Consider Purchasing

[revharriet]

I am considering purchashing Video Pad Video Editor. I wanted to know if this editor has the ability to do overlays? For example, will I be able to place a photo over the video footage? Does it have a variety of transitions? Are there any other features that you could share with me before I purchase.

[Goldeneagle]

I am considering purchashing Video Pad Video Editor. I wanted to know if this editor has the ability to do overlays? For example, will I be able to place a photo over the video footage? Does it have a variety of transitions? Are there any other features that you could share with me before I purchase.

 

It depends on the version you download. The earlier versions have limited trasitions and effects, but they're ok for the new user who doesn't intend on serious, time consuming projects. The newest version: 2.20 has many more transitions and effects, even an overlay feature, but I'm not sure if you can overlay a photo within a clip, and frankly, I don't think it does.

 

A huge offense, however, is that the new version 2.20 will burn the DVD, but it will not play back in my DVD player, and if you visit the forum on their website, you’ll notice that a number of users are having the same problem. This is not a problem Ive had with the earlier versions which did play back in my DVD player. I, therefore, downgraded back to the version I had (2.10) and paid for, by the way.

 

Once I would have recommended this product to everyone, but there are things the public should know. There’s little on the web that explains the difference between the free and paid version of videopad. When I purchased the product, I noticed little difference between the two. I discovered that I paid for “the license” to use videopad, with no real additional features. You can access an unlimited amount of library effects with a paid version, but thats pretty much it.

 

Videopad was what I was seeking in an editing program, but their attempt to exempt themselves from public responsibility turns me off. Therefore, let the buyer beware and simply read their statements carefully before purchasing. I’ve harshly discovered that the creators of videopad seem minimally interested in interacting with the public; and as a buyer of their software, I find their haughty disposition offensive. Their cavalier attitude is readily discernable in their claims and statements on their website, and they blatantly make it clear that they may not be able to resolve your problem. Also, if you don’t purchase a support program, they simply won’t respond to you– even when you’ve paid for their product. If you’ve spent weeks on a project and you encounter a problem with the software, i.e., crashes or DVDs not playing back, you’ll have to (pay) to interact with them, and their so-called support program is carefully measured out to a few emails or a couple 15 min. conversations.

 

So while you think you’re getting free software, don’t do serious and time consuming projects on it. Be sure to read the statements on their website before buying this product. It may perform at first; but if you need support, you’ll have to pay. Consider, also, the hidden costs. Their website boasts a discounted price when you purchase before a specified date. Yet I find they’re always running this “special price”. Also, with the taxes and support plan, you’ve paid almost eighty-something dollars, fairly pricey for the snobbery you encounter if you need interactive support. Additionally, if you want the actual CD and manual for the purchased product, it is not a given. You pay for that as well.

[picbuck]

...their attempt to exempt themselves from public responsibility turns me off...don’t do serious and time consuming projects on it. Be sure to read the statements on their website before buying this product...

 

I can't agree with Goldeneagle's harsh judgments.

 

To begin with, VideoPad is the best thing out there for anything resembling a reasonable price. Of course it simply blows Windows Movie Maker out of the water. There are some things about WAX that I like better, but WAX crashes frequently for me, and VideoPad doesn't.

 

And, critically, VideoPad has a learning curve that a mere mortal, a non-superGeek, can struggle though. Along with some very good online instruction videos, and several (some not so good) on YouTube.

 

And by the way I've seen VideoPad at both NewEgg and Amazon for $40--though I don't know what the upgrade situation might be.

 

More to the point, I think the most important item is the keyword: free.

 

For crying out loud, guys! I can't imagine how many hundreds--thousands?--of hours it takes to make a thing like this. Or how much skill, since this is not shadetree mechanic work.

 

And after all that the NCH guys essentially say, "Here ya go, take it, don't pay me unless you want to."

 

We ought to be parading around singing hosannas to their collective name.

 

I have this image of NCH as a small bunch of superGeeks, probably all with doctorates in computer science, who don't want to put up with Bill Gates so they head off in another direction. But superGeeks don't suffer fools gladly, and of course to them, in computer terms, everybody is a fool.

 

Well, if they won't suffer me, then it falls to me to suffer them. It's either that or they add a customer service department. Which, as will all things, the customers pay for (how else?), so the price doubles or triples.

 

I'm not accusing anybody of being perfect. For one thing, I, too, kinda wish somebody would make up their mind about price (I vote for $40). And also firm up the update policy, which is incomprehensibly vague as stated. These maybe-yes-maybe-no-sometimes policies don't inspire customer confidence.

 

But it's not reasonable to expect a plumber or an electrician to be a people person, and the same with superGeeks. If they wanted to earn a living with chitchat they'd have been insurance salesmen in the first place.

 

So I say the glass is half full. After who knows how much hard work they hand me the thing thing on a silver platter, so all I can think of to say is wow, thanks guys!

[kmharlan]

Link to review..

 

http://video-editing-software.no1reviews.com/nch-video-pad.html

 

but in summary it says that the free version is good enough. and not worth paying for the Pro version. If you want more than the free version can provide, then look elsewhere.

 

If i had seen this review, i would have done as they suggested.

[tames]

I am afraid I have to agree with Goldeneagle. I recently purchased VideoPad, Debut and PhotoStage. I had some questions, so decided to sign up for the forum. Well I did not get my activation email (tried it several times, and no I do not have spam filters). I had to purchase support (receipt for support came through just fine!) to get hooked up to the forums. I also asked a couple other questions in my "paid for" email, and they were not answered. Also, there was no email response that I was now connected to the forum - I just happened to try it. Actually there was no response at all other than the $$receipt.

 

However, this being my first experiences with video editing, I rather like VideoPad even though there are a few quirks. I wanted to add a "logo" as an overlay to my video that is a gif file with a transparent background, but the background shows up as white.

 

 

Debut was working great till I got a new higher powered system recently. Now the video/audio start drifting when I play the created file.

[dustov]

I am also considering purchasing but am confused about the difference between the "Home Edition" presently "on sale" (the quotes because of the prior entry stating that VideoPad is constantly "on sale") for $39.99 instead of $60.00 and the "Masters Edition" presently "on sale" for $69.95 instead of $99.00.

 

The limitations of the "Home Edition" are stated as "Everything (in the Master's Edition?)except limit of 2 simultaneous audio tracks and no external plugs more info..." but when you click on "more info..." either from this link or the one above for the "Master's Edition" you are sent to another page where there is just this one explantion.....

 

...."The basic version of VideoPad has all the features of VideoPad Pro but after 14 days trial the range of export formats will be limited to .avi, .wmv, .asf and DVD. For more information about VideoPad or to download VideoPad, please see:"

 

..... and if you follow the link after "please see:" you are just taken to the opening sales page for VideoPad.

 

To me it sounds like the "basic version" mentioned directly above is probably the free version.

 

So can anyone clear this up? I take it that there is no one from VideoPad who moderates or replies on this forum.

 

Thanks for any help.

[Nationalsolo]

Hi

 

I think you are right..The Basic version may be very similar or possibly the same as the Free version.(V2.12)

Having said that, the free version has all the basic features needed for effective HD video editing and DVD creation.

True, there is no overlay capability and there are limited transitions but you can add plugins from external sources (VisualDub) and create simple fade in/out titles in selected fonts/colours (but NOT zoom/crop/rotate them which can only be done on the clip on sequence line. There are also multiple soundtracks.

 

It's up to you if you want to pay for extra effects and an overlay feature. The latter, however, although quite useful cannot be made to fade in/out, and this includes titles which is a bit of a problem as these are only created as an overlay in the version I looked at(V2.22 as a 14 day trial.

 

Nat

[dustov]

Thanks for replying.

 

How long have you used the free version?

 

You can use the external plug-ins with the free version after 14 days? According to the purchasing page, the paid "Home Edition" has the ability to use plug-ins disabled: "The limitations of the "Home Edition" are stated as "Everything (in the Master's Edition?)except limit of 2 simultaneous audio tracks and no external plugs" So it would seem that would be the case for the free version as well or after 14 days or whatever.

 

But what is your experience with the free version and external plug-ins? That is why I am asking how long you have used it -- has it been past 14 days, since the info page states, "The basic version of VideoPad has all the features of VideoPad Pro but after 14 days trial the range of export formats will be limited to .avi, .wmv, .asf and DVD." -- limiting plug-ins is not mentioned but again, if they are disabled in the paid "Home Version" and there is the other time limitated functionality in the free version, it would seem that plug-ins would be disabled as well.

 

dustov

 

 

Hi

 

I think you are right..The Basic version may be very similar or possibly the same as the Free version.(V2.12)

Having said that, the free version has all the basic features needed for effective HD video editing and DVD creation.

True, there is no overlay capability and there are limited transitions but you can add plugins from external sources (VisualDub) and create simple fade in/out titles in selected fonts/colours (but NOT zoom/crop/rotate them which can only be done on the clip on sequence line. There are also multiple soundtracks.

 

It's up to you if you want to pay for extra effects and an overlay feature. The latter, however, although quite useful cannot be made to fade in/out, and this includes titles which is a bit of a problem as these are only created as an overlay in the version I looked at(V2.22 as a 14 day trial.

 

Nat

[Nationalsolo]

Hi

 

I downloaded V2.12 (the free version) in August 2010 and as far as I remember it wasn't a 14

day trial and no features seemed to have been time limited. It was the unlicensed basic free

version. Up until then I had used a variety of editors but they only handled MPEG2 format and

a new camera I was using output MPEG4 so I needed an alternative editor. As VP could load

MPEG4 and seemed quite good for free I have continued to use it in the basic version

although for some of my on-going cine copying and VHS copying I still use WMM as these

are "grabbed" as MPEG2) Apart from a few niggles the free VP version works OK and it also

has the advantage of multiple soundtracks and commentary. I do have another MPEG4 film

editor but I have found problems with it and the layout is not to my liking either.

 

As for plug-ins:- I originally used Virtual Dub separately to deshake/trim or tweak the colour temp of

projected and revideoed films before editing then but for MPEG4s VP has deshaker

incorporated which is useful. I have since used other Vdub filters such as

ColourBriContr.vdf and BdrCntrl235.vdf with VP and they seem OK.(One or two do cause an

error message but that may due be something different other than the plugins feature being

disabled. So in V2.12 plugins do seem to work.

 

You could use the plugins from VDub directly in VDub but as it won't edit

MPEG4 format (unless there is another version I haven't yet seen) you would have to convert

to MPEG2. (Also Vdub save back files in avi format are very large)

 

 

As I mentioned I did download and have look at trial V2.22 particularly with regard to a question

on this forum regarding the overlay track and titles.

As I was used to adding titles to a blank frame in VP 2.12 and then being able to fade these in and out,(but not zoom/pan them,) I was surprised to find that in the 2.22 version it was the overlay track where the titles were placed and here they could not be faded in or out (although you could alter the opacity and zoom/pan them.) This made the appearence of titles a bit sudden. I played about with various

methods of getting a proper title fade but none were really effective and to my mind the free version in

this respect is better although it has no overlay feature.

 

Of course, if you want titles you can always use WMM (or other software)to make them and then add them in to your VP project.

 

Try the Free version to see how you like it..it may be different to the time-expired home version.

 

Hope this helps

 

Nat