Where Next? Which Video Editor?

[tiny]

Merely the fact that his thread (and pieces of others) exists says volumes about what people perceive as Adobe's commitment (or lack of) to the low end and the fear that the low end will go consumer rather than prosumer in function.

I downloaded MAGIX yesterday, but found it sufficiently different that it is going to take a fair amount of time to evaluate it.

Well if you want to talk bugs, then I will be very honest in saying that I've encountered more deal breaking bugs on CS4 than ever did in Elements 4. With Elements 4 the bugs were usually systematic for me, and I knew what triggered them. Most of them were not deal breakers on any single edit. On Cs4 though, I have had to reinstall many of the programs to fix them when they just break, whether it is dynamic link or other features of CS4 that made it so desirable in the first place.

That being said, I loved PE4 because it was easy to use, yet very powerful. I know you can get fairly advanced editing software for relatively cheap (Vegas for example), but I could never figure out those other programs. Maybe it is just me.

[Bob]

my "Advanced Premiere Elements" book (which I hope to have out early next year) will definitely include it!

Will this book be somewhat generic, enough so that it woul be useful for all versions of Pre El?

Steve will have the definitive answer, but I would expect that it would be useful for all versions. When you get to the advanced capabilities, they have been pretty consistant through all the versions. The UI has been changing, but the plumbing has been pretty much the same.

[Steve Grisetti]

Indeed it will be pretty universal -- although I'll also cover how to use some of the program's newer features in version 8.

Mostly it will be a step-by-step of how-tos for, for instance, making a line move across a map, creating a non-linear motion path, how to do Star Wars credits, making a modern-looking movie dissolve into an old movie, etc. Tricks that will work in any program.

Right now I'm still brainstorming a list.

[SteveG]

It sounds like the updated version of the PE2 book. That would be great. I'll definitely have to get that one.

[Steve Grisetti]

Thanks for the encouragement, Steve!

Right now I've got about 60 tasks I'd like to demonstrate. Some are old classics, like from the In a Snap book. But others will be things like turning live video into a snapshot and vice versa and using key effects to make it look like you're zooming through a window and into a scene.

But I'm still putting the finishing touches on my Photo Elements/Premiere Elements 8 combined book. Then I'll concentrate more on my next project.

Whew!

[douwei]

I have tried Pre8 and it has not gone well. I have a version of Pre3 but cannot get it to work when importing video...and freezes up on Windows 7. Does anyone have suggestions to get Pre3 working?

Also, does Pre7 work on HD video? If so, is there a place where I can get a trial still?

Thanks,
Doug

[Steve Grisetti]

Doug, do you mind if we split this off into its own topic so it can get some attention?

I'd hate to see it get lost at the end of this less-than-relevant thread.

[douwei]

Yes, absolutely...sorry, how do I do that?

[Chuck Engels]

Hi Doug, Welcome to Muvipix

You can go to the Premiere Elements 7 forum
viewforum.php?f=57

At the top left side of the page you will see a NewTopic button

[Bill Hunt]

John,

I've used Pinnacle Studio and Avid Liquid, PrE 4, Magix, CyberLink PowerDirector and a few more. I still have some of these installed and do use them as "tools."

For me, the CS2 Production Studio has been my "go-to" suite. I did not upgrade to CS3, and have yet to move on to CS4, though CS4.1 & the upcoming CS4.2 do look promising. Early CS4 reports turned me off from making the move.

Now, I am still on XP-Pro, which is, of course 32-bit, and also only do SD editing for now. In about 3-6 mos. I plan on getting a new workstation and will be moving onto Win7 Pro at that time. I also plan on adding HD shooting and editing shortly afterwards.

Maybe it's that I spend so much time in PrPro, or that I have a good upgrade path (including PS-Extended), but I will stay with PrPro as my main NLE, without hesitation. The same with Encore. I would not give it up for a free copy of Sonic Scenarist - I'd sell it on eBay and still use Encore.

In all of my years with PrPro, I have only had a few times that I was compelled to file a Feature Request, and the same for Encore. With about two decades of use of PS, I have yet to file the first Freature Request. Maybe with PS-Extended?

Though I have plenty of other NLE's to choose from (no Sony Vegas), I would not attempt the majority of my Projects in any of these, not even PrE. They are but tools to get material into PrPro for the work. None works as I do, and even with the experience that I have gained in PrE, doing test Projects for the Adobe PrE forum, I cannot imagine leaving PrPro behind - regardless.

I realize that those comments do not help you, but just wanted to share my views. Good luck on your decision. If you do not mind my asking, why would you turn away from CS4?

Hunt

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

If you do not mind my asking, why would you turn away from CS4?Hunt

Hello Bill. I will not necessarily be moving away from CS4. My aim was to encourage an exchange of views on the various NLE editing tools and their relative pros/cons so that I could consider other options. I will be giving CS5 a miss and will, maybe, think about CS6 at the appropriate time. I will also want to consider other tools. Whichever way I go in a couple of years time I do see that as most likely being the last 'regular upgrade' purchase of NLE software I will make. Any future purchase will be hugely dependent on there being significant enhancement in the software functionality (it was only my move to Win 7 that forced me to finally give up on PrElv2!!)