Magix Video Deluxe

The price of analogue and digital camcorders is dropping fast. In turn, video editing is becoming an increasingly popular hobby so it's not surprising that more software houses are jumping on the bandwagon and releasing video editing software packages.

One of the latest is Video Deluxe. It may not look like much, coming on just two CDRoms, but it packs quite a punch.

Because this is a software-only package, you'll need some method of getting your initial footage into the software. This will depend on your equipment.

A digital camcorder will need a FireWire cable. An analogue camcorder can be connected through a dedicated capture card, sound and video cards or a TV tuner card such as WinTV USB. A TV card can also be used to capture a TV programme, and there's nothing to stop you bringing in footage from a VHS video recorder or a webcam.

When existing footage is imported, it is initially broken into discrete chunks that are displayed along the timeline. Each has its own thumbnail so that the scenes can be easily identified.

After editing, your finished video can be exported in a variety of formats. It can go back to a video recorder or digital camcorder, onto a CD or be distributed over the internet or by email. You can even export it into a PowerPoint presentation.

In between these two steps comes the fun part: the actual editing. As with most similar packages, the components of your video - clips, sound effects, music and graphics - are dragged from the file manager into the arranger, the area where your film is being constructed. You can even make changes while your video is playing.

Many editing programs only have a few tracks to work with; one for video, another for sound effects, a third for music and maybe one for titles. Video Deluxe has an impressive array of 16 tracks and any component can be added to any track.

Having 16 tracks offers immense flexibility in designing a video because there's scope for overlapping tracks, switching from one to another, muting one track to make another more prominent and so forth.

Video Deluxe is called an object-oriented program. All items imported into the arranger are treated similarly, regardless of type. Using editing handles, objects can be stretched, cut, faded or have their brightness (for an image) or volume (for a sound file) altered. They can also be grouped to ensure that they aren't accidentally treated separately during editing.

When it comes to adding sound and music, Video Deluxe scores highly again. You'd expect to be able to add music directly from an audio CD as most programs have that facility, but Video Deluxe also lets you create your own music using a wizard. Start by selecting a music style, choose the instruments from a pre-selected list, decide on a song length then watch it being created.

There are other points among the program's features. It's got automatic scene detection, a good selection of transitions, a trim editor for fine tuning scenes, a real-time track mixer and lots of audio and video effects such as crusher and whirlpool. You can even create your own transitions.

Video Deluxe may be cheap and cheerful but it's certainly no slouch in the editing department.

Price: £30 (incl. VAT)

Contact: Fasttrak 01923 495496
www.fasttrak.co.uk/magix

Also Consider:
Pinnacle Studio DV Clip
A must for fledgling film-makers. £50.