It's true, Magix have always been insistent with providing people ample time to play around with the software before shelling out the cash. I also use Movie Edit Pro and I can say it's pretty straightforward and intuitive, though I don't make very complex videos, no crazy effects (even though a lot come included). I've also heard a lot of good things about PowerDirector, though I haven't tried it myself. Bottom line, it comes down to personal preference, each of those programs is pretty well regarded, so you can't really go wrong. You just have to find which works best for you and seems the most intuitive. My criteria was, since I use Samplitude by Magix for music production, a lot of the shortcuts and the design layout were the same, so it felt like I already knew my way around it. So if there is any of those programs is already familiar to you in some way, maybe you've watched tutorials where the person was using one of those programs, or you've already played around with demos and free trials, then I think that's the one you should go for. Familiarity can go a long way.Magix has a test version (up to 30 days with Email-registration) that is really generous. It limits your exports to 3min but you can test your workflow in the programm. I use it for my comics and must say its easy to handle and offers a lot of tools.