Pinnacle Studio is a non-destructive video editing (NDE) software originally developed by Pinnacle Systems but currently it’s being developed by Corel as of July 2012. Pinnacle Studio comes with a large collection of features like; multi-task editing, supports high definition,  full screen playback, storyboard mode, unlimited video and audio tracks and linear time code. Pinnacle Studio also allows its users to author video content in Video CD, DVD-Video, AVCHD or Blu-ray format, add complementary menus and burn them to disc.

Learning Pinnacle Studio is helpful for video hobbyists; if you’re creating video tutorials for your company or a product explanation for a client, it’s also helpful for YouTube content creators.

The aim of this post is to present and compare between free online sources that beginners can rely on to learn Pinnacle Studio, the sources stated here are full-structured courses that beginners can follow along so you won’t find a link to a single article or a reply in a forum post.

If you just want the bottom line (the road map to learn Pinnacle Studio) and you don’t wish to read the entire article then go to the “Bottom Line” section at the end of the article.

Getting Started with Pinnacle Studio from Scratch

Studio Backlot

Studio Backlot is the first free online outlet where beginners can start learning Pinnacle Studio through video tutorials, you don’t have to register to have access to the training. It’s worth noting that the project files aren’t free to download.

Structure: The training is divided into 19 chapters (excluding the intro and outro, also chapter 18 is missing), each chapter is either a single or multiple video lessons, each video lesson covers a certain topic/tool in that chapter.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the chapter you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to the page where the video lesson/lessons resides. Click on the video lesson and it’ll start right away.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well-structured and organized for beginners.
3. The training covers topics beginners should be familiarized with in order to start using Pinnacle Studio.
4. The training covers the latest release of the software.

Cons

1. Chapter 18 is missing.
2. You’ve to become a member in order to download the project files.

Verdict: This is the best outlet where beginners can start learning Pinnacle Studio online through video tutorials.

Pinnacle Sys Website

Pinnacle Sys Website is the second free online outlet where beginners can start learning Pinnacle Studio through video tutorials, as the above outlet, you don’t have to register to have access to the training.

Structure: The training is divided into 15 video lessons, each video lesson covers a certain topic in Pinnacle Studio.

Interface: The interface is simple, just click on the lesson you’re interested in and a new window will popup and you can play the video.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well-organized for beginners.

Cons

1. The training doesn’t cover as many topics as the first outlet.
2. The training covers an old release of the software.
3. The videos can’t be played in full screen.

Verdict: This is a good outlet where beginners can start learning Pinnacle Studio online through a video training.

Corel Website

Corel Website is the third free online outlet where beginners can start learning Pinnacle Studio online through video tutorials, you don’t have to register to have access to the training.

Structure: The training is divided into 6 video lessons, each video lesson covers a group of topics/tools in Pinnacle studio.

Interface: The interface is simple, just click on the lesson you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to the page of the lesson where you can start the video.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well-structured for beginners.

Cons

1. The training covers an old release of the software.
2. The training isn’t well-organized for beginners.

Verdict: This is a good outlet where beginners can start learning Pinnacle Studio online through a video training.

Pinnacle Studio Pro

Pinnacle Studio Pro is the fourth free online outlet where beginners can start learning Pinnacle Studio through video tutorials, as the above outlets you don’t have to register to have access to the training. The instructor in this outlet “Maliek Whitaker” is the same in the above outlet.

Structure: The training is more of a group of organized tips about Pinnacle Studio, there are 31 video tips that cover many of the tools in Pinnacle Studio.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the lesson/tip you’re interested in and the video will start right away.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training covers many topics beginners should be familiarized with in order to start using Pinnacle Studio.
3. The training covers the latest release of the software.

Cons

1. The training isn’t well-organized for beginners.

Verdict: This is a very good outlet where beginners can start learning Pinnacle Studio online through video tutorials.

Pinnacle Studio Life YouTube Channel Training

Pinnacle Studio Life YouTube Channel Training is the fifth free online outlet where beginners can start learning Pinnacle Studio online through video tutorials. It’s worth noting that the instructor here “Paul Holtz” is the same in the first outlet.

Structure: The training is divided into 23 video lessons, each video lesson covers a certain topic in Pinnacle Studio.

Interface: Standard YouTube interface.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well-structured for beginners.

Cons

1. The training covers an old release of the software.

Verdict: This is a very good outlet where beginners can start learning Pinnacle Studio online through video tutorials. It’s highly recommended to start from the first outlet as it covers the latest release of the software.

Training Course Online

Training Course Online is the sixth free online outlet where beginners can start learning Pinnacle Studio through a text-based tutorial, as the above outlets you don’t have to register to have access to the training.

Structure: The training is divided into 11 lessons, each lesson covers a group of topics in Pinnacle Studio.

Interface: The interface is quite simple, just click on the lesson you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to the page where the lesson resides.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well-organized for beginners.

Cons

1. The training covers an old release of the software.

Verdict: This is the best outlet where beginners can start learning Pinnacle Studio online through a text-based tutorial.

Bottom Line

The recipe for learning Pinnacle Studio:

1. Studio Backlot is the best outlet for beginners to start learning Pinnacle Studio through video tutorial.
2. Training Course Online is the best outlet for beginners to start learning Pinnacle Studio through a text tutorial.

Remember that the first step is always the toughest step, and the aim of this post is to provide you with resources that will help you take your first step in learning Pinnacle Studio.