What's the best video editing software for...

[FaB*Bo*Peep]

....video recorded in H.264/AVC (MPEG4 part 10/Advanced Video Coding) format ?

Historically Windows Movie Maker has done everything needed but cannot cope with the above files produced from a new camcorder, (so I am not after anything too complicated). However, as far as I can see, the Cyberlink Mediashow 4 which came with the camcorder does not even allow you to add end credits to your movies so that is pretty useless

As always thanks in advance.

[FaB*Bo*Peep]

I find it hard to believe that I am the only one who has a camcorder that records in this format so please forget "what's the best" and just post what you are using and how well it works in your opinion.

All I am after is something that works in a similar way to Windows Movie Maker and into which I can directly drag and drop the camera footage, (in the above mentioned format), into the movie timeline without any pre-conversion. And it must also allow me to add scene transition fade effects and make scrolling credits at the end of the movie. Any other features would be a bonus but not essential.

Thanks

[stu.artd]

Try downloading a trial of Sony Vegas, you've got nothing to lose other than some time to try it out

Linky here

[FaB*Bo*Peep]

Thanks stu.artd but do you ever feel like things are working against you ?

I downloaded it, went to install it and it then informed me that it needed to download and install "Microsoft.NET Framework 2" which I did. Then it proceeded to install Vegas Movie Studio. Then upon launch it needed me to register which I did, and after all of that it then infomred me that my trial period had expired

Hmmmmmm not the sort of thing which is going to convince me to dash out and buy the full version.

So any further suggestions please anyone ?

[stu.artd]

Argh, that's not good

How about trying Corel Videostudio X2 ?

Link here, good luck!!

Edit: Have you made sure the time/date is OK on your PC ?

[advid]

...if you're happy using windows MM what about this...

Total Video Converter -- AVI to MPEG Converter, Convert Video Youtube FLV to MPEG Converter,AVI to DVD Converter,AVI to DivX Converter

...just convert your MP4 files to avi and import into MM and use as normal ...

[senu]

Originally Posted by advid

...if you're happy using windows MM what about this...

Total Video Converter -- AVI to MPEG Converter, Convert Video Youtube FLV to MPEG Converter,AVI to DVD Converter,AVI to DivX Converter

...just convert your MP4 files to avi and import into MM and use as normal ...

No it will degrade quality and may not support it ( especially if it is AVCHD, and also WMM has limited output.

Instead of converting I would just use software which does have biult it support

[senu]

Originally Posted by FaB*Bo*Peep

....video recorded in H.264/AVC (MPEG4 part 10/Advanced Video Coding) format ?

Historically Windows Movie Maker has done everything needed but cannot cope with the above files produced from a new camcorder, (so I am not after anything too complicated). However, as far as I can see, the Cyberlink Mediashow 4 which came with the camcorder does not even allow you to add end credits to your movies so that is pretty useless

As always thanks in advance.

Which camcorder are you using? You didn't mention that. Saying that H.264 in any flavour is a standard, not an identical codec so software that works for one manufacturer may not for another. Panasonic, Canon, Sony ( Now Sanyo and Samsung) may well have non-identical codecs
If it is Hi def then you are reffering to AVCHD ( Which is the more commonly known name for H.264/AVC High profile)
H.264 is one of the mpeg4 codecs and a large no of current editing software support it including Nero. One problem with AVCHD though is that trial software tend to not support it because of licensing restriction so Sony Vegas may have been manifesting that
However Nero Vison ( from ver 8 and 9) SVMS, Corel ( Ulead) 10, 11 and X2 Pinnacle Studio . Adobe Premiere Elements 7. Roxio 10, Cyberlinks latest offerings and indeed Magix all support most varieties
WMM is far too basic and has not moved that fast from its historical roots and has very limited format support ( not even mpeg2) so I would not try to convert to its usable formats also because you would have limited outputs from it

[FaB*Bo*Peep]

Originally Posted by stu.artd

Argh, that's not good

How about trying Corel Videostudio X2 ?

Link here, good luck!!

Edit: Have you made sure the time/date is OK on your PC ?

Oh your are so spot on - the battery on the motherboard had gone flat and the CMOS had lost its settings including the time + date That's all sorted now.

However the Sony Vegas package did look a bit overkill for what my son needs so I tried some of the other suggestions.......

[FaB*Bo*Peep]

Corel Videostudio X2

This looked absolutely perfect for what my son needed, simple interface, easy to get going on etc, so I eagerly donwloaded and installed the demo.

No problems with demo expiry this time

Then another problem started, it kept constantly crashing to the extent that I could not even load a single video clip onto the timeline. numerous re-boots later and I gave up.

So onto the next package.........

[FaB*Bo*Peep]

Cyberlink Power Director 7

By this time I was getting very fed up. I installed the trial version of this and immediately thought that the interface looked very nice and straight forward. I then imported all of my son's video clips in the media library and there they were complete with thumbnails (so far so good). I then plucked up courage and dragged one onto the timeline and there it sat happily with no crash. I clicked on play and it played with no crashes, (I cannot tell you how relieved I was at this point to have found something which enabled the clips to be used straight from the camcorder with no conversion and that actually looked like it was going to work without constantly crashing).

We have now had a good play with this editing package and it appears simple to use, very intuitive and robust, (flicking between it, the internet, desktop and file manage does not appear to phase it at all). We have uploaded videos to YouTube using the built in uploader and also saved higher resolution / quality M2TS clips to file and then uploaded them in the usual way and I must say that so far this package looks to be ideal for us.

While the Samsung MX20 camcorder that my son chose is not a very high resolution, I must say that the results combined with this editing package are very good and I can see fun times ahead

Thanks again for all of your help guys in getting us to this point


P.S. The only slight bug we have encountered with the Samsung MX20 camcorder , (and this has been previously reported on the web), is that when shooting in 16:9, the clips are not given a 16:9 flag and therefore when imported into video editing software they play as 4:3 which obviously results in the images appearing tall and thin. However in Cyberlink Power Director 7 this is easily corrected by right clicking on the properties of a clip and manually setting it as 16:9, (there is even an option to apply this setting to all clips on the timeline - great stuff indeed)

[senu]

You had not mentioned that it was the MX20 up to your last post, and not really answered my queries as such

No other camcorder uses H.264( basic profile) hence the relative lack of experirnce with editing it
AVCHD ( the High Profile) is a bit more well known


I was at a Samsung product " awareness" on Tues ( (the MX20 an MP3/4 Q1 and v4) and will do a write up shortly but I did ask Samsung about software and was aware of Cyberlink being the bundled software ( albeit a cut down version, the Media show)

Sony Vegas Movie Studio ( not Vegas pro) is not overkill. though

I do have some footage taken at the London Eye Im currently playing with and will state what i think of it in the write up
My clips are MP4 though.

[stu.artd]

Originally Posted by FaB*Bo*Peep

Cyberlink Power Director 7

By this time I was getting very fed up. I installed the trial version of this and immediately thought that the interface looked very nice and straight forward. I then imported all of my son's video clips in the media library and there they were complete with thumbnails (so far so good). I then plucked up courage and dragged one onto the timeline and there it sat happily with no crash. I clicked on play and it played with no crashes, (I cannot tell you how relieved I was at this point to have found something which enabled the clips to be used straight from the camcorder with no conversion and that actually looked like it was going to work without constantly crashing).

We have now had a good play with this editing package and it appears simple to use, very intuitive and robust, (flicking between it, the internet, desktop and file manage does not appear to phase it at all). We have uploaded videos to YouTube using the built in uploader and also saved higher resolution / quality M2TS clips to file and then uploaded them in the usual way and I must say that so far this package looks to be ideal for us.

While the Samsung MX20 camcorder that my son chose is not a very high resolution, I must say that the results combined with this editing package are very good and I can see fun times ahead

Thanks again for all of your help guys in getting us to this point


P.S. The only slight bug we have encountered with the Samsung MX20 camcorder , (and this has been previously reported on the web), is that when shooting in 16:9, the clips are not given a 16:9 flag and therefore when imported into video editing software they play as 4:3 which obviously results in the images appearing tall and thin. However in Cyberlink Power Director 7 this is easily corrected by right clicking on the properties of a clip and manually setting it as 16:9, (there is even an option to apply this setting to all clips on the timeline - great stuff indeed)

Glad you found something to suit your/your sons needs. There are differing opinions about what the best product is, and it's good that some manufacturer's have demo versions to let people try them before spending their money. It's even better you found one that runs properly

I got caught with the date/time thing years ago, it's one of those moments when you realise what the problem is.

[senu]

Samsung only put Media show though,
Anyway the moral is that H.264 is not supported by WMM
and
The battery issue..not too well known as most folk dont even use a PC beyond the life of its motherboard battery
Thanks for your assistance

[stu.artd]

Originally Posted by senu

The battery issue..not too well known as most folk dont even use a PC beyond the life of its motherboard battery

True, but when overclocking PC's it can be necessary to get that battery out and reset everything to default