I may be done with vidding

[switch842]

As the program I use is apparently so old, it can't even be registered. Which means I only have a free trial which only lasts 30 days. I've tried other vidding programs but I just don't like them at all. I can't get the hang of editing the actual clips I have and all that. They're all just waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too complicated for me.

This fucking sucks.

ETA: So I can use the first gen of the software that we have an actual CD for. Ugh. Whatever...

Comments

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

What do you use? I might be able to find you a newer version (ahem *cough*).

[switch842.livejournal.com]

InterVideo WinDVD. They seem to have been absorbed/bought by Corel and only Corel makes products now. I did download a free trial of their Video Studio and that was just a big hell no. I hate any programs that automatically go out and search my computer for any possible vids/pictures. No. I will tell you what I want you to find. Ugh.

I did find several torrents that had cracks for WinDVD, but you just CANNOT register the program anymore. Everything I try I get an internal server error. Boo. :-(

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

Aw, man, how frustrating. What other programs have you tried? I've used a few now, including Final Cut and Premiere on Mac, and Vegas still gets my vote as easiest to use (hey, I liked it so much I bought a whole new computer to use it on!). If you wanted to give Vegas a bash I am happy to help you as much as I can. Plus it has heaps of YouTube tutorials for beginners right through to advanced stuff. It has a lot of bells and whistles but is great for the simple stuff too. It's a shame I don't live near, because I could come over and show you the basics. I bet you'd get them in no time. It's one of the few programs I've used that will take .vob files ripped straight off a DVD and edit with them. All my vids bar the last one have been done that way.

If Vegas isn't for you, perhaps try posting over at the LJ comms vidding and vidding_tech to see if anyone can recommend something similar to what you are used to. There are loads of good hobbyist video editing suites available for Windows. Here's a list of the top 10 as ranked by reviews: http://video-editing-software-review.toptenreviews.com/ I hope you can find something that is user-friendly. After my recent experience learning a new program, I know just how frustrating it is to leave one that you are so comfortable with that you don't have to think.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I may check those places out. I did try Vegas once and the interface was just really overwhelming to me. I know a lot of people like it, but I just couldn't get into it.

Here's the thing I love about WinDVD that I have not been able to find in any other program: I have my 10 second clip that I ripped. I actually need the 2 1/2 seconds in the middle In WinDVD I can open that clip, break it down into 1 second chunks and then drag the little bits I do need into the timeline. Then from there I can actually edit it down frame by frame. Every other program I've used, you have to drag the whole clip into the timeline and then use markers and try and guess where the parts are that you need.

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

If I could sit down with you I am sure I could get you comfortable with Vegas really quickly, but I know what it's like to be overwhelmed. Final Cut did that to me. It was all just too different. And the "Quick Start Guide" was 585 pages *facepalm* That's why I went for Premiere. It was closer to what I knew, though everything was in a different place.

With regards to trimming the clips, I think you'll find the majority of the vidding programs now use a trimmer window. In Premiere you have the trimmer window top left, and the preview screen top right. In Vegas, it pops up as required. You drag your 10-second clip into the trimmer window, "scrub" through it (basically drag a button from left to right that slowly scrolls through the footage so you can find the exact frames you want). You hit I to select your in point (where your clip will start) and O to select the out point (the end) and then drag that section onto the timeline. You can then fine-tune by dragging the play-head through the clip on the timeline and using the trim tool to cut off any stray frames. In Vegas you just hit S and it splits it wherever the play head is sitting on the clip. The beauty of the trimmer window is that you can scrub frame by frame so what you drop into the timeline needs very little extra trimming.

Hopefully most of the major programs will have trial versions you can download so you can see if any of them feel right.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

I did find a download trial for CyberLink. We have their DVD player interface and it got good reviews on that website you pointed me, too. So I might give that a try and see how it goes.