Flirting with disaster

[bigway 4]

I am starting to worry about where my life might be taking me.
My mac packed in so i am renting a PC laptop and am running XP. I am now starting to think about buying a PC instead of another MAC.

I have always loved MAC but life is so much easier for software and downloads. Anyone got some advice on good editing proggrammes for the PC that are free or easily found as a torrent?

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[velocityphoto 0]

Just think of all those virus and spyware problems won't that be fun ! Remember you get what you pay for .I tried to go back to pc until i started playing on them again .No way ...

A friend will bail you out of jail , a REAL friend will be sitting next to you in the cell slapping your hand saying "DUDE THAT WAS AWSUM " ................

[ChangoLanzao 0]

Quote

I am starting to worry about where my life might be taking me.
My mac packed in so i am renting a PC laptop and am running XP. I am now starting to think about buying a PC instead of another MAC.

I have always loved MAC but life is so much easier for software and downloads. Anyone got some advice on good editing proggrammes for the PC that are free or easily found as a torrent?

Windows Movie Maker works pretty well ... try it out first ... it's free, comes with XP. I use it for quick NLE and Premier Pro for the advanced stuff.

XnView is free and really good for photos.

[glyrenden 0]

for a pc the best program is AVID. It is what all the pro's use. you can go to avid.com and download "avid DV free" for free. It more or less runs just like a full avid. It is easy to learn and has a lot of fretures for a free platform. but if you want to spend some money or download from your fav torrent I would also recomend adobe premire.

[DSE 3]

Quote

for a pc the best program is AVID. It is what all the pro's use. you can go to avid.com and download "avid DV free" for free. It more or less runs just like a full avid. It is easy to learn and has a lot of fretures for a free platform. but if you want to spend some money or download from your fav torrent I would also recomend adobe premire.

"Avid" anything and "easy to learn" in the same sentence seems blasphemous.
Avid Free is quite unstable, but it's a good way to get your feet wet.

Editing software...
Depends on what you need to do, want to do, and dream of doing.
In the Apple world, you have choices of:
iMovie-free
Final Cut Express-299.00 HDV ready (no 24p)
Final Cut Studio-1299.00 HDV ready
Avid Express HD-1599.00 HDV ready

On the PC side:
Adobe Premiere Pro 2-499.00 (Also in a full bundle for more $$) Also has hardware available. HDV ready/No 24p in HDV
Adobe Premiere Elements-99.00
Avid Express Pro HD-1599.00 Also has hardware available. HD ready
Avid Free-Free
Canopus Edius-499.00 Also has hardware available.
Pinnacle (now Avid) Studio 99.00
Pinnacle Liquid (3 versions) 199.00, 599.00, 1599.00 HD ready
Sony Vegas Movie Studio-89.00 HD ready
Sony Vegas full version -599.00 (also has hardware available) HD ready
Sony Vegas Platinum-129.00 HD ready
Ulead Media Studio Pro-299.00 Somewhat HD ready
Ulead Video Studio 89.99

There are a few others, oddballs such as AIST, Blade, etc, but they aren't strongly supported. All of the above have extensive training available via books, DVDs, websites, etc.

Personally, I'm a big fan of Sony Vegas and Avid Express. If you can edit on an Avid, you can edit anywhere in the world and be reasonably fast. Vegas is very intuitive, IMO, whether you're dealing with the low cost versions or the higher dollar professional tools. Premiere in the bundle is a great choice, but as a standalone, I feel it's weak, and has a steep learning curve for what it accomplishes. Avid Liquid is a great tool, very fast to use and learn, but requires a MONSTER new computer setup. Canopus Edius 4 is a fair editor, unless you buy into their whole monster system, wherein it becomes a tremendous app, and is finding it's way into many broadcast houses now that Canopus is owned by Grass Valley.

[howardwhite 4]

I would add to Mac and PC list:
Avid Xpress DV is what i use, mostly. It's $499.95, though B&H is selling it for $349.99. Has worked well for me, though -- as you suggest -- the learning curve is steep (I had some Final Cut Express experience which helped in the concepts but not the details.)
Can be installed on PC and Mac -- same package.
It's not clear to me what Avid's long-tem commitment to this product is. There were promises of a port to Intel Mac some time ago, but nothing seems to have happened, and current version doesn't run on dual-core Mac (o.k. sound plays and pictures display but they don't play.)
They've announced software-only Symphony, but details are sketchy and pricing info is absent. Avid's having a freebee reception in Boston in Boston next month and they promise more details, so I think I'll check it out.
HW