<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2005-08-09</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000774695</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>PINNACLE SYSTEMS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>PCLE</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001290937</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Bogard Marina</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>280 N. BERNARDO AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>MOUNTAIN VIEW</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>94043</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>VP Sales/Dist.-Americas/Japan</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-08-09</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>4652</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 20, 2005, by and among Pinnacle Systems, Inc., a California corporation, Highest Mountain Corporation, a California corporation, and Avid Technology, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the &quot;Merger Agreement&quot;), upon the closing of the merger on August 9, 2005 each outstanding share of Pinnacle Systems, Inc. common stock was converted into the right to receive 0.0869 of a share of Avid Technology, Inc. common stock having a fair market balue of $38.45 on such date plus $1.00 in cash.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Christie Branson for Marina Bogard</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-08-11</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
