Software : Buying Guide: Best cheap video editing app for OS X: 6 tested |
| Buying Guide: Best cheap video editing app for OS X: 6 tested Posted: 19 Aug 2011 02:00 AM PDT  Apple has always had a knack for turning a market on its head and video editing is a prime example. When the very first version of iMovie was released back in 1999, bundled with all iMac DV models, it introduced the idea that making home movies shouldn't be an intimidating or expensive process. Before Apple ventured into the world of video editing, making a short film was out of the reach of most people since you'd have had to budget thousands of pounds to get even the cheapest software. A lot has changed in just over a decade and video has become a much bigger part of our lives thanks to faster computers, better software packages and, in particular, social video sharing sites such as YouTube and Vimeo taking off. Thanks to these websites, you can upload any raw footage you've taken straight onto the internet. That's okay as far as it goes, but if you want to fine-tune your work, add a few effects or even include titles and transitions, then you need to make use of a video editing program. Despite the fact that iMovie has practically cornered the market for Mac users since it comes bundled with every new Mac, there are a few alternatives available. These applications offer basic to advanced editing features but each one usually gives something else unique to the budding filmmaker that sets it apart from iMovie. Most of the applications we've tested here can be downloaded straight off the Mac App Store if you're running Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) - namely, Moso, iMovie, MediaEdit and BoinxTV Home. YouTube Video Editor is obviously an online service. Only Adobe Premiere Elements comes in a physical box. How times have changed… Video editing software on testBoinxTV Home - £30 Test one: Importing clips
The process of importing media into the program is crucial, but it may surprise you to learn that some don't do a very good job of it. iMovie and Premiere Elements are masters of this step, being able to get footage from multiple types of recording devices, along with photos and music. Others take the more lazy approach of relying solely on your webcam or on footage already present on your Mac, which could force you to find a second program to get media out of some devices. MediaEdit appears to be stuck in an age when FireWire cameras were all the rage, being unable to see any modern camera connected to your Mac. BoinxTV Home is a different animal altogether as it attempts to emulate a live television studio: it can work with your webcam, a FireWire camera or any QuickTime-compatible video file you can throw at it, but everything is done in real-time - captured on the fly - which can be a great timesaver. Test results
Test two: Editing your film
Trimming footage and making precise edit points is the meat and potatoes of any video editing software. iMovie '11 sets the bar extremely high, as it offers numerous ways of achieving the same result - you end up using the method that feels most comfortable to you. Although you're restricted by only being able to work with a single layer of video, it makes cutting a movie very easy for beginners. Premiere isn't too far behind in terms of usability, but its increased versatility (being able to work with multiple layers is a huge boon to creativity as you can easily experiment with different ideas) is only hampered by a very un-Mac-like interface. BoinxTV Home relies on you clicking on the right layer at the right time for it to appear when expected during your recording, but it works extremely well once you're used to the process. Moso brings up the rear with a convoluted editing process that will frustrate the most patient of editors. Test results
Test three: Applying effects
Adding titles, transitions and effects helps you put the final touches to your project. YouTube Editor is severely lacking in that department, offering you just a handful of transitions and barely any effects to speak of. Moso isn't far behind, despite the fact that the available effects are quite original and fun to use. What lets MediaEdit down is the fact that you have to render every single effect that you apply to your clip. It's like using a program from a decade ago. Boinx's effects are very versatile and fun to use, and considering the fact that they all happen live, they're very impressive. iMovie's effects suffer from a lack of customisation and by the fact that you can only add a single video effect to each clip. Its titles and transitions however are very slick. For sheer versatility and quantity, Premiere goes to the top of the class (you can also download free additional content from Adobe's website should you find the default bundle lacking). Test results
Test four - Sharing your work
When it comes to sharing your project, YouTube Editor can't get much easier: you're already on YouTube, so save your work and it's available instantly. You also have the unique advantage of being able to work on the same project with any computer since everything's done online. The major drawback however is its inability to offer other exporting options. All other programs let you upload your work to YouTube, but you can also save your project to your hard drive either at full resolution or compressed. You can then export it at your leisure to any number of online sharing sites. iMovie comes with a plethora of additional online sharing options, like being able to upload your project straight to Vimeo, CNN iReport, Facebook or even MobileMe. But again, Premiere Elements tops this by also letting you create a basic DVD or Blu-ray disc, making it a one-stop shop for your project, from capture to burning to disc. Test results
The best cheap Mac video editing software is: Premiere Elements
If you're after great versatility when editing, don't look any further than Adobe Premiere Elements. Even though it's the most expensive program tested, it's still an excellent low-budget application that offers many advantages over its competition. For one, it's versatile enough to let you work with multiple layers. You can apply as many effects as you like to each clip. but most important of all, it's the only program on the list that works natively with the most popular HD format, namely AVCHD. Its closest rival, iMovie - and even Final Cut Express, a program nearly twice its price - has to convert clips into a format it can work with, leading to lost time waiting for the process to finish and less disk space as the files are larger. Final results
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