VideoSpin: Free PC Video Editing by Pinnacle

Pinnacle Systems recently released a free PC editing program called VideoSpin, requiring only a 148-megabyte download from www.videospin.com. I decided to give the program a try to see what the implications were for MindBites users and those looking for cost-effective ways to edit on the PC. Unfortunately, my heart is not set on VideoSpin, and all-in-all it doesn’t change the landscape of free PC editing in any fundamental way.

I will start with what is good about VideoSpin and then mention my critiques. The program has almost no learning curve. Its interface is simple and linear. You have mainly two modes: Edit and Make Movie. All the editing, adding sound effects, transitions, titles, and so on is done in Edit mode, and then Make Movie is used to export your final product.

There is a nice volume bar that you can easily key-frame and move around, making fading audio in and out very simple. The program also renders transitions as you place them, which alleviates the problem of thinking you did something wrong when your un-rendered video plays choppy. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: DiVX, editing, Movie Maker, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, Pinncale, Studio 11, VideoSpin | Posted in Video Production and Publishing | 1 Comment »