We rate each product for power and ease of use .
Power refers to the strength of the features and ease of use addresses their implemention.
For the capture rating we evaluate the product's data rate, frame rate, ability to preview prior to saving, and video capture card support, as well as the ability to capture from analog format without dropping frames. For editing tasks we evaluate the product's ability to handle a variety of file types. Under special effects we rate the product's transitions, customizable image filters, 3-D effects, titling, motion paths, and chroma key and other matte effects. We take into account compression time, actual data rate, actual frame rate, video quality, and audio syncing. For capture, we used a miro DC30 plus and a FAST AV Master under Windows 95.