T...I've been interested in getting some basic video editing software for a little while now. I'm no expert though...
I would like to make videos of my friends band performing live. I'd like to be able to import audio recorded from the soundboard and multiple video angles (at least 2, but more would be cool) and get them time synced so i can switch between the different angles easily depending on which shot is better at any given moment. Will either of these applications do that? I hope I explained it clearly enough and am not too far off topic.
iMovie will NOT do this. Final Cut Express sounds like the tool you want. I used Premiere ages ago, and it would have worked as well, but I don't know anything about the new Premiere Elements. Final Cut's support for AVCHD is rather weak, (Auto conversion on import to BIG intermediate files.) so if you are using that kind of camera, you might want to check if Premiere Elements does better.
What a bunch of homers. You people should actually try a tool before you rip on it.
There is no comparison between iPhoto and Photoshop Elements. iPhoto gives organization and very basic editing but PSE gives much more. Layers, levels, various selection tools, etc. For most enthusiasts, it is all you need.
I have used iMovie, Final Cut Express, and Premiere Elements. iMovie is a joke but used for quick YouTube videos. It used to be much better but Apple castrated it. Final Cut Express is OK but I find it limited in file import and output formats. Premiere Elements is very versatile, accepts and renders a huge number of formats, is easy to learn, very powerful, and you can import, edit, author, and write DVDs from within the same tool. It also suport AVCHD output and writes to blu-ray (on the PC). My biggest use is editing AVCHD home footage, editing, and writing AVCHD files to a standard DVD that can be viewed on any Blu-Ray player. I cannot find a way to do that in Final Cut Express. It will make a very nice addition to the Mac lineup.
You can typically find the bundle of both programs for $99 if you look hard. Hell of a deal. I have been using both for years and find them very stable.
BTW, I use a MacBook Pro, 64 bit Windows 7, Android phone, and an iPad. No fanboyism here
Yeah. So you posted this a year and a half ago:
Quote:
You can get Adobe Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements for $99. Photoshop Elements is a much better editor than iPhoto and Premiere Elements rocks. You can edit HDV or AVCHD without converting to an Apple format and encode either back to AVCHD to write to a standard DVD or Blu-Ray. You can't do that with iMovie or FCE.
And a few days later this:
Quote:
Picasa is available on the Mac and I use it often
I have Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements on Windows ($99 for the package) which are light years ahead of iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD.
I liked iMovie 6 much better than the current version. The encoding used in iDVD is poor and pixelated and choppy compared to Premiere Elements.
And this:
Quote:
Apple will not let you run OS X on a PC because they would rather have you pay for their overpriced hardware. They should open the restrictions and see how that goes. The lack of driver support for OS X would be an issue as Windows must work with all hardware while OS X only works with select hardware.
I have not run virus or spyware protection on my PC for years without issues. You just have to be cognizant of what you are doing.
I use Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements which I find much better then iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, and Final Cut Express. The package only costs $99. iPhoto is not a photo editor so you need to buy one anyway for any halfway serious photo editing.
And this:
Quote:
Really, I thought I was the first ever. Thank you for correcting me!
A lot of Mac users aren't cognizant, just read the forums.
New Macs do come with iLife but you must purchase every year to stay current. I wouldn't say this is absolutely free. iPhoto sucks as it is not a real photo editor and forces a directory structure on the user. Picasa is much better and free as an organizer and PhotoShop Elements is a great cheap editor. Too bad the Mac version is always a year behind. Windows Photo Gallery that comes with Vista is better than iPhoto IMO. iMovie is a joke anymore and not much better than Movie Maker. I would recommend buying a better video editor. iDVD is very limited and there are free alternatives for the PC. Likewise, there are several free Web creators for the PC with more capability. I personally have not used GarageBand much (nor do I know many that have) so I cannot comment.
And this:
Quote:
You can find Premiere and Photoshop Elements bundles for $99 at Best Buy and Amazon if you look (retails for $120 but often on sale). Premiere Elements does author DVDs and has many other output options including burning Blu-Ray discs. You can also output an AVCHD file and burn on a standard DVD that will play in Blu-Ray players.
All of this amid gratuitous sneering at "fan boys" and general PC boosterism, and being the sum total of your posts, all within a week. Then not a peep until there's an occasion, a year and a half later to run your Adobe shilling again.
So lets say you take your "fan boy" and "homer" and "you people" talk and shove it up your ass, shill boy.
The only thing I appreciate about Adobe nowadays is that they have made such awful crap and for so many years, that one doesn't have to even think about them anymore.
Yes. You don't have to think about them anymore.
That is, if you DON'T HAVE to do anything professionally in the industry that Adobe caters to: the creative industry.
Because there Adobe does not make "awful crap". It makes the DE FACTO leaders of the industry, regarding bitmap editing, vector editing and DTP, and some top of the line products regarding video editing, compositing and timeline effects and photography workflow.
That said, Adobe UIs are a lot of time messy, and they haven't integrated UI, behavior and functionality between their offerings. They also have crappy installers. Furthermore, they haven't made any real progress with making Flash bug-free, fast and relevant, and they have a tendency to shoehorn Flash integration in their apps where it is not needed or even wanted (like in Acrobat, say, or as a UI extension mechanism).
Those are, mainly, their flaws...
But "awful crap"?
How about ignorant overreaction from a non-interested party?
iMovie will NOT do this. Final Cut Express sounds like the tool you want. I used Premiere ages ago, and it would have worked as well, but I don't know anything about the new Premiere Elements. Final Cut's support for AVCHD is rather weak, (Auto conversion on import to BIG intermediate files.) so if you are using that kind of camera, you might want to check if Premiere Elements does better.
Is there a technical name for what I'm trying to do so I can research it more?
Saying why get PSE when you can use Picasa is like saying why work on a canvas with brushes and paint when you can sit over there with crayons and a box of Staples copy paper.
And of all of the similarly priced pixel based image apps for OSX, NONE let you work in 16 bit AT ALL except for GIMP. Elements may have a slew of functions grayed out, but at least it doesn't truncate it into 8 bits upon opening. No idea about Picasa, since it's not nearly as useful besides.
Is there a technical name for what I'm trying to do so I can research it more?
Thanks for the info!
You're wanting to do basic non-linear editing stuff. iMovie could do this, and although I haven't used it, I'm sure Final Cut Express could too. The time code sync is probably the biggest sticking point. Consumer level cameras don't put "real" time code on their recorded video. I believe professionally this is done with an outboard time code providing device. So syncing video from multiple cameras with an audio track could be kind of challenging. Try Googling around for "multi camera editing" and see if anything useful pops up.
As you said, this isn't really the forum for detailed technical discussion of such things, but there are enough smart people around to point you in the right direction.
- Jasen.
P.S. On topic: I haven't read any reviews or previews on Adobe's new offerings, but I hope they give Final Cut Express a run for it's money. Many people work in dual-platform environments and having the same software on Mac & Windows will be nice.
The only thing I appreciate about Adobe nowadays is that they have made such awful crap and for so many years, that one doesn't have to even think about them anymore. They are history and basically just waiting to die. For instance I didn't even read this article because I know that it literally doesn't matter what they do, Adobe is simply incapable of making good software. So it's kind of a great relief not to have to worry about it anymore IMO.
Look at it this way. If some super crappy car maker like Lada or something, makes shit cars year after year after year, and then they come out with something that they say is good this time. Why would you buy it? Even if this time your best friends try it and say it's actually a good one this time, even if all the reviewers in all the car magazines on the planet say it's finally an okay product. You'd still be foolish to buy it.
I'm not going to even be paying attention to Adobe products until they release not one, but at least two or three good revisions in a row. I would bet money it won't happen. I would bet money (again, without using it, seeing it or reading reviews of it), that this product right here will have some horrible UI flaws and gotchas and that people will be complaining about it in due course. That's how certain I am about the "skills" of Adobe's software designers.
Leopards don't change their spots. Adobe can't make good software. Period.
Well, ?koda is doing some very nice cars nowadays (after 50 years of crap). Even Top Gear had only good words for ?koda Yeti and Superb.
Comments
T...I've been interested in getting some basic video editing software for a little while now. I'm no expert though...
I would like to make videos of my friends band performing live. I'd like to be able to import audio recorded from the soundboard and multiple video angles (at least 2, but more would be cool) and get them time synced so i can switch between the different angles easily depending on which shot is better at any given moment. Will either of these applications do that? I hope I explained it clearly enough and am not too far off topic.
iMovie will NOT do this. Final Cut Express sounds like the tool you want. I used Premiere ages ago, and it would have worked as well, but I don't know anything about the new Premiere Elements. Final Cut's support for AVCHD is rather weak, (Auto conversion on import to BIG intermediate files.) so if you are using that kind of camera, you might want to check if Premiere Elements does better.
What a bunch of homers. You people should actually try a tool before you rip on it.
There is no comparison between iPhoto and Photoshop Elements. iPhoto gives organization and very basic editing but PSE gives much more. Layers, levels, various selection tools, etc. For most enthusiasts, it is all you need.
I have used iMovie, Final Cut Express, and Premiere Elements. iMovie is a joke but used for quick YouTube videos. It used to be much better but Apple castrated it. Final Cut Express is OK but I find it limited in file import and output formats. Premiere Elements is very versatile, accepts and renders a huge number of formats, is easy to learn, very powerful, and you can import, edit, author, and write DVDs from within the same tool. It also suport AVCHD output and writes to blu-ray (on the PC). My biggest use is editing AVCHD home footage, editing, and writing AVCHD files to a standard DVD that can be viewed on any Blu-Ray player. I cannot find a way to do that in Final Cut Express. It will make a very nice addition to the Mac lineup.
You can typically find the bundle of both programs for $99 if you look hard. Hell of a deal. I have been using both for years and find them very stable.
BTW, I use a MacBook Pro, 64 bit Windows 7, Android phone, and an iPad. No fanboyism here
Yeah. So you posted this a year and a half ago:
You can get Adobe Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements for $99. Photoshop Elements is a much better editor than iPhoto and Premiere Elements rocks. You can edit HDV or AVCHD without converting to an Apple format and encode either back to AVCHD to write to a standard DVD or Blu-Ray. You can't do that with iMovie or FCE.
And a few days later this:
Picasa is available on the Mac and I use it often
I have Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements on Windows ($99 for the package) which are light years ahead of iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD.
I liked iMovie 6 much better than the current version. The encoding used in iDVD is poor and pixelated and choppy compared to Premiere Elements.
And this:
Apple will not let you run OS X on a PC because they would rather have you pay for their overpriced hardware. They should open the restrictions and see how that goes. The lack of driver support for OS X would be an issue as Windows must work with all hardware while OS X only works with select hardware.
I have not run virus or spyware protection on my PC for years without issues. You just have to be cognizant of what you are doing.
I use Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements which I find much better then iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, and Final Cut Express. The package only costs $99. iPhoto is not a photo editor so you need to buy one anyway for any halfway serious photo editing.
And this:
Really, I thought I was the first ever. Thank you for correcting me!
A lot of Mac users aren't cognizant, just read the forums.
New Macs do come with iLife but you must purchase every year to stay current. I wouldn't say this is absolutely free. iPhoto sucks as it is not a real photo editor and forces a directory structure on the user. Picasa is much better and free as an organizer and PhotoShop Elements is a great cheap editor. Too bad the Mac version is always a year behind. Windows Photo Gallery that comes with Vista is better than iPhoto IMO. iMovie is a joke anymore and not much better than Movie Maker. I would recommend buying a better video editor. iDVD is very limited and there are free alternatives for the PC. Likewise, there are several free Web creators for the PC with more capability. I personally have not used GarageBand much (nor do I know many that have) so I cannot comment.
And this:
You can find Premiere and Photoshop Elements bundles for $99 at Best Buy and Amazon if you look (retails for $120 but often on sale). Premiere Elements does author DVDs and has many other output options including burning Blu-Ray discs. You can also output an AVCHD file and burn on a standard DVD that will play in Blu-Ray players.
All of this amid gratuitous sneering at "fan boys" and general PC boosterism, and being the sum total of your posts, all within a week. Then not a peep until there's an occasion, a year and a half later to run your Adobe shilling again.
So lets say you take your "fan boy" and "homer" and "you people" talk and shove it up your ass, shill boy.
The only thing I appreciate about Adobe nowadays is that they have made such awful crap and for so many years, that one doesn't have to even think about them anymore.
Yes. You don't have to think about them anymore.
That is, if you DON'T HAVE to do anything professionally in the industry that Adobe caters to: the creative industry.
Because there Adobe does not make "awful crap". It makes the DE FACTO leaders of the industry, regarding bitmap editing, vector editing and DTP, and some top of the line products regarding video editing, compositing and timeline effects and photography workflow.
That said, Adobe UIs are a lot of time messy, and they haven't integrated UI, behavior and functionality between their offerings. They also have crappy installers. Furthermore, they haven't made any real progress with making Flash bug-free, fast and relevant, and they have a tendency to shoehorn Flash integration in their apps where it is not needed or even wanted (like in Acrobat, say, or as a UI extension mechanism).
Those are, mainly, their flaws...
But "awful crap"?
How about ignorant overreaction from a non-interested party?
iMovie will NOT do this. Final Cut Express sounds like the tool you want. I used Premiere ages ago, and it would have worked as well, but I don't know anything about the new Premiere Elements. Final Cut's support for AVCHD is rather weak, (Auto conversion on import to BIG intermediate files.) so if you are using that kind of camera, you might want to check if Premiere Elements does better.
Is there a technical name for what I'm trying to do so I can research it more?
Thanks for the info!
And of all of the similarly priced pixel based image apps for OSX, NONE let you work in 16 bit AT ALL except for GIMP. Elements may have a slew of functions grayed out, but at least it doesn't truncate it into 8 bits upon opening. No idea about Picasa, since it's not nearly as useful besides.
Is there a technical name for what I'm trying to do so I can research it more?
Thanks for the info!
You're wanting to do basic non-linear editing stuff. iMovie could do this, and although I haven't used it, I'm sure Final Cut Express could too. The time code sync is probably the biggest sticking point. Consumer level cameras don't put "real" time code on their recorded video. I believe professionally this is done with an outboard time code providing device. So syncing video from multiple cameras with an audio track could be kind of challenging. Try Googling around for "multi camera editing" and see if anything useful pops up.
Here's a really good thread on the subject: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/final-cu...t-express.html
As you said, this isn't really the forum for detailed technical discussion of such things, but there are enough smart people around to point you in the right direction.
- Jasen.
P.S. On topic: I haven't read any reviews or previews on Adobe's new offerings, but I hope they give Final Cut Express a run for it's money. Many people work in dual-platform environments and having the same software on Mac & Windows will be nice.
Aside from professionals, why pay for image editing software anymore when you have excellent free alternatives?
I find that for most things, Picassa works great.
The only thing I appreciate about Adobe nowadays is that they have made such awful crap and for so many years, that one doesn't have to even think about them anymore. They are history and basically just waiting to die. For instance I didn't even read this article because I know that it literally doesn't matter what they do, Adobe is simply incapable of making good software. So it's kind of a great relief not to have to worry about it anymore IMO.
Look at it this way. If some super crappy car maker like Lada or something, makes shit cars year after year after year, and then they come out with something that they say is good this time. Why would you buy it? Even if this time your best friends try it and say it's actually a good one this time, even if all the reviewers in all the car magazines on the planet say it's finally an okay product. You'd still be foolish to buy it.
I'm not going to even be paying attention to Adobe products until they release not one, but at least two or three good revisions in a row. I would bet money it won't happen. I would bet money (again, without using it, seeing it or reading reviews of it), that this product right here will have some horrible UI flaws and gotchas and that people will be complaining about it in due course. That's how certain I am about the "skills" of Adobe's software designers.
Leopards don't change their spots. Adobe can't make good software. Period.
Well, ?koda is doing some very nice cars nowadays (after 50 years of crap). Even Top Gear had only good words for ?koda Yeti and Superb.