Both have an additional Filter dialog with all the same options available. However, the picture-in-picture or chroma keys can also be added via the video effects filters list. Checking the Enable box makes them active, and both can be applied at once. You can use these applets with video on the main video track, as well as the extra superimposition layer.

After selecting a clip and using the toolbox icon to call up the Editing and Effects dialogs, you’ll see a new icon on the left above the plug icon for applying filters.

The new layer brings with it a pair of applets for creating picture-in-picture or chroma-key effects. Titles can also span picture-in-picture effects, making it possible, for example, to create news-style footage where the superimposed video frame has a label explaining its contents. Since there’s still a titling track, the extra layer in no way hinders the use of the titling track for DVD menus. The second video track then appears as if from nowhere. Once the video has been dropped in place, the title track is bumped down a row and changes its icon to show that it will no longer accept a video file. Using the new layer is as simple as dragging your video to the title track instead of the main video track. In fact, Pinnacle has achieved the upgrade by tweaking the title track, which now accepts video as well as titles.

Existing users will be pleased to see that there have been no major changes to the interface to accommodate this extra layer. This can be used to create picture-in-picture effects, or to superimpose action shots against a blue screen by keying out the background colour. At long last, a second video track has been added. With the new Plus version of Studio 9, Pinnacle hopes to bring its market-leading entry-level app back up with the competition.

Pinnacle 9 studio