I need some video editing software. HD ripping software too.

[GRtak]

I am going to be making a bunch of videos this summer and I will be needing some video editing software to get started. My experience in this area is very rudimentary to say the least. I have used older versions of Premiere, and that is about it. This software should also be free to use(not cracked) or really cheap.

There is currently a deal on the Humblebundle page for Vegas Pro 2014 for $20 as part of a package, but this is really about the only thing I see being useful at the moment.


I will be getting the videos from a few sources. Some will be things done on the PC such as gaming. Others will be from cameras in cellphones or tablets, and a small point and shoot style digital camera. Some other cameras may come into play later.

Most of the videos will be in standard 1080 format(1920x1080), with one of the exceptions being what I get from the PC, which will sometimes match my ultra-wide monitor resolution of 2560x1080.

As for computer hardware, I run an AMD Ryzen 1700X with 16 GB ram, a 1 TB SSD, a 3 TB HD, a GTX 970 video card, and that should be good enough for what I am doing. I will be upgrading the hard drives in it, but what I have now should also be sufficient.



One other thing that I am looking for, is software that will allow me to rip my HD-DVDs to my hard drive. I already have an external HD-DVD drive to assist with this, it is the accessory drive for the Xbox 360.


Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.

 

[Matt2000]

First off I'll say that by aiming for something free you're really going to be limiting yourself or potentially frustrating the hell out of yourself, depending on what you plan to do. How valuable do you consider your time and sanity? I currently pay for a full Adobe CC suite sub as I found a 40% off deal for the first year, despite not doing full time or even professional anything. I did it because I know the software and I can use it comfortably with good results. I did buy Vegas the last time it appeared in the Humble Bundle though in case I decide that to full priced CC suite is too expensive when it goes to full price (£50 a month) and I think that's your best way to go. It's full featured and that price can't be beaten. I think you can still get an equivalent to Windows Movie Maker if you want to get really basic, supposedly that was used to make the very successful Zero Punctuation series for years. Pinnacle Studio used to come free with capture cards I have owned, possibly some unused versions are kicking around somewhere that will work.

That machine should be just fine for 1080p video and just above that, it's pretty much what I was using before I upgraded and it only ever struggled with 4k. Try and keep everything you're editing on the SSD, another tip to retain sanity. I've had good results with OBS for screen capture and you might be best running whatever it is you're capturing in a window at 1080p, that way you avoid a resolution mismatch which is never going to look great.

Another nice to have is something like the Contour ShuttleXpress, something I picked up to make editing more comfortable as I can use my otherwise pretty idle left hand to jog around, play, pause and chop up clips. At $60 it's a fairly low cost to make editing more comfortable, I love mine and I'm seriously considering upgrading to the bigger one. Again I'm far from pro I just know that editing can be tedious and anything that helps to stop it from being a tiring chore will benefit you in the long run.

DVDShrink was always my go-to application for DVD backup, however it hasn't been developed since 2005 and doesn't mention HD DVD. I have no idea how HD DVD actually works having never ever seen one in action but there's nothing to lose by trying it.

 

[GRtak]

Thanks for the advice.

I really did not want to go the free route, unless it was just a trial version of a program to test it out. I just can't afford the $50 a month for the Adobe CC right now for what is just going to a hobby. It may turn into more than that, but until then I think I will just get the deal from Humble.

I did build this PC with the intent of this being one of the uses. I did want a newer graphics card, but the prices went all insane on me. The prices do seem to be leveling off a bit, but I think I will be waiting for the next gen cards to go into my next machine before upgrading.

I like that editing pad(don't know what else to call it), and I think the big brother looks decent too. Any tool that makes a job easier is always a benefit.


I guess I should have also stated that if I needed to, I could spend a few hundred on this project overall. I already have a new external HD as part of that plan, and a couple of SD cards. I could also splurge a bit on a RAM expansion(more insane PC parts prices), and that editing pad would be nice too. So there goes the budget and a touch more. :lol:

 

[Matt2000]

I really did not want to go the free route, unless it was just a trial version of a program to test it out. I just can't afford the $50 a month for the Adobe CC right now for what is just going to a hobby. It may turn into more than that, but until then I think I will just get the deal from Humble.

Adobe offer a single app subscription for a significant discount here, I couldn't see the same on the US site so I'm guessing the money grabbing bastards don't offer it to you. It's actually a massive rip-off but works if you just need the one app and are on a budget. Vegas should work for you though, I've had a look around it and it seems to offer everything at a price that can't be beaten.

I really think your PC will be fine as is, 16GB of RAM should be fine and you really won't see the benefit from another GPU. It'll increase preview and render performance slightly but that's it.

 

[73GMCSprint]

You'll probably have to use AnyDVD HD to rip the HD-DVDs. There might be other options out there but that's the only one that comes to mind. It's not free but has a trial period.
For Blu-Ray, MakeMKV works very well and is still free.

 

[mjk]

Check out Davinci Resolve. It's super powerful and the standard version is free. If you need the ability to render into Cinema 4K, or a few other advanced features, there's also a $300 pro version, but it's overkill for Youtube video.

 

[GRtak]

You just wanted me to fall in love with the consoles... the one looks like NASA launch controls. :lol: