Easy to use video editing software?

[Ann Marie]

I know that people have asked about video editing software questions before but nothing too current (especially with how quickly programs are updated).

I just shot some video using my camera. I would like to put some of it together in a short DVD with music. I'd like to get something user-friendly, but nothing cheesey. A software that I won't feel the need to update in a year because it is too junior.

I'd love some suggestions. I've read some reviews on Pinacle and Adobe but would rather get other consumers reviews and suggestions than some editor.

Thanks!

 

[Kim]

I've used Ulead Media Studio Pro and Adobe Premiere for some years. What I'd be interested in now in your position is Adobe Premiere Elements. I haven't used it yet but if it is to the full Premiere what Photoshop Elements is to the full Photoshop it should be very passable. You can download trial versions of Adobe software that work for a month. That's what I'd do.

 

[marshallkarp]

Assuming you have a Windows PC, Movie Maker is on it for free. I used this to make my first bunch of movies and it was basic, but simple. I have Pinncle Studio Plus 9.5 and it does what I need it to do. May eventually upgrade to Version 10, but don't see the need.

Also, I like my son's MacBook and the movie making ability on that, so I may go that route in the future.

 

[Kim]

Assuming you have a Windows PC, Movie Maker is on it for free. I used this to make my first bunch of movies and it was basic, but simple. I have Pinncle Studio Plus 9.5 and it does what I need it to do. May eventually upgrade to Version 10, but don't see the need.

Also, I like my son's MacBook and the movie making ability on that, so I may go that route in the future.

You can't really make DVDs directly from Movie Maker though. Also, if you do use Movie Maker you need to make sure you have the latest version.

 

[bwerb]

Step one...buy a Mac...

ahem...ok...alternately, here's a great free download

http://www.avid.com/freedv/

Avid is more or less the professional benchmark for editing software for newsrooms etc. The free download should be more than enough to get you started.

 

[Kim]

ahem...ok...alternately, here's a great free download

http://www.avid.com/freedv/

Avid is more or less the professional benchmark for editing software for newsrooms etc. The free download should be more than enough to get you started.

The free version of this only encodes into Quicktime 'MOV' files. You can't encode MPEG2 for DVD production. At least Movie Maker allows you to do that (although MM doesn't author DVDs, you need more software)

 

[Ann Marie]

Thanks for the tips. I found that I have Ulead 6 Basic on my computer but it doesn't look like it will let me edit out frames.

I'll try to download the Adobe Premiere but the only trial version is 2.0.

 

[Kim]

I'll try to download the Adobe Premiere but the only trial version is 2.0.

That's a mistake on their downloads list page. The trial download is actually 3.0
http://www.adobe.com/products/premiereel/tryout.html

 

[H2Andy]

You can't really make DVDs directly from Movie Maker though.

you can save to CD directly

this is not my forte, so ... is CD different from DVD? i thought they were the same

i also used Ulead and that was nice ... but i didn't feel like paying $100 when i could have Movie Maker for free

 

[Kim]

you can save to CD directly

this is not my forte, so ... is CD different from DVD? i thought they were the same

It's different. CD movie files are just that.....a file. DVDs require a certain directory structure and particular files inside it as well as the actual movie data. They need to be 'authored', which creates all the right structures. Premiere Elements seems to do that natively....Movie Maker doesn't.
Also...just for info...CDs are usually 640/700 Mb.........single layer DVDs are 4.2 Gb. They require a different reader/burner, although a DVD burner can usually always burn CDs as well.