tbayster1 Loc: North Carolina

I have been working with digital still photos for a few years. I first scanned slides to create files, when the 1st digital cameras were low MPs. I am now looking to work with HD video. I would like to know what SW should I use to work with these videos. The cameras I have produce 2 types of video files MOV, AVI and will need to be converted to some standard. Any thoughts or recommendations.

Thanks

TAB

arphot Loc: Massachusetts

I have used Sony Vegas products for years, successfully. The product line can be found here:
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegassoftware

Snap

There are lots to choose from and I have probably used each of them at one time or another..But I settled for Adobe Premiere Elements 9. I use it in conjuction with Adobe Photoshop Elements 9..Fairly easy to use. You can try it out for free for I think 30 or 60 days...

arphot Loc: Massachusetts

Remember to check system requirements on these softwares. Newer programs have exceedingly heavy CPU & memory demands.

arphot Loc: Massachusetts

I forgot about this one:
http://www.corel.com/corel/product/index.jsp;jsessionid=fGOV41xyqgyR+tG65RQqfw**.prd-atg-commerce2?&ym_mid=1366625&skuId=PK_VU14ENESD&ym_rid=91754442&1=1&storeKey=us&mapcounter=1&pid=prod3910162

charlessmall18

AVS is a very aggressive "freeware" company who tries hard to get you to buy all their (#*$&#*$ utilities. Don't succumb! But their AVS Video Editor is pretty good and you can try it out for free. http://www.avs4you.com/video.aspx

No one should be without the astounding and perfectly free DVDVideoSoft Free Studio suite of utilities which convert almost anything to anything (and extract a perfectly free MP3 from YouTube videos!). http://www.dvdvideosoft.com/free-dvd-video-software.htm

For abstruse tecky reasons, converting one "lossy" compressed file format to another "lossy" compressed file format can produce really bad results. MP3 is "lossy," for example. That means the compression routine discards audio or video information it thinks you can live without. Once discarded, those data are gone forever and are missing from the subsequent uncompressed version. Different compression algorithms discard different data, hence the potential problem. But I have had very good luck with the free (and batch mode!) Any Video Converter. http://www.any-video-converter.com/products/for_video_free/

sebottino

I have been creating video shows from still photos for some time. I've used many different software packages, both free and purchased, all have their good and bad points. My personal favorites are the following. For creating, editing, adding titles and effects I like Photodex ProShow Gold. It is a purchased product, you can look up Photodex to locate it. For burning the DVD I prefer another purchased product, Sothink Movie DVD Maker, just search Sothink to find that one.

There is a learning curve for each of these products. Photodex ProShow Gold has a build process that will burn the DVD and add your original images to the DVD, in a seperate file, so that your customers can print any photo used in your video.

One other point. I always use photo editing software to re-size the stills and make them all the same size and resolution, 4x6, 300 pixels. This make the build process run faster and the finished video images have a better, consintent look to them.

gizzy.whicker Loc: Cumberland Co., Illinois

I agree with others that Adobe Premiere Elements is the best for the money. Just be aware you'll be best served with a 64 bit processor such as some versions of XP, Vista, and Windows 7 uses. I do quite a bit of green-screen AVCHD post-production stuff with two synced cameras, and Adobe Premiere Elements does a super great job. The learning curve is shallow. You'll like it.

gessman Loc: Colorado

Pinnacle is feature rich and easy to choose but is a resource hog. I've used several and have settled.