* For PC...
I need a video editor tool to top-and-tail video clips - a utility that can work with all the common file types and does lossless editing (no convert - edit - reconvert).

Can anyone suggest or recommend any good 'go to' 'swiss army knife' ones ?
- ideally free!

Thanks.

 

after effects with handbrake

 

Sony Vegas is Great and easy to use.

 

@lossless:
working with uncompressed video will give you nightmares and is (strangely enough) slower than any compressing container. Still, there is a fine solution: http://lags.leetcode.net/codec.html
Lagarith Lossless Codec

I really like that thingie and we do all after effects stuff into the lagarith-AVI and therefore doesn't suffer in terms of quality when we stitch everything together in the ...

@video editor:
My pick is Sony Vegas, but I operate a lot in Premiere too. Vegas - I will not conceal that - can be "edgy" occasionally, but it's not like Premiere is the height of solidity either

EDIT: I use Lagarith and anything else on w7/64, on various single and dual CPU machines. So whatever you run - it should be good to go

 

a cool one hitfilm 4 ... have many features...

 

Has Vegas has been replaced by Catalyst? The KG on the other site works.

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/catalyst

 

Last edited: Feb 20, 2016

As mentioned in the comments, Sony Vegas or Hitfilm 4 (there's a free version as well)

 

VirtualDub - cut and edit and save to rgb, TMPG Express to convert.

 

In my opinion ( I could be Wrong!!) Sony Vegas 10 ( a bit older but hell faster than any of the newer versions. You can find it in the usual Dark Alley locations....
I made a portable Vegas 10 ( compresses packed not thinapp crap!!!) so that I can bring it into any machine and add a reg entry, run it add those numbers from the reg file and done. It's not like thinapp but it becomes a normal installed application so plugins no issues to install.

Anyways I have been using Vegas since V2 LOL so many years!!.

I do not need a 2 gig video editor!! LOL

 

I searched some forums and found a lot of user speculation in regards to Catalyst being a Vegas replacement. I've been using Vegas since its inception with Sonic Foundry when it was only a DAW; Acid preceded it.

I suspect Sony will keep Vegas around regardless of Catalyst's fate, as Vegas' user base is quite extensive; much more so than other software fanboys would like to give it credit for.

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegassoftware

 

For splitting/joining without re-encoding you could try Video to video converter. Work with a lot of files types.
You still need to cut on keyframes
also, Machete and Free video editor

 

This is of interest to the newcomers, do they learn the old or the new? If I were a person starting out in video editing, I may be inclined to give the new one a go, would this be the correct way of thinking?

 

Last edited: Feb 21, 2016

Pretty much EVERYONE is suggesting NLEs which open, edit, and RECONVERT, hence a LOSS IN QUALITY. (unless you want xboxhueg lossless files).

How about this:

Use WMP/VLC/ whatever to find the timecodes you want to cut.

Cut and join into mkv using mkvmerge/mkvtoolnix http://www.fosshub.com/MKVToolNix.html

For a visual, but paid way, try VIdeoReDo. It will copy streams where possible (ie, keyframes), and reencode the small parts that can't/.

 

You want a VideoSplitter. With most other solutions, you'll have to re-transcode. So just search on that.
For Mac, you can use the free MPEGStreamclip (Open, In-Outpoint, Save as).

 

Adobe Premiere Elements is affordable and easy to use. The only downside is that it does not support 3D. Subscribe to their newsletter and every once in a while they offer discounts (50% or 60%). I got mine for €50.

 

Adobe Suite is really cool to have. Though Audition DAW isn't for MIDI production, you could still import your files there, and the integration between Premier and Audition is very nice to work with. But Premier is good by itself. I use it, and my video skills are about 0. Lots of tutorials for Premier. Some pros use it, too. In the Suite there are all kinds of other tools to use along with Premier. I like being "in the cloud".

 

Last edited: Feb 21, 2016

That's a great question.

If one is trying to wrap their mind around multi clip linear editing...a Vegas trial would only serve them well before diving into a more complex editor.

After more searching, it seems Vegas is being transitioned towards Catalyst, which I was completely unaware before this thread. It's unfortunate if Sony phases it out completely, as it is so intuitive, its ridiculous, which makes for a great editor for someone wanting to just splice and cut with some color correction and effects.

The other advantage, is that Vegas has all the capabilities of a full blown DAW, so audio adjustments and syncing is quite easily managed within one program versus having to process files through several different programs.

I've run into several professional editors, including one of Uncle Sam's in house editors, who have used Vegas.

Of course, I must admit I probably suffer from user bias, but I have used premiere in the past, along with after effects, which are both powerful, yet it always seemed like my workflow was faster with Vegas. After Effects for higher level footage effects or corrections, not available in Vegas, but I would still dump the rendered files back to Vegas for final render.

I haven't touched Catalyst yet, so I have no comment.

Sony's DVD Architect is also very intuitive for authoring DVD/Blu-Ray Media, so I hope they don't end that as well.

In the long term, the fate of Vegas is uncertain, but this could be all speculation.
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/showmessage.asp?messageid=931815
I'm sure Premiere isn't going anywhere, nor Avid's line, but both of those options come with steeper learning curves in my opinion.

Another very easy editor is Womble MPEG Video Wizard DVD 5.0
It has extremely fast render times and great for trimming ends and quick fades. The files are also rendered ready for DVD burning if that's the final destination, or you can drop them in Handbrake for compression. I used to prefer AutoGK, but Handbrake has matured quite nicely recently.

But just as with DAWs, what one learns on becomes what one is used to and is therefore biased towards; hence why old school industry guys are hung up on Pro Tools and tape machines, despite the more tech savvy knowing there's more options offered in other DAWs. Yet some of those old school Pro Tools guys accomplish great feats despite Pro Tools having falling behind in some technical specifications, and the plethora of technical availability of other DAWs cripple users with their endless options taking away from focusing on the music.

So if I were starting out again, I would look at how deep the work I wanted to do was going to be, and figure out what level of editor I need. I've seen great edits with iMovie as well, but if I was wanting to go real deep, I'd say take a community college class and watch a bunch of tutorials to figure out what each program is designed towards...I stress real life classes; in-person feedback, interaction and deadlines seem to encourage more efficient progress.

 

Not sure if your cup of tea, but I use Premiere Pro. Awesome stuff.

 

Yes, Premiere Pro is great and has great CPU management over Vegas. Also Vegas latest version 13 has some troubles with audio plugins and CPU glitches.

 

Adobe Premiere and Vegas