I have my video camera with some clips recorded onto MiniDV and I'm looking for some mid-range software to edit it with. I'm a beginner so nothing too complicated, but I like to tinker so I want something more than just some basic editor. Any recommendations? :shrug:
There's a small free version of Avid. Never used Avi to be honest, I'm more of an Adobe Premier user, tough. Also there's VirtuaDub, but I found it a bit complicated, but hey, it's free and has a lot of support. Download Free Avid: http://www.avid.com/forms/freeDVReg.asp
Eric, you're best using Virtua Dub MOD if you are going to work with MPEG 2 files. All my stuff is from MiniDV as well. I capture it from the camera to the PC in MPEG 2 15mbps then use Virtua Dub MOD (Free as well) to edit it. Virtua Dub MOD also takes shit loads of plug ins so you can add over lay graphics, subtitles and even video effects. Yakumo
I want the video to end up on DVD. Is MPEG 2 the best for that? It's not going to be a download so file size isn't important.
Dvd uses mpeg2 codec for video display. The easiest, but most expensive software to edit with is final cut pro(which is mac only). For windows i guess virtua dub be your only choice. If your capturing directly from camera i highly reccomend using firewire if your camera supports it.
MPEG 2 is basically what DVDs are. The problem you have though is that stuff such as VirtuaDub MOD won't save a files as MPEG2 due to it not having the license (it can open them but will only save as AVI) but you can save it as a Huffyuv lossless Codec AVI meaning that you'll have a pretty big file (4 gig per 6 minutes) but you won't lose any quality at all plus encoding is fast. Or you could save the file as the highest quality XVID avi which to the eye also loose no quality but takes bloody ages to encode however the file sizes are much smaller. If you use Nero Vision Express to make your DVDs you can use avi files which it will be automatically convert back to MPEG2. Or to save you a crap load of hassle how about I do you a copy of video tool box? It's in Japanese but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. Pretty straight forward. I got it with my digital video camera. It will accept direct feed from the camera or information from the digital tape in MPEG2 plus will encode the output file in MPEG2 as well. It also includes basic editing functions. Yakumo
Adobe Premiere Elements is cheap, powerful (almost as much as the pro version), and easy to use... snag it for under $100 easy. Can use tons of formats as well...
It may be 100$ in the states but I doubt it's that cheap in Japan. PC stuff here is well over priced. I suppose we have to get stiffed on something :nod: I have Adobe premier myself but found it was really picky with DIVX and XVID codecs Yakumo
I found Windows Movie maker on my PC and made a movie with it. I need something that will strip the audio and that doesn't seem to do it, but it seems like a pretty easy-to-use application for basic editing. I have a program called ConvertXtoDVD which changes AVI video to DVD format. I just did a test burn after converting an AVI file and it played on my home DVD player. I just got Virtual Dub. I'll give that a shot next.
Just use a music editor to rip the audio from MPEG or AVI. I use GOLDWAVE for all manner of things. Great bit of software that is. Yakumo
Actually I ment to say that I wanted to remove the sound and keep the video. I'll have other music playing over it.
Just use Virtua Dub then. That will alow you to add your own sound track as long as it's in wav format. Yakumo
Just put this together with the Windows Movie Maker: http://www.japan-games.com/FirstMovie.wmv Only pictures and a soundtrack. Didn't know this stuff was so easy. (ps I'll explain the music later. It's a Japanese thing.)
