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Pinnacle Hollywood FX Pro 4.6

Pinnacle has thinned the ranks of its Hollywood FX family of special effects programs and dramatically cut the price of the range-leader. We check out the Pro version.

Silence may be golden, but Hollywood FX isn't any longer. Pinnacle has ditched the precious-metal names formerly used to define the various feature-levels of its 3D transitions and effects software in favour of a more generic approach. In fact, apart from the Basic and Plus versions bundled with some of Pinnacle's other products, Hollywood FX Pro is now the only version for advanced video editing software. Studio users can buy their own version of Pro or the more limited Hollywood FX Plus but, otherwise, the confusing array of five different levels from Copper upwards is now gone.

For those familiar with the previous products, Hollywood FX Pro is equivalent to the top-of-the-range Platinum, which leads us to the other notable change - pricing. Hollywood FX Platinum and Gold cost in excess of £1,000, yet Pro is just £299 - a far more sensible sum and in better keeping with other plug-ins. So, is it worth the money, even at its new low cost?

Conclusion
Hollywood FX Pro is a powerful effects plug-in. Once the more elaborate customisation capabilities via imported 3D objects and plug-ins have been mastered, the options are endless. Not everyone needs or wants the flashy effects it offers, but for those who do, and especially at the new low price, Hollywood FX Pro is an essential addition to the editing toolkit.

James Morris

Read the full review in August 2003's Computer Video magazine.

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Reviewed in August's issue:

Ulead MediaStudio Pro 7
Roxio WinOnCD 6 DVD Edition
Pinnacle Hollywood FX Pro 4.6

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