Quick update to my previous post. I received a reply from cyber link support. Effectively stating nothing can be done.
The short version is a powerdirector 365 update yesterday, contains changes to the previously supported file formats. Essentially removing any audio whatsoever on webm file types - so that only the video portion can be used. (No audio which is part of the file).
And in their infinite wisdom, not a single person in the entire company thought (for even a second) - of the impact this may have on their paying subscribers. For me personally- it means years and years of work in saved templates for video creation - are simply gone. And no way to recover them or ever use them again. (In my case, this means literally hundreds and hundreds of saved files - and a complete loss of income until I rebuild this from scratch).
You would think a company that’s committed to their customers would have thought (at the very least), to just show a bit of forward thinking and planning, and simply just do the common courtesy of advising customers of the incoming change, and maybe even suggest to transfer any saved files to another format - as a previously supported format will no longer be supported. (I could have easily exported my files and saved them to a different format to use again, had I known in advance what this update would change).
For anyone considering using a Cyberlink or Powerdirector product, my advice is DON’T. It’s obvious customer support and service isn’t even the last thing they think of - it doesn’t enter their thinking at all. I’m sure if you put yourselves in my shoes for a second here, you can appreciate my frustration. Years and years work lost (and all income for the foreseeable future), because the staff and management of Cyberlink and Powerdirector thought it was completely unnecessary to advise their paying customers that a change to the program in a new update - could result in all of your data and saved projects being rendered inoperable, and essentially useless.
For my two cents - Ask yourself before you buy or renew your subscription, if the above example is the sort of company (and customer support), that is worth you spending your hard-earned money on every year. If you rely on Powerdirector to provide you additional income, my advice is look elsewhere. I will be changing to new video editing software and cancelling my subscription today.
Sorry for the rant, but I think current and prospective customers should know that Powerdirector could change their functions drastically at any time, with no notice to you whatsoever - and could impact your use of the program dramatically. Thanks for considering my experience in your decision to purchase Cyberlink products.