Adobe Photoshop/Premiere Elements 5.0/3.0 Bundle

This package brings together two of the best home user applications for digital images and digital video today. For the past few years, the Elements versions of Adobe’s imaging of video software have done a very effective job and giving average users pro-level results without the pro-level complications. This combination offers home movie makers and shutterbugs a great suite of tools. Using the two means you don’t have to learn a whole new environment when you switch from still image editing to video editing.

New to Photoshop Elements 5.0 this year are a number of features to make your photo tasks go faster. The Photo Downloader speeds up transfer of images from your camera or card, and it now also is compatible with cell phone cameras. As you download, the Auto Grouping feature can automatically tag and group you photos, making them easier to find later on.

A few new fine tuning tools help to improve pictures. The lens distortion tool helps correct problems around an image’s edges while the new sharpening tool does a fairly good job of salvaging blurry pictures taken in low light. There are also more printing and burning options for creating album pages, cards, DVDs etc.

On the video side, Premiere 3.0 has added a few new features and made existing ones more interesting by adding new transitions, titles editors and special effects. It also now supports high definition footage from the growing list for HDTV camcorders as well as low res video from a cell phone. There’s a new Sceneline view for creating movies which lets you drag, drop and rearrange scenes easier. A new voice narration feature lets you give your home movies a cool documentary effect.

$149

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