Moviemaker for Windows 7: Why is editing video in Windows so hard?

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BlueToothKiwi

282 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#37882 21-Jul-2009 08:47

Since Windows XP came out, I have taken editing my home videos for granted. There was always a version of Windows Movie maker that you can use to quickly capture about a dozen clicks of videosn from your video camera and within 10 mins, you can edit it, crop and merge the clicks together with special effects and music and output it to DVD in 16:9 HD video and 5.1 surround sound. Or you can create a smaller output for YouTube - all from a single application. Things were easy.

Now that I have 64 bit Windows 7 on a i7 based machine that was sold as 'ideal for video editing', I am really struuggling to do this simple task that I took for granted.

The only version of Windows movie maker that works on Win 7 is the really cut down Windows Live movie maker Beta that can only output up to 640x480 and cant do fancy editing that I am used to.

Even my PicturePackage application I got with the Sony video camera wont install on Windows 7.

As for the old Version 2.6 of Movie maker, It installs - but only the sound works (despite the fact that I got a top of the range ATI 48xx based vidoe card.

I searched the net - and it suggest I copy the Vista moviemaker from a machine running Vista - and I no longer have any - I got Win7 running on all my machines at home now.

Anyone got any suggestion? Or do I need to go and buy a dedicated application?

Tim

Tim M, Auckland
Blog: http://paddler.co.nz

BlueToothKiwi

282 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#237494 21-Jul-2009 14:14

OK after wasting 30 mins trying to make MovieMaker 2.6 work with my video card / 64 bit OS combination, I decided to give up.

However, I have settled for the Roxio Video Wave 10 that my Dell shipped with.

Unlike the crappy free bundled software that you throw away when you get a new computer - this one is pretty cool.

It also supports many formats that my old Windows Movie maker did not support - including some cool BlueRay Disk output option and stunning picture in picture option.

Tim M, Auckland
Blog: http://paddler.co.nz

Zippity

683 posts

Ultimate Geek

#237530 21-Jul-2009 15:03

16:9 and HD???

WOW!!!!!!!!!

BlueToothKiwi

282 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#237545 21-Jul-2009 15:31

Zippity: 16:9 and HD???

WOW!!!!!!!!!

Ummm. May be I got the terminology wrong. I have camcorder which records in HD / 16:9 video / 5.1 channel audio. All I want to ensure is that what ever video editing program that I use does not downsize the quality!

Anyway right now my bundled Roxio Video Wave 10 I have have an enormous choice of video format - including 1920 x 1080 resolution with or without compression (e.g. H.264 encoder / ) in variety of formats (e.g. AVI / MPEG).

As for sound - it can do variety of compressions / bit rates / sampling rates. I am using 5.1 channels with Dolby Digital AC3 compression.

Tim

Tim M, Auckland
Blog: http://paddler.co.nz

Ragnor

8218 posts

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#237581 21-Jul-2009 17:10

You realise Windows 7 RC is a pre-release OS for testing purposes right?

dawnraid

100 posts

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#237592 21-Jul-2009 17:29

Ragnor: You realise Windows 7 RC is a pre-release OS for testing purposes right?

You realise RC stands for release candidate, A.K.A part of a feature complete branch the culminates in the RTM?
So it should do everything the final does (with the pssible exception of some bugs).

Regs

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Snowflake

#237712 21-Jul-2009 23:15

BlueToothKiwi:
I searched the net - and it suggest I copy the Vista moviemaker from a machine running Vista - and I no longer have any - I got Win7 running on all my machines at home now.

a quick google search turned up the following link: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/02/11/windows-movie-maker-2-6-available-for-vista-windows-7/

because you are running 64bit you may have problems - this may be a 32bit only program....

Sales Engineer
Snowflake
www.snowflake.com

about.me/nzregs
Twitter: @nzregs

BlueToothKiwi

282 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#237746 22-Jul-2009 07:31

Good point Regs.

However, after using the Sonic Solutions Roxio Creator / VideoWave, I somehow cant see myself going back to Windows Moviemaker (either the discontinued 2.6 or the cut down Windows Live version).

Tim

Tim M, Auckland
Blog: http://paddler.co.nz

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Ragnor

8218 posts

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#237778 22-Jul-2009 09:56

dawnraid:
Ragnor: You realise Windows 7 RC is a pre-release OS for testing purposes right?

You realise RC stands for release candidate, A.K.A part of a feature complete branch the culminates in the RTM?

So it should do everything the final does (with the pssible exception of some bugs).

Messenger, Photo gallery and movie maker aren't features of the OS anymore they are part of Windows Live.

gadgetlass

1 post

Wannabe Geek

#240893 31-Jul-2009 11:35

I got the full version of Roxio video suite - but it keeps crashing on Win7 when I tried to publish the movie.

@BluetoothKiwi - Do dyou actually managed to get Roxio working in Win7?

BlueToothKiwi

282 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#240929 31-Jul-2009 12:29

@BluetoothKiwi - Did you actually managed to get Roxio working in Win7?

Yeap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGkEIRii3qk

Tim M, Auckland
Blog: http://paddler.co.nz

Madmax77

152 posts

Master Geek

#240949 31-Jul-2009 12:54

If it's video editing you are after...you really can't go past a Mac...even iMovie that ships with all new machines is better than most Windows solutions, if that's not enough you can upgrade to Final Cut Express and then move onto Final Cut Studio for full power! (new FCS was released here this month), it's very sweet!