The following question comes from Rachel Labas in Massachusetts, who attended one of my recent presentations:
Q: My colleague and I really enjoyed your presentation and got some great ideas from it. I was the one who asked the question about what type of software you use to edit your Flip videos. We don’t have Macs here, and are a small dept, so I’d love to hear what you use to edit the video on a PC. Thanks!
Answer: If you’re using a standard definition Flip video camera, Windows Movie Maker works fine. But it doesn’t handle HD, so you need to look elsewhere. Moravi Video Suite is a versatile and inexpensive option.
For Macintosh, as I mentioned in my presentation, Quicktime Pro is a good option if you’re just pulling out a single sound bite. For more complex edits, iMovie, Final Cut Express or Final Cut Pro are good choices.
What do you use for editing HD video?
I was a Final Cut Pro supporter 100% … until I was forced to learn to edit on a PC at work. We use Adobe Premiere, as a part of the Adobe CS4 package – and I’m a convert. I even just picked up a laptop of my own & opted for a PC so I could use the Adobe suite of products rather than Final Cut/iDVD (although I still use iTunes!).
Thanks, Jen. I’ve just experimented with Final Cut Express, so I don’t have the complete experience there. I can’t imagine “opting” for a PC though. 😉
I like iMovie because it’s quick and easy, and Quicktime Pro is even quicker and easier, if you just are pulling out a single sound bite.
Thanks for the great information. My office uses PCs and if we wanted to incorporate podcasts/webcast or some other sort of streaming/download-able audio file on our website, would we be able to simply use the iflip and edit out the sound with Windows Movie Maker or would we need some other piece of equipment and software? Thanks!