Jack_Erbes

Hi blob, I appreciate your comments. You and I might be the only two people in the world that are reading this forum, you think? As a test, I just added a piece of media (an *.avi file from the gum pack camera). It played normally. I clicked on insert blank frames and three black frames appeared, the left one had a effects icon (green star), the right black frame had the transitions icon (gram lined rectangle). I clicked the green star and inserted a test title on a red back ground, when I clicked OK the title was seen on all three black frames. By clicking on the frames I could zoom in and see all three of the frames. I think you are right that I needed to select and zoom in to see the frames once I started adding clips I added blank frames at the end and was able to insert a second title, again, I had to select that frames and zoom in to see all three frames and the green start at times. And I was able to edit the titles when I could see the green start and frames with titles. So I'm already smarter than I was before, thanks to your help. I'd still appreciate an answer from NCH on the "manual", and as to whether or not there is a better version when you buy it. I think I'll do as you suggested and drop them an email. I had read something somewhere about a 14 day trial or something but am not sure there are any limitations on the V2.01 trial, maybe I'll just keep using it and see if it times out of anything. Have you been using it long? Jack

I was driven to trying other softwares after trying WMM and finding it a typical M$ junk software that was not the least bit intuitive to use and a mess as far as the help or tutorials that it comes with. When I tried VideoPad I found it much easier to get started with. I was actually able to accomplish the process of making clips and producing an edited video. As I used it more I wanted to insert title screens with multi line text captions and titles. I found that to be very erratic. If I insert blank frames some times I'm allow to add text, sometimes I'm not. The star icon shows up sometimes, then it goes away never to be seen again. If I added text it would all be in a single line and there was not apparent way to enter multiple line text. Once I had text there I could not find any way to edit it later. I went to the forum and asked a question but no one from NCH ever dropped in to answer my question. The half price deal went away while I was waiting for answers. So now it the price is up, it still has me with a bunch of unanswered questions, and it looks more like a work in progress that is getting little or no support than a viable, useful software product. If anyone cares to answer them, my remaining questions are: 1 - If I bought it, would I get the same software I am seeing in V2.01? 2 - Where is this "manual" that is mentioned here and there? The html help file was some help but it is devoid of screen shots and has no cross referenced search index. It is not of much help. 3 - If you want me to buy it, let me try the version I would get when I paid for it. V2.01 does not appear to be a product, just a demo. 4 - Give me the half price deal that was in effect when I started looking at your product, let me see the manual, and let me see what I'll get for my money and maybe you can sell this to me. Otherwise, I'm out of here VideoPad. Please read no anger into this, it is just the process as it unfolded. I'm not angry, I'm disappointed. Jack

Thanks for your reply. I was playing with it again last night and was able to get it to do the same thing. I see now that when I add a blank clip, sometimes the small green star icon is on the clip and sometimes it is not. It seems to be kind of hit or miss. I was going to buy the software because of the special half price offer they had going but that expired last night. I still occasionally get problems where I have to go to the Task Manager and end the videopad.exe process from the process tab. When that happens, I see two instances of videopad on the applications tab but cannot close them from there. All in all, I'm not sure if I'm seeing problems with the free demo version but am not willing to pay money to find out if the registered version works better. Someone from NCH needs position themselves as a potential buyer using the demo and pursue the process of getting support or questions answered. It is an arcane labyrinth of menus and choice loops that kept taking me back to the page where I started instead of a page where I could ask a question. Very frustrating. The sad part of it all is that I really want a video editing software. After getting my butt thoroughly kicked by trying to use Windows Movie Maker, another thoroughly unintuitive M$ free crap software with very poor help, I found Videopad easy to get started with but have now run into this problem... The Videopad online help is a good start but it leaves many questions answered. They mention a "manual" in several places but I could not find anything more detailed or informative than the online help. If there is a manual anywhere I could not find it. The online line help is rudimentary at best. It does not even have a index to features, a cross reference to terminology, or show or relate any icons or screen shots. Thanks again for your help... Jack

I'm trying this out with V2.01. I have clips in the sequence bar, have inserted blank clips between them, want to put captions on the blank clips. I can't figure out how to do that but the online help says it can be done. Also, I having a lot of problems with V2.01 becoming "not responding" with multiple instances (usually two) in that situation. I have to end videopad.exe in the processes tab to close the not responding apps. And I lose all my work when that happens. Is the Pro version any more stable? I'm not going to buy it as it is now. Thanks, Jack