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Movavi VideoSuite 5: Editor and Converter
by Samuel J. Pipsky
 This video suite puts at your finger tips six Vista-compatible tools for video editing, processing and capturing in a single, integrated package, plus the all-important conversions! Movavi is pretty straightforward and easily navigated, which is pretty surprising for its sophistication.
So what do you want to convert? Movavi supports video formats and contains ready-made presets (sometimes referred to as “profiles”) for all popular portable devices:
- iPod, iPhone, Apple TV
- PSP from Sony
- Blackberry and other PDAs
- Zune from Microsoft
- Creative Zen
- Archos media players
- Epson media players
- Cell phones
- And whatever comes out in 2009!
Need a project? Here are just some of the things you can do:
- Capture video from DV and Web cameras
- Convert video files from one format to another (but not to DVD)
- Save video and DVD files to your iPod, PSP, Zune, Archos, Creative Zen, Blackberry and other PDAs, iPhone and other mobile phones
- Split and merge video files
- Update your old movies with professional filters
- Create video postcards from any video – 26 themes and 15 holiday frames
- Rip, backup and copy your DVDs
- Create static and animated DVD menus
With Movavi you can convert, split, combine, repair, edit on the storyboard and enhance existing movies. Create, burn, copy and backup your DVDs, create Hollywood-style animated and static DVD menus - all with just one package! You can capture video from your video camera, edit and burn it within one program. What you cannot do would fit in a thimble!
Movavi accepts most common file inputs and will output to several portable devices. There is a button clearly labeled on the toolbar to add DVD files from your own personal, unencrypted DVDs. And unlike the other products, you are not faced with a list of meaningless VOB files. Movavi Video Converter tells you exactly where the main feature is located and converts the whole thing at once. (One of several reasons I really like working with this program.)
Although it supports DVDs, it can not convert VOB files already on your hard drive. Nor can it convert into DVD formats. Movavi Video Converter outputs to common files types including WMV, AVI, MPEG 1 and 2, MOV, FLV and 3GP. Movavi even has options for HD WMV files and video podcasts. For those with less-popular media players, an AVI or WMV conversion with a resolution adjustment would work. Frankly, I have one portable device, but within a year or so most all of everything will go into or through some portable device.
If you feel comfortable adjusting advanced settings, you can change video and audio codecs, video and audio bitrates, frame rate, sample rate and more. However, for the novice user this could feel intimidating and complicated. I suggest sticking with the default settings.
With Movavi Video Converter you can also capture images from your video.
We didn’t find anything particularly spectacular about Movavi’s help and support. They include email support, a user guide and FAQs. Unfortunately, it took Movavi three and nine days to return our email inquiry because the response was basically a “form” reply that didn’t even come close to responding to the tech issue. I had to download the help files. However, the overall in-program help guide answered most of our questions and the program is so easy to use, you’re unlikely to use the help.
Edit videos on a timeline with separate tracks for video, audio and text. Personally, I use a storyline. To me, it is much more intuitive and provides a smoother result.
Movavi VideoSuite supports 40+ video, audio, and image file formats and media types – go to their web site for the complete list. Will yours be there?
* New! Capture High Definition video from HD MiniDV video camcorders. Another outstanding feature of their video and DVD program.
* Rewind and preview footage right in our video and DVD program to choose the segment you want to capture. Control the video capture process with live video preview and pause/resume functions.
Convenient video tools for saving video from MiniDV cassettes as DV-AVI files on your computer with no quality loss.
I found that files converted to MOV QuickTime, is only designed for iPods. You can adjust the resolution size to make the video bigger, but it will be extremely pixilated. Create ISO images of any unprotected CDs and DVDs. Compile a new CD or DVD and save it as an ISO file for later burning.
Based in Novosibirsk, Russia, Movavi makes video production as simple as brewing coffee. I’m impressed with the speed and agility of this program. Some functions are a bit awkward, but that’s part of the learning curve. For more info, updates and support go to www.movavi.com.
Samuel J. Pipsky is a HAL-PC member who is a retired video producer from the University of Houston.
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