Where would I ask?

[Graham.]

I have a love - hate relationship with NCH. I love the editor and use it exclusively, It's not unlike the old Widows Video Editor, very intuitive but fully featured, but I hate the presumptions way anything of theirs you install takes over your context menus, so for example you click on a zip file and instead of opening it natively, or with Winzip or 7zip if you have them, it prompts you to download their premium zipfile product.

The free trial period seems to know to expire when you least want it to, and secretly marks the registery accordingly. On the plus side I found a valid licence key on the net so I have the last laugh.

[tabbypurr]

... about video editing software? I'm new to it, and results searching the google-duck are beyond hopeless. Yahoo is saner but hasn't got me anywhere useful.

I've tried kdenlive. The interface simply doesn't have the basic bits on that are in the manual, even getting as far as opening a new project is apparently not possible. Then it talks about 'adding files' but I've no idea what they're added to, or whether that's what's needed etc. No discussion forum for this stuff there.

Tried openshot. Loaded file, clicked the relavant effect... nothing. It gives no clues, and I don't have any at this point.

[Brian Gaff]

I've had similar issues with the audio studio Reaper. It sadly needs an idiots guide as do many bits of software these days. Brian

[newshound]

I'd like to know too. I thought the old MS Windows Movie Maker with Win

7 was pretty good: intuitive, functional, fine for basic titles and transitions, and it would export in a good range of formats without restrictions. It's annoying that what looks like the replacement in the Store isn't by Microsoft at all, and the trial version is too hobbled for me to feel comfortable paying for the full version.

I'm currently jumping between Shotcut, Avidemux, and iMovie (on Mac). Many of the "review" sites just do a list of features, and seldom point out the irritating limitations of trial versions.

OT, but I find Audacity does everything I will ever need for audio. (I am sometimes mixing camera and independent audio tracks for video).

I had invested in Pinnacle which wasn't bad, but the version I bought doesn't run under Win10 and they didn't offer any sort of discount to existing customers.

uk.rec.digital isn't bad for stills but I havn't found a comparable video NG.

[Robin]

Armed with that specification of what you have and what you want to do with it I suggest you go to

and start at the beginning.

[Max Demian]

I use VideoPad which works all right:

[newshound]

Useful link, I had been through the wikipedia links in the past. Just downloaded OpenShot, this has a nice clean interface and looks fairly intuitive. Unfortunately it's stuttery on some 1080p which is OK in Shotcut (I've tried a couple of profiles, maybe not found the right one yet). There's a lot to know in video, and the learning curve is steep.

[Robin]

I provided the link in part as, in the absence of any clue at all as to what video he has and what he wants to do with it, I thought he might as well start with AviDemux which is what I tend to open these days when I almost always want just a quick and dirty trim/conversion.

[Bill]

In message [e-mail], Robin [e-mail] writes

Something that never seems to be mentioned, but I have used to help with various simple jobs over the years, is the free Microsoft Expression Encoder.

It has a basic video editor, I believe. I've just loaded it into this W10 machine and it seems to install OK. In my old age, I can't remember how to use it, but it is worth investigation. It is a bit confusing. If you install it, the top of the 3 options is where the editor is.

The downloads for Expression Web and Expression Encoder are labelled as trial versions but, as far as I know the trials never expire.

[alan_m]

Often there are video guides on Youtube

[tabbypurr]

Nice one.

NT

[tabbypurr]

Dled it... it's a 67k .exe, suspicious.

NT

[tabbypurr]

Some clips need rotating 180 degrees. Some of course need cutting, then a couple of dozen splicing together. A photo needs insered here & there. Not much more than that really, a bit of splitting sound & picture. If there's a video noise reduction filter that would be a plus.

Will check out avidemux, thanks.

NT

[Andy Burns]

2.6MB here, I assume that's just a stub installer that will download the real installer

[The Natural Philosopher]

Th latest version of the last ,ajor release works OK for me, but it often crashes halfway through so saving the state contsantrly is a good idea.

The latest version is too bug ridden to use.

[Robin]

I'd not use Avidemux for that: eg it's not designed to create video. But it has noise filters and can rotate, and you can cobble stills by eg adding them as logos. So I think you could get there in the end with the help of the WWW. And it /is/ free.

[whisky-dave]

I use iMovie quick and easy and free IIRC. Been using it for years, it can be annoying and sometimes I think I should go over to something a bit more useful and advanced but the learning curve and the cost for what I currently do it's not worth the hassle.

[Dave Liquorice]

Dig about looking at version numbers and you should be able to find the last nice and useable version of Windows Movie Maker but not on a Microsoft site. You'll find it "packaged" from a third party who put a basic shell around the original program that wants you to pay for it. However if you look in the install directory you'll find an oddly named .exe that is the orginal program that the shell simply calls...

[tabbypurr]

Oh :/ I'll give that a miss then.

NT

[Lee Nowell]

I used Kdenlive on Ubuntu to make a family movie. Ended up splicing together 10s of video and audio clips and I thought it was great. You can manipulate clips with special effects, blending, switch sound tracks etc relatively easily. I haven't used it since but happy to help if you have any specific questions etc or need a jump start.