MediaStudio Pro 8 from Ulead provides a number of outstanding features, but it also has significant weaknesses. In general, the new version justifies the upgrade purchase, particularly for editors who have gone as far as they can go with products like Pinnacle Studio and Adobe Premiere Elements. Users of editing products like Sony Vegas or Apple's Final Cut Pro are not likely to find MediaStudio Pro 8's features worth the change. In Version 8, Ulead has made many interface and functional modifications on the timeline. While the Video A and Video B tracks have been removed in favor of single-track editing, transitions cannot be used at the beginning or end of clips. This feature is common in other programs that use the single-track approach. MediaStudio Pro 8 now offers support for multiple open timelines and has the simplest and best support for video clips of any editing program available. There is also a new surround-sound panner that allows users to put audio tracks inside the five-speaker surround-sound setup. Smart Compositor offers a template-based tool for building opening montages or segues. It comes with 22 templates in various categories, including romantic and documentary. Testers found that MediaStudio Pro 8 handled HDV video well as long as that video was captured in the program. If it was captured in another program, MediaStudio Pro 8 was not successful in importing the files. Ulead has provided adequate 2D tools in MSP 8. While these tools are not exceptional, the program lets users drag frames manually, and proxy images do not get grainy. Other upgrades in Version 8 include periodic saves of incremental copies while users are working and background audio support that lets users create custom-length background music. The product appears designed to fit certain niches, like proxy editing for those editing HDV on lower-power computers, or users needing the design help offered by Smart Compositor. The program has a user-friendly interface that should be easy to learn.