- Location
- Chattanooga
If definition, viewing resolution, YouTube definitions, video upload times, viewing smoothness, computer power, cameras and features weren’t daunting enough, what do you do when you have 30 minutes of video and YouTube will only let you upload 10 minute videos or you really need to cut out the ‘dead-time’ for viewing on a computer or TV? Well, you edit the video.
I’ve tried, on a free trial basis, Magix, Corel, AVS Video, Video Editor Magic, PowerDirector, MovAvi Video Editor, and two that I purchased, Creator 2010, and QuickTime Pro. These all have two things in common, they cost from $70 to right at $100, except QT Pro which goes for $30 and that’s about what it’s worth, and second, they all have some problem, something missing, or do something easier or better.
Some of the problems I’ve run into is an editor not loading a file type. If it weren’t complicated enough, different cameras record via different, hmmmm, let’s keep it simple and call it formats. Video files have extensions like .avi, .mov, .mpg (and there are three types of mpgs – 1, 2, & 4 and I’m sure there’s a 3 out there somewhere), etc. I found that two of the editors, one was Creator 2010, and I can’t remember now which one of the others, would not load the audio from a .mov file. The video was fine, but no audio.
I first addressed this issue by converting the .mov files to .avi, which of course takes a converter program and a looooot of time. Typically it takes a bit over two minutes to convert one minute of video. So think about that – I was winding up with 30 and 40 minutes of video and looking at from over an hour on a 30 minute video and about an hour and a half on a 40 minute video. It didn’t take me long to figure out that just wasn’t going to work. Then I discovered a ‘trick’ – PAY ATTENTION, this is BIG!!! One day I realized that there was something similar about .mov files and .mp4 files. So I thought, hmmm, what if I just rename a .mov file to a .mp4 file????? Guess what! It worked and it worked on every .mov file I’ve tried it on and with both editors that wouldn’t load audio from .movs!
Edit: 13-Apr-2010 3:28pm
I just discovered changing the .mov extension to .mp4 trick won't work on .mov files made on our division's Canon camera. I'll try to get the model and post it soon.
I haven’t seen any issues with other file formats other than the .mov, save one, one of the trial versions wouldn’t load an .mpg file due to licensing agreements. I don’t know if the purchased product would or not.
Another problem is crashing. Seems this is a common thing but not frequent thank goodness, so SAVE often that way if you do have a crash, you won’t lose much.
They’re all missing something. E.g. Creator 2010 won’t let you reverse a section of video and some of the other editors will. But they may not have the audio noise reduction or the 10 band audio equalizer that Creator 2010 does. And on it goes.
Some do things easier than others, but once you get use to doing something the way the editor is designed for you to do it, then it’s not as hard anymore.
If you are thinking about buying an editor here’s an excellent resource, I got a number of 30 day free trials from this sight. You may not see the free trial per se, sometimes you have to click on “Buy Now” and you find out you can download a trial package.
http://video-editing-software-review.toptenreviews.com/
The two editors I’ve pretty much settled on are Creator 2010 and PowerDirector. They are different but have similarities. One thing PD will do that Creator 2010 won’t is reverse video. I like the trimming method of Creator 2010 much better than the trim method of PD, but I kinda like the way PD does some other things.
I’ve tried, on a free trial basis, Magix, Corel, AVS Video, Video Editor Magic, PowerDirector, MovAvi Video Editor, and two that I purchased, Creator 2010, and QuickTime Pro. These all have two things in common, they cost from $70 to right at $100, except QT Pro which goes for $30 and that’s about what it’s worth, and second, they all have some problem, something missing, or do something easier or better.
Some of the problems I’ve run into is an editor not loading a file type. If it weren’t complicated enough, different cameras record via different, hmmmm, let’s keep it simple and call it formats. Video files have extensions like .avi, .mov, .mpg (and there are three types of mpgs – 1, 2, & 4 and I’m sure there’s a 3 out there somewhere), etc. I found that two of the editors, one was Creator 2010, and I can’t remember now which one of the others, would not load the audio from a .mov file. The video was fine, but no audio.
I first addressed this issue by converting the .mov files to .avi, which of course takes a converter program and a looooot of time. Typically it takes a bit over two minutes to convert one minute of video. So think about that – I was winding up with 30 and 40 minutes of video and looking at from over an hour on a 30 minute video and about an hour and a half on a 40 minute video. It didn’t take me long to figure out that just wasn’t going to work. Then I discovered a ‘trick’ – PAY ATTENTION, this is BIG!!! One day I realized that there was something similar about .mov files and .mp4 files. So I thought, hmmm, what if I just rename a .mov file to a .mp4 file????? Guess what! It worked and it worked on every .mov file I’ve tried it on and with both editors that wouldn’t load audio from .movs!
Edit: 13-Apr-2010 3:28pm
I just discovered changing the .mov extension to .mp4 trick won't work on .mov files made on our division's Canon camera. I'll try to get the model and post it soon.
I haven’t seen any issues with other file formats other than the .mov, save one, one of the trial versions wouldn’t load an .mpg file due to licensing agreements. I don’t know if the purchased product would or not.
Another problem is crashing. Seems this is a common thing but not frequent thank goodness, so SAVE often that way if you do have a crash, you won’t lose much.
They’re all missing something. E.g. Creator 2010 won’t let you reverse a section of video and some of the other editors will. But they may not have the audio noise reduction or the 10 band audio equalizer that Creator 2010 does. And on it goes.
Some do things easier than others, but once you get use to doing something the way the editor is designed for you to do it, then it’s not as hard anymore.
If you are thinking about buying an editor here’s an excellent resource, I got a number of 30 day free trials from this sight. You may not see the free trial per se, sometimes you have to click on “Buy Now” and you find out you can download a trial package.
http://video-editing-software-review.toptenreviews.com/
The two editors I’ve pretty much settled on are Creator 2010 and PowerDirector. They are different but have similarities. One thing PD will do that Creator 2010 won’t is reverse video. I like the trimming method of Creator 2010 much better than the trim method of PD, but I kinda like the way PD does some other things.
