video editing program recommendation

[ScubaVideo]

Question. What does the video card have to do with it? I should have enough puter, but don't know about the video card.

Just a note. You can get Video Studeo Pro X3 from Amazon.com for $30+ shipping. I have it ordered. Actually it's Tiger Direct. What bugs have you found? PM works if you don't want to clutter up the thread.

The video cards memory is needed for the editing process as a video monitor or two are virtually created within the editing program.

My setup is still old fashioned SD :depressed: so the requirements are not so high. I also use a Matrox video editing card which adds processing power to the editing and an additional monitor for viewing actual output.

I use Adobe Premier 1.5 Pro with that system and have CS5 around for if I ever get to upgrade to HD camera and housing.

 

[MN Lakeman]

Can't help you/give any advice as I'm not a videographer (one day hopefully), just wanted to say I loved your video. Soothingly amazingly beautiful. Awesome soundtrack too. I know I'll be dreaming of Paradise and Columbia and Punta Tunich tonight thanks to you.

Thanks! I've truly benefitted from others on this forum posting their videos - 'have learned a lot & still learning more!

 

[sharksdelight]

It's a bit hard shooting with cams like the Contour and Go Pro since they have no monitors to set up composition with. However, I have found that even tho the Contour shoots mov. files, they still cannot be taken directly into FCP. Final Cut Express is very limited in the codecs it offers while FCP has an abundance. If you are on Final Cut Express which does not have the Pro Res codecs but offers that old standard 'Apple Intermediate' then you will need to convert your master clips from the Contour.
Download MPEG Streamclip, it is free for both Mac and PCs and is the best free app around. Squared 5 - MPEG Streamclip video converter for Mac and Windows You can then bring your files into its easy to use interface, set in and out points if you want, and then export into the codec of your choice. These exports can then be imported easily into FCE and you are good to go.
Hope this helps
Steve

PS. Hate to end on a commercial note, but I do use iChat to give personal editing lessons for both FCP and Express. I am Apple certified and sponsored though I wish they would give me free computers and not just the software. ;-)

 

[danvolker]

It's a bit hard shooting with cams like the Contour and Go Pro since they have no monitors to set up composition with. However, I have found that even tho the Contour shoots mov. files, they still cannot be taken directly into FCP. Final Cut Express is very limited in the codecs it offers while FCP has an abundance. If you are on Final Cut Express which does not have the Pro Res codecs but offers that old standard 'Apple Intermediate' then you will need to convert your master clips from the Contour.
Download MPEG Streamclip, it is free for both Mac and PCs and is the best free app around. Squared 5 - MPEG Streamclip video converter for Mac and Windows You can then bring your files into its easy to use interface, set in and out points if you want, and then export into the codec of your choice. These exports can then be imported easily into FCE and you are good to go.
Hope this helps
Steve

PS. Hate to end on a commercial note, but I do use iChat to give personal editing lessons for both FCP and Express. I am Apple certified and sponsored though I wish they would give me free computers and not just the software. ;-)

Hi Steve,
My use of this camera is for training shots underwater of GUE Fundamentals type issues, and some tech dives. If I really need sophisticated effects, I can use Sandra's Canon 5d mark2 with the lens that is most optimal.
I have a Sony PD170 I used to shoot a lot of topside video with, and edit with Vegas Video....but the version of Vegas ( 5) is not going to handle the 1080p.

I just put the trial of Adobe Premeire on Sandra's Imac, and it edits and runs the 1080p great...unfortunately, premiere works in a very non-intuitive manner, compared to Vegas...I will just have to learn it I guess.

 

[sharksdelight]

If you are on an iMac it might be better for you to learn FCP rather than Premier Pro. You still have to compress the footage after editing and encode for DVD production which means not buying just one application but buying the whole suite whether it is the Adobe CS5 or Final Cut Suite. I have both full suites and, other than After Effects, always use FCP. My point about the Contour is that composing your shot is hit and miss since there is no monitor to check your aim.
Steve

 

[danvolker]

If you are on an iMac it might be better for you to learn FCP rather than Premier Pro. You still have to compress the footage after editing and encode for DVD production which means not buying just one application but buying the whole suite whether it is the Adobe CS5 or Final Cut Suite. I have both full suites and, other than After Effects, always use FCP. My point about the Contour is that composing your shot is hit and miss since there is no monitor to check your aim.
Steve

First question would be will FCP work natively in 1080p ? My assumption was that Premiere will do 1080p natively ( in other words, a concern there is not a lot of converting going on which could degrade the final product) ....I think I would much rather learn FCP...it seemed much more intuitive than Premiere when I looked at a demo of it.
I will primarily be using the video on the Internet, but do want to allow full 1080p downloads, as well as more traditional wmv or mov files in 720 size ( faster download or stream feasible). It might be useful to be able to do a Blue ray disk for some of the things we will be doing, I don't think a standard DVD would be large enough for what I have in mind for disk....

I tried out the Contour yesterday for some fin technique shots...I got too close frequently, and was tending to shoot too high....I am reasonably sure I can fix these two issues on my next dive, and I may rig up a mount to the end of a speargun ( without spear ) with the Contour sitting on top of the speargun body at the end of it... pointing the gun will be accurate for the camera ...this should also work to steady the image.

I have a number of uses for this where a big video camera in a housing would make the dive impractical....and where I need more perfection, I will use the Canon 5d mark2....
If I manage to get some good footage, I'll post some

Meanwhile, the FCP for 1080p versus Premeire is still a huge question for me....given my issues, what do you think?

 

[sharksdelight]

Final Cut does not natively work well with either HDV or AVCHD codecs natively but that is not a problem since when you log and transfer/capture you can capture in a very large choice of codecs. I always capture in Pro Res no matter what format my camera is using. I don't have a Canon D5 but my close friend does and he just captures in Pro Res and he is good to go.
Steve

 

[Travis Matteson]

If you are shooting primarily with the 5D and just starting out learning a NLE then I would suggest you go with CS5 as it handles the 5D codec natively. FCP is so far behind the times. The future is now.

 

[sharksdelight]

Ron,
I don't know that iMovie or FC Express is really the way to go for Mac users. FC Express will certainly prepare the serious editor for FC Pro but it, like iMovie, is limited by the available codecs to work within that are demanded by the newer cams and DSLRs. For Canon 5D or 7D users, and most camcorders on the market, the editor in FCP will capture or transcode their footage to one of the Pro Res codecs anyway since they work in a better color space and are easier to edit with even if they do take more hard drive space. I have never met a professional editor who uses Premier Pro even though CS5 is now 64bit and, if running an appropriate NVIDIA card, can take the speed advantage of NVIDIA's Cuda engine and blaze away. That is the one thing all Mac users are hoping for in any new version of FCP, a 64bit engine so one can access all the cores and ram they can afford.
I certainly wouldn't encourage a person to use Windows Movie Maker unless all they wanted to do was edit birthday parties and the like. There is always going to be a learning curve, so, if a person wants to really learn to edit they might as well learn one good NLE that they will not outgrow and learn it well.
You're certainly all correct, in my opinion, that editing is very time consuming and can be frustrating, but that is part of the process and if you don't enjoy the process than editing might not be for you. Me, I love the process and the feeling of accomplishment when I finally get an edit to meet my vision. My problem is coming up with unique approaches which is why I admire Leandro Blanco's work so much.
Steve

 

[danvolker]

If you are shooting primarily with the 5D and just starting out learning a NLE then I would suggest you go with CS5 as it handles the 5D codec natively. FCP is so far behind the times. The future is now.

My videos will be with a canon 5d mark 2 in sea and sea housing, and also a tiny contour 1080p video camera.

As my Imac is maxed with the biggest cpu multi core, and I am about to have 16 gigs of ram , I am inclined to go with Adobe Premiere with it's 64 bit architecture and better output utilizing the Imac.... FCP would have been easier to master I think, but I do not want to wait even a week on this...i have been using the 30 day trial of Premiere, and while it is no where near as intuitive as Vegas Video was ( I know that editing program well) , I am far enough along with premeire now to clean up an underwater video pretty quickly.....I will most likely buy Premiere.
Thanks to each poster who offered suggestions.