Best video editing software?

TBonZ

I want to know what you guys use to edit video. At the present moment I'm using a webcam to shoot the video and have been using ULead VideoStudio 4.0 & MGI VideoWave III.

I find these programs leave me with lot's to be desired, I mean there must be a better way.

Geeky1

I like Pinnacle's software, but it's the only one I've ever used, so I'm not the most experienced person in the world.

Adobe's Premiere is probably the best there is, though.

TheSmJ

I used Intervideo's WinProducer (2 & 3) for every video I have ever edited. Did everything I wanted, as easily as I could imagine.

Although, Adobe Premiere is supposedly the best available.

primesuspect

The best available for consumers is Final Cut Pro, but that's mac only.


Premiere pretty much pwns for mid- to high-end video editing at the prosumer level.

CB

I'm with Prime on this one. We've tried a lot of different editing software at my TV station, and we only use Final Cut Pro, now... It is the only thing I ever do on a Mac (And, those G5s were expencive!).

a2jfreak

Mac: Final Cut Pro
PC: Adobe Premiere

Now, I'm sure ILM or Lucas Arts have better stuff but we don't have access to it.

primesuspect

a2j - don't confuse effects software with NLE (non-linear editing) software.. They are very different. ILM wouldn't have any use for NLE software except maybe to present concept footage to their clients. I'm sure in that regard, they use the same NLE software that us normal people do...

a2jfreak

I'm not confusing the two, but even effects studios have to put the effects together and when they do I doubt they use Premiere/FCP. But who knows for sure? I don't work there so I can't answer emphatically. Definitely not something I'm going to argue over though. You could be correct.

primesuspect

Well, ILM writes their own rendering software, I know that much..

MediaMan

Well I used Media100, AVID, Flame, Harry...but those are $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

and

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


So that's not good. For PC go buy the Matrox RTX10 Xtra as it comes bundled with Premiere Pro. The price for the card and software is cheaper than the software from Adobe alone. You'll really like the hardware assist for the real time effects.

Dexter

primesuspect had this to say
a2j - don't confuse effects software with NLE (non-linear editing) software.. They are very different. ILM wouldn't have any use for NLE software except maybe to present concept footage to their clients. I'm sure in that regard, they use the same NLE software that us normal people do...

Actually, ILM helped pioneer NLE, creating their own video editing system (EditDroid) and audio editing software (SoundDroid) back in '84. Avid did not start selling systems until '89.

Avid later ('93) purchased those technologies and incorporated them into their own systems. LucasFilm / ILM and Avid entered into a development agreement whereby Avid makes and sells the stuff, and ILM's needs drive the R & D. Anything you see in Avid today was likely tested out at ILM years before.

Sources:

http://www.ilm.com/inside_timeline.html

http://www.avid.com/company/index.html


Oh, and to answer the question, I agree with others, Premiere for Windows or FCP for Mac are the best prosumer packages.

I have edited on pro systems like Media 100, Avid, Discreet Edit, DPS Velocity, etc. Premiere is pretty darn good, overkill for most home users, and great for prosumer use.

panzerkw

I can only manage with the free stuff, Windows Movie Maker 2 :bawling:

Tim

I use Windows Movie Maker 2.0 for compiling and editing my weekly webshow and it does pretty good. I haven't tried to do much fancy stuff yet, though.