Best software to edit HD content

[djluis2k6]

What is the best software to edit HD content on a PC running Windows Vista 64-bit? I want to also be able to burn it to a 25GB of 50GB BD afterwards. Menu customization would be good as well.

[Toptube]

Adobe and Corel are pretty much considered the best for video editing.

Nero probably has the most robust editor for menus.

[ObiTrentKenobi]

Originally Posted by Toptube

Adobe and Corel are pretty much considered the best for video editing.

Nero probably has the most robust editor for menus.

If you're looking to edit HD video, get Sony Vegas 8 Pro!

This is what i use for ALL my video editing. it's more expensive than the corel, but you have 4 times the transitions, 30 times the effects and a nicer non-linear editing layout with a realtime previewer. you can even use multiple monitors to preview your work!

each transition and effect you can manipulate and customize it to your liking. some video editors will just add an effect (i.e. desaturate, or brighten/darken). Sony Vegas 8 Pro you can choose desaturate, then a window pops up and you can edit "desaturate only highlights" and there will be a slider to desaturate highlights only more or less, or desaturate only midtones, desaturate only specific colors, etc etc etc.

i got it from sonymediasoftware.com (pretty much the only place you can order/download it) for 550$. this is a little cheaper than adobe premiere though.

Adobe premiere is ok, however, it's extremely choppy and will bog down your system if you don't have an uber powered pc.

Adobe premiere pro is great, if you have time to read an entire book on how to use the darn thing though... very frustrating and ugly software. it's results can be amazing though.

sony vegas 8 pro is great if you plan on burning the video to a bluray disc! because you get industry standard codecs that are very compatable with other software. it'll even burn your movie right onto a bluray disc if you don't want a menu. if you DO want a menu on a bluray disc, vegas pro 8 comes with DVD architect 4.5 (you get a free upgrade to dvd architect 5.0 which will do the bluray menu authoring when you register)

vegas exports to more formats than adobe, corel, nero and any other video editing software i've used! when you choose an HD format, you can choose 1080p/24, 1080p/60, etc. 720p, NTSC or PAL Widescreen DVD, NTSC or PAL Full Screen DVD, you can customize the output resolution and format to pretty much whatever you want. it'll export to ipod, sony psp, mpg, mpg2, avi, mov, mp4, h.264 or whatever that one is. and they all have a dozen or more options. it's great for sending your video in multiple formats.

it'll import anything too! unlike other video editors. you can import avi, mpg, mpg2, mp4, h.264, DVD VOB files! plus all the other formats it can export. and, unlike other editors, it doesn't crash if you try to import multiple file types into one work flow.

**Shania Twain, Sheryl Crow, YES!, Dateline NBC and other professionals use Vegas 8 Pro to produce their videos (yeah, shania twain and sheryl crow don't do it themselves i'm sure, i mean their video producers do)

i can't say enough about this software!

[jmg]

any votes for PInnacle studio (now avid, I guess).
The newest version is pretty robust, does HD editing, and is 64 bit code.... I love it, but admitedly I only use it at a consumer level. And it can be a bit expensive.

[jmkoch]

Originally Posted by ObiTrentKenobi

If you're looking to edit HD video, get Sony Vegas 8 Pro! ... vegas exports to more formats than adobe, corel, nero and any other video editing software i've used! when you choose an HD format, you can choose 1080p/24, 1080p/60, etc. 720p, NTSC or PAL Widescreen DVD, NTSC or PAL Full Screen DVD, you can customize the output resolution and format to pretty much whatever you want. it'll export to ipod, sony psp, mpg, mpg2, avi, mov, mp4, h.264 or whatever that one is. and they all have a dozen or more options. it's great for sending your video in multiple formats.

it'll import anything too! unlike other video editors. you can import avi, mpg, mpg2, mp4, h.264, DVD VOB files! plus all the other formats it can export. and, unlike other editors, it doesn't crash if you try to import multiple file types into one work flow.i can't say enough about this software!

No objections to Sony Vegas 8 Pro, except that one does pay a hefty sum to get the full suite, and it's harder to learn than some competing products. Some of its "unique" features are not. Pinnacle Studio 12 and Cyberlink PD offer comparable import and export features, most of the transitions and effects one typically needs, for a lower price. Both import and export multiple formats. Nero 9 has perhaps the most import and export options, but the editing platform is a bit spare (only one effect allowed, only one volume level per clip, etc).

Sony will not (so far) burn AVCHD-DVD discs with menus. Studio and PD do. Premier elements will not burn AVCHD-DVD at all, only to BD media itself. An AVCHD-DVD is high definition video on an ordinary DVD+R SL or DVD+R DL disc. One can get over an hour of decent HD video on a DL at a much lower cost than BD. An AVCHD-DVD plays on a PS3, many BD players, or on any core 2 duo or faster PC with a red laser DVD drive and a decent graphics card.

The biggest investment in any NLE is the time it takes to master it. If time is scarce, pick the most simple product you can find. Check out the screen shots or trial versions at the makers' websites.

[Chevypower]

Originally Posted by jmkoch

No objections to Sony Vegas 8 Pro, except that one does pay a hefty sum to get the full suite, and it's harder to learn than some competing products. Some of its "unique" features are not. Pinnacle Studio 12 and Cyberlink PD offer comparable import and export features, most of the transitions and effects one typically needs, for a lower price. Both import and export multiple formats. Nero 9 has perhaps the most import and export options, but the editing platform is a bit spare (only one effect allowed, only one volume level per clip, etc).

Sony will not (so far) burn AVCHD-DVD discs with menus. Studio and PD do. Premier elements will not burn AVCHD-DVD at all, only to BD media itself. An AVCHD-DVD is high definition video on an ordinary DVD+R SL or DVD+R DL disc. One can get over an hour of decent HD video on a DL at a much lower cost than BD. An AVCHD-DVD plays on a PS3, many BD players, or on any core 2 duo or faster PC with a red laser DVD drive and a decent graphics card.

The biggest investment in any NLE is the time it takes to master it. If time is scarce, pick the most simple product you can find. Check out the screen shots or trial versions at the makers' websites.

Sony DVD Architect 5.0 does let you burn Blu-rays and AVCHD DVDs with menus. If you go straight from the NLE timeline, you cannot have menus, but if you use DVD Architect 5, you can either go with menus or without menus. I hate Menus (unless there's more than one video on the disc), so I don't use them, I always just burn with chapter points but without menus. DVD Architect comes standard with Sony Vegas Pro 8.

[aesnakes]

Adobe Production Suite CS3 or CS4 has what you need to do everything but there may be a learning curve if you want to take advantage of some of the features. (motion Menus in After effects, Editing in Premiere, DVD Authoring in Encore) and they all work together nicely by bridging the applications.

For more advanced programs that really take advantage of your machine there but come with a very steep learning curve for creativity you are looking into Avid Express, Avid Media Composer (what I use at home) Avid DS (what I use in the studio with Nuke) and so on. But you probably want to use the Adobe Suite it is a great set of tools

Good Luck!

[VHS4Ever]

I need a software to edit HD content too.

[zicmubleu]

Originally Posted by djluis2k6

What is the best software to edit HD content on a PC running Windows Vista 64-bit? I want to also be able to burn it to a 25GB of 50GB BD afterwards. Menu customization would be good as well.

I bought Sony Vegas 8/Architect 5(?) but I thought it was only for 32bit OS not the 64 bit. Am I misunderstanding something about Vegas and do all those programs mentioned run on 64bit OS?

I had asked about the intermediate file type to use when using Vegas to create partial videos, slideshow in my case, and importing to Architect, my efforts always seem to result in recompression in Architect. In the end a one step editor would seem better if recompression is unavoidable since I never got an answer to that question.

[tbui57]

I have Sony HC-3 HD (1080i) that captures video in mpeg-2. These HD editor: vegas, corel, nero, or adobe, will have to convert mpeg-2 to AVCHD and render them. Am I correct ? If this is true, how is the final AVCHD PQ compare to the original mpeg-2 ? Any degradation to the picture quality due to the conversion ? I would like to see the final AVCHD in at least 1080i, if it is possible ? Thanks a bunch for your inputs.

[SiegeStryke]

Avid is really powerfull, we use it at work for productions (I'm a broadcaster for the US Air Force) You better have some good books or someone who knows it well to help you out, because it isn't the most user friendly (a pain in the ass to be honest if you dont know it.) I would suggest Premiere CS4 as it can do just as much as Avid but MUCH more user friendly. And yes you can import, edit, and export in HD in CS4 as it supports XD Cam, P2, and Red out of the package.

[ObiTrentKenobi]

Originally Posted by zicmubleu

I bought Sony Vegas 8/Architect 5(?) but I thought it was only for 32bit OS not the 64 bit. Am I misunderstanding something about Vegas and do all those programs mentioned run on 64bit OS?

I had asked about the intermediate file type to use when using Vegas to create partial videos, slideshow in my case, and importing to Architect, my efforts always seem to result in recompression in Architect. In the end a one step editor would seem better if recompression is unavoidable since I never got an answer to that question.

What are you saying? Your videos are compressed when you import them to dvd architect? It'll only compress them if your media (videos+audio+images+menu options) equal higher data amounts than your blank-media can support.

If you're working on HD video, the file size can get pretty large (avchd). Of course it will compress if you're trying to put 4.5+gb's on a standard dvd.

[ObiTrentKenobi]

Originally Posted by tbui57

I have Sony HC-3 HD (1080i) that captures video in mpeg-2. These HD editor: vegas, corel, nero, or adobe, will have to convert mpeg-2 to AVCHD and render them. Am I correct ? If this is true, how is the final AVCHD PQ compare to the original mpeg-2 ? Any degradation to the picture quality due to the conversion ? I would like to see the final AVCHD in at least 1080i, if it is possible ? Thanks a bunch for your inputs.

No. Sony does not have to render AVCHD into another format. It edits the file itself! That's what's so great about Sony Vegas Pro's editing capabilities!

Import the AVCHD file, edit it to your liking (even incorporate other formats into the editing timeline even!!!!!! not many editors do that) then export to AVCHD or disc. If you want the best picture quality, export the file UNCOMPRESSED IF YOU WANT!!! Your options are limitless.

[ObiTrentKenobi]

Originally Posted by aesnakes

Adobe Production Suite CS3 or CS4 has what you need to do everything but there may be a learning curve if you want to take advantage of some of the features. (motion Menus in After effects, Editing in Premiere, DVD Authoring in Encore) and they all work together nicely by bridging the applications.

For more advanced programs that really take advantage of your machine there but come with a very steep learning curve for creativity you are looking into Avid Express, Avid Media Composer (what I use at home) Avid DS (what I use in the studio with Nuke) and so on. But you probably want to use the Adobe Suite it is a great set of tools

Good Luck!

Adobe suites: 1200$ +

Sony Vegas Pro 8 with DVD Architect 5: 650$

[zicmubleu]

Originally Posted by ObiTrentKenobi

What are you saying? Your videos are compressed when you import them to dvd architect? It'll only compress them if your media (videos+audio+images+menu options) equal higher data amounts than your blank-media can support.

If you're working on HD video, the file size can get pretty large (avchd). Of course it will compress if you're trying to put 4.5+gb's on a standard dvd.

What I am doing is creating an HD slideshow of still images, hundreds of them. Sony Architect has a file limitation, something like 80 files, which would limit my images to that quantity, so to get around that I use Vegas to combine a group of images into a single file and add some sound to it, etc. The Vegas editor compresses the jpegs into whatever file format I choose, an intermediate stage for my purposes. Then I import a few of those Vegas output files into Architect to create the final video image to burn to disc. I am using BD-R/E, once it seems to work I switch to BD-R. My biggest image was about 18+GB, well within the 23GB limit of the BD-R. However when I kick off the Architect process it lists a group of 'problems' and some of them say it is compressing the file.

So my general question is what output file format should I use in Vegas to avoid recompression in Architect. I am interested in getting the highest resolution/quality image.


From my earlier post (don't know how to link it in here) of the options I have available in Vegas. Post was "Format for Vegas to Architect w/o recompr"

Video format: Sony AVC (*.mp4;m2ts,*.avc)

Video Template: Blu-ray 1440x1080-60i, 15 Mbps video stream
Blu-ray 1440x1080-50i, 15 Mbps video stream
Blu-ray 1440x1080-60i, 8 Mbps video stream
Blu-ray 1440x1080-50i, 8 Mbps video stream


Video format: MainConcept MPEG-2 (*.mpg;*.m2v;*m2t;*.mpa)

Video template: Blu-ray 1920x1080-24p, 25 Mbps video stream
Blu-ray 1920x1080-50i, 25 Mbps video stream
Blu-ray 1920x1080-60i, 25 Mbps video stream
Blu-ray 1440x1080-24p, 25 Mbps video stream
Blu-ray 1440x1080-50i, 25 Mbps video stream
Blu-ray 1440x1080-60i, 25 Mbps video stream
Blu-ray 1440x1080-24p, 8 Mbps video stream
Blu-ray 1440x1080-50i, 8 Mbps video stream
Blu-ray 1440x1080-60i, 8 Mbps video stream



Audio format: Dolby Digital AC-3 Pro (*.ac3)

Audio template: Default Template
Stereo DVD


Audio format: Sony Wave64 (*.w64)

Audio template: 48,000 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo, PCM
48,000 Hz, 24 Bit, Stereo, PCM
96,000 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo, PCM
96,000 Hz, 24 Bit, Stereo, PCM


Thanks for your insight into what would be best.

[tbui57]

Unfortunately, I have the early HD video camera (HC-3) from sony that capture video to tape in mpeg-2(1080i) format, not AVCHD. Therefore, the software must first decode mpeg-2, and re-encode in AVCHD (rendering). This is my understanding, please correct me if I am wrong....

Thanks Obi.

Originally Posted by ObiTrentKenobi

No. Sony does not have to render AVCHD into another format. It edits the file itself! That's what's so great about Sony Vegas Pro's editing capabilities!

Import the AVCHD file, edit it to your liking (even incorporate other formats into the editing timeline even!!!!!! not many editors do that) then export to AVCHD or disc. If you want the best picture quality, export the file UNCOMPRESSED IF YOU WANT!!! Your options are limitless.

[ObiTrentKenobi]

Originally Posted by tbui57

Unfortunately, I have the early HD video camera (HC-3) from sony that capture video to tape in mpeg-2(1080i) format, not AVCHD. Therefore, the software must first decode mpeg-2, and re-encode in AVCHD (rendering). This is my understanding, please correct me if I am wrong....

Thanks Obi.

I understand now, i thought you were using an HD hard-drive model, my bad.

Since it is a tape model, and the hardware and software has come a long way... there really won't be much quality loss in the initial capture. it'll be so slight that you won't ever notice.

depending on any editing you choose to do to your video (contrast/color correcting/effects etc), there will be slight loss of quality when you do a final render after you have edited anything. But honestly, there's nothing you can do about that. Again though, in Vegas you can choose an uncompressed video/audio codec option to lose the most minimal pq/aq.

Yet, this would be true with ANY program you would use. It's as good as you can get brutha!

[ObiTrentKenobi]

AVC Blu-ray 1440x1080-50i, 15 Mbps video stream
or
Mpeg2 Blu-ray 1920x1080-60i, 25 Mbps video stream

Dolby Digital AC-3 Pro (*.ac3)
_____________________________________

I wonder what's going on with the compression issue though in Architect... I'm going to look into this some more myself...

[tbui57]

Thanks Obi.

Would Vegas Studio be sufficient for what I need, i.e., to convert MPEG2
to AVCHD (1080i) and burn to BD25 (preferably to DVD-9, since it's cheaper)?

I assume the DVD architect is a separate suite ? Do I need ACID for my
simple task of format conversion ? I would pay for top PQ/AQ, but I don't
care too much on effect or menu.

Thanks a million.

Originally Posted by ObiTrentKenobi

I understand now, i thought you were using an HD hard-drive model, my bad.

Since it is a tape model, and the hardware and software has come a long way... there really won't be much quality loss in the initial capture. it'll be so slight that you won't ever notice.

depending on any editing you choose to do to your video (contrast/color correcting/effects etc), there will be slight loss of quality when you do a final render after you have edited anything. But honestly, there's nothing you can do about that. Again though, in Vegas you can choose an uncompressed video/audio codec option to lose the most minimal pq/aq.

Yet, this would be true with ANY program you would use. It's as good as you can get brutha!

[plee]

Originally Posted by tbui57

Thanks Obi.

Would Vegas Studio be sufficient for what I need, i.e., to convert MPEG2
to AVCHD (1080i) and burn to BD25 (preferably to DVD-9, since it's cheaper)?

I assume the DVD architect is a separate suite ? Do I need ACID for my
simple task of format conversion ? I would pay for top PQ/AQ, but I don't
care too much on effect or menu.

Thanks a million.

All you need is to capture your HDV video from the camcorder, most every editing software will do this. When HDV first came out it was difficult to edit the video because of the compression but with today's faster computers and software updates you should be fine with most.

You don't need to convert to AVCHD unless your looking try to squeeze more video onto the disc and it may take a few extra hours of encoding. Just leave it as MPEG2 when you want to render out to the disc/hard drive. Remember MPEG2 is also Blu-ray compliant