Choosing the Best Video Editing Software For Your Ability
Editing Video Software - Info and Review
You can inexpensively produce professional
grade videos on your own PC!
Over the last decade, video editing has moved from the studio to the desktop PC. This implies that anyone with a PC can
edit and produce a video. In theory this is true, in reality, not true. While most people will be able to edit videos, some
will not. You see editing videos is a technical task that requires effort, knowledge, experience and creative juice.
If you’re searching for video editing software you can use you will no doubt find it a daunting task. One of the major
factors for selecting a video editing program is your level of experience.
Are you a beginner, experienced or pro editor?
For the purpose of this article, a beginner video editor is someone that has never edited a video. An experienced video
editor is someone that has used at least one video editing program and produced several videos. A professional editor
is someone that has edited and produced multiple videos and is familiar with several video editing programs as well as
advanced editing techniques.
Choosing an Editor -- Beginners
Video editing is not a simple task, although with some hands-on experience and time at the wheel it can quickly become
simple and fun. If you're a beginner, you can start your video editing career with a free video editor. With a free editor
you can learn the basics of a video editor interface and editing techniques. What you learn when using a free video
editor will carry over to more advanced editors and make the task of using a higher grade editor easier. You should
note that some free video editors are quite capable of producing quality videos and may be the only editor you’ll ever
need. Once you become accustom to some of the basic editing and production features and are confident that you can
be a video editor you can move on to a higher grade video editing application.
Here’s a list of a few free video editors that you can experiment with:
Choosing an Editor -- Experienced
If you have some time at the wheel of a video editing program and are confident in your ability to apply basic editing
features and produce a video then you are ready to take your video production to the next level. At this point you can
expand your experience by moving on to a higher grade editor or on to a pro version. Keep in mind you will be back in
the learning curve but with the experience you’ve gained it won’t be such a daunting task. While there may be free video
editors that offer advanced editing features it may be time to research commercial grade editors. There are many
commercial grade video editor applications on the market that offer free trial versions. Before you make a purchase
always take advantage of the free trial.
Generally commercial grade video editors offer more editing features and additional input and output capability. You’ll
be able to add more razzle/dazzle to your videos and have the capability to produce videos with advanced file types
like Blu-Ray and AVCHD hi resolution.
Here’s a short list of intermediate level video editors you might consider:
iMovie
iMovie is a free utility installed on Macs. iMovie offers many options for editing video and audio, and adding photos,
music and narration to your movies, great for basic video editing.
Movie Maker
Movie Maker is Window's free version of video editing software and comes installed on new PCs with the Vista or
Windows 7 OS. Movie Maker is great for editing, and sharing high-quality movies.
Avid FreeDV
Avid FreeDV is available for both Windows and MAC based PC. This free editor includes basic video and audio editing
capabilities, as well as up to two streams of real-time effects. A very good video editor but might be a bit more difficult
to use, however it’s worth the effort and time it takes to learn.
Wax
Wax is a high performance and flexible video editing software program. Wax is good for beginners and intermediate
video editors. It can be used as a stand-alone application or as a plug-in for other higher grade video editors.
Choosing an Editor -- Professional
If you’ve used several video editors, are experienced with graphics and advanced desktop editing then you are ready
for professional grade video editing software. Although you may not have all the experience you’ll need, you’ll be able
to transition into the pro version with some dedicated effort and time at the wheel.
Not everyone needs to achieve a pro level of video editing skill. If you’re just doing home movie editing or creating
slideshows from your pictures or creating simple videos for YouTube then beginner or intermediate software will be
just fine. If however you want to produce the best video possible using advanced editing features for your business or
other commercial use then any of the pro grade video editing applications reviewed on this site will satisfy your needs.
We outlined three levels of video editing software and described in general terms who might gain the most value from
each level. While the ideal progression would be to move from level to level, it by no means is a requirement. The
benefit of starting with a beginner application and progressing to a pro version is to ease the learning curve and to make
you successful with less frustration in the shortest amount of time. If you’re the type that likes a challenge and don’t
mind taking extra time to accomplish a task then opt for a pro video editor.
Best of luck and happy editing!
ArcSoft ShowBiz DVD
ArcSoft ShowBiz DVD is an EZ video editing solution. ShowBiz DVD provides for video capturing, editing and burning.
The program has built-in video capture with automatic scene detection, timeline for movie clips and audio tracks,
many transition effects and text animations.
Muvee Reveal
muvee Reveal is video editing software developed by muvee Technologies. The program allows users to automatically
create and share personalized, professional looking home movies. User can combine photos and video to make home
movies and slideshows.
AVS Video Editor
AVS Video Editor is a user friendly video editing software application intended for those with basic or no video editing
skills. The program allows users to perform fundamental editing tasks including trim, cut, split, mix videos and audio,
apply effects and transitions, text and credits to the video. The editor also supports Blu-ray disc and HD-video.
Serif MoviePlus
MoviePlus is a video editing software program developed by the Serif Company. The program allows users to capture,
edit and arrange video, then burn it to disc or broadcast on the web. The software includes over 25 powerful effects
such as chromakey, blurs, greyscale, and solarize. MoviePlus supports for most digital cameras plus popular audio
and image files.