Can you recommend me a video editor?

[AMX]

I'm currently looking for video editing software, and was wondering if anybody here had a recommendation?

I'd use this both for gameplay videos, and to make training videos for work.
Before you ask: No, there is no budget available - I'd be doing this on my own time, on my own dime, in the hope that it'll cut down on the soul-crushing stupidity I have to deal with every day.

I'm on Windows, have a 1680x1050 monitor, and an AVerMedia LGP Lite - so at least the gaming stuff will be 1680x1050, 30hz (actually, the properties on my test video say 29fps :smallconfused:), and in TS format, with a separate mp3 for live commentary.

I'm not looking to do anything particularly fancy, mostly just basic cutting and adding audio - even smooth transitions are not necessary (but would be nice to have).

However, due to the work stuff, I must be able to mask off a specific part of the screen (can't have certain geniusses using my UserID instead of their own...), and I can absolutely not have any watermarks, logos, or ads.

I'm currently thinking of OpenShot, but that may just be because it's high up on the list at videohelp...

Can you help me?

[8BitNinja]

Try VSDC, it's the one I use, and it's free :smallsmile:

[AMX]

That does look promising :smallsmile:

[Seppl]

I had very good experiences with VideoPad, which was recommended to me on another forum when I had pretty much the same question as yours a few months ago. It is not free but it is only $40. It might be a bit too powerful for your ambitions, so maybe it is not worth the money for you (I would say it was worth it for me, as I wanted a result that could pass for professional editing despite my lack of experience). It is very beginner friendly and - this is important - comes with a good tutorial. There is a trial version which you can test for a while before it starts nagging you about buying it.

I do not know whether there is a pre-defined effect for censoring parts of the screen (because I never needed this functionality and therefore never looked for it) but at the very least you should be able to add black bars by adding a floating text with black fore- and background color. This workaround should work in any video editor that is able to add text to your movie.

[Fri]

If you're using windows, what's wrong with windows movie maker? IIRC it's free.

[Whoracle]

If you're willing to wrap your head around a wholly different workflow than normal, I'd recommend AviSynth (http://avisynth.nl/index.php/Main_Page).

Basically, you'll program your videos instead of visually editing them. It reduces the abysmal performance overhead most Video Editors have, makes "Templating" a breeze, and overall makes for a really fast workflow once you've got the hang of it.
That said, the learning curve is more of a Wall instead of a curve, so it may not be your cup of tea.

[AMX]

If you're using windows, what's wrong with windows movie maker? IIRC it's free.
Last I checked WMM didn't support .ts files.
I suppose it's possible that's changed in 10...


If you're willing to wrap your head around a wholly different workflow than normal, I'd recommend AviSynth (http://avisynth.nl/index.php/Main_Page).

Basically, you'll program your videos instead of visually editing them. It reduces the abysmal performance overhead most Video Editors have, makes "Templating" a breeze, and overall makes for a really fast workflow once you've got the hang of it.
That said, the learning curve is more of a Wall instead of a curve, so it may not be your cup of tea.
Sounds interesting, but I've done enough scripting to say that I shouldn't do any scripting.

[Peelee]

Steve is pretty good at editing video. Dunno how much he charges, though.