jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

The only software I've tried to edit video with is Lightroom CC. Oh, I forgot, I tried the software that came with my GoPro, but found it a bit complicated and slow.

Is there an easy to use alternative? Any of you guys use PSE Premier?

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

Corel Video Studio is an excellent video editing program. It's up version 9 at this point but you can get V8 or V7 for a little less and not miss much but be careful that the program will handle your camera.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Don't DSLR's create MP4's and ALL-I video? and isn't this the standard that all video editing software should be able to handle? I know that raw image files can't be edited by some of Adobes software unless you have the latest versions of their software, but video? I didn't think there were problems like that. I'll check into Corel Video Studio and see if I can get a copy cheap. Thanks

David Kay Loc: Arlington Heights IL

I use premier elements 14 and find that so easy to use and has so many features. Plus you can go on youtube and find many informative and helpful techniques.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

That's what I was thinking.

Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA

There are several softwares that will be much better. My first choice is the one I use, Corel Visual Studio. I use vs.8 but the newest version X9 is only $70 from B&h or Amazon. Another one I bought but have never used is Trakaxe. I could never figure it out. The Youtube tutorial is marred by the heavy accent. Others love it. Another free one is Blender. I keep coming back to Visual studio. It has transitions, titles, and editing all built in and it works. Also, there are a ton of Youtube tutorials.

Editing video is very different from editing stills. Whatever you choose, expect to spend time and energy learning video concepts as well as "how-to."

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Thank you very much Reinaldokool. This is the kind of good information I can use. Now I'm leaning toward Corel Visual Studio.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

I have the CS6 versions of Adobe Premiere Pro and Audition. They work together to audit video and audio on the same timeline. I can zoom into the frame, add lighting effects, slow motion, titles, film dissolves, colorizing, or add special effects like turning the video into a pencil sketch, etc., in multiple audio and video tracks. For me they are the best editing products available.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

The four most commonly used, under $100, personal computer editors seem to be Adobe Premier Elements, Sony Movie Studio Platinum, Corel Video Studio Pro and Cyberlink PowerDiretor. Two more, less commonly used, are Pinnacle Studio and Magix Movie Edit. The two most common, dependable and free NLEs are Windows Movie Maker and Apple's iMovie. The three most common "pro", or over $100 systems, are Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premier CC and Sony Vegas Pro. Another couple dozen are listed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_editing_software A recent change is that the Sony video software division was sold to Magix.

My personal favorite is Premier Elements. It is not better or worse at editing than the others. What makes it better me is that there is an online course making it easy to learn video editing at lynda.com. http://www.lynda.com/Elements-tutorials/Up-Running-Premiere-Elements-14/424710-2.html

I've not seen any editing technique I've wanted to do and not been able to do it. I've upgraded through four versions and not one version has failed me. I once tried to learn Sony Movie Studio, but did not succeed. I have no knowledge of the rest.

SSam Loc: Sierra Vista, AZ

I am starting to learn Cyber Link Power Director. There are both free on line tutorials (which I use) and company online tutorials for sale. Best wishes on your decision.

GWolf Loc: Ashland, OR

If you have a Mac, iMovie is clean and easy. A stripped down version of Final Cut Pro. Being a working and enthusiastic photographer and graphic designer I subscribe to the Adobe Creative Suite. Included is Premiere, a very robust program with a steep learning curve. Also included is After Effects (special effects) and Audition (audio editing), neither of which I've even gotten to yet... but shall.

Hound_Dog

I have used every version of Adobe Premiere way back to the 80's (Didn't work well then) with my $8000 computer ( got it in '96). Started with 4.2 went thru version 6, then thru CS3. Then layed off video for a few years and wanted to Up grade. I couldn't and Premiere went to a monthly subscription service. It took me a long time to learn all versions of Premiere but got quite good with version 6 then they went to the CS series and I had to start all over. Love (Finally) CS3 but it is a pain with my new Canon XA30 and T5i, have to convert all files to AVI. No fire wire either like the Canon XL-1. Also digital makes separate files where tape let me lay it all on the time line and cut and past as I wished. All my video was pretty much is in chronological order anyway. Mostly Model Airplanes. Don't get me wrong Premiere is great just a little much for the novice. Looking for a new Editing system. Wish I could find a spread sheet showing all the features compared to each other.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

I started editing tape with the old a-b roll editor equipment at a free class at the local public access station in the 1980's. Once you took the class you could submit content for them to broadcast and use the cameras, mics, recorders and editing equipment for free. I think my best work was a video of my cat lounging in the sun while I played a slow acoustic blues off camera. It was about 7 minutes long, and got regular play for a while.
Early adopters always pay a premium price. I think my first PC was a Korean clone and cost about $2200 in the late 80's. It came with several bound manuals edged in gold foil.
My first try at home digital video was a clearance black and white video camera that would record to my VCR. I had no editing equipment. I was just learning electric guitar and recorded myself singing and playing. When I showed my video at a gathering of the family, my family fell off the couch laughing. That put my music and video hobby on hold for a while.
With video available on P&S camera I got back into the hobby, tried a bunch of editor programs. I finally got the CS6 suite on a torrent and I was all set. Premiere Pro didn't seem that complicated to me, with plenty of video help files on adobe and youtube. The features I like about it is it integrates adobe audition for audio editing (non-destructive) on the timeline. So it's easy to cut and paste audio and video together, but you can also tweak the audio in an audition window and save it back to the timeline. The other features I like with the video is the ability to zoom in on a shot in the editor, and the ability to change lighting and exposure in the editor, and the film type disolve transition, which I first used on the A-B roll editors.
After buying a souped up HP desktop in 2006, that crashed a few years ago, then buying an unsatisfactory HP slimline as a replacement, I went to ebay and bought a used HPZ200 desktop, Intel i7 870 CPU, 2.93GHz overclocked to 3.07GHz, 8GB RAM, 2GB video card, 1TB Sata drive at 7800rpm, Win 10 64bit Pro, for about $250, about 2-1/2 years ago. Bought another 8GB of RAM on Amazon bringing it up to 16GB. Best PC I ever had (knock on wood).