Image stabilizers for PE1

[William Tranter]

I've given up trying to edit using PE7 - it's too overly-complicated, doesn't lay everything out simply on the desktop (everything is in menus full of icons), and has far too many gizmos which I don't need and don't want. As far as I am concerned, it is designed for people who _DON'T_ want to do video editing, and who want to take the easiest option to get their camera-phone's video into YouTube. I don't want ANY of that rubbish!

However, it has one good feature which PE1 does not have, an image stabilizer!

First, a little background. I have a very good (Sony Vaio) laptop running XP Pro and which I have loaded with my copy of PE1 (it has PE2 loaded on it by Sony, but I don't like that version) which used to run on my old study computer (which ran XP Pro and which crashed irrevocably!). Luckily, I will be able to connect a large monitor to the laptop to give me a decent editing desktop.

My present study computer runs Vista and will NOT allow me to import audio with my video clips using Firewire (despite lots and lots of help from some very supportive friends here on Muvipix), so it is less than useless. Vista is an OS which I absolutely detest (I will be changing to Windows 7 as soon as it gets SP1!).

The one feature which I wish I still had from my old set-up was "SteadyMove Pro" which I bought years ago from 2d3, a software company in the USA. I've still got the registration code which I needed to make it run, but the actual program was lost, despite backups, because all that 'went' when the old study machine went belly-up. I've tried contacting 2d3 here in Britain, but they don't want to know. Perhaps I ought to contact 2d3 in the USA?

Can anybody recommend an image stabilizer program which will run on PE1 which I can use? I should comment that I really, really want to keep PE1, despite the few 'bugs' in it which I know how to overcome. This video editing program is one with which I am completely at home.

In the interim, perhaps I could just output the video requiring stabilizing into PE7 and smooth it out there, before re-exporting it to tape, then importing the tape to PE1 - this sounds complicated, and it is, but I'm a bit shaky these days and can't always carry a tripod everywhere.

THanking you,
Bill

[Paul LS]

Sorry Bill, not sure if the currently available stabilizers will work with PE1. I use Mercalli which is a great product... but not sure if it will work with PE1. You could try the trial version to see if it works: http://www.prodad.de/gb/mercalli_std_details.html

As you say you could use PE7 to stabilze your video, but instead of exporting to tape you could export to DV-AVI (File>Export>Movie) and bring this into PE1... much quicker than going back and forward between tapes. If PE7 is on another machine you will need a USB thumbdrive or hard-drive for transferring the files.

[William Tranter]

yes, Paul - I had forgotten I could export via a file! That would be one way of doing it. It's all a very difficult, very convoluted method of getting my video and audio into PE1, but needs must!
Video editing is my only hobby now - everything else has had to 'go' for various reasons, mainly to do with age.
At least with video editing, I'm able to sit down, and everyone seems to like my work, which is nice.
Thank you for your help,
Bill

[Bob]

I'm sorry you are having problems under Vista, Bill. I have been using Vista Home Premium (32 bit version) for quite a while and have had no problems capturing both video and audio over firewire. There has to be something else going on with your system that's causing the problem. I suspect it's probably a driver, conflict, or configuration issue, but given what you've already tried under the other thread, I don't have any sage advice. I do hope you can get it resolved soon.

Sounds like you have a viable, albeit convoluted work around to continue using PE 1. Have to agree that PE 7 seems to push more in the direction of the casual user rather than the more advanced and seasoned user. It definitely affects my workflow. It just may finally be the stimulus I needed to go to Premiere Pro.

Best wishes!