By Brian Jones

Cyber Link’s Power Director 12 Ultra is an excellent alternative to Adobe’s video editing software. In reality, it is surely one of the top contenders in terms of power and flexibility. This program easily creates professional looking videos in minutes that you will be proud to show your friends and family. And it is fast. This has been one of the best parts about Power Director software in the past and it is only getting better. The big question is: Why upgrade every year? Some of the enhanced features include better chroma key (green screen), content aware editing has been improved, and H.264 encoding is speedier. These are all very useful improvements, especially the encoding. H.264 is used in many places and on many devices. A lot of times, video editing software will really bog down your system, but this program is designed to import, edit, and render quickly. CyberLink Power Director 12 Ultra is available for $79.99 to $99.99.

Quick Specs

• Operating System: Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, and XP
• DVD, Blu-ray, 3D, and 4K support
• 100 multi-media edting tracks

Brian Jones has had a passion for photography and anything related for the majority of his life. One photography class in high school was all it took to get hooked on everything to do with the subject. He became more focused on learning about camera equipment as he experiemented with everything available… See more about Brian

Prices

By Brian Jones

So many of our everyday gadgets are now capable of capturing video. What are we going to do with all of that video? Simple, make some great movies to share with friends and family online. Video editing software makes it quick and easy to put together our video clips and present them in a new and attractive way. We complied a list of the ten best video editing programs based on the following criteria:

1. Ease of use
2. HD and 3D editing abilities
3. DVD and Blu-ray disc authoring options
4. Sharing abilities on social networks and video sites
5. Included effects and transitions
6. Video capturing options
7. Number of editing tracks available
8. Help and support network

Brian Jones has had a passion for photography and anything related for the majority of his life. One photography class in high school was all it took to get hooked on everything to do with the subject. He became more focused on learning about camera equipment as he experiemented with everything available… See more about Brian

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More Video Editing Software

By Brian Jones

“Hard to use” and “complicated” are usually phrases that are synonymous with Adobe software products. The Elements lineup of software are the answer to the normally complicated and expensive core software most are familiar with. Ease of use is the name of the game in Premiere Elements 12. Just like we saw in the Photoshop Elements 12 counter part, Adobe has added in guided help to streamline the process of editing video to a polished final product. This is done with Guide View and Expert View. Once you have learned the ropes, turn on Expert View to get to the video editing on your own with enhanced editing function. Video Adjustment layers are another great new feature seen in this iteration. The adjustment layer controls effects on every thing under it. This means multiple clips are granted the same effect instead of having separate effects for each clip. This will save many users a good chunk of time and confusion. We really love seeing workflow improvements when it comes to software that receives a yearly update. Once your movie is created, Adobe makes it just as easy to share it. Burning your finished product to a DVD or Blu-ray or posting a video to any social media site can be done quickly and hassle free. Adobe Premiere Elements 12 is available for $99.99.

Quick Specs

• Operating System: Windows 7, Vista, XP and Mac OS X v10.6-v10.8
• DVD and Blu-ray support
• 99 multi-media editing tracks

Brian Jones has had a passion for photography and anything related for the majority of his life. One photography class in high school was all it took to get hooked on everything to do with the subject. He became more focused on learning about camera equipment as he experiemented with everything available… See more about Brian

Prices

Back to Top Video Editing Software

By Brian Jones

Roxio Video Lab HD has a great mix of available and missing features, making it a very unique product in a sea of consumer video editors. This is one of the cheapest video editing programs that supports 3D video. Which is pretty impressive. Because it is on the cheaper side, you are going to be missing a lot too. The green screen, image stabilization, advanced DVD menu templates, and a strong media manager are not present in this software at all. If you are not looking for features like these, Roxio Video Lab HD does just about everything else very well and easily. It is available for $15.99-$49.99 online.

Quick Specs

• Operating System:Windows 7, Vista, and XP
• DVD, Blu-ray, and 3D support
• 32 multi-media editing tracks

Brian Jones has had a passion for photography and anything related for the majority of his life. One photography class in high school was all it took to get hooked on everything to do with the subject. He became more focused on learning about camera equipment as he experiemented with everything available… See more about Brian

Prices

By Brian Jones

Pinnacle Studio HD 15 is a solid video editor with all the basics and a little more. Pinnacle is very good about working with your computer’s hardware and not bogging it down with a lot of resource hogging operations. This means it tends to crash less. Help and support are areas where this product really comes in handy. There is free email, phone, and live chat support as well as an included manual and tutorials online. If you have any trouble or questions, there will never have to be a worry when using this software. Pinnacle Studio HD 15 is available for $50.99.

Quick Specs

• Operating System:Windows 7, Vista, and XP
• DVD support
• 2 multi-media editing tracks

Brian Jones has had a passion for photography and anything related for the majority of his life. One photography class in high school was all it took to get hooked on everything to do with the subject. He became more focused on learning about camera equipment as he experiemented with everything available… See more about Brian

Prices

By Brian Jones

If you are looking for your first piece of video editing software, Serif Movie Plus X6 is probably going to be the one. This program is exceptional at the editing basics and provides a little deeper functionality equally well. This software is very beginner firendly with its QuickMovie Studio mode where all you have to do is drag and drop video clips into preset themes. This makes is quick and easy to create great looking videos with no experience at all. It is a little more expensive than some of the beginner level video editors. This program makes up for the price with the great set of included tutorials and instructions. Any question can be answered within the program in multiple places or in the included manual. Serif Movie Plus X6 is available for $77.69.

Quick Specs

• Operating System:Windows 7, Vista, and XP
• DVD and Blu-ray support
• Unlimited multi-media editing tracks

Brian Jones has had a passion for photography and anything related for the majority of his life. One photography class in high school was all it took to get hooked on everything to do with the subject. He became more focused on learning about camera equipment as he experiemented with everything available… See more about Brian

Prices

By Brian Jones

Nero is has been turned to for CD ripping and burning solutions for a long time. Now they are in the game of video editing. Nero Video 11 is a middle of the road editor available at a great price. If you are looking for something that makes putting simple videos together easily, Nero has done it. A great feature is the Windows Live Movie Maker compatibility. Some people may be more comfortable with the free editor from Windows, but may be looking for more. This compatibility makes Nero a great program to put some extra final touches on projects started elsewhere. Since Nero also has a great reputation for authoring CDs, you know you are going to be able to make some great looking DVDs and Blu-rays with Nero Video 11 easily. This software is available for $43.99.

Quick Specs

• Operating system: Windows 7, Vista, and XP
• DVD and Blu-ray support
• Unlimited multi-media editing tracks

Brian Jones has had a passion for photography and anything related for the majority of his life. One photography class in high school was all it took to get hooked on everything to do with the subject. He became more focused on learning about camera equipment as he experiemented with everything available… See more about Brian

Prices

By Brian Jones

For those looking for a scaled down video editor that has just about everything you really need, Video Suite 10 might be worth looking into. This program has 3D support which is pretty surprising for something as bare bones as this. This software really shines when it comes to converting file formats and device comparability. It support more than 200 mobile devices right out of the box. This is a great feature if you shoot a lot of video with your tablet or smartphone. This program is a little lacking on the video editing side, but it has all of the basics you need for most projects. If you are looking for heavier edits to your video, it may not be the right choice. Movavi Video Suite 10 is available for $59.99.

Quick Specs

• Operating System: Windows 7, Vista, and XP
• DVD, Blu-ray, and 3D support

Brian Jones has had a passion for photography and anything related for the majority of his life. One photography class in high school was all it took to get hooked on everything to do with the subject. He became more focused on learning about camera equipment as he experiemented with everything available… See more about Brian

Prices

By Brian Jones

3D video is still pretty slow to be adopted by consumers and industry alike. MAGIX knows there are some out there who want to explore the unexplored. Movie Edit Pro MX Plus is for those who want to brave the new world of 3D video at home. This software is one of the most powerful consumer level 3D editing tools out there. It supports a number of different 3D effects like transitions and titles. It also supports all conventional 3D displays and output formats. MAGIX Movie Edit Pro MX Plus is available for $61.15-$99.99.

Quick Specs

• Operating System: Windows 7, Vista, and XP
• DVD, Blu-ray, and 3D support
• 99 multi-media editing tracks

Brian Jones has had a passion for photography and anything related for the majority of his life. One photography class in high school was all it took to get hooked on everything to do with the subject. He became more focused on learning about camera equipment as he experiemented with everything available… See more about Brian

Prices

By Brian Jones

There are a lot of video editing programs out there and it can be hard to decide which one will be the best for you. CyberLink Power Director 10 Deluxe is surely one of the top contenders when it comes down to it. This program easily creates professional looking videos in minutes that you will be proud to show your friends and family. And it is fast. This is one of the best parts about Power Director 10. Video editing software can really bog down your system, but this program is designed to import, edit, and render quickly. The included Magic Movie Wizard makes everything even easier too by adding things like cuts, transitions, and fixing shaky video. CyberLink Power Director 10 Deluxe is available for $51.49.

Quick Specs

• Operating System: Windows 7, Vista, and XP
• DVD, Blu-ray, and 3D support
• 100 multi-media edting tracks

Brian Jones has had a passion for photography and anything related for the majority of his life. One photography class in high school was all it took to get hooked on everything to do with the subject. He became more focused on learning about camera equipment as he experiemented with everything available… See more about Brian

Prices

By Brian Jones

“Hard to use” and “complicated” are usually phrases that are synonymous with Adobe software products. Not this time. Adobe really made sure that the ease of use in Premiere Elements 10 was one of the most important features. The smart tagging and InstantMovie features are where this is really apparent. These make it extremely easy to store and locate your clips while InstantMovie brings clips into the program according to specific criteria. Once the movie is created, Adobe makes it just as easy to share it. Burning your finished product to a DVD or Blu-ray or posting a video to any social media site can be done quickly and hassle free. Adobe Premiere Elements 10 is available for $73.45-$99.99.

Quick Specs

• Operating System: Windows 7, Vista, XP and Mac OS X v10.5.8-v10.6
• DVD and Blu-ray support
• 99 multi-media editing tracks

Brian Jones has had a passion for photography and anything related for the majority of his life. One photography class in high school was all it took to get hooked on everything to do with the subject. He became more focused on learning about camera equipment as he experiemented with everything available… See more about Brian

Prices

By Brian Jones

Sony’s video editing suite is a very powerful tool that many videographers would be happy to work with. Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 a lot to offer when it comes to ease of use, a powerful program, and flexible authoring options. Sony made sure things like where the editing tools were located and placement of windows were practical for users at any level of experience. This video editor is fully loaded with things like steroscopic 3D and HD editing, lots of 2D and 3D effects, title options, and tons of transitions. Vegas makes finalizing your project to a DVD, Blu-ray, or preset web formats easy with their extensive authoring options. Sone Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 is available for $48.95.

Quick Specs

• Operating system: Windows 7, Vista, and XP
• DVD, Blu-ray, and 3D support
• 10 multi-media editing tracks

Brian Jones has had a passion for photography and anything related for the majority of his life. One photography class in high school was all it took to get hooked on everything to do with the subject. He became more focused on learning about camera equipment as he experiemented with everything available… See more about Brian

Prices

By Brian Jones

Corel has a great name in the creative software world. They do not disappoint with their video editing offering. Corel Video Studio Pro X5 is one of the best video editors in this price range. Some of the biggest changes made to this version focus on ease of use and navigation. They made it so the interface itself won’t be a problem by making tools easy to find on the timeline. The program supports HD video editing, chroma key for green screens, stop motion animation, time lapse, and a lot more once you really get into the program. Corel Video Studio Pro X5 is available for $69.99.

Quick Specs

• Operating system: Windows 7, Vista, and XP
• Recommended: Multi-core processor, 4 GB of RAM, and 1GB video RAM
• Supports DVD, Blu-ray, and 3D
• 21 multi-media editing tracks

Brian Jones has had a passion for photography and anything related for the majority of his life. One photography class in high school was all it took to get hooked on everything to do with the subject. He became more focused on learning about camera equipment as he experiemented with everything available… See more about Brian

Prices