TV entertainment center for the digital home
Cyberlink PowerCinema is an attractive, user-friendly media application that will allow you to get the most from your movies, music and photos, and more.
The first thing you will notice about Cyberlink PowerCinema is a really eye-catching but surprisingly easy-to-use interface. You can use the mouse or the keyboard to navigate, and both are equally comfortable. The app is divided into two media sections – Entertainment and My Memories.
The other Cyberlink PowerCinema options relate to configuration settings, updates and help. It has to be said that this is one of the program’s weaker points – there are few settings to modify and this may leave some users unsatisfied. The Cyberlink PowerCinema Help is informative, but badly laid out and difficult to navigate.
Cyberlink PowerCinema’s main features – Entertainment and My Memories – are much easier to navigate, and users should find it easy to locate their media and access it comfortably. The fullscreen mode is perfect for viewing movies and images (the application also has a basic editor for photos), while the application also supports Live TV, Recorded TV and Radio, if you have the necessary tuners.
Despite the ease of use and range of options, there were a number of problems with Cyberlink PowerCinema that made it a less attractive experience. Although the program says it supports a normal range of movie formats, it had problems playing some of our test movies, and the fullscreen quality isn’t very high. At times, Cyberlink PowerCinema was slow or unable to find thumbnails for movies, while the options for listening to music are very, very limited compared to common music players.
Cyberlink PowerCinema looks great and is comfortable to use, but unless you like an extremely basic media experience, it is unlikely to meet most users’ requirements.
PowerCinema is a complete home entertainment application that allows you to watch, play, listen, and surf. With PowerCinema (choose from hybrid or analog tuner card) you can do it all via remote control. The program boasts a series of tools for making the most of your video, audio and digital photos.
What you can do with PowerCinema:
- Watch analog and digital TV programs with time-shift playback
- Record your favorite TV and radio shows with smart scheduling
- Search for TV programs that match your interests via EPG
- Watch two channels simultaneously using PiP mode
- Play DVDs, videos, photos, and music. Get online news and weather info
TV on the PC: schedule, record, and watch your favorite shows
- Search for programs by name, category, and channel
- Schedule your PC to record shows while you´re out
- Catch up on the action of live TV shows even after they´ve started, with time-shift recording
- Record programs to DVD or hard disk
- Switch between channels, language settings, and subtitles
DVDs, Videos, Music, and Pictures: watch, listen, and enjoy
- 1Play movie DVDs with Dolby Digital audio
- Watch widescreen movies in their true display ratio
- Sync music files with your portable media player
- Remove photo red-eyes, auto fix contrast and brightness
- Display photos as a slideshow with background music and transition effects
News and Weather, More Options
- Access live weather and news information
- Change your interface colors and themes
- Expand functionality with packs for video editing, disc burning, and watching sports highlights
- Enrich the movie experience with the Advanced Audio Pack of home-theater technologies
- Get a remote control for the ultimate digital home experience
