I am confused. Do I need 2 separate programs to edit and share videos?

by Sandra
(Pittsburgh)

Question: In perusing all the great information you offer on video editing programs, I am getting the idea that to share the movie I hope to make of my new grandson, I will need a separate video authoring program.

I was planning to burn the video onto DVDs then send them out to friends and relatives who have not met our new family member. I assume if I do that they can pop this DVD into a DVD player and view my creation.

Is this true? What if they have a Mac, not a PC and want to play it on their computer? What if they have an older computer?

Will the process of downloading this "movie" require a separate program? Do I have other options? Will there be a more universal ability to play my DVD if I use a video authoring program?

Are there editing programs for the novice that include video authoring capabilities?

Can I use Windows Live Movie Maker and be done with it or does my plan require an added investment?

As a beginner, I just want to share photos and videos of this baby, And I don't want to share this with the general public.

I suspect I will enjoy the creative process and want to do more, I just don't want to spend more money than necessary to accomplish this as a first time project.

Please advise and thank you.

Answer: Hi Sandra, congratulations on the arrival of your new grandson! Thank you for queries and I will try my best to answer them.

Before we start, there are two terms to understand - video editing and DVD authoring. Let's understand what they mean first.

1. Video Editing
Traditionally, video editing involved using a software program to import and capture video and audio clips. These clips were then organized as multiple tracks into a video production on a storyboard or timeline. These video editing programs are sophisticated enought to control multiple tracks in the video timeline, and add in transitions between clips, overlays of multiple tracks and logos, video and audio effects, keyframed animations, and text titles. These all help to add interest and advance the story of your digital video.

These video editing programs came in different flavors. The more consumer oriented programs have traditionally emphasized ease of use by simplifying the user interface, restricting the number of parallel tracks, and providing a step-by-step process for adding special video effects. The professional level video editing programs allow you to manipulate very large video files, allow batch capture of clips, scene detection, real-time previews and so forth.

Click here to check out some consumer oriented video editing programs.

The latest video editors out there also support new technological developments, adding support for DV digital camcorders and IEEE 1394 / FireWire import and export, the ability to import and export MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 formats, and export capability for streaming Web media formats including Apple QuickTime, Microsoft Windows Media, etc.

2. DVD Authoring
DVD Authoring software tools, on the other hand, have traditionally focused on designing the navigational menus to provide interactive access to the DVD content. The video content is assumed to be already assembled and edited. The focus of DVD authoring tools is to create a compilation DVD - involving import of a collection of clips, and then laying out menus with thumbnails of each clips as buttons to jump to the associated clip.

If you're creating a full-length movie on a DVD, this also involves marking chapter points in the production and then building menus to provide direct access to each chapter. Again, technological innovations have been introduced for DVD authoring - including video compression, and even real-time DV to MPEG-2 transcoding, so you can capture DV video live over a 1394 / FireWire cable, convert it to MPEG-2, package it in DVD format, and simultaneously burn the video to DVD, all in real time. In addition, the ability to use the same tools to author productions to DVD, BluRay and web-friendly formats like FLV files is also becoming commonplace.

3. Software Convergence
Now that you've seen what video editing is and what DVD authoring is, I think you can begin to understand why there might be confusion between the two.

The fact is, most video editing programs are now incorporating DVD authoring capabilities in their tool kit. You see, even in a DVD authoring tool, you actually need some form of video editing capability (e.g. combine and split clips, and to trim the ends of clips). The manufacturers of video editors have come to realize that instead of offering a range of different software tools for different uses, it is better to combine these features into an all-in-one tool.

Do you need a separate video authoring program? I'd say you don't need one. Go and purchase a beginner level video editing software suite - these are usually aimed at the consumer level so are not too expensive. A good recommendation is Corel VideoStudio or the Movavi video suite.

Can you burn your videos into DVDs then send them out to friends and relatives? Will they be able to pop the DVD into a DVD player and view your creation? Sure they can. Just make use of the DVD authoring capability in your video editing software. Any of the current programs in the market (e.g. Corel VideoStudio or Movavi) will burn the video into your DVD without a hitch and you can rest assured they will play in stadard DVD players.

Can your friends and relatives view your DVD if they have a Mac and not a PC? Can they play it on their computer? What if they have an older computer? Well, the DVD you create in your video editing program will not only play well in a standard DVD player, it will also play in any PC with a DVD drive. The same applies for a Mac - just pop in the DVD into the Mac drive and it will play via the software media player in the Mac.

Will the process of downloading this "movie" require a separate program? Do you have other options? Will there be a more universal ability to play my DVD if I use a video authoring program? If you go for a tool like Corel VideoStudio or Movavi (or any consumer video editing programs in the market), you will not need a separate program to download or burn your movie into a DVD.

The DVD authoring capability will already come standard in the video editing program. Also, I don't think that using a dedicated DVD authoring program like Nero Burning ROM and Corel DVD MovieFactory will provide increased universal ability to play your DVD. You can just as well use an integrated video editing suite like Corel VideoStudio or Movavi to achieve the same result.

Are there editing programs for the novice that include video authoring capabilities? There certainly are. For the novice, I strnogly recommend Corel VideoStudio or Movavi. In fact, for your case, I'd prefer you buy Movavi because it is simpler and more fun to use and there are tons of templates and effects you can play with to showcase your cute little grandson :)

Can you use Windows Live Movie Maker and be done with it or does your plan require an added investment? Windows Live Movie Maker is a good tool for entry-level video editing, like I show in this tutorial. However, it does not provide DVD authoring capabilities. You need a dedicated DVD authoring tool if you use Movie Maker to edit your video.

You want to enjoy the creative process and do more, but don't want to spend more money than necessary to accomplish this as a first time project? Well, in that case, my recommendation is that you get an entry-level video editing software program to help you experiment and understand the ins and outs of video editing and DVD authoring.

A solid option is Movavi because it is targeted at the beginner and is inexpensive. However, it does have some advanced level features that you can grow into if you want to experiment more. Once you're more comfortable with video editing, you can move on to slightly more advanced programs like Corel VideoStudio, Adobe Premiere Elements, CyberLink PowerDirector and even Adobe Premiere Pro if you're so inclined.

I hope the above helps you out. Do feel free to drop me a note if you have further questions. Until next time, happy video editing!