Video Editing Software

[Richbikerun]

Hi,

I am looking to purchase video editing software. There are quite a few on the marked, seems like Cyberlink, Pinnacle, Adobe Premiere, and Sony Vegas are the leaders. Perhaps I am missing a few. I am new to this and am looking for suggestions on which ones are preferred. I have a Canon HD camcorder which uses m2ts files as well as standard wmv, mpeg2, and can convert video files with help of the AVS software suite.
I am a newbie and have to figure this stuff out with my 16 year old step-daughter. Any and all suggestions on deciding which software is best and most user friendly is greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance from a newbie!

Rich

[netmask56]

Depends on your budget but if that is not an issue I would go with SONY Vegas.

[edDV]

Within the Sony Vegas family, Movie Studio Platinum is the best value. The entry version is feature crippled and you may not be ready for Pro.

[chowmein]

They've really upped the feature-set in Vegas Movie Studio Platinum too, it's great value.

[hydra3333]

depends what you want to do. For simple edit/convert VideoReDo. If you want to do things "to" the video, something else.

[mL999]

read the descriptions and download a trial version of any editor you fancy . ( I happen to like Vegas studio but any editor which allows you to try before you buy is worth considering ) .

[SerifSimon]

I'd recommend taking a look at MoviePlus X5 from Serif. For a program that costs USD $79.99 it's very powerful and feature rich for the money. Importantly for you, it's good for beginners offering on-screen how-to guides' and written and video tutorials to guide you through the process of creating and sharing a movie.

MoviePlus X5 offers unlimited tracks, proxy editing (for editing HD footage on older computers), key framing, plus support for Blu-ray and AVCHD discs.

See www.serif.com/movieplus

A free starter edition version can be downloaded from www.serif.com/free-video-editing-software

[chowmein]

I'd recommend taking a look at MoviePlus X5 from Serif. For a program that costs USD $79.99 it's very powerful and feature rich for the money.

You'd be much much better spending extra $20 and getting Vegas Platinum which is rock-solid and more feature-rich than the above-mentioned.

[budwzr]

I'd recommend taking a look at MoviePlus X5 from Serif. For a program that costs USD $79.99 it's very powerful and feature rich for the money.

You'd be much much better spending extra $20 and getting Vegas Platinum which is rock-solid and more feature-rich than the above-mentioned.

What about Professional Movie Producer Pro PLUS XL Premium 2012 V23?

[pepegot1]

VideoStudio Pro X4 is a excellent program and the price is right. Also, a good forum for Newbies

[Richbikerun]

WOW! Thank you folks sooo much for the responses. Seems like the Sony Vegas line (available at Amazon) is the way to go for me.

I am looking at
Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 Production Suite

as my choice. I'm assuming this is a combination of the HD (m2ts files) plus SV is geared for newbies like me. Please feel free to steer me towards or away from this product.

I would like to thank all of you for your positive suggestions.

Rich

[chowmein]

I don't think you necessarily need the "Production Suite". Just go the Platinum 11. If I'm not mistaken, the "Production Suite" comes with Soundforge Audio Studio (the lower-level "consumer" version of Soundforge). If you think you want that, by all means. But I recommend saving that 20-30 $$. You can't go wrong with Vegas Platinum. It is rock-solid beautiful software. Just beware it is lacking "slightly" from the "Pro" version - eg no multi-cam editing, no waveform oscilloscopes, etc - stuff you probably don't need anyway?

EDIT: I am running Pro on an old P4 computer, 1GB memory (2GB is the Sony bare-minimum recommendation), doing multiple video tracks (not the "multicam" feature, mind you), tons of FX, multiple audio... and I am doing just fine! I'm actually amazed. I set the preview monitor to "Preview (Auto)" and it plays so smoothly!

[budwzr]

"slightly" from the "Pro" version - eg no multi-cam editing, no waveform oscilloscopes, etc - stuff you probably don't need anyway?

Also arcane tools that live only in the vertical domain.

[rds11]

I downloaded the trial version of Vegas Movie Studio 11, and played around with it just a little. So far, I have not found an option to smart render videos when creating a blu-ray disc...it seems that for all type of videos, Vegas will re-render the videos to one of their pre-determined option. For MPEG2 1980x1080-60i, it seems that the only output option is at 25 Mbps...which produces a 30GB file from a 14GB original file, even though the specs are exactly the same (other than the bitrates).

I'm I missing something...when authoring to a blu-ray disc, is it possible to smart-render ?

[aedipuss]

smart rendering can only render the timeline to the SAME format and bitrate it started in. that's the only way to write a new file without rendering.

[pepegot1]

Vegas is much more obfuscating than VS Pro X4. It can do some more things that VS cannot but, not of significant importance. I use it for color correction and some other things but, VS's ease of use is a definite plus. I use them both but, VS is my mainstay. Try it and see for yourself.

[budwzr]

Vegas is much more obfuscating than VS Pro X4.

Actually, the opposite is true.

To quote from Lao Tze: "Whoever's ear can only hear five notes might as well be deaf, and whoever's eye can only see five colors might as well be blind".

[edDV]

I downloaded the trial version of Vegas Movie Studio 11, and played around with it just a little. So far, I have not found an option to smart render videos when creating a blu-ray disc...it seems that for all type of videos, Vegas will re-render the videos to one of their pre-determined option. For MPEG2 1980x1080-60i, it seems that the only output option is at 25 Mbps...which produces a 30GB file from a 14GB original file, even though the specs are exactly the same (other than the bitrates).

I'm I missing something...when authoring to a blu-ray disc, is it possible to smart-render ?

Smart rendering re-encodes only cut GOPs, transitions or other filtered GOPs. All other GOPs are simply copied from source with zero loss. For a complex edit to smart render, an internal database must track every processed GOP so that smart rendering can be applied to the others.

For "smart rendering" to work in Vegas , first source needs to be in one of the following formats:

DV, DVCAM, DVCPro, DV (MXF)
DVD imported camcorder formats (4:2:0 MPeg2 )
IMX (4:2:2 MPeg2)
HDCAM (3x compressed 4:2:2)
HDV, XDCAM, XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX (4:2:0 MPeg2)
XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX (4:2:2 MPeg2)

plus other MPeg2 with MPG container seems to work.
plus Broadcast and other MPeg2 if container is changed to a supported format*.

For smart rendering to work
Project format must = Source format must = Render (export) format in all respects

Not supported currently AVCHD or any other AVC codec.

Note that recode loss for Cineform or other Digital intermediates are minimal. Unfortunately AVC formats must be re-encoded (all GOPS) with moderate loss.

*use TS muxer or similar to change MPeg2 container to MPG and audio to PCM or in some cases AC3. Vegas struggles with imported TS(m2t), MTS(m2ts) transport streams except for HDV format. MXF containers can be used if video and audio match standard XDCAM formats in all respects.

[edDV]

I'm I missing something...when authoring to a blu-ray disc, is it possible to smart-render ?

In Vegas you can do this with supported MPeg2 source (see above) if you render to a Blu-Ray template (or modified Blu-Ray template) that matches the source. For example HDV source can be "rendered to" the 1440x1080i 25 Mb/s Blu-Ray template. Audio will be converted to PCM or AC3.

To improve chances for MPeg2 smart rendering to Blu-Ray to work, first smart render the assets as explained in the previous post, then change the resulting containers to match Blu-Ray spec. For example, if you smart render HDV, the resulting file has m2t transport stream wrapper and audio is MPeg. Change audio to PCM or AC3 and use TSMuxer to to change container to m2ts (required for AVCHD or Blu-Ray disc), then import the assets to DVDA*.

Alternate is to use MultiAVCHD to modify compliant video assets to AVCHD or Blu-Ray standard. MultiAVCHD can modify audio and change containers without re-rendering the video track.

The end result gets unfiltered HDV GOPs or other MPeg2 source to an AVCHD or Blu-Ray disc with zero generation loss.

Currently AVCHD or other AVC source must be re-encoded in Vegas but if instead you externally trim clips with an I frame cutter (to within 0.5 sec), you can make an AVCHD or Blu-Ray disc with first generation AVC using MultiAVCHD.

VideoRedo is said to smart render AVCHD for simple frame accurate cuts. I haven't tested it yet.


* I haven't tested importing MPeg2 assets to DVDA. It would be nice if DVDA changed audio formats and containers without re-encoding a compliant video track. I leave that as an experiment for others to try.

[Cornucopia]

You can tell DVDA which items to re-encode and which to leave alone. There are little CHECKMARKS in the output properties dialog that can be changed from Yes/Ok-to-Reencode to No/Leave-as-is.

Scott

[vkmast]

You can tell DVDA which items to re-encode and which to leave alone. There are little CHECKMARKS in the output properties dialog that can be changed from Yes/Ok-to-Reencode to No/Leave-as-is.

Scott

Where does one find those checkmarks in DVDA (e.g. Pro 5.2 b124 or Studio b128)? I must be missing something because I can't come across those options in any dialog?

[budwzr]

Under "EZ Burn", select "smooth".

EDIT:=============================================

That was supposed to be funny. Like the Office Depot "Easy" button.

If you don't get a real answer, I'll check it out for you. I have the latest DVDA, but I don't use it, so I don't know off the top of my head.

[vkmast]

Thanks budwzr, but this doesn't seem to be one of my better days to find things Do I have an "EZ Burn" somewhere?

edit:
I was beginning to suspect something funny WAS going on .

Maybe Scott / Cornucopia will enlighten?

edit 2:
(re Cornucopia post)
I guess it's in the Optimize Disc (under File)