PC edit ? at DVinfo.net

Bob Zimmerman · December 23rd, 2004, 10:34 AM

My brother needs a program to edit video on a PC. What is good? He just wants a simple program, but I know there are some crap PC programs out there. Thanks

Pete Bauer · December 23rd, 2004, 01:22 PM

Hi Bob,

If he needs just very basic editing...
WinXP has a bundled video editor. If he doesn't already have XP, he can get a basic video editor for the price of a worthwhile OS upgrade...or an OS upgrade along with an inexpensive, basic editor. I haven't used it myself, but it is part of the XP installation.

Beyond that, you'll get people here praising their own choice and throwing darts at anything else. Fortunately, most of the mainstream editing packages have FREE 30 day trials available for download...Vegas, Adobe, and I'm sure some others. If this isn't a Christmas gift for him, he can just download 'em all, give 'em a try, and make his own decision.

At the consumer level...
I happen to be an Adobe user, so I'll mention the new Premiere Elements (caveat: I've only used big brothers Premiere and Premiere Pro, not Elements), which I would expect to be a good consumer-level editor / DVD burning package for about $100, or bundled with Photoshop Elements, about $150...it also has a free 30 day downloadable trial. If you're needing to pick it up quickly as a Christmas gift, this software might be one of your better options for price/performance for a budding videographer.

At the prosumer / pro level...
This is beyond "simple program" but for completeness I'll mention the prosumer level. If he is shopping for serious capability, he definitely ought to try-before-buy because these are all in the many hundreds of dollars. I wasn't fully happy with my software until I upgraded my way into the current $1500 Adobe Video Collection Pro suite...but I consider myself a serious hobbyist. In any case, any of the video packages at this level are beyond most folks' Christmas budget...unless you have deep pockets or REALLY like your brother!!! ;-)

Pete Wilie · December 23rd, 2004, 04:57 PM

Pinnacle Studio 9 is an excellent choice for the "home movie maker". It's inexpensive, very easy to use, and provides exceptional features for a NLE in this category. It's easier to use, but more capable, than the Mac iMovie. If you check you local discount stores like Fry's Electronics, you can often find it for free, or almost free after a rebate.

For more info see:
http://www.pinnaclesys.com/ProductPa...01&Langue_ID=7

Plus, if/when you get ready, you can upgrade both the software and your projects to Liquid Edition 6, the pro NLE by Pinnacle.

Bob Zimmerman · December 25th, 2004, 08:18 AM

Thanks for the info.I'll pass it along to him. I'm using a Mac with FCE. My son has a PC with the XP movie edit program. But he doesn't have a firewire hook up so I can't try it.

Pete Bauer · December 25th, 2004, 03:59 PM

Yup, got to be able to capture his video before he can edit it! He can pick up an OHCI-compliant 1394 (Firewire) PCI card for probably $20-30 at most any retailer that carries computer stuff (Best Buy, CompUSA, Frys, etc). No need to get a fancy/expensive 1394 card. I don't know, but some of 'em may even come bundled with "lite" versions of editing software...but probably not worth it to get a more expensive 1394 card just to get the lite software, IMHO. The card should be a no-brainer to install if he has an XP box.

THEN y'all can anguish further on editing software! ;-)

Glenn Chan · December 25th, 2004, 04:46 PM

Newegg is around $16 for a firewire card. Newegg has an excellent resellerratings.com rating and should get the card shipped fairly fast.
pricewatch.com lists vendors that are even cheaper.

December 23rd, 2004, 10:34 AM	#1
Bob Zimmerman Major Player Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Illinois Posts: 888	PC edit ? My brother needs a program to edit video on a PC. What is good? He just wants a simple program, but I know there are some crap PC programs out there. Thanks

December 23rd, 2004, 01:22 PM	#2
Pete Bauer Wrangler Join Date: May 2003 Location: Eagle River, AK Posts: 4,100	Hi Bob, If he needs just very basic editing... WinXP has a bundled video editor. If he doesn't already have XP, he can get a basic video editor for the price of a worthwhile OS upgrade...or an OS upgrade along with an inexpensive, basic editor. I haven't used it myself, but it is part of the XP installation. Beyond that, you'll get people here praising their own choice and throwing darts at anything else. Fortunately, most of the mainstream editing packages have FREE 30 day trials available for download...Vegas, Adobe, and I'm sure some others. If this isn't a Christmas gift for him, he can just download 'em all, give 'em a try, and make his own decision. At the consumer level... I happen to be an Adobe user, so I'll mention the new Premiere Elements (caveat: I've only used big brothers Premiere and Premiere Pro, not Elements), which I would expect to be a good consumer-level editor / DVD burning package for about $100, or bundled with Photoshop Elements, about $150...it also has a free 30 day downloadable trial. If you're needing to pick it up quickly as a Christmas gift, this software might be one of your better options for price/performance for a budding videographer. At the prosumer / pro level... This is beyond "simple program" but for completeness I'll mention the prosumer level. If he is shopping for serious capability, he definitely ought to try-before-buy because these are all in the many hundreds of dollars. I wasn't fully happy with my software until I upgraded my way into the current $1500 Adobe Video Collection Pro suite...but I consider myself a serious hobbyist. In any case, any of the video packages at this level are beyond most folks' Christmas budget...unless you have deep pockets or REALLY like your brother!!! ;-) __________________ Pete Bauer The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. Albert Einstein Trying to solve a DV mystery? You may find the answer behind the SEARCH function ... or be able to join a discussion already in progress!

December 23rd, 2004, 04:57 PM	#3
Pete Wilie Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 331	Pinnacle Studio 9 Pinnacle Studio 9 is an excellent choice for the "home movie maker". It's inexpensive, very easy to use, and provides exceptional features for a NLE in this category. It's easier to use, but more capable, than the Mac iMovie. If you check you local discount stores like Fry's Electronics, you can often find it for free, or almost free after a rebate. For more info see: http://www.pinnaclesys.com/ProductPa...01&Langue_ID=7 Plus, if/when you get ready, you can upgrade both the software and your projects to Liquid Edition 6, the pro NLE by Pinnacle.

December 25th, 2004, 03:59 PM	#5
Pete Bauer Wrangler Join Date: May 2003 Location: Eagle River, AK Posts: 4,100	Yup, got to be able to capture his video before he can edit it! He can pick up an OHCI-compliant 1394 (Firewire) PCI card for probably $20-30 at most any retailer that carries computer stuff (Best Buy, CompUSA, Frys, etc). No need to get a fancy/expensive 1394 card. I don't know, but some of 'em may even come bundled with "lite" versions of editing software...but probably not worth it to get a more expensive 1394 card just to get the lite software, IMHO. The card should be a no-brainer to install if he has an XP box. THEN y'all can anguish further on editing software! ;-) __________________ Pete Bauer The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. Albert Einstein Trying to solve a DV mystery? You may find the answer behind the SEARCH function ... or be able to join a discussion already in progress!

December 25th, 2004, 08:18 AM	#4
Bob Zimmerman Major Player Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Illinois Posts: 888	Thanks for the info.I'll pass it along to him. I'm using a Mac with FCE. My son has a PC with the XP movie edit program. But he doesn't have a firewire hook up so I can't try it.

December 25th, 2004, 04:46 PM	#6
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	Newegg is around $16 for a firewire card. Newegg has an excellent resellerratings.com rating and should get the card shipped fairly fast. pricewatch.com lists vendors that are even cheaper.