Your Favorite Editing Programs

Greetings,

I'm new to the forum here. I just finished aquiring legal copies of Premiere 6, Avid Xpress DV, Final Cut Pro 5, and something with Max in it. Anyway...

I've always wanted to do that. Here's my situation:

When I started doing video work for my youth group, I stepped into a role left by a previous kid. The church had custom-built a computer for him to run all the new programs on. Those programs include Adobe Premiere 5.1, Photoshop 6, and After Effects (not sure which version, as I haven't touched it yet, but it's not the newest). We had to reassemble the cpu, but once we got it up and running, everything seemed to be okay.

Until I started actually editing clips. Premiere is so messed up it's unbelievable. The Source View monitor won't work. And when it does (which is rare), the Preview monitor won't work. They just go blank, displaying no frames. After 3 months, no one at the Adobe forums has been able to help me. And now it's starts shuffling frames at cuts between video tracks. It's unbearable!

Since our Video fund is in it's infancy stage (it could actually be more likened to a toddler), we're not able to buy Premiere 6 yet. Even with a student discount. So we need to look into cheaper editing programs with decent editing capabilities. I believe we'll still be able to capture through our Pinnacle card into Premiere, but as far as basic editing goes, we need something that works!

I already have Quicktime Pro 6, so don't mention that. I'm quite fluent when it comes to using it, but I need to be able to manipulate tracks by looking at them, not by guess-work. Besides, it isn't able to do the transitions required for some upcoming projects (such as the wonderous Star-wipe).

Please, don't mention stuff like Final Cut Pro, Premiere (obviously), or Avid. While I do have experience with Avid, we're not going to afford it. I need something in the $50-$200 price-range. Also, if you could give a brief summary of what features your suggestion has, and why you like it. Thanks!

 

$50 to $200? Jeepers... Well, try looking for an academic discount for Avid DV Express or Avid Free DV (when it's released), Ulead MediaStudio Pro, or Premiere 6 or 7 (when it is released). If an academic discount isn't available, then the only thing I can think of that's worthwhile is Pinnacle Studio 8.

 

With an academic discount, you can get Vegas Video 4 for $150 with a little research. And its better than everything.


Everything.

~Neszis~

 

Wow...FCP 5 huh....seeing as 4 just was released thats pretty amazing.

If you got FCP, you got the Mac, its a no brainer. FCP is the way to go as it has pretty much any feature you will need, great color correction, and great control over your project.

 

incase u wanted to get a new version of premiere, i got mine for $100 sumthin on ebay about a while back.
anyhoo

-bert

 

"I just finished aquiring legal copies of Premiere 6, Avid Xpress DV, Final Cut Pro 5, and something with Max in it."

As Douz mentioned...FCP 5 eh?
So you just "aquired" legal copies of these programs then you go on to state...
"we're not able to buy Premiere 6 yet. Even with a student discount."
And this..." Please, don't mention stuff like Final Cut Pro, Premiere (obviously), or Avid."

I dont understand. You said you just got legal copies of those very programs. If you did then use THOSE. If you miss stated yourself then go with something like Ulead Video Studio. Or find something cheep on Ebay. Premiere does have its problems. Try reinstalling the program first before you go buy something else. Adobe has 5.1c update available on its site. Try that out. Its a free software update.

 

Anrev, read the next line after he said that.

I've always wanted to do that.

He's just joking.

 

Yeah Comyn! What's WRONG with you?!?!



Sage H.

 

I believe this meets your requirements-

http://www.academicsuperstore.com/market/marketdisp.html?PartNo=597993&nav_id=&cat_name=&Platform=&qk_srch=premiere&

you don't need to get it from an academic store in order to buy it at that price.

http://www.adobe.com/store/products/competitive_upgrade.jhtml;jsessionid=KTSSFJYC3KECTQFI0IKBT44AVDJBKIV2?id=PRupgrades

but maybe you can clarify something- you said you put the computer together and now it's having problems. Premiere 5.1 should work by itself and getting an upgrade may not resolve the issue. Have you completely wiped the drive and reinstalled everything fresh? If I just inherited a new computer, that's the first thing I would do especially if it was having problems. Then make sure you have the latest updates for your OS, quicktime, and Premiere. Should work fine.

Jeremy

 

Thanks, but won't do. I don't have a Mac *sniff*.

Also, a 6.5 upgrade won't help unless I already have 6, right? All I have is a messed up 5.1.

And GEEZ People! I thought you'd get that joke right off. But nooooo. People hop on the TAC-wagon and start trying to de-bunk my statements in some effort to expose a morsel of wrong-doing. It's so sad... especially since I could be your granddaddy with my registration date!

 

That price is the same for the 6.5 PC upgrade and you can buy the upgrade for any legal copy of Premiere that's at least version 3 or later- That's what I did. I had 5.1 and went straight to 6.5.- hit that bottom link to adobe's site and you'll see the upgrade link for the windows version.

PS- see my edit on the previous post. I'm curious to know if you did that first.

 

Yep. When they showed me the computer, it was literally in peices, we had to install the capture card, the sound card, and something else. THEN we had to install Windows 2000 Server and all the programs. Apparently the guy before me, Dale, wiped the drive and took with him a few expensive souveniers from the cpu.

But I'll look into that 6.5 upgrade. Thanks! And if it doesn't work, I'm still holding you responsible.

But I still need other options, in case our budget isn't quite that high. Let me know why you like the program, too.

 

Dude- somebody stole parts from a church computer? How sad...
And I give you a 100 percent unclepain guarantee that you can upgrade- as long as you have the 5.1 install disks and a valid serial number.

 

Valid serial number?

Just kidding! Yep, probably the first valid serial number I've ever had in my life!

 

I reccomend Vegas Video 4, it's a very nice program. With the student discount it's $150. Adobe Premiere is $250 (IIRC) with the student discount.

I suggest just saving up untill you have enough money to buy one of thoese.

 

my bad
sorry