PowerDirector 17

While most novice video editors still use the default Windows Movie Maker to this day, those who want to take the next step would look onwards. The Cyberlink Powerdirector is one of the most user-friendly when it comes to that. It bridges professional editing and consumer ease-of-use to make one of the most solid video editors on the market, standing easily next to industry leaders like Sony Vegas.

Powerdirector comes built in with 360-degree and 3D capabilities, which come with stabilization, motion tracking, titles, transitions, and view designers. The color tools are much more accessible, making color grading far easier than other applications (where you have to jump through hoops more often than not). 

One of the most newbie friendly features is the Magic Movie Wizard, which makes the task of combining and optimizing videos finish with just a few clicks. You would achieve better results going into the timeline editor - most automatic processes are better done fully manually - but if you just want to slap together something to quickly throw up and show on Facebook, the wizard is perfect for it.

If you can't find a feature you want to use, don't worry. Powerdirector comes built in with plugin support, so all you'll need to do is go online and look for them. It's very unlikely that you'll need to use this, though. This editor comes built in with so many features, it's hard to imagine most consumers needing more. The only downside is that some of these features are difficult to find, due to the screen being a finite space, but if you need a good editor, this is a great place to start.

31 days