I have some very simple video editing needs, but I know nothing at all about video editing software. I basically need to take digital video (ripped from a digital 8 camera in whatever its raw format is) and cut out bits here and there, and maybe cut and paste other bits (like to make a highlight reel or something similar). Is there any freeware or cheap software that does this simple task? If not, what am I looking at for the more expensive stuff?
Windows PCs have Movie Maker, and Macs have iMovie, all pre-installed and free to use. That will probably be enough for what you want. They’re very limited and basic, but that seems to be what you’re after so it should work out.
Nero has a simple video editor. I’ve even used Nero to download video from my video camera through firewire.
Afterwords, I burn the video to dvd with Nero.
Roxio Creator is another cd/dvd burner that includes a basic video editor.
Well VirtualDub and avidemux (google for downloads) are free and excellent, but they are not at all user friendly. You basically have to download them, then google around for the directions on how to use them properly, but they are excellent free tools
When you ask a question like this, you need to tell us what operating system you use. That determines the answers.
You’re right, I should’ve mentioned it. Windows 7.
Windows Movie Maker should do the job just fine, although it does restrict your output formats quite severely. Basically, you can either export as WMV or as a (huge) DV-AVI file.
Depending on exactly how complicated your needs are, you could also try out the software suggested by Markxxx. I use VirtualDub a lot, and i like it, but it’s certainly not as user-friendly or intuitive as commercial products, and it’s not a non-linear editor in the way that WMM or Apple iMovie are. Still, if you’re willing to learn the interface and how to use things like filters, etc., it’s really quite a powerful tool for a small, free piece of software.
One thing you could also do is to do your editing and stuff in WMM, then export to DV-AVI, then just use VirtualDub to convert the result into a smaller more user-friendly regular AVI file.
No matter what OS you’re using, sign up for the Windows Live4 Beta forthe latest free movie maker version. http://explore.live.com/windows-live-essentials-beta