Tom's Guide: 12 Video Editing Tools for Your PC

Whether you consider yourself an amateur or a pro in terms of video editing, there are a ton of options when it comes to choosing the right tools for the job. You can pony up for a full featured application or go for one of the free options. These won't cost you anything as far as money is concerned, but might set you back when you consider the features you're missing out on. Check out Tom's Guide's '12 Video Editors for Your PC' to help you decide which application is right for you.

Even before faster internet connections made video a popular online media, budding directors relied on their computers to turn boring home videos into relatively polished and entertaining short movies. The video editing tools we feature here range from the most simple, incapable of nothing more than simple cut transitions and basic titles, to more full-featured options that in the right hands can give professional movie editors a run for their money.Most of the tools in the following list are free. However, in this case, you really do get what you pay for in terms of capability and user-friendliness. We excluded very expensive video editing software like the full version of Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro. Yet the paid options we're featuring do justify the money you'd spend on them.12 Video Editors for Your PC

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  • master_chen
    Windows Movie Maker - Crap.
    Blender - Meh.
    Lightworks - Alright.
    Avidemux - Crap.
    VirtualDub - FUN*K YEAH.
    Kdenlive - Meh.
    OpenShot - Alright.
    YouTube Video Editor - Crap.
    iMovie - Crap.
    AVS - Alright.
    Sony Movie Studio (a.k.a. "Screenblast") - Alright.
    Power Director - Alright.

    ----------------------

    Aside from mentioned above:

    Camtasia Studio - Alright.
    Sony Vegas PRO - GOD TIER.
    Adobe Premiere - Very Good.
    Final Cut - Good.
    Adobe After Effects - Alright.
    Reply
  • bison88
    I'd throw in Pinnacle HD Studio. Cheap program that can easily be expanded via add-ons into a very powerful video editor. Problem is like Cyberlink PowerDirector, those add-ons add up and most of the time are required just to get small features like additional container support for your imports and turn it from a Very Good to a "Alright" just due to the unnecessary cost additions for basic support others offer out the box.
    Reply
  • master_chen
    9409780 said:
    Pinnacle HD Studio.

    Haven't tried that one, I've mentioned only those which I have used personally.
    Reply
  • alidan
    i wish there was a video editer that just worked with everything you have avalable...
    you got a codec on your computer, you can edit.
    with the ease of sony vegas, and function you want.

    i currently have a bunch of ideas i would like to do, but because of the codec requirements, i cant do half of want i want unless i want to tie up my computer in a never ending re render for the next 2 months.

    i so despise video editing on the computer...

    and lets not go into screen capture programs, which i can find 6 video setting of the 20 they have that dont crash, and of those 6 one is a god teir capture quality, but no video editor will use it
    3 of them cant sync audio with the video, 1 of them even though you set it to 30fps, cant possibly be more than 10, and the last one has audio slightly out of sync.

    sure you could capture uncompressed, but i dont have a 4tb drive to deal with 2 hours of that.

    i wish working with video wanst so impossible.
    Reply
  • master_chen
    9409796 said:
    Adobe Premiere - Very Good. :D :)

    Do I feel sarcasm coming from your post?
    Reply