VSDC Free Video Editor .
Last year we took a look at version of this video editor and it was, in our opinion, a disaster. Is VSDC Video Editor is an improvement? Let’s strap in, and take a look…
Features:
VDSC’s welcome screen is mighty enticing… let’s hope it won’t disappoint (again) (Image credit: VSDC)When you launch the software, it dedicates a large part of the interface to big up its top features. It is compatible with panoramic and VR footage, has motion tracking, allows you to edit to the beat of a song, transform your footage through artwork-types of effects, is compatible with 2K and 4K videos, possesses blend modes, masking and key tools.
You also see that not only can you edit videos, you can also make slideshows, and even record your PC’s screen.
All very exciting, especially for a free product. But the previous version touted its latest features in the same way, so we’re not falling for it this time.
It’s worth noting that even though VSDC is free, it doesn’t hinder your creative process: no watermarks are added to your video, nor are there limits to the length of a project you can create.
As with any program, the most important criteria is how good it is at doing its intended job, and what compromises are deemed acceptable based on its price point. With a price of zero, VSDC has a massive competitive advantage, so let’s take it for a spin.
InterfaceThe first thing you’ll notice is that you must instruct VSDC about the format you wish to use for your project. This is not something novices would be comfortable with. Modern video editors usually base that format on the first clip you add to the timeline, and this would likely be the default for most of your projects, thereby negating any potential issues should you chose the wrong parameters from the get-go.
VSDC expects you to know the intricacies of your project’s format. Worse still, the default size appears to be 1280x720, which isn’t full HD and what most people would be using nowadays. On the plus side, VSDC will remember your selection the next time you create a new project.
ImportingThe last time we looked at VSDC, we had major issues with the import process. We thought we were experiencing déjà vu as the import buttons forced us once again to choose from the start whether we wanted to add an image, a sound or a video to our project, with separate buttons for each. However, we could bypass this altogether as we were also able to drag the files we wanted to use from our PC directly onto VSDC’s timeline.
Even better, all the files we imported ended up on a single layer in the timeline. Last time, each had its own dedicated layer, which was madness.
Now, these imported clips are no longer bound to their layer and can be moved around to other layers and other positions in the timeline at will.
What a difference an update makes!
No more convoluted segregating layer work, no need to create puzzling “sprites” just to have multiple clips on the same layer. Just edit as you’d expect to edit in any other video editing application. This made us more hopeful as we explored further.
Edit Way:
Aah! The joys of editing properly! With multiple clips on the same layer! (Image credit: VSDC) Editing and transitionsEven the track order appeared to have been changed: a clip above another prevents the lower clip from being seen. Granted this is not the default, and many editing packages work in the opposite way: a clip in the lower layer obstructs a clip in one an upper one. However, we will always prefer an interpretation that mirrors what you would expect to see in the real world.
Transition:
Working with transitions is probably more confusing than before since the process hasn’t changed but the editing concept has… (Image credit: VSDC)Sadly, it starts to get more confusing when working with transitions. First of all, they’re hard to find - but that’s the same as before (they live in the video effects section). They just don’t work as you’d expect, and seem to hark back to how VSDC functioned in the previous version: a transition is applied to the end of start of a single clip and in order to see the two clips blend together in some way as you move from one to the other, you must make sure these clips are on different layers and overlap one another.
There’s also still only seven to choose from, and their visual style feels very rudimentary.
Text:
Working with text offers numerous options… (Image credit: VSDC)It’s not all bad, of course. There are a number of implementation that work as expected and are easy to use. You can crop videos and images, speed up or slow down a clip, and change the opacity. You can add as many effects as you like to a clip, such as colour changes, blur, sharpen, etc., and the text tool gives you a fair amount of flexibility.
Effects
You have a handful of basic effects at your disposal (Image credit: VSDC)The problem remains though that VSDC is still very convoluted, is difficult to understand, and even its basic features aren’t easy to find, meaning you lose a lot of time looking for stuff which should really leap out at you. This may well put off a lot of potential new budding editors, since so many other competing apps have shown that it really shouldn’t have to be this complicated.
There is a pro version available for $20, which offers you some ‘premium’ features such as hardware acceleration to speed up the export process, but we’d advise to perhaps hold off until further refinements have been made.
Final verdictIt’s good to see that there have been some marked improvements to this video editing software since the last time we explored it, but it’s hard to recommend it when there are other, better, alternatives out there, even some that compete on the same price point.
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Most video editors have two common features: They’re grossly overpriced and incredibly difficult to use. But neither of these are the case with the simplistic but powerful VSDC Video Editor Pro, which we’re providing to readers right now for a comparatively paltry sum.
As far as video editors go, you’re unlikely to find something as powerful but user friendly as this. Unlike the other guys, VSDC Video Editor Pro can be used by practically anyone to easily create high-quality videos for class presentations, social media marketing, YouTube, and more. It lets you import video from any source without quality loss, it offers a full slate of editing tools, and it’s compatible with most Windows-based systems ― even those still running XP SP 3. In short, the software makes the act of video editing totally easy.
Even the professionals seem to like it, as evidenced from the glowing reviews provided by CNET and Digital Trends. If you have videos to edit and don’t have time for some of the more expensive options out there, then now’s the time to try the VSDC Video Editor Pro on for size. Get a lifetime license, which is normally $49, for just $29.99 when you take advantage of this offer.
VSDC Video Editor Pro: Lifetime License - $29.99
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