Editing Software Buyer's Guide: Making the Cut

New to video editing? You've arrived at an exciting time. The software is more powerful, less expensive and easier to use than ever. Some simple solutions are even becoming standard issue with new computer systems.
Five years ago most editing software was exclusive to video systems costing tens of thousands of dollars (for the budget models). Few people had access to these pricey tools, and the software that was available to the modest consumer had little hardware support from the computer and video industries. That has all changed.
Our handy-dandy editing software buyer's guide will help you wade through the sea of products to find the one that offers the features you seek at a price you can afford.
When choosing editing software, ask yourself a few questions about the types of videos you're likely to create. This can help you focus on exactly what you need. First, how do you want to distribute your video? Are you planning to dub your finished video to VHS? Do you want to create streaming video for the Internet? Would you like to send video clips in your e-mail? How about Video CD or DVD? Or would you like the ability to create all of these? Next, ask yourself what type of interface you prefer - storyboard, timeline or both. Lastly, check your budget. How much can you afford to spend? With these answers still fresh in your mind, take a gander at the exciting and ever-expanding list of video editing software. Soon, with the right software, you'll be making the cut and showing your videos to the world.

Editing Software for the Beginner
(Less than $200)

If you're brand new to video editing and you're looking for the simplest and least expensive software that will allow you to edit your home videos, this is the category for you. Software under $200 is generally designed to make editing as fun and easy as possible. Most software in this category relies on a storyboard interface for editing, which allows users to simply click and drag their video clips in the order they want. The storyboard format is easy to navigate and simple to use.
Most of these products have one or two video tracks, have a few transitions and effects, and simple audio editing control. They typically allow you to output your finished video to tape or as an .avi or .mov file.
These inexpensive applications allow new editors to quickly and affordably create great-looking home videos, complete with some special effects, titles, music and narration.
Some credit Apple, whose iMovie 2 ($49) editing program was made famous during the iMac computer's nationally televised advertising campaign, as responsible for helping to mainstream computer video editing. Only available for Macs, this simple editing software is well worth its pricetag, especially if it is the edition that comes bundled in a new Mac. In this version, Apple added more effects and transitions and improved its audio controls. Purchase of the software would be for those who have Mac G3s equipped with FireWire that didn't include iMovie, or users of the original iMovie software who'd like to upgrade.
FreeDV from Media 100 is available as a free download at the company's Web site. For a little bit more power AIST's Movie DV ($69) might better fit your needs.
Interactive Solutions' MovieWorks 5.0 ($100) supports Mac and Windows operating systems and offers a choice of either storyboard or timeline workspaces. Along with video and audio, MovieWorks includes animation and paint functions.
For about $100, both MGI Software and Ulead Systems offer simple editors. MGI's VideoWave 4 ($99) has a well-designed interface that comfortably integrates all of its components from audio to special effects to transitions. Ulead Systems, well known for MediaStudio Pro 6.0, its higher priced editing software, offers VideoStudio 5.0 ($99) as a beginner's introduction to computer-based video editing. It offers many transitions, some audio control and a choice of interface.

The Next Price Tier of Editing Software
($200 - $999)

The software in this mid-range priced category offers perhaps the best combination of price, power, flexibility and ease of use. Most of these editing software packages allow for multiple audio and video tracks, transitions, special effects and title options.
Many offer both storyboard and timeline editing interfaces. Besides a dizzying array of output options, many also have the ability to encode streaming video for the Internet. For the vast majority of video editors, from beginner to professional, the software at this level can accomplish almost every editing task you desire.
The learning curve with these products is typically as steep as you want to make it. It's easy to produce videos using only a fraction of the software's capability. Then when you're ready for more, the features are there for you. Once you've mastered a technique or tool, you can simply build on that. You can produce everything from high-quality home videos to full-length feature productions with the products at this level.
Adobe, one of the pioneers in computer-based video editing, recently released the newest version of its award-winning software, Adobe Premiere 6.0 ($549; current Premiere users can upgrade for $149). Easily the most popular editing software for advanced hobbyists and professionals alike, the latest incarnation of this perennial favorite offers a number of improvements from Premiere 5.0. There's a new professional-style audio mixer, a storyboard, customizable workspace, improved DV support and a full array of Web output options. Incredibly powerful, Adobe Premiere 6.0 is also surprisingly simple to use. Besides being the most popular editing software, it's also the most supported by consumer video hardware manufacturers and, of course, is compatible with other Adobe products like After Effects and Photoshop.
Right up there with Premiere in terms of garnering industry praise and awards is Ulead Systems' MediaStudio Pro 6.0 ($495). This powerful editing tool is easy to learn and powerful enough to create whatever you can imagine. Some unique features that it offers are MPEG-2 capturing and editing, video painting, a vector-based character generator and enhanced audio editor. Its look and feel are also unique, as it is comprised of five modules: Video Capture, Video Editor, Video Paint, CG Infinity and Audio Editor.
Another editing software that's made inroads in the marketplace is in-sync's Speed Razor 2000 ($895). This powerful package has numerous audio and video tracks, both storyboard and timeline interfaces, compositing tools and extensive file support and output options.
One of the newest to join the video editing software game is long-time audio software innovator, Sonic Foundry. With Vegas Video ($630), designed exclusively for PCs, Sonic Foundry has created a buzz not only for its excellent audio capabilities, but its comprehensive video tools as well.

Top-of-the-line Editing Software
($1,000 and up)

The line is blurring in the editing software world between mid-level products and the upper echelon. However, there are still some advantages in choosing the proven providers for your editing needs. Avid software is in its tenth generation. The newly available software-only Avid Xpress DV ($1,699) draws from the wisdom of Avid's awarded past in an elegant interface and media logging file structure that has been the nonlinear staple of motion pictures and television for more than a decade. Many of the top-of-the-line editing software manufacturers provide support for the real time functions of upper end video hardware. These partners can marry into powerful editing solutions. With Speed Razor 2000 X ($2,150), in-sync takes Speed Razor 2000 and offers real-time playback of multi-layered video effects and still image sequences for greater flexibility. United Media offers On-Line Express ($2,995) for Matrox Digisuite DTV, LE and LX hardware. Each has an unlimited number of video tracks and transmissions. Incite Multimedia Corp's Editor 2.8 ($2,495) features unlimited video and audio tracks.

The Final Decision

It's easy to feel overwhelmed when deciding among the vast number of available editing software products.