Liquid 7.0 review

By

  • Expert Rating: We rate this 8 out of 10We rate this 8 out of 10We rate this 8 out of 10We rate this 8 out of 10We rate this 8 out of 10 We rate this 8 out of 10

  • Price When Reviewed: 309 . 619

  • Pros: Lots of effects options, easy-to-use compositional tools, powerful real-time engine for DV, capable HDV support, well integrated DVD authoring.

  • Cons: Loses real-time processing with HDV, Pro version required for analog preview output, no automated scan/capture utility, Avid may

Best prices today

Retailer Price Delivery  

Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide

Liquid is like the gift in a lengthy game of pass-the-parcel. First it was developed by Fast, then purchased by Pinnacle. Now that the latter has in turn been consumed by Avid, Liquid is in its third pair of hands, but the music has stopped for the time being.

However, whereas Pinnacle’s consumer products have all kept their branding and will be treated as a separate division within Avid, Liquid has been subsumed under Avid itself. Now, it sits alongside Avid’s own Xpress, an application that was traditionally in competition with Liquid.

border=0 />The new version of Liquid has arrived too quickly for Avid to have made any significant changes, other than branding. The overall look and feel of Liquid 7.0 is virtually identical to its predecessor, except for a half-hearted nod towards Studio-using consumers with Input, Edit, and Output buttons along the top for the three broad editing stages. A new EZ Capture tool attempts to make video acquisition easier, without the complication of Liquid’s somewhat opaque logging and capture tool. </p> <p> However, it’s a trifle over-simplistic, and still doesn’t supply the scan and capture facilities that Matrox’s X Tools add to Premiere so adeptly via its RT.X100. </p> <p> There have been a number of tweaks beneath the surface, though. Over 50 effects have been added. A stabilization filter is now included, which has been available with Pinnacle’s consumer Studio product for over a year. But it offers no control whatsoever, so is no match for even the lite version of 2d3’s SteadyMove bundled with Premiere Pro. The majority of the remaining effects have been borrowed from the Commotion compositing software, and many, such as Dream Glow, Duo Chrome, and Earthquake won’t be called into action too often. </p> <p> <div class=floatedimage><img src=Share

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn't affect our editorial independence. Learn more.

Read Next...