Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 (4)

Feature Comparisons

Generally, mainstream (that is, non-Hollywood) users will find they can do nearly all of the same tasks with either package. Premier Pro and Final Cut Studio 2 share the most relevant features, but there are some key differences. I find that Premiere Pro is a touch more accessible, whereas Final Cut Pro has a few high-end features. For example, Premiere Pro's multi-camera feature is much easier to sync and can handle multiple formats. With Final Cut Pro, you need to convert all inputs to a common format—a hassle if you're shooting in DV/HDV or in a variety of formats. But Premiere Pro can handle only four cameras simultaneously; Final Cut Pro can wrangle 128.

Similarly, Premiere Pro's titling utility is very functional and accessible as a separate applet within the suite. By comparison, Final Cut Pro's internal title tools are awkward, but LiveType—its external titling utility—is highly functional. The story is the same with color correction: Premiere Pro offers multiple "auto" tools that its competitor does not, but Final Cut Pro includes the highly capable Color application.

Overall, the value of each suite may relate more to ancillary programs like PhotoShop, and, particularly, After Effects. If your video productions (or DVDs) are After Effects–intensive, you'll love the Dynamic Link integration to both Premiere Pro and Adobe Encore. And if you're upgrading from a previous version of whichever editor is your favorite, the added cost for the entire suite is nominal. Of course, until Apple adds Blu-ray capabilities to DVD Studio Pro, Encore is the least-expensive Mac alternative for producing discs of that kind.

On the other hand, if you use Apple Shake for your effects work, or if you're primarily an editor or authoring professional who (gasp!) doesn't use After Effects or Photoshop on a regular basis, you'll almost certainly be happier sticking with your current toolset. Everything else being equal, however, Premiere Pro CS3 gets the Editors' Choice for pro-level editing—by a nose, and specifically for editing in Windows. For those tied to the Mac platform, it's a welcome competitor and a good first effort. But there's still a lot of work to be done before it measures up to Final Cut Studio 2.