New, stable editing software? (Windows 7, 64-bit)

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AngelOfTheDark
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New, stable editing software? (Windows 7, 64-bit)

Post by AngelOfTheDark » Wed Jun 06, 2012 5:35 pm

Thanks in part to advice I got on the forum here, and in part to a wonderful, well-timed sale, I finally bit the bullet and got myself a much-needed new computer. Now I seem to be living out a tech version of "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" as I make a few additional purchases for my new computer. Next on the list is editing software, needed especially soon so I can make a surprise AMV for friends who are getting married at the end of the month (their first date was a FLCL marathon). My old software is not so happy with the updated OS, plus it's about 6 years old anyway.

At the moment, I'm trying out some of the trial versions of various software, but without a lot of time to really give them good test runs, I'd like to know if any of you have tried out good editing software and can give me an idea as to what to expect. Here are the main features I'm looking for:

1) Stability, especially with Windows 7 64-bit. I don't want it to be crashing every two minutes
2) Multiple audio/video tracks. Doesn't have to be insane (I probably won't be using 100), but enough to have a few layers, if needed
3) Special effects/transitions/chroma key capabilities, preferably customizable. I don't want to have to buy another product to just to get the effects I need. I don't use effects too extensively, except to put a trial of a product through its paces, but I do use them enough to know I'll need it. Sometimes you just need a little something extra to make it just right
4) Price range: Maybe up to about $150, give or take. Preferably less (aiming for around $100)

Here are my computer specs, so you can see what my constraints are:

- Intel Core i7-2670QM Quad Core Processor
- Nvidia Geforce GT 540m 1gb dedicated graphics with 500gb 7200rpm sata hard drive
- 6gb (4gb+2gb) 1333mhz ddr3 memory
- Blu-ray drive rom with dvd supermulti
- Windows 7 home premium sp1 64 bit

I'm currently testing Adobe Premier Elements 10, Cyberlink PowerDirector 10, and Corel Video Studio Pro x5, but I'm open to any suggestions.

Does anyone have any recommendations/warnings? Especially if you have the same OS as me, I'd really like to hear what you have to say.

Thanks!
"They say that there is no medicine that can cure a fool... I guess that's true." (Potion shop's old woman- LoZ OoT)

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Cannonaire
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Re: New, stable editing software? (Windows 7, 64-bit)

Post by Cannonaire » Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:33 pm

For your price point, you probably can not do better than Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 Production Suite.
It meets criteria 1, 2, and 4; I do not know about 3. You will also find a lot of help from people around here who use one version of Vegas or another.
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AngelOfTheDark
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Re: New, stable editing software? (Windows 7, 64-bit)

Post by AngelOfTheDark » Sat Jun 09, 2012 2:32 pm

Hmm, I'm trying to give Vegas a shot now. I have the trial version up and running, but it's giving me an error when I try to import my avi video files. It says it cannot open the codec. I think I have the right codec installed on my computer. After all, I can open the videos without issue in VLC. Am I missing something?
"They say that there is no medicine that can cure a fool... I guess that's true." (Potion shop's old woman- LoZ OoT)

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Cannonaire
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Re: New, stable editing software? (Windows 7, 64-bit)

Post by Cannonaire » Sun Jun 10, 2012 12:33 am

VLC uses its own internal decoders, so you might not have the codec installed. Do you know which codec your AVIs use?
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AngelOfTheDark
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Re: New, stable editing software? (Windows 7, 64-bit)

Post by AngelOfTheDark » Sun Jun 10, 2012 12:26 pm

Probably one of the ones from an older version of the AMVApp package (I made the clips a few years ago). I have the newest versions on my current computer, so it could very well be the right one isn't installed. Anyway, I dug up the old vobs and just made new avis with the current codec. Now it works. Thanks.

So, while I work, does anyone have my os that's currently using Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 Production Suite? Any issues/glitches/instability I should be aware of?
"They say that there is no medicine that can cure a fool... I guess that's true." (Potion shop's old woman- LoZ OoT)

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Cannonaire
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Re: New, stable editing software? (Windows 7, 64-bit)

Post by Cannonaire » Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:02 pm

I am using the same OS, but I have version 10 of the same software instead of 11. You can expect it to crash on the rare occasion, but the same can be said of every NLE I have tried, including the more expensive options. Vegas is rather stable for the most part, and every time it did crash on me it was able to recover the project I was working on, up to the last edit I made.

Keep in mind you will likely have issues if you try to render your video using any UTVideo codec. I do not know why there are issues, but there should be no problems loading clips encoded with UTVideo. An easy workaround is to render with Lagarith or anything else.
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AngelOfTheDark
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Re: New, stable editing software? (Windows 7, 64-bit)

Post by AngelOfTheDark » Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:48 pm

Good to know. The avis I made last night use UTVideo. I played around a bit on Vegas to see if it worked. So far so good. I'll definitely keep your suggestions in mind when I export.
"They say that there is no medicine that can cure a fool... I guess that's true." (Potion shop's old woman- LoZ OoT)

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Re: New, stable editing software? (Windows 7, 64-bit)

Post by mirkosp » Sun Jun 10, 2012 10:22 pm

You might also want to look into Magix Movie Edit Pro, Plus sounds like the one for you.
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