Which editor for video blogging?

[Arty84]

Hi

this is my first post, but I have been reading you for a while. Awesome site.

I started recording video blogs, short entries (2-4 minutes).
At the moment I want to add a bit of credits and music to my videos,
then just share them through youtube or vimeo.

Later I may want to be able to make dvd's of them.

I have previously tested Mpeg Video Wizard and I liked it, especially since you
don't need to recode. I have also tested Vegas and it seemed to me a bit complicated.
I see people dig AVS video editor as well. Can you point out the differences between these three?
And what can you do with these that you cannot do with free tools like Avidemux?

Bottom line is: I want power, ease of use and not too expensive (50-100 dollars range).
Which tools would you suggest me? Both for the editing and the dvd creation?

Thanks a lot in advance

[edDV]

What is your source format?

[Arty84]

At the moment it's gp3, which I convert into AVI. But I plan to use my good old analog Handycam and convert to mpeg.
So mpeg or avi, I'd say.

[edDV]

Best to avoid repeated format conversion. Think through the workflow, then choose an editor.

Normal worflow for serious SD editing is uncompressed or DV format with export to DVD MPeg2 or other. Typical editors are Premiere, Vegas, iMovie, etc.

If you capture direct to DVD MPeg2, then the object is to avoid further re-encodes if possible. Womble MPeg Video Wizard DVD is a good choice for simple editing and transitions. It will "smart render", that is cut to a frame inside a GOP and only re-encode the affected GOP. Vegas will also do this if you want more editing/effects power.

[Arty84]

Hi again everybody

thanks for your answers, edDV
I have had ok result with my handycam earlier, hence encoding with a dvd burner directly to mpeg2.


1) you advice me to edit uncompressed until encoding for dvd?
2) vegas can edit without recoding?
3) if I want to get better results than my smartphone or the old analog cam, what should I get without breaking
the bank? Used DV? SD?
4) has Vegas dvd authoring options? what is easy to use yet powerful here?

thanks in advance

[edDV]

Hi again everybody

thanks for your answers, edDV
I have had ok result with my handycam earlier, hence encoding with a dvd burner directly to mpeg2.


1) you advice me to edit uncompressed until encoding for dvd?
2) vegas can edit without recoding?
3) if I want to get better results than my smartphone or the old analog cam, what should I get without breaking
the bank? Used DV? SD?
4) has Vegas dvd authoring options? what is easy to use yet powerful here?

thanks in advance

I asked you for the source format you intend to use.

You can edit from any of the formats supported by the version of Vegas you purchase. A limited number of formats can be cut without recode (called smart rendering). For Vegas Platuinum or Pro those are DV, HDV, XDCAM, HDCAM and MPeg2 so long as project format and export format equal source format in all details.

For SD resolution, a MiniDV camcorder works very well. Encoding to DVD MPeg2 is done as a final step. Alternately, you can encode to wmv or h.264 for upload to YouTube. A DVD authoring application is included.

A phone camera, or flip cam will have a non-standard recording format and likely will need conversion before editing.

Vegas Movie Studio Platium 10 handles thses formats
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/moviestudiope/techspec

Opens: AAC, AA3, AIFF, AVI, BMP, CDA, FLAC, GIF, JPEG, M2TS, MP3, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, OGG, OMA, PCA, PNG, QuickTime®, SND, SFA, W64, WAV, WDP, WMA, WMV

Saves: AAC, AC3, AA3, AIFF, AVC, AVI, BMP, FLAC, JPEG, LPEC, MP3, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, OGG, PCA, PNG, RealMedia®, TIFF, QuickTime, W64, WAV, WDP, WMA, WMV


Two alternative products that offer similar features are Adobe Premiere Elements and Corel Video Studio, also look at Magix Movie Edit. Avoid Pinnacle Studio.

[Arty84]

Hi again

thanks a lot. I think I may be tempted by Vegas. Not the Platinum. The 100 bucks version.
I won't ever need advanced effects and transitions. Just basic stuff.
I have tested shortly AVS and I wasn't too impressed. I also remember the Magix Movie Edit as being
very confusing.

I have a couple of questions more. I hope you will have a bit of advice, I want nice results,
but budget and time are an issue.

1) I found out that my digital camera has fair video quality. I made an attempt today.
I recorded the video (in Quicktime format) with it and the audio in wav with a Zoom H4 which
I happen to own. Now next step is to put audio and video together, adding some credits,
then posting on Youtube or other video sites.
Which output format shall I chose?

2) Also, in case I want to make a dvd out of each clip, which standard
or output format shall I chose?

3) And which software suite would you suggest in order to make the dvd menus?

Thanks a bunch
Arty

[edDV]

Hi again

thanks a lot. I think I may be tempted by Vegas. Not the Platinum. The 100 bucks version.
I won't ever need advanced effects and transitions. Just basic stuff.
I have tested shortly AVS and I wasn't too impressed. I also remember the Magix Movie Edit as being
very confusing.

I have a couple of questions more. I hope you will have a bit of advice, I want nice results,
but budget and time are an issue.

1) I found out that my digital camera has fair video quality. I made an attempt today.
I recorded the video (in Quicktime format) with it and the audio in wav with a Zoom H4 which
I happen to own. Now next step is to put audio and video together, adding some credits,
then posting on Youtube or other video sites.
Which output format shall I chose?

2) Also, in case I want to make a dvd out of each clip, which standard
or output format shall I chose?

3) And which software suite would you suggest in order to make the dvd menus?

Thanks a bunch
Arty

I assume a person at your experience level isn't going to be using advanced features. So I just assume cuts editing. Just experiment. You seem driven by zero cost. Go ahead and learn.

2) DVD (i.e. playable on any DVD player) needs to be MPeg2.
See What is DVD? https://www.videohelp.com/dvd

3) Needs to be free? Go find one. Free needs sweat labor.

[budwzr]

A phone camera, or flip cam will have a non-standard recording format .......

Flip is the number one selling camcorder on Amazon, and YouTube uses the same format, wouldn't that make it more standard? If you're just getting into it now?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/172421/ref=pd_ts_e_nav

Even the venerable Canon Vixia is far down the bestseller list.

[edDV]

A phone camera, or flip cam will have a non-standard recording format .......

Flip is the number one selling camcorder on Amazon, and YouTube uses the same format, wouldn't that make it more standard? If you're just getting into it now?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/172421/ref=pd_ts_e_nav

Even the venerable Canon Vixia is far down the bestseller list.

How would one know Amazon is in the video standards business?

IEC/ITU/SMPTE should all be fired?

[budwzr]

Let me qualify my comment that it pertains to most widely used by the unwashed masses like myself.

[edDV]

Let me qualify my comment that it pertains to most widely used by the unwashed masses like myself.

So what happens next week?