FLOSS video editing software

Hassath

Sarai / 9th January, 2010

Outline

• Research
• Select tools
• Hardware requirements
• Interviews with editors
• Footage
• Install and experiment with tools
• Edit the footage ?
• Complete the documentation
• Note: Not for a linux techie, but an editor

The Situation

Most common proprietary tools:
• Final Cut Pro (FCP): for Mac
• Avid: Windows
• Windows Movie Maker (more basic)

Research

• http://www.linux.com/news/software/multimedia/8262-become-a-digital-video-editing-guru-using-linux-tools
• http://www.linux.com/archive/feature/131342
• http://ostatic.com/blog/open-movie-editor-linux-video-editor-with-plot-twists
• http://www.robfisher.net/video/
• http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilities/free-video-editors.shtml (not too good)
• http://liquidweather.net/howto/index.php?id=88
• http://crazedmuleproductions.blogspot.com/2007/05/cinelerra-on-fc6-working-well-and-more.html
• http://www.osalt.com/cinelerra

Research

• http://www.linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.html#43
• http://linuxappfinder.com/multimedia/videocapture
• http://indlinux.org/wiki/index.php/CM_Multimedia
• http://www.mail-archive.com/ilugd@lists.linux-delhi.org/msg17206.html
• http://code.goto10.org/projects/puredyne/
• http://tv.isg.si/site/free_video_editing_software_list_for_all_platforms
• http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=kb402866
• http://www.linux.com/archive/articles/58458

Selected tools:

• KINO
• KDENLIVE
• OPEN MOVIE EDITOR (OME)
• CINELERRA
• PUREDYNE

My System

• Athlon64/2.2 GHz
• 3GB RAM
• nVidia GeForce 5200 FX
• 17" monitor, 1280x1024
• Ubuntu 8.10, Intrepid Ibex

Interviews with editors

• Proprietary tools also have problems
• Struggle with compatibility: Windows vs Mac
• Train in one tool, work in others
• Habit, loyalty
• Alternative needed: works well, easy to use

KINO

• www.kinodv.org
• Latest version: 1.3.4, released in September 2009
• Version I used:1.3.0, repository
• Features:http://www.kinodv.org/article/static/2
• Installation: Easiest of all, available in repository, no errors
• Positives: Friendly, intuitive interface; things work
• Negatives:Minor fiddling to get capture to work, not enough features for professional, e.g. no separate audio track
• Documentation: Really good - both online and offline. Clear, coherent language
• FAT workshop - kino session

KINO

KDENLIVE

• www.kdenlive.org
• Latest version:0.7.9, released in October 2009
• Version I used:0.7.5
• Features:http://www.kdenlive.org/features
• Installation: found in the repository, but reinstalled to get better, later version - problems
• Positives: Neat interface, capture works
• Negatives:Problem: Drag a one-hour dv clip to the timeline, as soon as I start to play, kdenlive crashes. Posted on their forum with no success
• Documentation: launching 'help' gives an error; incomplete user manual on website

KDENLIVE

OPEN MOVIE EDITOR

• http://www.openmovieeditor.org
• Latest version: 0.0.20081029, released in October 2008, development now suspended
• Version I used: 0.0.20080102
• Features: http://www.openmovieeditor.org/filtereffects.html
  http://www.openmovieeditor.org/formatsupport.html
  http://www.openmovieeditor.org/colorgrading.html
• Installation: available in repositories, when that didn't work, I installed another modified version - errors
• Positives: By default gives 2 video and audio tracks each, can add more

OPEN MOVIE EDITOR

• Negatives: No tools to capture
  When I drag a .dv clip onto the timeline and then try to play it, openmovieeditor crashes
  When I drag a .mov clip onto the timeline and play it, the video plays, but I get only static as sound
  On OME's support forum, others have had this problem, but receive no helpful answers
  The developer states he can't help with it: http://www.openmovieeditor.org/board/viewtopic.php?id=963
• Documentation: Not good. Online documentation insufficient. 'Help' gives 'about'

OPEN MOVIE EDITOR

CINELERRA

• http://cinelerra.org/
• Versions: Cinelerra has two versions: cv and heroine. This page answers why two versions of cinelerra: http://cinelerra.org/about.php Latest version: CV: 2.1 Heroine virtual: 4.1 Lumiera: http://lumiera.org/index.html not yet released
• Version I used: 1:2.1.0-1svn20081017akirad2, cinelerra cv version, from the akirad repository (as advised by their website)
• Features: "Linux Media Arts has an impressive listing of Cinelerra's features. 6-channel sound, HDTV, multiple effects, built-in videoscope and more. With screenshots." (gives a 404 error)
• Installation: - not available in repositories, but adding akirad to repository works

CINELERRA

• Problems: I can load the .mov file, and view the video, but audio is only 'tch tch'. Works fine with avi files. Some research showed that installing ffmpeg from the restricted repositories might help, but it only changed the 'tch tch' to silence. No sound from the track at all.
• Positives: has tried to make the interface similar to the proprietary tools
• Negatives: supported formats don't include DV, capture doesn't work, "Cinelerra is not perfect. Before long you will be familiar with the tendency it has to crash. This usually takes the form of all the windows suddenly disappearing."
• Documentation:- No help tab when you launch it!
  Detailed manual, links to tutorials: website
  Section on Ubuntu installation incomplete

CINELERRA

PURE DYNE

• puredyne.goto10.org
• Latest version: Future release - carrot and coriander
• Version I used: Leek and potato
• Features: pure:dyne is an operating system developed to provide media artists with a complete set of tools for realtime audio and video processing. pure:dyne is a live distribution, you don't need to install anything.
• Installation: Used the live CD, booted without any problems
• Positives: In theory - portable, live CD can run on any system, USB stick too, many applications bundled together
• Negatives: Very slow in launching any application, similar set of applications for multimedia, only kino works properly
• Documentation: Incomplete wiki. Focussed on getting and installing. Advanced configuration instructions missing

PURE DYNE

PURE DYNE

Conclusions

• Not yet
• Cannot be recommended to any institution
• Kino - works best, but not enough features
• General neglectful attitude to documentation
• Need to focus on general non-techie user - an editor
• Dependencies, hardware, combinations - to be sorted out and stated clearly
• Wider testing on all kinds of hardware, and distros needs to be done
• Review a year later: compile latest versions of everything available and try them out
• Great gap which needs to be filled

Acknowledgements

• AMS
• Supreet
• Puloma
• Shibani Ghosh
• Sukanya
• Farhatullah Beig
• FAT team
• Dustyfoot Productions
• Sarai