Can your freeware/cheapware editor do this?

[fvisagie]

If your freeware/cheapware editor can do this, I'm looking for it so please tell me what you're using!

GUI with clip thumbnails (preferably with configurable hierarchical "folders")
Can preferably display thumbnail details like duration, start/end time, dimensions and date taken
Can preferably arrange thumbnails by any of their attributes
Can rename thumbnails
Thumbnail preview
Realtime output preview
Can resize preview
Marked timeline (preferably storyboard view too)
Can resize timeline and storyboard both horizontally and vertically
At least 1 extra audio/music track
Can display audio waveform
Can input DV AVI
Can create clips from DV DATECODE changes
Can input from Avisynth
Can input from a lossless format, preferably Lagarith or HuffYUV
Can input photos to fit frame (i.e. without messing up aspect ratio)
Can load and edit audio files (i.e. no video)
Can output to DV
Can smart/direct render DV in to DV out (i.e. not re-encoding unchanged frames)
Can output video to a lossless format, preferably Lagarith or HuffYUV
Can output audio to uncompressed format, e.g. PCM u16le
Can work with non-square pixels without resizing (e.g. PAL 720x576 @ 4:3 aspect ratio)
Can work and output in the YV12 colourspace without conversion
Can process and output 50fps material
Frame-accurate video navigation (in 1-frame steps)
Frame-accurate cutting and trimming with Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete, Undo/Redo of course
Clip transitions: at least fade
Can configure transitions, at least duration
Effects: at least fade in/out (black), zoom in/out, pan, blur; preferably also slow down/speed up and film grain/old film
Can configure effects, at least duration and starting and ending values
Can overlay text
Can configure overlay text, at least motion, duration, font, size and colour
Can preferably shape audio (i.e. changing volume up/down from/to user-specified levels, in addition to fade to/from zero)
Transitions, effects and text are anchored to content (i.e. they shift with the content when adding or deleting earlier in the timeline)
Keyboard shortcuts (preferably configurable) for common navigation and editing tasks
Can take snapshot from current frame
Can save work in some kind of project file (preferably an editable text file)

If you have something that comes close but rounds out the list with commonly-used tools please feel free to also mention that.

Thanks,
Francois

[macsnapper]

Yep, I'd say Serif MoviePlus can pretty much do all that... not free but not bad for about US$80. They have a free starter version but it's obviously a bit dated now or it wouldn't be free, so why not just get the real thing?

[TreeTops]

I would buy last years version of Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum for $29.00 or so at Amazon. Can you get Amazon to ship to you in South Africa?

[jman98]

I give you credit for knowing what you want, but your list of requirements is absurd for freeware. You will have to buy a commercial program to do that. TreeTops suggestion is probably best. Amazon does ship internationally, but there may be restrictions on software shipping so you'll just have to try to order it and see if they let you.

[fvisagie]

your list of requirements is absurd for freeware

Hehe, perhaps on the face of it. However, all I'm looking for is something that does a solid job of the basics - no unnecessary re-encoding, no forced colourspace conversions and lossless/frameserved input and output. That's the main thing and I regard few bells and whistles as essential otherwise. Attached an updated list that distinguishes between what's essential and what's optional. Even the lowly Movie Maker (<= 6.0, NOT Live) comes fairly close.

That just by way of trying to clarify. I'm grateful for the comments and suggestions and will definitely follow up on them.

[TreeTops]

I would beg to differ with you about this: Even the lowly Windows-Movie-Maker comes close.

[fvisagie]

TreeTops suggestion is probably best. Amazon does ship internationally, but there may be restrictions on software shipping so you'll just have to try to order it and see if they let you.

Amazon does ship to South Africa, but when ordering it turns out "that particular item isn't eligible for international shipping". And although it can be ordered directly from Adorama at the same price, their international shipping is $84! Pity, that's a really good deal. Thanks anyway for the recommendation, TreeTops.

[fvisagie]

PS. Is the Movie Studio 11 Sony sells these days the same thing that was previously known as Movie Studio HD Platinum 11? Just with the "HD Platinum" dropped for better differentiation of the current Platinum 12 range? Movie Studio 11's buy URL certainly suggests it was previously called HD. Or any other suggested sources for Movie Studio HD Platinum 11?

Thanks!

[TreeTops]

There are some indications that the Platinum version has more features. Especially in the render section.

[fvisagie]

Thanks. I got hold of the manual which highlights the following extra features for the Platinum version:

5.1 surround
capturing HDV
importing AVCHD
stereoscopic 3D support
burning DVD/Blu-Ray
saving to HDV camera

The Movie Studio 11 trial I downloaded is then clearly the non-Platinum version.

After reading on the Cyberlink and Sony Creative Software forums how regularly people make a plan to get things into and out of Avisynth when they're concerned about quality or doing something special, I've now resigned myself to a Notepad-only world! Seeing that I'm up and running with Avisynth already, and also AvsPmod.

Thanks for all the suggestions. In case someone else treads this path in the near future I attach the latest evaluation results.

[smrpix]

Thanks. I got hold of the manual which highlights the following extra features for the Platinum version:

5.1 surround
capturing HDV
importing AVCHD
stereoscopic 3D support
burning DVD/Blu-Ray
saving to HDV camera

You're only 50% wrong.

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegaspro/compare

[TreeTops]

For some reason they do not show Vegas Movie Studio 11 Platinum on that comparison chart.

[vkmast]

TreeTops,
the reason may be that it shows only the latest, i.e. current versions that SCS sells. One needs to buy older versions elsewhere. If you find the 'slip sleeve' edition, it may miss some extras that the original edition has.
As above noted, Movie Studio 11 misses a lot of features that the Platinum versions have.

[smrpix]

My point was that half the features he claims aren't included in the non-platinum version indeed are.

[vkmast]

My point was that half the features he claims aren't included in the non-platinum version indeed are.

Yes, the comparison table you mentioned is very useful and should be investigated before making a decision.

[fvisagie]

Thanks. I got hold of the manual which highlights the following extra features for the Platinum version:

5.1 surround
capturing HDV
importing AVCHD
stereoscopic 3D support
burning DVD/Blu-Ray
saving to HDV camera

You're only 50% wrong.

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegaspro/compare

I beg to differ. The only additional feature the comparison claims for 11 HD is AVCHD support. Regarding HDV support, remember I'm referring to capturing, not importing.

In any case, it's a case of Sony's manual vs Sony's web table... And for me it's become a moot point.

In case it has any use to someone else, a last note on looking into VMS 11 HD. I downloaded and installed it, opened the new project screen to confirm whether it supports 5.1 or not (thereby confirming whether it's HD or HD Platinum), then uninstalled it. Afterwards, the DirectShow filter chain was broken for Lagarith-encoded AVIs. VfW applications still opened them fine, but applications using DirectShow only played audio without video. Reinstalling the Lagarith codec, using filter repair tools, nothing fixed the problem. I had to restore from a backup image. I took that as a poor sign .

[smrpix]

Regarding HDV support, remember I'm referring to capturing, not importing.

That's ridiculous. The home versions of Vegas were practically BUILT around the HDV workflow. What do you think they were expecting home users to do, use HDVsplit?

http://dspcdn.sonycreativesoftware.com/manuals/moviestudiope100_qsg_enu.pdf

page 18, if you aren't too busy fixing your computer.

[fvisagie]

That's ridiculous. The home versions of Vegas were practically BUILT around the HDV workflow.
...

http://dspcdn.sonycreativesoftware.com/manuals/moviestudiope100_qsg_enu.pdf

page 18, if you aren't too busy fixing your computer.

I agree . http://dspcdn.sonycreativesoftware.com/manuals/moviestudiope110_qsg_enu.pdf
page 18:

Capturing HDV video
You can use the internal Vegas Movie Studio video capture tool to
capture video clips from your HDV video camera and add them to
the Project Media window.
This feature is available only in Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum.

This manual is identical to the one that comes with the 11 HD download (I did a byte compare).

It's a case of Sony vs. Sony, as I said. I wouldn't know better either way, and now no longer care .

[smrpix]

Capturing HDV video
You can use the internal Vegas Movie Studio video capture tool to
capture video clips from your HDV video camera and add them to
the Project Media window.
This feature is available only in Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum.

The final line you quoted appears three pages and several topics later... Aren't you clever?

[fvisagie]

I'm not with you there? Perhaps we're having a misunderstanding, I quoted that verbatim from http://dspcdn.sonycreativesoftware.com/manuals/moviestudiope110_qsg_enu.pdf, bottom of page 18. Is that the same document you're referring to? [Edit: note it isn't the same link as the one you posted - they get shortened in the displayed posts.]

It isn't my intention to knock the product or to offend otherwise. Sorry if it came across differently. If anything I'm mostly disappointed after putting in effort trying to find an NLE that works for me, getting excited about trying 11 PE also, not being able to get hold of it, trying the version available for download and that also not working out. And sorry that what I conveyed from the manual seems to be causing an argument, also not my intention.

[smrpix]

Wow. Mea culpa. You are correct.

I am generally so impressed with the capabilities of Movie Studio it didn't seem possible something so basic was missing.
I didn't see what was in front of my eyes -- and I looked repeatedly.

Sony did restructure their product line recently, Movie Studio HD was dropped, but that doesn't explain my blindness.

There's a lesson in there somewhere.

Peace and Good Luck.

[fvisagie]

Movie Studio HD was dropped

As far as I could tell from "that manual" and the download, it's pretty clear that it's actually Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 that got dropped. That download is Movie Studio HD 11.

Perhaps a Vega-file can confirm that for us.

[vkmast]

As far as I can tell, Movie Studio HD 11 build 75 is Movie Studio 11. Movie Studio 11 and Movie Studio Platinum 12 (and Suite) were both released in Aug. 2012. To use the terminology that SCS uses here, MStudio HD Platinum 11 was upgraded (=new numbered version) to MStudio Platinum 12, while MStudio HD 11 was updated (=new build) to MStudio 11. The HD and the Vegas were dropped from the titles then.

Btw, you might be interested to read the chapters on Capturing HDV clips in Movie Studio Online Help.
I only have the Platinum(s) myself.

[fvisagie]

That fits in with what I found. The Movie Studio 11 available for download is build 75.

[fvisagie]

BTW, and this is probably a long shot, but would any of you living in the States or Canada be prepared to receive the Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 disc from the supplier on my behalf and upload its ISO image for me? Or do you have any alternatives to paying the $84 shipping - the supplier offers no other international shipping options? Maybe somebody visiting SA and dropping in for a beer soon?

[vkmast]

fvisagie,
I don't know if you've already tried this, but you can download moviestudiope11.0.322.exe here
http://download.sonymediasoftware.com/current/
It's the last build (322) of Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11. You cannot buy it from Sony since they don't sell older versions, so if you're going to activate it after the trial, you do need to buy the version/serial number elsewhere. Maybe somebody upgraded to MSP 12 and would be willing to sell and transfer the licence.
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/Forums/ShowMessage.asp?Forum=4&MessageID=811316

I'd suggest though you buy the MSP 12 D/L version from SCS online store, if you find that the Platinum version is ok with you.

[fvisagie]

Thanks for the suggestion, vkmast, I'll look into it. If there's something useful on the SCS forum link you posted, please copy it here? Somehow the link ends up taking me to the SCS online store.

[vkmast]

fvisagie,
sorry, the SCS linking doesn't always seem to work. That thread is about transferring the licence.
Try to copy and paste these
sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=811316
sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=839983

[fvisagie]

vkmast,

Thanks very much. I've downloaded the installation and am waiting for the supplier to hopefully confirm that they'll email me the serial number once purchased!