Best Video Editing Software?
Author
Discussion

shortlad

Original Poster:

529 posts

282 months

Monday 27th June 2005
quotequote all
Hi

I need to import and edit some video taken on my digital camcorder.

I want to import it onto my PC (have the Firwire already) but don't want to use Windows Movie Maker. I want to be able to edit, add music, transititions, etc and then burn to a DVD for general viewing on a DVD player. Would also like to be able to post mpg files to PH as well.

Is Pinnacle Studio Plus any good? IS there any decent freeware/public domain software out there?

Any help and tips would be appreciated.

Cheers

r988

7,496 posts

259 months

Monday 27th June 2005
quotequote all
Final Cut pro is good but its for AppleMac only I think.

Adobe Premiere is probably the best thing for PC, certainly not free, but you could probably find a pirate version around, otherwise maybe an old copy floating around on the cheap if you have a conscience. Should offer you a lot more flexibility than the cruddy standard movie making thing on XP.

shortlad

Original Poster:

529 posts

282 months

Monday 27th June 2005
quotequote all
Cheers

I certainly couldn't afford Adobe! Been looking at Pinnacle as a lot cheaper.

Scruffy

3,757 posts

291 months

Monday 27th June 2005
quotequote all
Avid do a little free downloadable version of their DV editing thing, there's a few nice disolves and rotate and cut and realtime FX, it's OK...

Final Cut Pro is certainly available for PC, that's perhaps got the edge, but you pay for it.

Adobe thingy - well worth the price for the new version, it started out a bit Fisher Price.

Then for a small fee:

WinDVD creator,

Video Explosion Delux

Roxio Videowave

and Magix Movie Edit Pro 2004 to name a few -

- some are more daunting to use as the user interface has been borrowed from some more expensive packages Avid DS|HD (£20,000 basic..)

Most software is relatively mature, and they all do pretty much the same thing...

Get what you like the look of.


johnp68

426 posts

312 months

Monday 27th June 2005
quotequote all
I'm pretty pleased with Pinnacle Studio 8, not that I have much experience of using any other video editing software!

shortlad

Original Poster:

529 posts

282 months

Wednesday 29th June 2005
quotequote all
Thanks for the advice everyone.... I decided to buy Pinnacle as it seemed more targeted (price mainly) at Jo Average.

It comes on 4 disks and took hours just to load.... Now all I've got to do is learn how to use it!

Anyone know how you get Pinnacle to import different file types? Seems to only like certain mpg files....

Not a problem for my digi-camcorder stuff as I'll import that straight in.