There are many editing programs available. At DVC we don’t sell all of them, just the ones that we think are the best. The choice of program does come down to your personal preference - something which you cannot properly appreciate until you have used them all for real editing!

Your type of project will have an impact on your choice. If you do lots of long weddings, for example, you need a program that can cope with this - some programs slow down hugely when the project goes over an hour or so. Or you may need a program with good off-line capabilities so you can edit your project and later take it to a full broadcast suite for finishing off. There is nothing to stop you having 2 or 3 programs on your system and using the best one for the job in hand, but of course you will then have to learn each of them!

There will also be a big divide as to whether you use a Mac or a PC. Not all programs work on both platforms. Of course the debate as to whether a Mac or a PC is a different one and we will not attempt to compare the two platforms. Generally if you like Macs stick with them, if you like or at least know PCs well, then stick with them. Having decided to use a Mac you cannot then use Sony Vegas or Grass Valley EDIUS, as these are PC only. You can run Windows on a MAC using Boot Camp but if you were going to turn the Mac into a PC why not buy a PC in the first place?

Sony Vegas

For

• Excellent sound features, and good quality video FX.
• Powerful compositing features normally only found in programs like After Effects - has keyframable mattes and proper 3D compositing..
• Supports many formats - one of the few programs to currently edit AVCHD footage.
• Comes with DVD Architect - one of the most comprehensive DVD and Blu-ray writing programs. Can export chapters and subtitles from Vegas to Architect.
• Full 5.1 surround sound editing with everything needed to put this on DVD.
• HD output supported by cheap Black Magic cards.
• Animated character-by-character titling included in the program.
• Proper RED camera support coming soon!

Against

• Quirky interface - some say old fashioned, but mainly different to everything else.
• Non-standard way of doing things means it is less intuitive. Clips are called "events", keyframes are called "envelopes" and bizarrely clips can be dragged out beyond their end to loop! Of course once you learn how to use the program this is not an issue.
• Tends not to support formats that Sony does not prefer - where is support for DVCPro HD for example?
• Although it previews effects well Vegas does not do a lot in realtime at full quality, unlike a program like Grass Valley EDIUS..

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Grass Valley EDIUS

For

• EDIUS is one of the most stable and reliable programs we sell.
• Does more in realtime at full quality than other programs - even on OHCI.
• The best realtime performance for HDV editing - good at mixing formats on the timeline too.
• Blu-ray an DVD writing off the timeline using a simple built-in writer.
• Some of the best realtime filters available - better realtime Chromakey than other programs, an old movie filter that is actually useful and a region filter for blotting out car number plates.
• Comes with lots of extra effects including ProDad Mercalli, and excellent image stabiliser as well as Vitascene, New Blue Effects and some decent audio plug-ins.
• A large range of fancy 3D transitions, all boosted by the graphic card are included.
• Flexible titling - both static and animated. Bundled Title Motion Pro can do 3D animation character by character.
• Can handle more formats that most programs, especially with the broadcast option -it supports XDCAM-EX, DVCPro HD and AVCHD natively. For AVCHD also comes with a great fast utility to convert files to a usable format.
• Can add cards like FireCoder Blu to speed up Blu-ray creation, or HDSPARK for in-expensive HD output.

Against

• Not as many features as Premiere Pro or Avid Media Composer..
• Limited plug-in support.
• Sound editing is not on the same level as Premiere Pro or Sony Vegas- no surround sound support.
• Many effects are not keyframable.
• Missing small things found in other programs - you can't see the sound waveform before you put it on the timeline, for example.
• Blu-ray and DVD writing is limited - for more comprehensive disc creation you need Sony DVD Architect or Adobe Encore.

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Adobe Premiere Pro

For

• One of the market leaders - realtime through OHCI but can do even more if you add a capture card.
• Huge plug-in support.
• Basic version has realtime preview playback through FireWire. Add an extra card, like the Matrox RT.X2, and the abilities get multiplied.
• An open program that lets many people write modules for it - if the basic HDV editing is not enough then invest in CineForm and get full quality realtime effects.
• Huge number of useful features built-in.
• Integrates well with other Adobe products, especially After Effects and Photoshop.
• Good jack-of-all trades
• Comes with Adobe Encore DVD for comprehensive DVD and Blu-ray writing .
• Dynamic Link to After Effectsand Encore and Soundbooth all included.

Against

• If using a dedicated card then you need a properly set up system to make the two work together - which is why you should buy it from DVC!
• Not too good at large or complicated projects.
• Realtime performance is not great without a Matrox card.
• Lack of 3D in the basic program (although a reasonable amount is added by buying the Matrox RT.X2).

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Avid Media Composer

For

• It’s Avid - the industry standard!
• Excellent compatibility with full Avid suites for off-line editing.
• Lots of realtime effects even live to DV; realtime out to TV with Avid Mojo. Makes the most out of your computer to get the best realtime performance it can.
• Excellent media management - the best for organising your projects and collaborating with others.
• Years of experience by editors means lots of high quality development.
• More effects and features in the program than every other editor - includes rotoscoping, painting on video, excellent quality slow motion, picture drop-out fixing features, motion tracking on most effects and lots more.
• Amazing amounts of plug-ins which let you do so much more that you can with any other editing program. 
• Comes with lots of extra programs: Avid DVD for DVD and Blu-ray authoring, Avid FX for compositing (Avid FX is simply Boris Red with a different name), Sonicfire Pro for easy music creation, Sorenson Squeeze for making different formats and Boris Continuum for complex effects.
• Works on Apple Mac and PC.
• The professional’s choice.

Against

• Less intuitive than other programs - Avid has more in it but it is harder to get at with a lot of features only accessed through keyboard shortcuts - if you don’t know these you don’t get far! When you know it you can edit fast!
• More Expensive than other programs - although look at what you are getting for the money. It is more equivalent to the Adobe Production Studio than Adobe Premiere Pro, although to be fair the Adobe Production Studio is still cheaper and has more in it.
• You need to use an Avid validated system to get proper support - which is more expensive than buying a normal DVC computer.
• Sound editing is really quite poor compared to other programs, although roughly equivalent to that achieved by EDIUS. No surround sound, for example. Of course, it does integrate very well with the industry standard sound program, ProTools!

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Apple Final Cut Pro

For

• FCP is rivalling Avid as the industry standard, although still not as prevalent in some parts of the world as some people would have you believe.
• Good at large projects with fairly decent Media Management.
• A decent set of effects and lots of plug-in available.
• Works with in-expensive Matrox and Black Magic cards to give decent video output..
• Final Cut Studio comes with FCP for editing, DVD Studio Pro for DVD writing, Soundtrack for sound mixing, Compressor for encoding to different formats, Live-Type for animated titles and Motion for compositing.
• Good integration between apps - Motion templates can be accessed from directly within FCP, for example, timelines sent easily to Soundtrack for audio mixing..
• Relatively intuitive - this alone is one major reason why it has made great in-roads to the Avid Media Composer market. Its like Adobe Premiere with the power of Avid.
• Many ways of previewing effects.

Against

• Its Mac ONLY! If you like Macs its perfect, but if you have been brought up on PCS do you really want to change?
• You have to do things the way Apple wants - Apple decided they were not going to support Blu-ray authoring and a year after Adobe Premiere and Encore could do it, FCP still cannot and Macs do not come with Blu-ray writers. You can buy both Encore and a Blu-ray writer for the Mac separately of course.
• Not great at maintaining compatibility between different program versions. A project we edited in FCP 6.04 could not be read by 6.01 let alone any older versions.
• Too many mouse clicks are needed for some features, and too much hunting around in menus.