Choosing the Best Video Editing Software
Reviewed by Bram P
How to choose the best video editing software can appear to be an overwhelming job when you look at the range of products on the market. With some assistance in remaining focused on what is important you can make a good choice.
One of the key points to keep in mind is:
“What is it that I am I REALLY going to do with the video editing software that I choose?”
The answer to that question has to remain uppermost in your mind when selecting the best video editing software for you.
All of the major home video editing software companies offer camcorder to DVD video editing solutions that make them almost inseparable from each other. So concentrate on what you REALLY need.
Video editing software makers are engaged in an ongoing race to track with new technology as it evolves and still make the product appeal to the customer. The point is you probably don’t WANT to buy video editing software. What you probably WANT is a finished video.
The problem for the software company is that they know you NEED to buy video editing software but that is not what you WANT! They have to make you WANT it! And because of that we get “bells and whistles” features that make you WANT IT but most likely will never need.
Video File Formats
The first thing to establish is what is the format of the material you will be working with and what will be the formats that you will want to produce in the end. Input will be dictated by the camcorder or DVD recorder you use or what the origin of your files is. Take note of the format your device records in and make sure that one is covered first.
Then realistically work out how you would be most likely to distribute your final videos. DVD? Blu-Ray? Uploading to a video sharing site like YouTube or something similar? Be certain the video software you select can produce to the format you need.
The first thing you need to do in selecting the best video editing software for you is to identify what type of video files you will be using most and what type of video file you will be producing most. That forms the basis of the fundamental things you will use the software for and should be your top priority.
Video Transitions
Transitions are the little inserts that go in between two clips to make the scene change. When you watch a movie you can see that when a scene changes it often cuts to the next scene with no transition, this is called cut or a straight cut. The scene fades down to black and then almost immediately the next scene fades up from black. And lastly the two scenes sort of dissolve into each other softly and this one is called a cross fade or dissolve. There you have it, pretty well the entire gamut of transitions that professional video editors use!
All video editing software programs offer at least 50 transitions each. Newbies use ALL the available transitions because they look cool the first time they see them. The reality is NOBODY ever, ever wants to go back to their house again to look at their latest production because their heads are still spinning from the last one! Ignore transitions as a deciding factor, all video editing software programs have them and they all have more than you need.
Video Overlay
An overlay track, simply put, is the ability to put one video in the background and have another visible on top of it. It is that “picture in picture” effect you have seen on TV and in movies. You can also add subtitles to overlay tracks or images or other things to get really creative. You need about five for good control but you would never use more than that otherwise, once again, no-one is going to want to watch the mess you have created!
Audio
There is no video editing software at the consumer level that offers truly excellent audio control and features. They are video editing programs not audio editing programs. A few have quite good control, a few do not. If you want pro audio features then you should get pro audio software.
Dolby Stereo and 5:1 Surround are the minimum standard you are looking for here. The program should offer two audio tracks to play with in addition to the sound in the video track. That leaves you plenty of room for music, narration or effects.
Smart Render
Rendering is the term used when the video editing software is making the final file of your newly created video. Until you render the final video file all the changes, cuts, additions and editing decisions you have made are only “virtual” The original video files are never touched. Rendering produces a new video file by putting all that together in the format you have chosen for viewing.
All the compressed video file formats like MPEG2 (for DVDs) or MPEG4 etc always lose quality to at least some degree when they are re-rendered. The degree of loss of quality varies but it is essential that any video editing software you choose has the ability to recognize those files it does not need to re-render and simply copy those sections resulting in the high quality possible being retained. It should also offer good control over the properties of the final video.
Well that’s the basics covered so remember to keep your attention on the important stuff and try not to get pulled into the “bells and whistles” stuff and you should be able to make a good choice!
Other post you may be interested in reading: Blu-ray recorder and Computer animation.
Another TOP Video Editing Software Products
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 Corel VideoStudio Pro X2 |
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| * | Complete video solution–Capture, edit, author, burn and view the | |||
| latest high-definition video; Share on DVD, AVCHD, Blu-ray Disc | ||||
| and mobile devices, or upload directly to YouTube | ||||
| * | Next-generation HD–capture from HDV, AVCHD, Blu-ray Disc | |||
| * | Easier & more powerful editing | |||
| * | Platforms: Windows XP, Windows Vista | |||
 Sony Vegas Movie Studio 9 |
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| Platinum Pro Pack |
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| * | Edit standard and high-definition video | |||
| * | Produce DVDs with custom menus and graphics | |||
| * | Share movies on Blu-ray Disc, iPod, online, and more | |||
| * | Includes Cinescore Studio custom soundtrack creator | |||
| * | Includes Sound Forge Audio Studio for audio production | |||
| * | Platforms: Windows XP, Windows Vista | |||
 Final Cut Express 4 |
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| * | Mix and edit DV, HDV, and AVCHD video in a single Timeline* | |||
| * | Import iMovie ¿08 video projects with cuts and cross dissolves | |||
| * | Platforms: Macintosh, PowerMac, Mac OS X | |||
| * | Watch effects in real time thanks to RT Extreme with Dynamic RT | |||
 Apple Final Cut Studio 2 Upgrade |
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| * | Craft the perfect story using a tightly integrated and innovative suite | |||
| * | Mix and match source material | |||
| * | Easily create sophisticated 3-D environments | |||
| * | Produce sophisticated studio-quality DVD titles using DVD Studio Pro 4 | |||
| * | Fly through audio editing and mixing | |||
| * | Platforms: Mac OS X Intel, Mac OS X | |||
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