Sony Vegas Movie Studio 8 Platinum Edition

How could Vegas Movie Studio 8 get any better? Well, if you're going to do a lot more video-editing than the average proud parent who just wants to show off their child's progression, the Platinum Edition has several added features that make it worth the extra dough.

Platinum Edition includes the same simple video editing system, DVD Architecture Studio 4.5 software for building sophisticated DVD layouts and burning, and the always helpful "Show Me How" interactive tutorials of its sister program. But it kicks it up a notch with HDV and Sony AVCHD editing; 5.1 surround sound mixing and encoding; direct export to Sony's PlayStation Portable; and more than 130 new customizable video effects and 2D/3D transitions.

Another fun feature of Vegas Movie Studio is the advanced 3-wheel primary color correction tool helps you enhance washed-out footage, bring to the front particular colors, and fix balance problems due to poor camera setup and lighting. Sony Movie Studio 8 can even effectively remove red-eye from still photos.

Then there's the 20 AniMattes compositing mattes from FreedomFX, which give you the choice of adding cool, professional-level special effects and transitions for that extra little kick of wow.

Now what happens in Vegas in this case, doesn't stay in Vegas. It gets burned onto a DVD and shared with family in friends, or uploaded to a website to share with with the world. You decide. But if you're going to do it right, do it in Vegas Movie Studio 8 style.