Video Editor Advice

[chris319]

Which video editing program do people like?

Platform is Windows. Mac is not entirely off the table but not my first choice. Linux is also a possibility (Linux Mint).

Regarding transitions, my requirements are pretty simple: cuts, fades, dissolves. These things should be easy to do. I like to be able to dissolve/fade in a title over video without a great deal of effort. What I DON'T need are all kinds of gimmicky transitions/effects intended for videos of junior's birthday party for YouTube but not for serious work. I also need flexibility in terms of text sizing, positioning and selection of typeface.

I need accurate colors. One way to accomplish this is with uncompressed export/rendering, (audio and video) and then to convert to the codec of my choice with ffmpeg.

A pay-by-the-month license is not in the cards.

I'm told our TV station is about to buy Edius.

Other names that have come up at various times are:

Vegas Pro
Premiere Elements
DaVinci Resolve
Movavi
Shotcut
Kdenlive
PowerDirector
Final Cut Pro
Avid Media Composer
Edius

[KarMa]

If the video formats you use are supported by DaVinci Resolve then I would just go with that. It's become a very popular alternative to Adobe PP, Sony Vegas, and Avid. The base version is free with the Studio version being $300. DaVinci only really supports H.264+AAC in a MP4, as far as consumer level formats go. But they support just about every professional low compression format out there. Sound like you could probably get by on the free version with your low needs.

Davinci Resolve is also most well known for color grading, with editors often exporting out of their preferred NLE just to grade in Resolve.

[budwzr]

You should buy a copy of Filmmakers's Handbook before you jump into anything. It takes a year or more to grasp the concepts.

There's no free lunch or shortcut. You got to go back to the basics and build yourself up until you understand layer compositing. Layer compositing is the key to professional video editing.

Don't buy anything until you understand layer compositing. All the pros here will agree.

Vegas Pro is an excellent choice. No recurring fees. Full editing environment, including compositing.

[_Al_]

Magix Vegas Pro 15 (Magix bought it from Sony years ago) you can get now for $25 in Humble Bundle, this is no joke, legit thing, latestr version is 16, so it is just one version behind
it goes for more two days,
it is available like that once in a while, more in this thread

[budwzr]

Magix Vegas Pro (Magix bought it from Sony years ago) you can get now for $25 in Humble Bundle, this is no joke, legit thing,
it goes for more two days,

Vegas Pro Edit does not do compositing. Don't buy. You need the full Vegas Pro Software. Pay once and edit forever.

[_Al_]

What compositing are we talking about. It is solid editing system, not After Effects. Also we are talking about $25. I have one of those. I understand thatVegas Pro EDIT it is full version except there is no DVD Architect icluded.

[budwzr]

What compositing are we talking about. It is solid editing system, not After Effects. Also we are talking about $25. I have one of those.

Layer compositing is essential to professional editing. No professional here will disagree.

[_Al_]

Can you provide a link that shows that Edit Pro version is missing something as oppose normal Pro version? I think it is missing DVD Architect only.
I was following this: https://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/vegas-pro/product-comparison/

[budwzr]

Can you provide a link that shows that Edit Pro version is missing something as oppose normal Pro version? I think it is missing DVD Architect only.
I was following this: https://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/vegas-pro/product-comparison/

If you don't understand layer compositing, how can I explain? Everyone else here knows, like Scott and PDR.

[_Al_]

I think you need afternoon Margarita early today. This is not Vegas Studio.

[budwzr]

I think you need afternoon Margarita early today. This is not Vegas Studio.

Haha.

Why would Magix sell Vegas Pro for cheap?

That software is probably worth $1000 now.

It's a ruse.

[_Al_]

Yeah, about twice a year they sell it like that , perhaps they chase selling numbers against Adobe, they need to hook up more people, then they stop and come up with yearly subscription models.

[budwzr]

Yeah, about twice a year they sell it like that , perhaps they chase selling numbers against Adobe, they need to hook up more people, then they stop and come up with yearly subscription models.

Ok, if that's the case, I still highly recommend Vegas Pro. Just make sure you have compositing.

[_Al_]

there is, guy is explaining it here for example on some earlier Sony version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDSdCDTOVro

[chris319]

Magix Vegas Pro 15 (Magix bought it from Sony years ago) you can get now for $25 in Humble Bundle, this is no joke, legit thing, latestr version is 16, so it is just one version behind
it goes for more two days,
it is available like that once in a while, more in this thread

Why do I want a deprecated version?

[chris319]

Since my O.P. I have tried Filmora and Movavi. They are both out of the running due to inadequate export options.

[chris319]

Here are my must-have output formats:

Video:
H.265
Huff YUV (lossless)
MPEG-2 (for ATSC broadcast)
Highly desirable: Uncompressed

Audio:
AC3 (for ATSC broadcast)
PCM (uncompressed)

I can export to uncompressed and convert to a common compressed format using ffmpeg though this involves an extra step.

THE COLORS MUST BE ACCURATE IN ALL OF THE ABOVE OPTIONS.

[_Al_]

Magix Vegas Pro 15 (Magix bought it from Sony years ago) you can get now for $25 in Humble Bundle, this is no joke, legit thing, latestr version is 16, so it is just one version behind
it goes for more two days,
it is available like that once in a while, more in this thread

Why do I want a deprecated version?

Yes you want it, because what you wrote, what your demands are and one number older version means nothing to you, because you do not need that. You can always check what changed from v.15 to v.16. Missing DVD Architect is for authoring and burning optical disks. If you cannot do without it all in one, do not waste $25!
Vegas can make elementary streams by the book so you can author and burn elsewhere, but, your choice.
That Vegas Pro is fully loaded version for editing.

Nothing stops you to go and get $300 version though. But as soon as you get 16, there will be 17 out and you are doomed again, how can you edit those cross dissolves with older version? But you kind of always reveal things slowly as thread goes on, so who knows really what you want ...

Just check it out for those $25, it is no brainier, not sure what the problem is, if you have Amazon account, you can pay on Amazon.

[_Al_]

and here it goes, new demands as I said, , I did not see the last input of yours,
just try it out

[chris319]

I didn't say so in my O.P., but I bought Vegas Pro 16 from B&H a little while back but I haven't done any editing with it, just working with the color accuracy of the rendering.

I finally got Vegas Pro to export video with accurate colors using the following procedure:

In Vegas, render as: Video for Windows -> Uncompressed

You can then convert it using ffmpeg and the codec of your choice. For example, here it is converted to x264:

ffmpeg -y  -i "untitled.avi"  -pix_fmt yuv420p  -crf 0  -c:v libx264  -vf scale=out_color_matrix=bt709:out_range=full  -color_primaries bt709  -color_trc bt709  -colorspace bt709  -r 59.94    output.mp4

@REM NOTE: Output range MUST be full.

I also get accurate colors exporting to XDCAM.

I need to work with other codecs and test their color accuracy.

A color is considered accurate if it is +/- 3 from the intended value.

I'm exploring my options but may stick with Vegas Pro if it's easy to add titles. The online tutorials I've seen make it seem straightforward.

[KarMa]

MPEG-2 (for ATSC broadcast)

Usually what happens at a broadcast station is that everything gets decoded, even MPEG2 content, and then re-encoded by ATSC compliant equipment to fit within the specs of that channels bandwidth and to share bandwidth with any other side channels (10.1, 10.2,10.3, etc). So if you are planning on making MPEG2 encodings for broadcast, it probably isn't going to be as easy as simple as encoding to MPEG2 and then hoping your ATSC equipment with accept it as is and broadcast it out without the equipment re-encoding it again.

[chris319]

I have to export it to something

MPEG-2 is as good as any for ATSC. I picked MPEG-2 as probably the "safest" delivery format, rather than some format that not all stations can handle.

Our station has a big-bucks media system which puts out MPEG-2 .mxf files which are later re-encoded (to MPEG-2) at the required bit rate, with AC3 audio.

[KarMa]

I have to export it to something

MPEG-2 is as good as any for ATSC. I picked MPEG-2 as probably the "safest" delivery format, rather than some format that not all stations can handle.

Our station has a big-bucks media system which puts out MPEG-2 .mxf files which are later re-encoded (to MPEG-2) at the required bit rate, with AC3 audio.

Just wanted to make sure you knew it would be re-encoded again, as this issue of people wanting straight to broadcast encoding has come up in other threads recently. Yes, just about all broadcast equipment should be able to decode your MPEG2 video. I usually hear people using in the range of 50Mbit for 1080p delivery.

[chris319]

I usually hear people using in the range of 50Mbit for 1080p delivery.

The two big syndication distributors are moving to H.264, but they tested the heck out of it first. So many of the programs they distribute contain barter advertising so they had to.

[vkmast]

Can you provide a link that shows that Edit Pro version is missing something as oppose normal Pro version? I think it is missing DVD Architect only.
I was following this: https://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/vegas-pro/product-comparison/

True. Note that the current HumbleBundle offer (the $25 one, available for a day still) includes full versions of both Vegas Pro 15 Edit AND Vegas DVD Architect 7. They are valid for a future upgrade pricing (unlike Steam editions) in the Magix Vegas Store as well.

[larioso]

I think you need afternoon Margarita early today. This is not Vegas Studio.

Haha.

Why would Magix sell Vegas Pro for cheap?

That software is probably worth $1000 now.

It's a ruse.

Running Samplitude ProX2 and just finding all the bugs that Magix never fix for years and years - so people with that view of Magix might not consider them again.

So they have to sell cheap to sell anything twice to anybody, or?

I have serious doubts about Magix taking over stuff. When it comes to maintenance, I mean - Vegas is really good - but why did Sony sell it in the first place?

Just another view what to consider regarding software - maintenance - is it there?

[lordsmurf]

I'm still using Premiere Pro CS4, and it does everything I need. (The newer CC versions have some nifty things I want, but nothing I need, nothing I'd honestly use much.)

Do you realize that Adobe Premiere Pro CS2 is free? Legitimately free, made public by Adobe some years back. (It doesn't work well in Win10, but nothing video-wise really does. Win10 is a terrible video OS.)

Sony didn't create Vegas anyway, they bought it years ago. I don't really consider Sony a good steward of the software anyway, and see Magix doing a much better job of things.

[larioso]

Do you realize that Adobe Premiere Pro CS2 is free? Legitimately free, made public by Adobe some years back. (It doesn't work well in Win10, but nothing video-wise really does. Win10 is a terrible video OS.)

So there is a APP that is not creative cloud, just good old license thingy, no subscription?
It does not need to be free at all - just no requirment to be online or subscribe.

I was to get a new computer to get a stronger cpu and would get windows 10 then - but think I stay away from that idea.

I ran Premiere Elements 15 a bit, but like PowerDirector better. But there are more plugins for APP is my guess.

[kRosZ]

Well, if you want to become professional, i suggest Premiere Pro and VEGAS Pro 16. Maybe VEGAS is a lil bit more user friendly with the interface. Personally I use VEGAS and i love it so damn much.

[budwzr]

Well, if you want to become professional, i suggest Premiere Pro and VEGAS Pro 16. Maybe VEGAS is a lil bit more user friendly with the interface. Personally I use VEGAS and i love it so damn much.

Yeah, VegasPro is a nice piece of kit.

When you discover how to kern your fonts, you will have learned, grasshopper.