
Cons
Beta seems a little slow and laggy.
Summary
Since I downloaded the Beta I have been using it exclusively as a workflow to my image processing. So far it has reminded me of Lightroom however in a very limited and basic form. I like the fact that I am able to process my RAW images without having to convert them first which I have been having to do when I use Photoshop CS2. I am looking forward to trying out the final release of PhotoDirector 2011 to see if they have fixed the Laggyness that the Beta had. All in all this is a great work flow software!
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"Best amateur video editing software!"
Version: CyberLink PhotoDirector 2011
Pros
Very easy to use.
Has some great customization options.
Many more editing options than most other "easy to use" video editing software.
Faster rendering by using all your CPU and GPU resources.Cons
Very slow performance.
Often, the installed files get corrupt.
Too many error messages.
Often crashes.Summary
Great for amateur video editors! You can use the simple features provided, and once you are comfortable, you can very easily move up to the higher levels of customization! A combination of a low-grade professional video editor, but with the ease of use of any other free and low-grade amateur video editing program.
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"Lots of Fun!"
Version: CyberLink PhotoDirector 2011
Pros
I like the sliders for the adjustment tools; the free template downloads; the easy slideshow maker; really good value for the money!!
Cons
I can't seem to use the cloning feature correctly. Note: I do not like to have to read up on how to use a feature in a program & I have not figured out yet how to use it on my own.
Summary
Once I became familiar with the program interface, I really like using it. I enjoy the Cyberlink programs as they are "fun" to use and I enjoy going to the their website for free ideas. PhotoDirector is one of the two photo editing programs I am now using. I use each program for different uses and end results - the two programs complement each other. You can't miss with PhotoDirector!
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"This program tops all other photo programs I tried."
Version: CyberLink PhotoDirector 2011
Pros
Beautiful interface with good contrast, the arrangement of the options and features is easy to glance over and find without being overwhelmed with window control boxes jammed full of stuff.
Cons
As with most editors I have tried the fonts can be hard to read since they are so small, I know this is to pack as many functions as possible on the interface but can be hard on the eyes after a couple hours.
Summary
If you are like me and take lousy pictures; then buy it, use it and in the end you will have a picture album you will be proud to show off. The more you use it, the easier it becomes and the more images you can fix, in the long run, makes this a good value. The support has been top notch all the way as well, that's a good thing!
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"Not Lightroom, but close enough for Hobbyists"
Version: CyberLink PhotoDirector 2011
Pros
Very intuitive interface, nice organizing and tagging features, excellent noise reduction, most of Lightroom's Develop tools, good rendition of raw files, non-destructive edits
Cons
No outside editor interface, no web album creation, no lens correction features, Print very basic (no accurate print preview or color correction)
Summary
If you look at this software as taking the awesome workflow power of Lightroom and trimming it down for a home user, this is a great deal. Most of the organizing and touch ups that home users need to do are much, much more available than Photoshop Elements and the non-destructive, powerful editing totally obsoletes Picasa. But it sorely misses the power of Lightroom to edit back and forth with Photoshop or Elements if you really want to do something creative. If you want to make your own web albums, forget it, it only uploads to Facebook and Flickr. So, bottom line, very recommended to replace Picasa or the Elements organizer (and a lot of its Editor), great for snap shooters, but don't expect it to replace Lightroom for people who use most of its features.
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"Very Nice Program"
Version: CyberLink PhotoDirector 2011
Pros
Nice flow of arrangements. There is not a steep learning curb.
Cons
There is not a dedicated option to burn to the disc.
Summary
The first thing to remember is that this is a competitor to Adobe Lightroom and not Adobe Photoshop. I started with the beta version and then graduated to the regular version. The layout is easy to comprehend. It makes the flow easy to understand. I have not had a problem except when I first imported my picture catalog, (Over 18 gigs of images). I do not like that I am always prompted to back up my catalog, since I have autoback up on NAS and backup drive. I have not found a way to do batch renaming, but the editing works well. I always test a photo editor with a picture from the 1950's by adding color, then grayscale and back to B & W. All of the corrections are non-destructive. You will always have the original and the corrections that you make separately within the same folder unless changed by the user. It does allow for uploads to Facebook and Flickr which is one touch. I do not like that an order link is not available nor is there a button to burn to disc. Everything has to be saved first and another program has to be used. The gallery works for presets getting shared and tips. I have found myself using this program for corrections, but I use PhotoElements or Picasa to order pictures.
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"The Best Photo Editing Software that I have yet tried."
Version: CyberLink PhotoDirector 2011
Pros
Has great comprehensive, easy steps; found the sharpening and noise reduction very beneficial to photos taken at ISO 1600; love the choice of pre-sets...
Cons
A slight thing which I might have not have discovered yet...ability to close a batch and then to carry on...PhotoDirector becomes un-responsive have a certain number of photos edited, necessatating shut down and then starting over...
Summary
A Great Addition to the World of Photo Editors...
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"Excellent new product"
Version: CyberLink PhotoDirector 2011
Pros
It compares favorably to Lightroom and Photo Safe. Powerful and easy to use.
Cons
The lack of tool-tips pop ups makes learning a little harder than if it had the option of having them.
Summary
An excellent program that promises to only get better and a serious contender to much more expensive established software.
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