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The Best DVD Copy Software of 2019 - Top Ten Reviews
We have researched, compared, tested, rated and ranked the best DVD copy software for 15 years. In that time we’ve considered dozens of programs, spent hundreds of hours testing products, created hundreds of new discs and examined the quality of the copy. DVD Cloner has topped our rankings for more than a decade, and for good reason. It has every tool and feature we look for in the best DVD copy software, including two copy modes: Express and Expert. Express allows you to start the copy process with minimal effort, while Expert gives you all the customization tools to get the exact copy you want.
How to install Adobe Encore CS6 with out Creative Cloud App 2017| 100% Legal and Safe - Duration: 7:03. Juan Cazares 18,026 views. EzVid is another excellent Camtasia alternative for the Windows user. Ezvid’s latest version includes screen recording, which can capture ongoing activity on your screen. This software does not support video editing, like in Camtasia Studio. Top 10 Best Free Video Editing Software in 2018 for Mac Users. Many people are looking of free Mac video editing software since they have tons of videos and are eager to edit the videos either for better presentation or preservation.
Here are 15 best video editing software in 2018: 15 Best Video Editing Software 2018 Because there are so many good options out there, to make it easier for you, in this article, we have divided the video editing software into several categories.
Best OverallDVD Cloner
This software is our top pick because its unique design allows you to either start copying a DVD right away or dig in to customize your new disc. And anyone with a computer can learn to use this software.
Best ValueDVDFab
It certainly isn’t the cheapest, but it is the most modern and intuitive. It produces exact DVD copies easily and offers several customization options. Plus, its compressed copies have minimal quality loss.
Best for MacDVD Cloner for Mac
It’s no surprise that the best solution for Apple users is the same as for Windows. DVD Cloner for Mac is easy to learn and use, and it yields high-quality results.
Product | Price | Overall Rating | Copy Tools | Output | Customization | Help & Support | Identical Uncompressed Copy | Create NTSC Disc | Compressed Copy Quality | Create PAL Disc | Compress DVD-9 to DVD-5 | Time to Complete Uncompressed Copy (minutes) | CSS Decryption | Burn DVD Folder to Disc | Ease of Use | Copy ISO to Hard Drive | Time to Complete Compressed Copy (minutes) | Copy Video_TS Folder to Hard Drive | Copy From ISO File | Split Disc | Convert DVD to Video File | Select Content to Copy | Region Code Removal | Merge Separate Discs | Live Chat | Tutorials | FAQ or Knowledgebase | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DVD Cloner 2017 | View Deal | 5/5 | 9.9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | ✓ | ✓ | A | ✓ | ✓ | 45 | Integrated | ✓ | 97% | ✓ | 40 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | $ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
DVDFab 10 | View Deal | 5/5 | 9.8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | ✓ | ✓ | A | ✓ | ✓ | 45 | Integrated | ✓ | 92% | ✓ | 40 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | $ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
123 Copy DVD Gold | View Deal | 4/5 | 7.5 | 8.3 | 8.9 | 10 | ✓ | ✓ | C | ✓ | ✓ | 85 | Plug-in | 90% | ✓ | 30 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Xilisoft DVD Copy 2 | View Deal | 4/5 | 10 | 9.3 | 4.5 | 7.5 | ✓ | ✓ | A- | ✓ | ✓ | 40 | Integrated | ✓ | 98% | ✓ | 40 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
Tipard DVD Cloner | View Deal | 4/5 | 10 | 7 | 4.5 | 7.5 | ✓ | ✓ | D- | ✓ | ✓ | 45 | Integrated | ✓ | 95% | ✓ | 25 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
Aimersoft DVD Copy | View Deal | 3.5/5 | 8.7 | 9.2 | 2.2 | 10 | ✓ | ✓ | B | ✓ | ✓ | 55 | Integrated | ✓ | 93% | ✓ | 55 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
1Step DVD Copy | View Deal | 3.5/5 | 7.9 | 8.3 | 4.5 | 7.5 | ✓ | ✓ | C | ✓ | ✓ | 45 | Plug-in | ✓ | 93% | 30 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
Magic DVD Copier | View Deal | 3.5/5 | 8.3 | 7.5 | 4.5 | 5 | ✓ | ✓ | D | ✓ | ✓ | 40 | Integrated | 96% | ✓ | 30 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||
WinX DVD Copy Pro | View Deal | 3/5 | 8.8 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 7.5 | ✓ | ✓ | N/A | ✓ | 45 | Integrated | ✓ | 100% | ✓ | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
1Click DVD Copy | View Deal | 3/5 | 6.8 | 10 | 7.5 | ✓ | ✓ | A | ✓ | ✓ | 55 | Plug-in | ✓ | 91% | 35 | ✓ | ✓ |
Best Overall
DVD Cloner
Open Cloner DVD-Cloner
You can start copying a DVD in less than a minute.
It has every customization option we look for in this category.
Saving ISO (disc image files) to your hard drive is more complex than necessary.
The time it takes to burn a new disc is longer than average, according to our tests.
DVD Cloner is the most expensive program we reviewed.
For years, DVD Cloner has been our top pick for DVD copy software. It’s versatile, easy to use and yields high-quality copies of the original content.
This application allows you to make a perfect 1:1 copy, compress a DVD 9 onto a DVD 5, pick and choose the aspects of a commercial DVD you wish to copy onto a new disc, and more.
It’s also remarkably easy to use. DVD Cloner has two main interface modes, Expert and Express. The former allows you to dig deeply into the application’s potential, and the latter is a wizard-style sequence that walks you through the entire process of ripping, copying and burning a DVD movie. The interface is completely intuitive, but it also has powerful controls that allow you to customize your copy.
DVD Cloner has consistently performed excellently in our quality, time and ease of use tests. Results are almost always crystal-clear and perfect matches of their source discs, and the program rarely produces an unplayable or unwatchable disc.
You can also use it to merge several DVDs onto a single Blu-ray disc. This is an excellent option if you’re upgrading your physical media library or simply trying to consolidate the space it takes to store optical media discs.
This software can also convert your movies and TV shows into standalone files. This is a great feature because it lets you watch your content on nearly any media player, and content can be synced to your multimedia devices easily.
It’s also remarkably easy to use. DVD Cloner has two main interface modes, Expert and Express. The former allows you to dig deeply into the application’s potential, and the latter is a wizard-style sequence that walks you through the entire process of ripping, copying and burning a DVD movie. The interface is completely intuitive, but it also has powerful controls that allow you to customize your copy.
DVD Cloner has consistently performed excellently in our quality, time and ease of use tests. Results are almost always crystal-clear and perfect matches of their source discs, and the program rarely produces an unplayable or unwatchable disc.
You can also use it to merge several DVDs onto a single Blu-ray disc. This is an excellent option if you’re upgrading your physical media library or simply trying to consolidate the space it takes to store optical media discs.
This software can also convert your movies and TV shows into standalone files. This is a great feature because it lets you watch your content on nearly any media player, and content can be synced to your multimedia devices easily.
Best Value
DVDFab
DVDFab DVD Copy
It provides the most features for the price.
It contains a full array of customization options.
Picture quality is excellent, with minimal quality loss on compressed copies.
In our tests, it took longer than average to produce a compressed copy.
If you want to use DVDFab’s ripper, converter and creator features, you must buy separate modules.
This may not be the least expensive DVD copy program, but it provides the biggest bang for your buck.
Its well-designed, intuitive interface is the most modern of the programs we reviewed. DVDFab does a great job keeping the program updated so that it’s compatible with your current operating system – something that isn’t guaranteed with other applications.
But it’s the multiple copy tools that make this program such a bargain. You can make an exact copy of a disc, make a movie-only copy or split the content onto several new discs. This program also allows you to back up your DVDs to a hard drive. This is great because you can use the copied files to burn a new copy of a disc without needing the original.
In our quality tests, DVDFab earned high marks. Exact copies were indistinguishable from the original, and compressed copies had minimal artifact and other imperfections.
The downside is that it might be intimidating to beginners. Learning everything and using it to its fullest potential might require a few times through the process. However, if you’re willing to take the time, you can master the program with help from tutorials and other resources from DVDFab’s website.
But it’s the multiple copy tools that make this program such a bargain. You can make an exact copy of a disc, make a movie-only copy or split the content onto several new discs. This program also allows you to back up your DVDs to a hard drive. This is great because you can use the copied files to burn a new copy of a disc without needing the original.
In our quality tests, DVDFab earned high marks. Exact copies were indistinguishable from the original, and compressed copies had minimal artifact and other imperfections.
The downside is that it might be intimidating to beginners. Learning everything and using it to its fullest potential might require a few times through the process. However, if you’re willing to take the time, you can master the program with help from tutorials and other resources from DVDFab’s website.
Best for Mac
DVD Cloner for Mac
Open Cloner DVD-Cloner
The step-by-step workflow allows novices to use the software flawlessly.
It is compatible with most current version of MacOS.
You’ll need an external DVD burner to use the software on recent Macs.
The interface seems a bit antiquated for 2018.
The best DVD copy option for Mac is the sibling of the best Windows pick.
DVD Cloner for Mac provides the same easy-to-understand workflow, customization options and backup tools as its PC counterpart. Its Expert and Express modes allow you to choose whether you want to make a copy in just a few clicks or take a little more time to create a personalized disc.
You don’t have to splurge on the more expensive DVD-9 (or DVD-DL) blank discs; you can compress a commercial disc to fit onto the cheaper DVD-5 discs. You’ll notice some quality loss when you choose this option, but DVD Copy for Mac keeps that to a minimum. If you want to retain as much quality as possible, you can make a movie-only copy of a disc that will require less compression.
This is also the fastest Mac DVD copy software we reviewed. It takes about 40 minutes to make an exact 1:1 copy of a commercial disc. When we compressed the copy, it took about 45 minutes. The program can save a disc’s image (ISO file) to your hard drive, so you can make new copies without using the original.
You will need an external DVD burner if you want to use this software on a newer Mac, since they no longer come with an internal optical drive.
You don’t have to splurge on the more expensive DVD-9 (or DVD-DL) blank discs; you can compress a commercial disc to fit onto the cheaper DVD-5 discs. You’ll notice some quality loss when you choose this option, but DVD Copy for Mac keeps that to a minimum. If you want to retain as much quality as possible, you can make a movie-only copy of a disc that will require less compression.
This is also the fastest Mac DVD copy software we reviewed. It takes about 40 minutes to make an exact 1:1 copy of a commercial disc. When we compressed the copy, it took about 45 minutes. The program can save a disc’s image (ISO file) to your hard drive, so you can make new copies without using the original.
You will need an external DVD burner if you want to use this software on a newer Mac, since they no longer come with an internal optical drive.
Best Quality Copy
1Click DVD Copy
1Click DVD Copy
Great compressed video quality.
Every program we reviewed can make a perfect 1:1 copy of a DVD. However, several contain the ability to compress a movie found on a commercial DVD-9 onto the smaller-capacity blank DVD-5.
This necessarily reduces the quality of the original movie. 1Click DVD Copy, along with our top pick, create the best quality compressed copy.
Additionally, this DVD copy software is very easy to use. Like its name suggests, you can start the copy process in as little as one click. The interface is one of the simplest of all the programs we reviewed. However, it’s missing several of the features we look for. Such as the ability to customize new discs as well saving a disc image or TS folder to your hard drive.
Additionally, this DVD copy software is very easy to use. Like its name suggests, you can start the copy process in as little as one click. The interface is one of the simplest of all the programs we reviewed. However, it’s missing several of the features we look for. Such as the ability to customize new discs as well saving a disc image or TS folder to your hard drive.
Easiest to Use
1Step DVD Copy
1Step DVD Copy
All the tools in this software are available from the main window of the interface.
While its interface is antiquated, 1Step DVD Copy is the easiest-to-use DVD copy software we tested and reviewed.
All its features and tools are available from the main window of the interface. You have the ability to choose to clone a DVD directly, copy DVD files to your hard drive, burn a new disc from a saved DVD folder and convert DVD videos into digital files you can watch without a physical player. Anyone can use this software to its fullest potential, even those with limited computer skills.
This simplicity does come with some tradeoffs. Unlike the best programs we reviewed, 1Step DVD Copy cannot copy a disc’s image (ISO file) onto your computer for archiving or backup purposes. Additionally, the quality of compressed copies leaves much to be desired.
This simplicity does come with some tradeoffs. Unlike the best programs we reviewed, 1Step DVD Copy cannot copy a disc’s image (ISO file) onto your computer for archiving or backup purposes. Additionally, the quality of compressed copies leaves much to be desired.
Why Trust Us?
We have reviewed this category for 15 years. In that time our reviewers and video experts have spent hundreds of man hours copying discs, customizing content, watching newly burned discs, and comparing results with other copies from other programs and with the original. We’ve used dozens of DVD copy programs and made hundreds of copies. We are intimately familiar with the software’s abilities, performance and drawbacks.
We have reviewed this category for 15 years. In that time our reviewers and video experts have spent hundreds of man hours copying discs, customizing content, watching newly burned discs, and comparing results with other copies from other programs and with the original. We’ve used dozens of DVD copy programs and made hundreds of copies. We are intimately familiar with the software’s abilities, performance and drawbacks.
How We Tested
During our evaluation of DVD copy software, we subjected each product on our lineup to a series of tests.
During our evaluation of DVD copy software, we subjected each product on our lineup to a series of tests.
Quality Tests
We made at least two new copies of our test disc with each program we reviewed, one compressed and one uncompressed. Our video experts then examined each copy and compared it against the original, searching for quality loss such as compression artifact, pixelation and distortion.
We found that all the products on our list can make an identical copy of a DVD if they are uncompressed and burned onto a blank DVD-9. There were no exceptions to this. If you want a perfect copy of a DVD movie, bonus features and all, you can choose any of the products in our lineup to get it.
However, when we evaluated the quality of compressed discs, we found wide variations among the software. They all had noticeable quality loss, but some were much worse than others. Our video experts compared the compressed discs against each other and the original disc, and gave each program a letter grade (A-F) depending on the quality of the video.
Timing Tests
When we tested the DVD copy programs, we timed how long each took to complete a full copy of our test disc, both compressed and uncompressed. These copies had everything contained on the disc, including a full-length feature film, menus, audio tracks and all other bonus features.
We found that the average time to make an exact copy of our test disc to a blank DVD-9 is a little less than an hour. Some products take as little 40 minutes on the low end and nearly an hour and a half on the high end. If you have a single disc you want to copy, these variations don't matter much. However, if you have a large DVD library you want to back up, even a few minutes can make a huge difference in the time you must dedicate to the task.
Making a compressed copy takes considerably less time than an uncompressed copy. With one exception, the products in our lineup took about half an hour to compress the contents on our test disc and burn them onto a DVD-5.
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Ease-of-Use Tests
Many of the programs in our lineup have very similar interfaces. We evaluated how easy it is to access and use the common features of each product. We documented how many clicks it takes to begin a conversion, load an ISO file and access each application's customization tools. We also tracked how many times the programs crashed during testing and how many unusable discs they created.
Things to Consider When Choosing DVD Copy Software
There are a few things you should understand and features you should look for when shopping for the best DVD copy software.
Every DVD contains what is known as an ISO file (or ISO image). These files are essentially the blueprints for a disc. They contain everything a DVD drive needs to recognize and play a disc on a computer or a television. DVD copy software scans this file, copies it onto your hard drive and then burns it onto a new disc. This creates an exact copy of the original disc, complete with the movie, menus, audio tracks and bonus materials.
Before a DVD copy program can make a new disc, it must bypass the copy encryptions found on almost all DVDs sold by major entertainment companies. These protections are intended to stop illegal piracy. The best DVD copy software circumvents these encryptions so you can back up, archive and make personal copies of the movies and TV shows you've already paid for.
There are two types of blank discs you can copy your DVDs to: DVD-9 and DVD-5. DVD-9s have about 9GB of storage space and DVD-5s have about 5GB. This is important because nearly all commercial DVD movies are sold on DVD-9s, and the most common and less expensive blank discs are DVD-5s. The best DVD copy software allows you to compress the content on a DVD-9 to fit onto a blank DVD-5.
Keep in mind that if you compress your DVD copy, you'll notice significant quality loss on the new disc. This is the nature of video compression, and even the best DVD copy software can't get around it. This includes pixelation, compression artifact and motion blur. If you want an exact copy of a disc, you should purchase and use the more expensive blank DVD-9s, which will yield a copy with no quality loss whatsoever.
An alternative to compressing your DVD movies onto smaller discs is to create custom copies that require little to no compression. Most of the DVD copiers in our review allow you to copy just the main feature on a disc and leave off extras like menus, alternate audio tracks and bonus materials. In most cases, the main feature from a commercial disc will fit onto a DVD-5 with no compression. The best DVD copy software allows you to pick which tracks and content make it onto your new disc.
One other way to avoid quality loss due to compression is to split the content from a DVD-9 onto two DVD-5s, with the main feature on one disc and everything else on the other. The best products in our lineup have this feature among their main tools.
Another important attribute for any DVD copy program is the ability to save the disc's ISO file onto your hard drive. If you're using these programs for archiving purposes or have a large DVD library, this is a must-have tool. When you save an ISO file, you're essentially saving a virtual DVD onto your hard drive. These files act the exact same way as physical discs. You can play them through DVD player software and even burn new copies without the original disc on hand.
A great way to back up your DVD library is to get an external hard drive and back up each disc's ISO file. You'll never have to worry about a disc being lost, damaged or broken, because you'll always have that backup ISO file to make a new copy. The best DVD copy programs allow you to load an ISO into the interface and burn a new copy the same way you would if you had the original disc.
You can expect to pay anywhere from $30 to $60 for DVD copy software. But keep in mind that the more expensive software isn’t necessarily better. For example, our top choice costs $60, which is the same price for programs that are missing several of the tools we look for in this category. Make sure the program you buy has all the features you need, so you get the most for your money.
Is it Legal to Copy a DVD for Personal Use?
Ripping, duplicating and copying DVDs is a tricky legal issue, even if it’s for personal use. The short answer is that you can probably get away with it, but there are some things you should know. Starting with the law.
The DMCA
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) forbids anyone from bypassing digital rights management technologies found on most commercial DVDs and Blu-ray discs. This effectively makes it impossible to rip, copy or convert any media that contains copy protections, encryptions or similar guards without running afoul of the DMCA.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) forbids anyone from bypassing digital rights management technologies found on most commercial DVDs and Blu-ray discs. This effectively makes it impossible to rip, copy or convert any media that contains copy protections, encryptions or similar guards without running afoul of the DMCA.
Title I of the DMCA rather definitively states, “No person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title.” It also prohibits anyone from making or distributing a product or service that circumvents protected content.
The title empowers the Librarian of Congress to issue exceptions to the anti-circumvention rule, and exceptions have been made for copying obsolete computer software, “jailbreaking” smartphones and using clips from movies for commentary and criticism. However, the Library of Congress has not made an exception for circumventing Digital Rights Management, or DRM, even for personal use.
Ripping, Copying and Circumvention
You’ve likely seen the warnings repeatedly that copying or ripping a DVD or Blu-ray disc is illegal. However, while circumventing DRM protections isn’t allowed, ripping and copying haven’t been specifically forbidden. What are the important differences between these concepts?
Ripping is the act of transferring files found on physical media, such as an optical disc, to a computer. This act is not technically illegal because it can apply to ripping homemade DVDs. Copying or duplicating home-produced DVDs or Blu-ray discs is likewise legal, so long as the user owns the copyright to the content found on the disc. But what about ripping movies and shows you didn’t produce?
There have been several statements and rulings made by government officials and courts both in the U.S. and the U.K. that affirm the legality of ripping even copyrighted works. In 2012 Congressman Darrell Issa participated in an AMA (Ask Me Anything) event on Reddit. During the session, he was challenged about the legality of ripping legally acquired DVDs and Blu-ray discs.
“You can in fact make personal copies for your own use. A good example would be ripping a DVD so you can play it on your iPad. That use is not prohibited. The MPAA always takes the view that your rights are limited, but for non-commercial use, making a digital copy like you suggest is a-okay,” Issa said.
This statement appears to be in conflict with the rules set forth by both the DMCA and the Librarian of Congress. However, Congressman Issa only mentions ripping copyrighted material; he says nothing about circumventing the copy protections. It was a partial dodge of the question. The asker followed up his question with a request for clarification about circumvention – a request that was ignored by Congressman Issa.
In 2014, a U.K. court legalized making personal copies of legally acquired media for private use. However, this ruling does not touch on the subject of DRM. While Britons may duplicate copyrighted works for noncommercial use, circumvention of DRM protections remains illegal.
Prosecutions and Lawsuits
Despite the efforts of the above-mentioned institutions and individuals, circumventing copy protections remains against the law in the United States, the United Kingdom and most western nations.
Large-scale content creators, such as movie studios, use the anti-circumvention clauses in the DMCA to target software manufacturers that produce applications that circumvent DRM encryptions such as the Content Scramble System (CSS) for DVDs and the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) for Blu-ray discs.
A recent case brought by Advanced Access Content System Licensing Administrator (AACS LA) against the software manufacturer of DVDFab, resulted in the company’s U.S. based domains, such as DVDFab.com, being seized by the U.S. government and their affiliate program ordered to be halted. Representatives of Fengato Software (the maker of DVDFab) didn’t show up to the hearing that resulted in the injunction against them.
Bottom Line
While it is illegal for an individual to use ripping or copying software to bypass DRM, there have been no notable cases of copyright holders pursuing legal actions against individual users, nor has there been any action taken against publishers who review or otherwise cover products that circumvent DRM. It appears that the manufacturers of the software bear almost all the liability for the illegal use of their products.
What Is CSS?
Content Scramble System, or CSS, is the encryption method that protects discs from piracy. Unlike the protection encryption for Blu-ray (AASC), CSS is no longer being updated to keep up with codebreakers like those found in the programs we reviewed. As such, all these programs can easily decrypt discs so you can make backup copies of the movies and TV shows you have bought and paid for.
Related Product Reviews
Edit Video on Your PC
Nothing makes an impression like moving pictures with sound. That's why digital video continues to grow in importance online. Couple that trend with the ever-increasing availability of devices capable of high-resolution video recording—phones, GoPros, DSLRs—and the case for ever-more powerful video editing software becomes clear. Further, the software must be usable by nonprofessionals, and it has to keep up with newer formats such as HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) and 360-degree VR video, and it has to be able to handle 4K and higher resolution.
Increasingly, new capabilities trickle down from professional-level software to the consumer category. That's a good thing for nonprofessional movie editors, since the more consumer-oriented software tends to make easier procedures that can sometimes be pretty tricky in the pro-level software. Read on for a survey of the latest trends in video editing software along with our top picks in the field.
Multicam, Motion Tracking, and Yet More Motion
Advanced abilities continue to make their way into accessible, affordable, and consumer-friendly video editing software as each new generation of software is released. For example, multicam editing, which lets you switch among camera angles of the same scene shot with multiple video cameras, used to be a feature relegated to pro-level software. Now this and many other advanced effects are available in programs designed for use by nonprofessional enthusiasts.
Another impressive effect that has made its way into consumer-level video editing software is motion tracking, which lets you attach an object or effect to something moving in your video. You might use it to put a blur over the face of someone you don't want to show up in your video. You specify the target face, and the app takes care of the rest, tracking the face and moving the effect to follow it. This used to be the sole province of special effects software such as Adobe After Effects. Corel VideoStudio was the first of the consumer products to include motion tracking, and it still leads the pack in the depth and usability of its motion-tracking tool, though several others now include the capability.
The 4K Video Factor
Support for 4K video source content has become pretty standard in video editing software, but the support varies among the products. For example, some but not all of the applications can import Sony XAVC and XAVC-S formats, which are used by Sony's popular DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, camcorders, and professional video cameras. The same holds true for the H.265 High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard. Most of the applications here now can import and export HEVC, though there are still a few holdouts.
360-Degree VR Support
Several of the products here (Adobe Premiere Elements is a notable exception) still support 3D video editing if that's your thing, though the this has been replaced by 360-degree VR footage like that shot by the Samsung Gear 360 as the current home-theater fad. As is often the case, our Editors' Choice, CyberLink PowerDirector was the first product in this group to offer support for this new kind of video media.
Other programs have jumped on board with 360 VR support, including Adobe Premiere, Apple Final Cut Pro X, and Magix Movie Edit Pro. Support varies, with some apps including 360-compatible titles, stabilization, and motion tracking. PowerDirector is notable for including those last two. Final Cut offers a useful tool that removes the camera and tripod from the image, often an issue with 360-degree footage.
Video Editing 101
Of course, none of the extras matter if an app can't do the most basic editing tasks. At this point, however, all of the products included here do a good job of letting you join, trim, and split video clips. They also let you make use of special effects such as animated transitions, picture-in-picture (PiP), chroma-key (the technique that lets you place a subject against any background, often known as green screening), and filters that enhance colors or apply creative effects and distortions. With most of them you can add a multitude of timeline tracks that can accommodate video clips, effects, audio, and text overlays.
A tool coming to the latest versions of video editing applications is support for seamless transitions. Picture a scene showing people at a beach, and suddenly the sky zooms in and your in Rome or Paris, but it looks like you're in the same place because the transition glued the two scenes together using the sky. There are plenty of other examples of seamless transition; this magnificent video shows a good selection of them, and is partly responsible for starting the trend.
Color, LUTs and CLUTs
One of the capabilities that has been making its way into consumer-level video editing software is more-detailed color grading. Color wheels, curves, and histograms give editors control over the intensity of every shade. Related to this is support for LUTs (lookup tables), also known as CLUTs (color lookup tables). This staple of pro-level software lets you quickly change the look of a video to give it a specific mood. For example, think of the dark blue look of thriller movies like The Revenant. https://vibebrown442.weebly.com/adobe-photoshop-cc-2018-download-with-crack-for-mac.html. You can download LUTs for free from several sites or use those included with some video software to give your video a specific look. One well-known LUT type is the kind that can make a daytime scene look like it was shot at night.
Where the Action Is
Many video editing apps now include tools that cater to users of action cameras such as the GoPro Hero7 Black. For example, several offer automated freeze-frame along with speedup, slowdown, and reverse time effects. CyberLink PowerDirector's Action Camera Center pulls together freeze frame with stabilization, slo-mo, and fish-eye correction, and color correction for underwater footage. Magix Movie Edit Pro Premium includes the third-party NewBlue ActionCam Package of effects. And Wondershare Filmora lets you subscribe to new effect packs on an ongoing basis.
Titles That Zing
I've been seeing a lot of attention paid to creating title effects in the applications over the past year. Apple Final Cut Pro X has added 3D title creation, which is pretty spiffy, letting you extrude 2D titles and rotate them on three axes. Corel VideoStudio in its latest version also adds 3D Titling, though not as powerful as Apple's. PowerDirector's Title Designer offers transparency, gradient color, border, blur level, and reflection in titles; Magix has impressive title templates, complete with animations. Premiere Elements offers a nifty title effect in which your video fills the text characters, and Corel recently followed suit in VideoStudio 2019. Look for an application that lets you edit titles in WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) mode, so that you can type, format, and time it right over the video preview.
Gathering Speed
Video editing is one of the most computing-intensive activities around, so you'll want the best laptop or desktop you can afford if you're serious about cutting your own movies. Most applications help speed up the editing process by creating a proxy file of lower resolution, so that normal editing and previewing aren't slowed down by the huge full-resolution files.
Particularly intensive is the process of rendering your finished product into a standard video file that will by playable on the target device of choice, be that an HDTV, a laptop, or a smartphone. Most of the software can take advantage of your computer's graphics processor to speed this up. Be sure to check the performance section in each review linked here to see how speedy or slow the application is. In rendering speed testing, CyberLink and Pinnacle have been my perennial champs.
Other measures of performance include startup time and simple stability. Again, video editing is a taxing activity for any computer, involving many components. In the past, video editing programs took longer than most other apps to start up, and unexpected shutdowns were unfortunately common, even in top apps from top developers such as Adobe and Apple. The stability situation has greatly improved, but the complexity of the process, which increases as more powerful effects are added, means crashes will likely never be fully eliminated, and they often raise their ugly heads after a program update, as I found with the latest version of Pinnacle Studio.
Free Video Editing Software
If you don't want to invest a lot of money and effort into your video editing exploits, there are a few free options. Of course, if you use a Mac, the excellent iMovie comes with it. For PC users, Windows 10's Photos app (as of the Fall Creators Update) lets you join, trim, and even add background music, 3D animated effects, and titles to video.
There are also some free video apps on the Windows Store, including Movie Moments, PowerDirector Mobile, Movie Maker, and Magix Movie Edit Touch. Some of these are quite basic, but the Magix app is fairly capable, with clip joining, transitions, and effects, in a very touch-friendly interface.
Free video editing software often comes with legal and technical limitations, however. Some widely used codecs require licensing fees on the part of the software maker, meaning they can't offer free software that can handle these standard file formats. That said, the impressive open-source Shotcut does a lot of the same things that the paid applications in this roundup do, including things like chroma-keying and picture-in-picture. Shotcut is completely open-source and free, while another free option, Lightworks has paid options that remove a 720p output resolution limit. Note also that both Shotcut and Lightworks run on Linux as well as Windows and Mac.
What About Apple?
Though Mac users don't have the sheer number of software choices available for PCs, Apple fans interested in editing video are well served, by four products in particular. At the entry level, the surprisingly capable and enjoyable-to-use iMovie comes free with every Mac sold since at least 2011. iMovie only offers two video tracks, but does good job with chroma-keying, and its Trailers feature makes it easy to produce slick, Hollywood-style productions.
In the midrange, there's Adobe Premiere Elements, which is cross-platform between Macs and PCs, and offers a lot more features and lots of help with creating effects. Professionals and prosumers have powerful, though pricey options in Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro. Final Cut is a deceptively simple application that resembles iMovie in its interface and ease of use, but it offers massively deep capabilities, and many third-party apps integrate with it for even more power. It also makes excellent use of the Touch Bar on the latest MacBook Pro, as shown in photo above. Premiere Pro uses a more traditional timeline and adds a large ecosystem of companion apps and plug-ins. It also excels in collaboration features.
Audio Editing
We still live in the days of talkies, so you want to be able to edit the audio in your digital moves as well as the images. Most of the products included here offer canned background music, and many, such as Pinnacle Studio, can even tailor the soundtrack to the exact length of your movie. All of these programs can separate audio and video tracks, and most can clean up background noise and add environmental audio effects such as concert hall reverb. A couple of the products have an auto-ducking feature, which lowers background music during dialog—a definite pro-level plus.
What's Not Here
There are more video editing software applications than we can fit into this roundup of the best options, which includes only software rated three stars and higher. The best known among them is probably Vegas Movie Studio, which was recently acquired by Magix from Sony. Sony's product used a very cluttered interface that more resembled high-end professional video editing software from the early days of the craft. Magix has made some progress in simplifying it and bringing it up to par with the competition, but more work is needed for it to be included here. Review quicken 2018 for mac.
Another program, VSDC Video Editor Pro, simply has too outdated an interface, making common tasks difficult. Longtime pro video editors will note the absence of Avid Media Composer, which is simply too unwieldy for PCMag's primarily consumer audience. There are a couple of more interesting applications—NCH VideoPad and AVS Video Editor among them—that we simply haven't tested yet.
The Finish Line
The video editing application you choose depends on your budget, the equipment you're using, and how serious you are. Fortunately, you're spoiled for choice with the products available. Peruse our in-depth reviews of enthusiast-level video editing software reviews linked below to see which is the right one for you.
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One final note about the features table at the top of this story: Check marks represent differentiating, above-the-call-of-duty features, rather than essential ones. So, just because Nero Video and Wondershare Filmora don't have any checks, it doesn't mean they're not good choices. In fact, both offer decent basic editing on a budget.
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Best Video Editing Software Featured in This Roundup:
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Adobe Premiere Pro CC Review
MSRP: $19.99Pros: Clear, flexible interface. Lots of organizational tools. Responsive speed. Ultimate power in video editing. Rich ecosystem of video production apps. Excellent stabilization. Unlimited multi-cam angles.Cons: No keyword tagging for media. Some techniques require additional applications such as After Effects or SpeedGrade.Bottom Line: An expansive professional-level digital video editing program, Premiere Pro CC has everything today's pro video editor needs, particularly when it comes to collaboration.Read ReviewCyberLink PowerDirector Review
MSRP: $129.99Pros: Fast rendering. Clear interface. Loads of effects. The most 360-degree video capabilities of any video editor. Multicam editing. 3D and 4K capability. Motion tracking. Screen recording.Cons: No trimming in source panel. Number of options can make interface overwhelming. Weak color matching.Bottom Line: PowerDirector is one of the fastest and most capable consumer-level video editing apps for Windows around, and the first to support 360-degree VR footage.Read ReviewCorel VideoStudio Ultimate Review
MSRP: $99.99Pros: Wide selection of fun video-creation tools. Clear, simple interface. Fast rendering. Support for 360-degree VR, 4K Ultra HD, and 3D media. Multipoint Motion tracking. Multicam editing. HTML5 video page creation. Stop-motion tool.Cons: No keyword tagging for media.Bottom Line: Corel VideoStudio remains one of the most feature-packed consumer video editing packages around. The 2019 update adds powerful color-grading tools, seamless transitions, and text masks.Read ReviewPinnacle Studio Ultimate Review
MSRP: $129.95Pros: Clear interface. Edits 360-degree VR content. Fast rendering performance in testing. Tons of effects. Multicam editing. 4K and H.265 support. Tagging and star ratings for media. Good audio tools.Cons: Motion tracking issues on one test PC. Occasional crashes in testing. Uneven 360-degree VR implementation.Bottom Line: Pinnacle Studio is a fast, full-featured, near-professional-level video-editing application with support for 360-degree VR, 3D, and multicam edits. New color grading and four-point editing make it even more appealing, though our testing uncovered some instabilities.Read ReviewMagix Movie Edit Pro Premium Review
MSRP: $129.99Pros: Lots of video effects. Multicam. Good titling tools. Trailer-like movie templates. Solid audio editing tools. Strong disc authoring. Fast rendering. Good stability. 360-degree media support.Cons: Not much help with difficult procedures. Lacks import and organization tools. Extra costs and coded downloads for some video formats.Bottom Line: Now with faster rendering, Movie Edit Pro offers solid stability, up-to-date support for 4K, 360-degree, and multicam editing, but it trails other video editing software in ease-of-use.Read ReviewAdobe Premiere Elements Review
MSRP: $99.99Pros: Clear, simple interface. Guided Edits ease basic and advanced projects. Lots of video effects. Solid text tools. Powerful Audio editing. Good control over stabilization. 4K support.Cons: No 360-degree VR or 3D editing. No multicam feature or screen recording capability. Slow rendering speeds. No HEVC support in Windows.Bottom Line: Adobe's consumer video editing app adds a new start page, Auto Creations, a redesigned quick-editing interface, and faster performance.Read ReviewWondershare Filmora Review
MSRP: $59.99Pros: Pleasing interface. Inexpensive. Lots of effects and overlays. Good title tool.Cons: Action Cam and Cutter modes only allow one clip at a time. No search for effects or transitions. No motion tracking. No DVD menu or chapter authoring. Not a touch-friendly interface.Bottom Line: Wondershare's Filmora video editing software may not have multicam or the hottest new VR tools, but it does have a pleasing interface and lots of effects.Read ReviewApple Final Cut Pro X Review
MSRP: $299.99Pros: Magnetic, trackless timeline. Superior organization tools, including libraries, ratings, tagging, auto analysis for faces, scenes. Support for 360-degree footage and HDR. Multicam support. Fast performance. MacBook Touch Bar support.Cons: Nontraditional timeline-editing may turn off longtime editors. Can't import projects from previous versions without a third-party plug-in. No stabilization or motion tracking for 360-degree video.Bottom Line: Apple's professional-level video editing software, Final Cut Pro X, brings a wealth of power in an interface simple for pros and consumers alike. Recent highlights include rich support for 360-degree content and improved stability.Read ReviewNero Video Review
MSRP: $49.99Pros: Inexpensive. Plenty of video effects. Good audio tools. Solid file format support, including H.265. Compatible with 4K content. Burns DVD, Blu-ray, and AVCHD.Cons: Light on features. Outdated, unconventional interface. No 360 or 3D support. No motion tracking. No direct output to social networks.Bottom Line: For less money than the competition, Nero offers a wide array of enthusiast-level video editing capabilities, but the interface is dated and it trails in support for new formats and techniques.Read ReviewApple iMovie Review
MSRP: $0.00Pros: Beautifully simple interface. Color matching for consistent movie looks. Classy themes. Great chroma-keying tool. Lots of audio tools. Theater feature shares movies to all your Apple gear.Cons: Not as flexible as some PC video editors. In the name of simplicity, some useful controls are missing. Does not support tagging. Lacks multicam or motion tracking capabilities. Limited to two video tracks.Bottom Line: Apple's excellent entry-level desktop video editing application can turn your footage and photos into impressive productions.Read Review