Open and Free Video Editing Tools

I decided to look for some free WIndows and Mac video editing software recently since the last time I ran Windows I was pretty well disappointed with what was out there, at least as far as open tools are concerned.

The free editing software I did find for Windows is simply "still bad" and the choices haven't changed much. I was disappointed with just about everything I tried. Mostly the interfaces were just not good. Some of these were ported from Linux/Unix so there are a lot of bad editors there also. I was amazed that after a few years these products haven't become better or more alternatives haven't popped up.

Avidemux is still pretty good for some editing tweaks. I've had decent luck with it. It runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. ZS4 isn't too bad either so take a look at that. ZS4 runs on Windows, OS X, and Linux and will do most of what you'll need to get done. On Linux I would recommend Lives or OpenShot. OpenShot is written in Python, my programming language of choice.

For Windows Wax is still the way to go. You can use it stand alone, but it will plug into the big guys, like Adobe Premier, as well as Microsoft's Movie Maker. It also plugs into VirtualDub if you feel the need for it. I had to convert mov to another format though. I use Format Factory to convert mov to avi. This tool is the best and a must have if you want to convert any multimedia format to another, including audio and images; make sure to uncheck the Ask.com crap when installing.

For a little more power and learning curve, Jahshaka and the editor included in Blender 3D rock as well! I will highly recommend them both.

There were a couple of Windows projects I found that seem to have died. Shame really, but people get busy and I imagine video editing software is a major undertaking. The little bit of code I've done over the years leads me to believe this. Maybe these can work for you so I'll link them. Positron and Vivia, both appear to be non-linear editors.

OS X is a different monster, considering you can run some x11 applications you can actually use some Linux software with a little know how. Fink or MacPorts will give you access to some of these programs with little trouble. Not sure how well Lives would run, if at all, on Mac OS X, but if you can get it and it works well, you will likely not be too disappointed.

Some other tools that work well are MPEG Streamclip. Good for conversion and minor edits on Windows and Mac OS X. As a Linux user I've spent many hours on the command prompt using FFMPEG! It will do just about anything video! You can get FFMPEG on Mac OS X, which is absolutely brillant, or on Windows; everything you need is here.

Sometimes you need to draw directly on or edit an individual frame. For this you will want to grab a copy of CinePaint! Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Really is a nice tool and is based off of The Gimp. If I were to compare this tool to anything, I'd compare it to Photoshop, only for movies.

Of course we have some tools that were not available a few years ago, which is web based editing, and it's pretty damned good. I was using JayCut's editor and it kicks ass! Not only can you edit without installing anything, but you store your movies there as well so you can share them. I really wasn't looking to review on-line tools, but I felt they are worth mentioning. For more tools and insight read this article. I'm just amazed the on-line tools are actually better than most of the tools I installed. There are even conversion tools like Zamzar.

I guess if you're serious about doing major video editing you should consider spending the money and buying Final Cut, Adobe Premier, or Sony's Vegas line. It will cost you, but you get really good tools. If you're really on a budget on Linux you can run Cinelerra, which is free, and you can even use it without installing Linux if you wish (see the list of Live CDs on their site). It's a decent, but not without headaches, professional editing environment.

If you're like me and just want mid range editing and the ability to share with family, the on-line tools work well. If you're simi-professional or learning, the tools I mention will get you on your way.

As for authoring here are some dvd tools, check out:
DVD Flick Windows
HandBrake Windows, Mac OS X, Linux
DVD Author Mac OS X, Linux
transcoder-redux Mac OS X
DVD Styler Windows, Linux

Also look at Apple iMovie and Microsoft Movie Maker included with your OS.

A tools collection I maintain at my web-site.