# What's a good video editing software? Pinnacle, ULead, Premiere????



## senna (May 2, 2002)

Ok, I have jsut purchased a new digital camcorder(ZR700) and I am lookign for some video editing software. I don't mind spending moeny if I have too. I currently have Pinnacle Studio 8. It's ok but quirky sometimes. With my new camera it crashes everytime I start to capture video. I have used Windows Movie Maker but it doesn't have an option to lighten the video. For some reason the video is darker on my computer than in the camera. 
Any suggestions on software? Pinnacle 10? ULead? Adobe Premiere?

Thanks for your help!

Senna


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## thecoalman (Mar 6, 2006)

senna said:


> I have used Windows Movie Maker but it doesn't have an option to lighten the video.


There is a filter for that in MM, from the drop down menu in the middle pick affects(I think that's what it) MM doesn't allow you put the video on DVD so it's pretty limited.



> For some reason the video is darker on my computer than in the camera.


It usually is, it's also not going to look nearly as good as it will on TV. Don't judge your projects on the monitor. Get yourself a RW disc that you can burn to multiple times to od some testing. Burn a few short test clips to DVD and view on the TV. You'll find if that they look as they should. If you lighten it most likely it will look washed out on the TV.



> Any suggestions on software? Pinnacle 10? ULead? Adobe Premiere?


 I'd suggest Ulead Video Studio myself. Products such as Premeire are really meant for professionals, you won't need or use 90% of the features it has unless you want to get really creative with custom images, overlays and multiple video tracks. The learning curve is higher too, if you have the time and the money by all means...


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## linskyjack (Aug 28, 2004)

You can try Premiere Elements---excellent and reasonably priced. I also recommend the baby brother of Vegas Video---you can find it at the Sony Digital Media site.


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## senna (May 2, 2002)

Thanks for your reply's. I have heard good things about ULead. 
I new that lighting up the video would probably make it a little washed out. I have one part that looks just a little dark. Wasn't thinking about a whole video.
I will try to burn it to a RW and try that. 
Thanks for your sugestions.

Senna


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

linskyjack got me hooked on the Vegas software honestly its well laid out and it has a nice FLOW to it. Pinnacle I will stay away from until the end of time. I get a ton of applicational errors in the middle of renders, I have tried 2 different machines, and it has alot of "lag" time to it. I liked the layout and wanted to saty with it but in all just too buggy. (BTW I tried both version 7 and version 9 so I did give them a fair chance.)


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## senna (May 2, 2002)

I just looked up Vegas. Is it really $449.00?? I hate to spend that much. I was thinking a little cheaper  
I really like the layout of Pinnacle as well but like you I have soooo many buggy things and now with the new camera it won't even capture my video.
Is there a trial vesion on Vegas or a cheaper version?

Trail just so I can see what it is like.

Thanks,
Senna


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

Vegas has a 89$ version...

http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/products/vegasfamily.asp

Theres a listing of all 4.


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## ghazzer (Jul 31, 2005)

I am strictly a novice at creating movies on DVD, but have experienced success with Pinnacle Studio, Versions 9 & 10.

I carefully read the instructions before I even attempted to install new S/W.
I check for viruses, adware, spy ware, etc.
I use Ghost to back up an image of my HDD before I start a new install.
I run an error check on the HDD, then I de-frag it, then re-boot.
During installation I keep detailed notes on everything I do, and everything that happens.

I first tried to update ver 9 to ver 10. This produced install errors, error messages, and an unstable install. After a few days of frustration, I used Ghost to return my system to the pre-update state. I UNINSTALLED Studio 9 and checked out most of my apps before starting the installation of Studio 10 Plus. It took a while, but did install cleanly.

My main complaint is that ver 10.5.1 takes a long time to load up each time. Pinnacle says that has been reduced with the 10.5.2 patch. You can "chat" on-line with their tech support people, but be sure that you have all your facts and problems lined up before you contact them.

Once it was up and running I captured video from my early 90s camcorder, from 4 different cassettes taken at family reunions. I used Studio to paste them together, edit, add titles, set up a title screen with window shots for each chapter, then burned that to a DVD. Nothing fancy.

I had problems getting Studio to burn multiple copies, but finally managed to get 15 copies, which I distributed at our reunion last Christmas. All the cousins really enjoyed the DVDs, and apparently had no problem reading them on their various players.

Studio seems very straight forward, and the manual is comprehensive. I haven't yet run into a problem that isn't at least partially addressed. Bottom line is to chose something that fits your needs, and is comfortable for you to work with. It has to at least come up to your level and meet your expectations and capabilities. Do some research, try some demo, then make a choice.

Good luck!


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## linskyjack (Aug 28, 2004)

Yeah, you want the entry level Vegas product---its called Vegas Movie Studio + DVD


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## michaeltee (May 20, 2004)

At one time or another I've tried nearly every consumer level video editing app on the market. All of them have their pros and cons but for someone starting out I'd highly recommend Ulead VideoStudio, It offers an impressive set of features and is probably the most intuitive program of it's kind. The current version is VideoStudio 9 however VideoStudio 10 is due to be released VERY soon, possibly a matter of a few days.


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## senna (May 2, 2002)

michaeltee,
Do you have a release date for the ULead 10 software? I looked on the website and thru Google but could not find a release date.

ULead and Vegas both look pretty good. ULead 9 is on Ebay for roughly $28 + shipping. Does that sound right? I thought maybe it would be more like $100. But I guess if a new version is due out retailer are looking to get rid of theres.
Thanks,
Senna


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## linskyjack (Aug 28, 2004)

Forget about Ulead--horrible customer support. I do this for a living and the Sony product is the way to go.


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## Force.apdz (Feb 20, 2006)

Any good free ones?


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## Enfrcr911 (Jun 16, 2005)

I bought the pinnacle 9 -for 100 buck..its great.but I dont get the green screen..but it one kool editing software.:up:


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## thecoalman (Mar 6, 2006)

linskyjack said:


> Forget about Ulead--horrible customer support. .


True but the products are top notch, haven't compared them head to head myself but I'll bet Video Studio offers more than any other product in that price range.

Having a quick look at the consumer Vegas line it doesn't appear it supports AC3(dolby digital) out of the box. VS comes with native AC3 support, that's a big plus.



Enfrcr911 said:


> I bought the pinnacle 9 -for 100 buck..its great.but I dont get the green screen..but it one kool editing software.:up:


VS supports chroma key/green screen.


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## Force.apdz (Feb 20, 2006)

lol Gonna ask again -

Are there any good free ones?


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## thecoalman (Mar 6, 2006)

Force.apdz said:


> lol Gonna ask again -
> 
> Are there any good free ones?


Can't reccomend any of them because I have never used any but.... if you look through the tools section here... http://www.videohelp.com/tools you can go from capture to completed disc for free. The only thing you'll need is the hardware for capture and the burner. If you want to go the free route be prepared to do a lot of reading as many of the free apps are very hard to learn how to use, powerful but stiull a steep learning curve.


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## Mulderator (Feb 20, 1999)

I also use Pinnacle with no problems. Most of the "buggy" issues people encounter are problems with their own computer and set-up, not the software programs. All the video editing programs are extremely CPU intensive and as you might expect, that can cause problems. I also used ULead--very nice product as well as Sny Screenblast, the precursor to Sony's Vegas (lite), which was also a very good program in its time, but it got left behind by Ulead and Pinnacles newer versions. I guess they were planning a wholesale change to the Vegas Product.

The good thing about Ulead is it does have a free trial so you can make sure it works before you buy it.


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## michaeltee (May 20, 2004)

senna said:


> michaeltee,
> Do you have a release date for the ULead 10 software? I looked on the website and thru Google but could not find a release date.
> 
> ULead and Vegas both look pretty good. ULead 9 is on Ebay for roughly $28 + shipping. Does that sound right? I thought maybe it would be more like $100. But I guess if a new version is due out retailer are looking to get rid of theres.
> ...


Senna,

Ulead hasn't issued the 'official' word on 10's release date however the release candidate has been distributed among a select group of users, several of whom have been answering questions and posting feature related info on the VideoStudio web board. VideoStudio is a well designed, robust program however as a die-hard Vegas fan mentioned, the factory support can be weak. That said, Ulead's official web board is very active and there are many experienced users who provide first rate advice day in and day out.

VideoStudio is great for beginners. It offers an excellent feature set and the learning curve is minimal. Vegas is definitely a solid, well respected program but be prepared to spend some time mastering it's features. Nothing wrong with that if you really like the package and can afford the time.

I really wanted to like Vegas but it never clicked for me. To make a long story short, I ended up with Pinnacle Studio Plus 9 and Ulead, both of which I use on a fairly equal basis.

But after experimenting with a variety of similar programs the best advice I can offer is try before you buy. Not only are you looking for the features you want, but also a program that runs well on your computer. Video editing apps can tend to be finnicky even on well maintained PC's. Regardless of whatever program(s) you choose to demo, if you run into technical issues that can't be readily resolved it's sometimes best to uninstall and move on to another program.

As for the $28 software on eBay, etc., it's very likely pirated. The full version should include not only the program CD-ROM but also a 'content' CD which contains most of the menu templates, smartsound tracks, video clips, etc. Also, you'll need a legitimate registration key in order to download and install the free upgrades (like the HDV and MPEG-4 plugins) and patches. Unless you're 100% sure it's legit, don't buy it.


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## michaeltee (May 20, 2004)

Force.apdz said:


> Any good free ones?


How about a 365 day free trial? Check out Honestech Video Editor 7.0 at http://honestech.com/main/menu1_6b.asp

The trial version adds a watermark but it's barely noticeable... just a small Honestech logo in the bottom right corner of the screen, similar to the way the TV networks superimpose their logos.


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## linskyjack (Aug 28, 2004)

I doubt very much that this person is encoding for 6 channel sound.


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## thecoalman (Mar 6, 2006)

It can't do 5.1, stereo only. AC3 is the standard format for DVD. You only have 3 choices for audio on DVD. PCM which produces huge files but is compatible on all DVD players, due to the file size it's unpractical. MPEG layer 2 which produces similar quality and file sizes to AC3 but is not an official format for DVD, it will however play on any PAL player and most NTSC DVD players. AC3 which produces very small files and will play on any DVD player which is why it's the standard.


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## michaeltee (May 20, 2004)

senna said:


> michaeltee,
> Do you have a release date for the ULead 10 software? I looked on the website and thru Google but could not find a release date.
> Senna


Senna, just letting you know Ulead VS10 and VS10 Plus (download versions) were released today. Looks like a trial version is also available. Links to the feature list pdf and user guide pdf can be found at:

http://www.ulead.com/vs/documents.htm


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## senna (May 2, 2002)

michaeltee,
Thanks. 
Not sure which version would be good for me. I have used Pinnacle Studio 8 quite abit so I would think the $99.99 version would be best but I don't plan on doing anything with Dolby or HD. So maybe the $69.99 version. Aaahh, to many choices!  Any suggestions

Thanks,
Senna


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## thecoalman (Mar 6, 2006)

senna said:


> Dolby or HD. So maybe the $69.99 version. Aaahh, to many choices!  Any suggestions


Make sure the 69.99 version has AC3 (dolby digital), it doesn't have to be 5.1, just stereo. If it doesn't just get the $99 package.


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## michaeltee (May 20, 2004)

thecoalman said:


> Make sure the 69.99 version has AC3 (dolby digital), it doesn't have to be 5.1, just stereo. If it doesn't just get the $99 package.


Here's a link for the feature comparison of "VS10" versus "VS10 Plus". The "Plus" version has quite a few additional features. I purchased it yesterday. Very impressive!

http://www.ulead.com/vs/compare.htm


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## truebluexf (Sep 24, 2005)

nevermind.


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## senna (May 2, 2002)

I bought Ulead VS10. It looks pretty good. I haven't played to much with it yet though. I have created a DVD that is over 5gig big. It won't let me make it two DVD's or if it will I can't figure out how to do it. How do I go about it?
Thanks,
Senna


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## thecoalman (Mar 6, 2006)

senna said:


> I have created a DVD that is over 5gig big. It won't let me make it two DVD's or if it will I can't figure out how to do it. How do I go about it?


Unless you have a dual layer burner which will support higher capacities you have to either reduce the bitrate of the video (use a lower quality) or remove some of the video and use it on another project.

Can't give you specific direction but look in the help menu for bitrate.


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## truebluexf (Sep 24, 2005)

Ok. Ulead has been rendering a 36 minute movie I edited last night for OVER 11 HOURS....this can't be right???? It hasn't even begun burning yet!!!!!


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## Martial33 (Nov 1, 2002)

Oh boy! this is just my thread! I mean, Im just as frustrated as most of you out there :s

I too have gone through the 49.95 software to 99.95 to 150.00 and 250.00 softwares and out of frustration, Im planning to go to a pro set up but still contemplating what software to go with.

Here's what Ive found;

1) the top 3 players all have some sort of free tryout software to get your feet wet or screw up your machine in the process whichever occurs first...

Im playing with Premiere 2.0 trial right now but found that I cannot import footage from DV Cam. Im not sure if anyone else ran into this with the trial version? The software will not communicate with the camera. It could be because the software is "crippled" as a test version or it could be my machine is crippled I dont know. 
I was able to import footage that was already on the HD and found working with Premiere fairly easy but still challenging enough to want to know more.

Avid is supposed to be the top dog. Ive heard it being used in everything from Titanic to broadcast cable shows. Curve is pretty steep (IMO) and there's a multitude of websites, even college courses you can take on it. They claim the free version is like a starter kit to get you used to working with Avid, then they will no doubt try to upsell you to packages.. and it aint gonna run on no Commodore Vic 20 either, yu know what Im sayin to yu?

Everytime I tried to do something small on it, it appeard to want to recreate the files. I dont know if its duplicating everything or converting files etc? but importing footage took a long time, building peaks for audio, took a long time. 

Again it could be my machine. Right now I have a P4 at 1.6ghz with 1gig ram, 2 Hd's 80g and 250g for storage.

(Im planning a dual core 3.8 with 2gig ram)

If its on the machine that is bottle-necking here, then I might stick to Avid because there is room to grow with it, and its a widely acceptable format -- good for job prospects. Better ladder to climb - that sort of thing yu know?

Vegas Video -- this is a good story you might like...

I produced a professional video. I had it shot professionally (back then on BetaCam SP) and later had the footage converted to digital when the digital era evolved to consumer levels. 

I did 95% of the editing myself on a program called Video Explosion Deluxe however I was not able to burn a DVD at the time so I turned my work over to some dudes that finished it up for me using Mac's with Final Cut Pro on them.

They claim Macs were more stable and were able to put out a perfect DVd. (which is now being marketed through a distributor)

To look at Vegas Video (VV) and Video Explosion Deluxe (VED), you can hardly tell them apart. So much so that I did some preliminary investigations. It goes something like the Kevin Bacon Story...

VED is (was) marketed by Nova Developments, they had packaged with their software "My DVD (3.0 at the time)" however My DVD3.0 did not support chapter points - (which was crucial for my master dvd). 

Once you register My DVD (you need an unlock code from Nova Dev.) they keep sending you emails telling you to upgrade but the emails come from "Sonic Foundry" makers of MY DVD. Sonic Foundry was previously known as Roxio (or visa versa - cant remember) Sonic is owned by guess who?... Sony (who makes Vegas Video)

At very least, Im sure these dudes golf together. 

The guys at Nova Development were very helpful to me. Even sent me an upgrade to VED 1.5. However, no matter how much I tried, and asking lots of questions here on this forum, I was not able to get VED 1.5 to burn a DVD.

Eventually I purchased one of the Roxio products to act as the DVD burner BUT it did not like the files that were being made by VED 1.5 so I used DivX to DVD to convert the files which was ok with the Roxio Burner BUT the disk SKIPPED!

By now I had checked myself into the nearest white-sheets ward along with several others that have been trying to make DVDs.

I tried the NERO products as well as the trial version of Vegas Video, which they send to you in a crippled state. You cannot burn a dvd from the free version. It says send us 150.00for the unlock key -- which I likely would have, had it not been for the fact that VV was causing my machine to lock up. And again, even if it is my machine, if Im going to go to a high end machine, Im really concerned that the software better be up there too.

VV and VED are super easy to use. If you are wanting a great consumer level software (with tons of effects, stock footage and sound effects as well) I would highly recommend VED BUT one thing I didn't do was buy the upgrade for MyDVD - the DVD burning component. 

Evidently, the latest versions of MyDVD do support chapter points. If that worked, it would be perfect for things like home videos, even wedding videos! Its all drag & Drop, really fast & simple to use.

In my case Im only concerned that its not a recognized format for professional use which is where I want to be.

Avid has a really kewl feature that can stabilize a shaky image after its been shot! You can also do this with Premiere 2.0 but it a filter in that case and a little harder to do. This is really handy if you are doing action shots -- even with a steady cam, on water for instance, where your foundation is unstable and your subject is moving, this is a real welcomed feature.

And, if you have a multi-camera shoot, you can import footage from each camera, and use what you like, a bit from here, bit from there, like your own recipe 

One thing I have not tried is Final Cut Pro -- they make a PC version now as well I hear. If anyone has used it, Id be interested to hear about your findings. Heck, even the Mac version? is that going to be so much more stable than PC?

Im clearly not a computer techie, but really enjoy the creative process involved in movie making.

Oh, and as far as those long render times, that is a function of the PC and the software together. Avid takes a long(er) time during post production but then the render times are negligible - as fast as it can burn to DVd, is how long it take to render on a couple of projects Ive seen.

On my current PC, using VED, its about 1-1 eg, a 1 hr program would take about an hour to render - the more special effects, transitions etc might slow it down a bit too.

well, there is a question in there if anyone can answer it and hopefully some useful information. I have to go to bed now as they lock the place down after 9pm.


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## thecoalman (Mar 6, 2006)

If you're looking for a really good disc authoring application for your editied footage try out Ulead's DVD Workshop. It is by far the best video product they have. Pricey but very easy to use and fully featured. It's more professional than consumer grade, anything better is going to run you thousands.. Same with DVD Lab Pro but from what I understand you need to be a rocket scientist to use DVD Lab Pro.


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