Got GoPro, now what do I use to edit?

[formula1mb@aol.com]

I just bought a GoPro HD recently and used it for the first time yesterday with an Eye of Mine modified housing. So far from looking at the videos, I have to say I'm really impressed and the quality is very good.

Now though I have no clue about what program to use. I tried using Windows Movie Maker but doesn't support MPEG-4's. I've never edited any videos so absolutely no clue about what's out there and what people prefer.

Basically I only want a basic editor, free or reasonably priced that is relatively easy to use. At this point, I don't need anything too elaborate and just want something I can edit some basic videos with for youtube, vimeo, etc.


Thanks for the help and any information is much appreciated.

Robert

 

[diversteve]

Any of the consumer-level editors will import/edit MP4's. All are $50-80.

All have free trial versions so download/try them first as the interfaces are different so what's "easy" for me may not be for you. I use Vegas Movie Studio but wouldn't call it the easiest to learn - that would probably be Pinnacle Studio or Adobe Premiere Elements. I've read Corel's Video Studio Pro X3 is easy to use also.

Pinnacle Studio HD ? HD video editing and sharing for anyone
home video editing programs | Adobe Premiere Elements 9: features
Video Editing Software ? Corel VideoStudio Pro X3
Vegas Movie Studio HD 9 Overview

 

[fl-diver]

I just bought a GoPro HD recently and used it for the first time yesterday with an Eye of Mine modified housing. So far from looking at the videos, I have to say I'm really impressed and the quality is very good.

Now though I have no clue about what program to use. I tried using Windows Movie Maker but doesn't support MPEG-4's. I've never edited any videos so absolutely no clue about what's out there and what people prefer.

Basically I only want a basic editor, free or reasonably priced that is relatively easy to use. At this point, I don't need anything too elaborate and just want something I can edit some basic videos with for youtube, vimeo, etc.


Thanks for the help and any information is much appreciated.

Robert

Download the latest version of Windows Movie Maker. I think it is Windows Live Movie or something like that. It works perfectly with the mp4's and is really easy to use.
I have Adobe Premiere Elements as well and it crashed my XPS laptop when trying to edit the mp4's. Windows live preloads everything which takes a while but then you can edit like crazy with little delay.
Best of all... it's free!!

 

[sharksdelight]

For GoPRO files as well as other cams with differentiated codecs I use MPEG Streamclip, a free application for both Mac and PC users. In the Mac it has always worked flawlessly and I can transcode the footage to any codec that I want or need to work in Final Cut Pro. You can trim your clips in the MPEG Streamclip interface before exporting as well and that saves you hard drive space.
As for the NLE you choice, save yourself a lot of time, energy and frustration by not going for cheap. Since there will be a learning curve no matter what NLE you pick, choose something decent. For PCs there is Edius, Premier Pro and many here say they like the new Sony Vegas. Remember the mpeg4 is very highly compressed and the footage from the GoPRO is really not meant to be an A roll cam.
Steve

 

[annlaur]

Remember the mpeg4 is very highly compressed and the footage from the GoPRO is really not meant to be an A roll cam.
Steve

Considering buying a GoPro as well, so am very interested by this thread.
Didn't understand the last sentence of your post, what's an "A roll cam" ? (sorry, English as a foreign language)

 

[sharksdelight]

Keep in mind that the GoPRO does not yet have a back monitor so that aiming the cam at your subject and establishing composition of your shot is hit and miss. I would not use the GoPRO as a primary cam, at least for underwater work.
'A Roll' is a term used for the shots that you shoot of your main subject.
'B Roll' are the secondary shots that you may want to shoot of surrounding areas and 'fill in' type of clips.

If you ever watch shows like Survivor, the A roll shots are those of the contestents competeing and talking. The B roll shots are the clips they use in between the A roll shots and may be of a hermit crab walking along the beach or a snake moving up a tree. These b roll shots may have been taken months before and are used to provide a certain ambience.
Steve

 

[drbill]

If you ever watch shows like Survivor, the A roll shots are those of the contestents competeing and talking. The B roll shots are the clips they use in between the A roll shots and may be of a hermit crab walking along the beach or a snake moving up a tree. These b roll shots may have been taken months before and are used to provide a certain ambience.
Steve

Sigh, given that definition all I take is "B" roll (but mostly underwater)! Not having TV, I don't watch "Survivor."

 

[sharksdelight]

Cute Dr. Bill, TV or not, I know you know the difference between A and B rolls, you're being too modest.
Steve

 

[formula1mb@aol.com]

In case anyone is curious about the quality of it, here's my first underwater video I took with the GoPro, have to say pretty impressed by that little thing!

This was on the bluewater shark trip organized by Michael Kazma on Dec 4th off San Diego:

YouTube - First Ever Shark Dive! (San Diego)

 

[DaMaDo]

Great quality on the GoPro! I have a ContourHD and don't have too much experience with it yet, but the GoPro seems to have great colors, esp out of the water. Eventually I might get a GoPro also for different perspectives etc. It should be a lot easier to find a place to mount it than the contour with the h2ov housing.

For editing the best is to just try the trials of several.

Movie maker is convenient but I felt limited. I tried Adobe Premiere Elements 9 and didn't like it at all. It wasn't intuitive. When I tried Vegas Titanium 10 from Sony, I loved it (even though I don't like Sony in general). I felt it was easy to use and very intuitive.