Possibly starting a vlog, Editing software?

[SDisney90]

So my girlfriend and I are possibly starting a vlog on our next Trip in 2016...my question is does anyone have any experience with any movie editing software for Windows? I know Windows Movie Maker is free, and I do have it downloaded but I run into a lot of problems using it. When editing sample clips, it freezes constantly, videos aren't able to process etc.

Any other inexpensive recommendations? We aren't professionals or looking to spend a lot of money or something. Just to make easy simple cuts in videos. Thank you in advance!

 

[xracer4844]

What kind of computer do you have?

Processor?
Ram?
Storage?

 

[SDisney90]

What kind of computer do you have?

Processor?
Ram?
Storage?

honestly my PC is horrible I received it from a friend for free and it's hard for me to even edit pictures on PS. I'm in need of buying one but I'm not sure what kind yet or how much processor ram or storage it will have. But, I'm sure whatever I buy it will be able to handle mostly any programs..

 

[wdwmagic]

If you are buying new, consider getting a MAC. iMovie is free with the mac, and very easy to use and delivers great results. If you need something more, you then have the option of Final Cut Pro.

 

[SDisney90]

If you are buying new, consider getting a MAC. iMovie is free with the mac, and very easy to use and delivers great results. If you need something more, you then have the option of Final Cut Pro.

Thank you for the advice, I've been going back and fourth with a Mac. The prices are in the deep end but, from what I hear they are great computer but have some flaws. 399 days to make a decision

 

[wdwmagic]

Thank you for the advice, I've been going back and fourth with a Mac. The prices are in the deep end but, from what I hear they are great computer but have some flaws. 399 days to make a decision

Nothing is perfect, but I wouldn't say there are any flaws in day to day usage. What are you concerned about?

 

[SDisney90]

Nothing is perfect, but I wouldn't say there are any flaws in day to day usage. What are you concerned about?

Well, the biggest thing I could find with Macs were because everything is in the screen without the external tower, there is a lot of heat floating around. Creating the hard drives and mother boards to eventually essentially crash and burn. The way Macs are built supposedly it's not a very easy task for an inexperienced person to go inside and replace these themselves. I've never owned a Mac and have only used a few my whole life while it is different, it was a lot smoother and nicer. Just that one issue lingers in the back of my mind and stops me from purchasing one.

 

[wdwmagic]

Well, the biggest thing I could find with Macs were because everything is in the screen without the external tower, there is a lot of heat floating around. Creating the hard drives and mother boards to eventually essentially crash and burn. The way Macs are built supposedly it's not a very easy task for an inexperienced person to go inside and replace these themselves. I've never owned a Mac and have only used a few my whole life while it is different, it was a lot smoother and nicer. Just that one issue lingers in the back of my mind and stops me from purchasing one.

Nah. Its not an issue. I've got 5 or 6 MACs, never had a heat issue or component failure.

If you don't want an all-in-one iMac, you can go with a Mac Mini or Mac Pro, which has a separate display to the main computer.

It isn't an issue though. You will notice now that many of the windows PC makers are copying the iMac design and producing all-in-ones.

 

[SDisney90]

Nah. Its not an issue. I've got 5 or 6 MACs, never had a heat issue or component failure.

If you don't want an all-in-one iMac, you can go with a Mac Mini or Mac Pro, which has a separate display to the main computer.

It isn't an issue though. You will notice now that many of the windows PC makers are copying the iMac design and producing all-in-ones.

Thank you, that makes me a feel a heck of a lot better for whatever reason. You're absolutely right I stopped in at Best Buy the other day and did notice all of the all-in-one PC's it just never dawned on me. Think I'll have to stop in today and check out the deals going on. My girlfriend is still in college and I hear they have a lot of student discounts throughout the year.

 

[thomas998]

Well, the biggest thing I could find with Macs were because everything is in the screen without the external tower, there is a lot of heat floating around. Creating the hard drives and mother boards to eventually essentially crash and burn. The way Macs are built supposedly it's not a very easy task for an inexperienced person to go inside and replace these themselves. I've never owned a Mac and have only used a few my whole life while it is different, it was a lot smoother and nicer. Just that one issue lingers in the back of my mind and stops me from purchasing one.

Apple has made some imacs that had problems in the past... of course all manufacturers have done that. The biggest issue you will have with an mac is that if something goes wrong you aren't going to be able to take it to just any repair shop and have them replace a video card or whatever might be jacked up you will need to use an expensive Apple shop and they will cost you more to fix than a windows machine because they are a pain in the backside to open up compared to standard windows machine.

Don't think that I'm just biased as I have a house full of computers both Apple and Windows... but if I were you I would not go the Apple route for what you are doing... Not because it wouldn't work, it would... but it would cost you more than a comparable Windows machine that will do the job just as well.

As for software it really depends on just how much you plan on editing the videos... you make it sound like you don't want to do much beyond cuts of video with no transitions or other things... it that is the case then just start with the free video software you already have. I know you say it freezes alot and all but I suspect that is more a symptom of you running it on a under powered computer... I've tried to run final cut on a Apple notebook that didn't have enough power once and it behaved very badly as well. If you are going to do video editing and rendering I suggest you make sure you have a computer with enough power and memory to do the job. Don't assume that it will work well if you have the minimum requirements the software requires, look at the next step up when it says recommended specs, those are the ones that are really the minimum for running the software without glitches.

Oh and make sure that you have as few things running in the background as possible when you are doing video because it is very processor intensive and you will suffer if there are a lot of processes running that you don't need.

If you want a decent editing software for Windows and are willing to buy it, I recommend Sony Home Studio software as a decent cheap option... if you want all the bells and whistles then you would go with Sony Vegas Pro, but that is going to be expensive but would still do anything you would ever want video wise. In the end you could easily get a windows machine and Vegas for much less than an Apple machine and Final Cut... so if price is a consideration skip the Apple and go windows.

 

[Jahona]

If you want a decent editing software for Windows and are willing to buy it, I recommend Sony Home Studio software as a decent cheap option... if you want all the bells and whistles then you would go with Sony Vegas Pro, but that is going to be expensive but would still do anything you would ever want video wise. In the end you could easily get a windows machine and Vegas for much less than an Apple machine and Final Cut... so if price is a consideration skip the Apple and go windows.

I'll second Sony Vegas for windows. It's has a lot of great features for the price. Personally I use Adobe Premier for editing but has a steeper price and a subscription. Something that I don't see used much but is an interesting piece of software is HitFilm. It tries to provide the features of an editor, compositor, and vfx in one package. HitFilm might be a bit overkill for just a Vlog.

 

[NowInc]

Nah. Its not an issue. I've got 5 or 6 MACs, never had a heat issue or component failure.

If you don't want an all-in-one iMac, you can go with a Mac Mini or Mac Pro, which has a separate display to the main computer.

It isn't an issue though. You will notice now that many of the windows PC makers are copying the iMac design and producing all-in-ones.

Isn't an issue for everyone, no. We just had a work iMac here crash from a heating issue, but that was the first one to ever do so. They DO get hot, but they are good at mitigating it...just don't go touching the back.

If price is a huge issue, look into Apple certified refurbished. Has a warranty and is WAY cheaper (this is coming from a Windows guy).

 

[SDisney90]

Price thankfully isn't an issue and thank you all for your tips and advice. I've always been a windows guy since day one, never really wanted to change either. I'm sure Windows Movie Maker is awful on my PC due to my specs (they really are awful surfing the web can be a struggle at times with multiple windows)

I have a lot of things to consider with a purchase like this more notable the price differences. I'd have to look at the pros and cons of each. Apples are great to work with and look at I'm sure and the fact of not having to buy virus protection is great. Then again if I do stick with a PC, I cannot get windows 8..worst invented software alongside with Vista.

Anyhow back on topic all I need is basic jump cuts nothing serious but I suppose this isn't just about a vlog its about a long term purchase which in the end, is the most important factor. Ill take the Sony Vegas into consideration and try to download a trial version if one is available..thank you all!

 

[Jahona]

Windows 8 + Classic Shell or Pokki if you can't stand Metro. Problem solved. Windows 8 is a superior OS compared to 7 in the performance department. Or you can hold off for a bit you can wait for Windows 10. This is if you still want to go with Windows. For Macs, OSX has definitely seen a face lift. Personally I'm not a fan of the flatter look but that seems to be the new UI trend.

 

[NowInc]

Price thankfully isn't an issue and thank you all for your tips and advice. I've always been a windows guy since day one, never really wanted to change either. I'm sure Windows Movie Maker is awful on my PC due to my specs (they really are awful surfing the web can be a struggle at times with multiple windows)

I have a lot of things to consider with a purchase like this more notable the price differences. I'd have to look at the pros and cons of each. Apples are great to work with and look at I'm sure and the fact of not having to buy virus protection is great. Then again if I do stick with a PC, I cannot get windows 8..worst invented software alongside with Vista.

Anyhow back on topic all I need is basic jump cuts nothing serious but I suppose this isn't just about a vlog its about a long term purchase which in the end, is the most important factor. Ill take the Sony Vegas into consideration and try to download a trial version if one is available..thank you all!

Windows movie maker is terrible regardless of your computer specs. Vegas is a great affordable option.

windows 8.1 rocks.....if you have a touch screen. I hated it at first but now I "get it" and it increases my productivity 10 fold..but again..touch screen REQUIRED in order to get the most out of it.

 

[SDisney90]

Windows movie maker is terrible regardless of your computer specs. Vegas is a great affordable option.

windows 8.1 rocks.....if you have a touch screen. I hated it at first but now I "get it" and it increases my productivity 10 fold..but again..touch screen REQUIRED in order to get the most out of it.

I think I would have to skip the touch screen tbh, it's a little over kill for my needs. But, I will look into the Sony products just have to find a trial version. Thank you again