In order to shoot your own video, even a smartphone camera is enough. But to bring it to mind, turning it into a real masterpiece, not everyone can do it. It is necessary to properly edit the video sequence, apply certain effects, add captions or notes, that is, do full-fledged editing.
And here, video editors come to the rescue - programs that work with multimedia content. After processing and final editing of the source materials from a seemingly unpretentious video sequence, you can make a quite worthy product that friends are not ashamed to show, and it’s also quite possible to make money on it.
There are plenty of video editors for the computer. Some are understandable, simple and can’t do much, others are more difficult to master, but the result is exceptional videos. There are medium solutions, so it is very easy for a beginner to get confused in all this variety. We will try to single out the most worthy options from the entire existing mass.
So, we outline the best video editors for personal computers, consider their main advantages and disadvantages, as well as the desirability of working with them for certain users. First, let's deal with the selection criteria.
Which editor to choose?
Those who have been engaged in editing for a long time have already “sat down” on some of their video editors, having studied their capabilities far and wide. This section will be useful for the most part for beginners who are just planning to do this thing. We will figure out what to look for first of all when choosing software of such a plan.
PC performance
Installation of content is a rather resource-intensive procedure, therefore, almost all video editors for Windows require a good technical base. If not, then the whole process will consist mainly of seeing the brakes and lags, as well as the endless waiting for the end of processing a series.
On office stationary equipment and medium-sized laptops, you can easily trim video and nothing more. In all other cases, you need a normal video card, a good processor and a decent amount of RAM. As a minimum base for 2018, we can consider a bunch of RX 550 and "Reisen 5" from AMD or GTX 1050 and i5 from Intel. RAM should be at least 8 GB, and best of all 16.
Some video editors will work without lags and with more modest requirements, but it will take a very long time to wait for the end of each process. Those who are abruptly overtaken by the muse and want to do everything, as they say, here and now, will have to take care of upgrading the computer.
User level
Video editors, designed for amateurs, have an entry threshold significantly lower than similar software for professionals. Working with entry-level programs is much simpler: the interface is intuitive, there are abundant tips for all items, as well as master assistants for training.
Professional software requires theoretical knowledge, study of manuals and familiarization with video lessons. If you are planning some one-time editing or simply do not want to delve into any accompanying wilds, then it is better to stop on video editors for fans.
Software features
Here we are talking about the tasks and what exactly you want to get on the way out. If you need a video editor with effects and that’s all, then you should not consider “heavy” universal systems designed for the entire spectrum of editing. It is enough to choose something more specific, which will allow you to quickly complete the task with a limited and only necessary set of tools.
For example, if you need a video editor for cropping, then you don’t have to mess with the powerful Sony Vegas or the Premiere from Adobe: the capabilities of a simple native Windows software - Movie Maker - will be enough.
Next, we go directly to the list of programs themselves.
"Video editing"
Among beginners, this editor is enviable. The program has a very low entry threshold thanks to an intuitive and intuitive interface with an abundance of tips. In addition, the official resource of the developer has a lot of training materials, both in text and in video format.
It is also worth noting a well-organized toolkit, where the user does not need to wander through the branches of the menu and look for the necessary items. All the necessary functionality is located on the main desktop and is available at the first click.
The program allows you to solve most of the practical tasks in this area: cropping, gluing, speed, screensavers, transitions and much more. The resulting material can be saved in different formats, of which more than 30 varieties, so that there are no problems with export and import.
Users respond very warmly about the program. It is really easy to learn, and any newcomer who has sat down for video editing for the first time will cope with the interface. The only thing is to clarify that the software is distributed under a shareware license. That is, the basic version has limited functionality, while paid solutions have advanced features.
For those who shoot short videos for social networks or some of their needs, a free license, which is limited by the time of the video and the number of special effects, will be quite enough. Well, the rest will have to buy an activation key for the video editor for 700 or more rubles.
Windows movie maker
This is the standard software that comes with the Windows platform in the Pro or Ultimate version. If this did not happen (“Basic” / “Home” Windows), then it can be downloaded from the company store or also obtained as an add-on if you previously purchased office products from Microsoft.
The utility allows you to create simple videos and amateur films from an existing video sequence, as well as from photos or slide shows. Content can be supplemented with art effects, subtitles, sound or animation.
Judging by user reviews, the obvious advantages of the program are its intuitive interface, low system resources and zero cost of the product. The basic capabilities of the software are enough for easy installation, so the software can be recommended to undemanding beginners.
SONY Vegas Pro
This is a professional program, or rather a whole complex for editing video and audio content. The utility is able to process the source from several cameras, as well as sound from different microphones. In addition, the software supports a space of four frames and works with files of any specific format and volume.
One of the main advantages of Vegas is its high data processing speed. In comparison with other similar software, this indicator is higher by a good 30-40% with similar actions. The product provides the user with all the necessary tools for installation. You don’t have to look for something “on the side”, because the program draws everything up and down.
Despite the abundance of functionality and a lot of features, it is impossible to call Vegas complex. Beginners in this business will calmly master the software after a couple of training video lessons. An abundance of tips and an intelligent master assistant will tell you what and how if you encounter any problems or misunderstandings.
Software Features
Users mostly respond positively about the editor. He is largely good and very quickly copes with the tasks. But this speed also has its reverse side: the requirements for the technical component of the computer are quite high, so on weak machines all the advantage is melting before our eyes.
The product is far from cheap, so buying it for two or three editions does not make sense. Software will be a great tool for the professional and those who want to seriously engage in video editing. If you need a “pen test,” the developer offers a trial version with limited functionality. In other cases, you will have to buy a license for more than 20 thousand rubles.
Adobe Premiere Pro
This is a real monster of his craft. In the professional environment, “Premiere” is completely positive. The product is used by both average hands and Hollywood filmmakers, and such popularity and demand simply cannot be earned.
"Premiere" is a whole complex for working with video content. Here you can do absolutely everything, from cropping videos to high-grade films. The product is used for typesetting series, cartoons and dynamic blockbusters. At the output, you can get video of any quality from 240p to a row in 4K. Support for specific formats XDCAM EX and RED allows you to safely work in tandem with 3D-typesetters, as well as other professional software that is used to create content.
Editor Features
Professional users consider Premiere to be an ideal tool in their segment, which they simply haven’t come up with better. The only thing worth clarifying is that the program has a very high entry threshold and you can’t use the functionality anyway. A good theoretical base is needed here. It’s time to compare the volumes of manuals for the Premiere with the volumes of War and Peace, and the number of official training videos has exceeded one hundred.
So it’s better for beginners to practice on something simpler, and only then move on to heavy artillery. Otherwise, you can simply wallow in an abundance of instructions, tools and features. As for the cost, then for the full complex you will have to pay more than 20 thousand rubles for an annual subscription. If you already have some Adobe products installed, such as Photoshop, then the cost will be noticeably lower.
For everyone, the developer provides a trial version of the program, where for a limited time the user can use all the functionality, with only one caveat: all video content at the output is obtained with the Premieres branded watermark. After paying the license key, it disappears and other minor restrictions are removed, such as publishing material in the cloud services.