Avid Technology Unveils Pinnacle Studio 11

The latest version of Pinnacle's editing suite will offer high-def video editing for the low-budget crowd.

If you’re looking to break into high-definition video editing without breaking your bank account in the process, things might be looking up. Avid Technology announced Pinnacle Studio 11 on Monday, which will bring HD editing to those who can’t afford more expensive packages like Adobe’s $799 Premiere Pro CS3 or Apple’s $299 Final Cut Express HD 3.5.

Pinnacle Studio 11 will come in three versions: basic, Plus, and Ultimate. The $49 basic version will not feature HD editing capability; instead it adds one-click video publishing as an upgrade from the previous version. Sliding up the price scale to the $99 Plus version, users will find native HD editing capability as well as the ability to burn HD DVDs. The $129 Ultimate version will package all of these features combined with a suite of tools for cleaning up audio, adding “film-look” effects, panning, zooming, and working with green screens.

All three versions will be released in May 2007, with upgrades from Pinnacle Studio 10 also available for a fee.