This is an archived page for Magix Movie Edit Pro 15. You can get information on the latest version by checking the menu on the right.
With the release of Magix Movie Edit Pro things really seem to be hotting up in the consumer video editing software market and by the looks of it the consumer is going to be the clear winner.
As I have noted in a few earlier posts, Cyberlink Power Director 7 transformed itself last year from a semi-automated “point and clicker” to a fully fledged home video editing program to rival some of the best. It became my number two choice for someone seeking to enter this market with a rich feature list and an easily learned interface.
Well things have certainly changed quickly because this latest offering from Magix is quite exceptional and has raised the bar again.
Magix are a European company and although they have been around for a while they have never really tried to penetrate much beyond that. About two years ago they began what appeared to be an earnest attempt to break out of that market and hit the U.S. and others.
Their first attempts involved pitting the existing features if their Movie Edit Pro product against the existing competition but in all honesty they simply didn’t do anything to separate themselves from the crowd. The Movie Edit Pro 11, 12 and 13 versions were ok but a bit buggy and they still hadn’t quite nailed down some of the new video file formats.
Part of the problem seemed to be that they were overreaching, too many features to try to entice users without really getting those features working stably on a wide range of home computers.
Well I have to report that with the release of Movie Edit Pro 15 they have come full circle. This version not only has one of the best feature sets around at the moment but it appears to be rock solid for stability and usability.
The bottom line is that if your are just starting out in home video editing then the Magix Movie Edit Pro would be a great train to jump on right now.
Here are the main features at a glance and some of my impressions but some of the key points are the sound quality control, the 3D titling module, the wide range of video input and output compatibility and the multi-cam editing feature. Finally it comes with its own screen capture module which is a huge plus point for those of you who like to do screen capture videos.
Click Image to See magix Movie Edit Pro
I personally look for REAL features in video editing software not just stuff that looks cool! Magix Movie Edit Pro 15 does have a bunch of bells and whistles but it also has some great, great features. Well worth a look.
DV Camcorders and Webcams
Real-time scene recognition for custom capture, compression and preview, batch processing and single image recording for DV camcorders.
Videos from DVD
Imports video DVDs from DVD camcorders and recorders as well as from the DVD reader of your computer and recognizes the .vob file structure as well.
Analog Recordings
VHS Copy Assistant for automatic scene recognition and chapter markers + MPEG2 recording/burn automation.
AVCHD/HDV Editing *Key Feature
Optimized import of AVCHD recordings but please remember for any video editing software this video file format is heavily dependent on processor power. Make sure you have more than the recommended minimum.
Catooh – Online Content Library
This is an online content library you get access to. You can get loads of music, effects, styles and DVD menus for your video projects.
Customizable Interface
The individual windows can be re-sized or repositioned any way – even across multiple monitors.
Video Image Optimization
Picture stabilization filter, auto exposure, auto color, selective brightness, focus, brightness/contrast, color adjustment, cropping
Video Effects
Video effects including Key frame automation control for dynamic transitions.
Video Scaling
Precise image size, position, rotation, mirror, picture-in-picture
Color Correction
Color correction controls.
Chroma keying
Chroma keying with alpha channel (Blue Screen/Green Screen)
Overview, Storyboard, Timeline *Key Feature
Easily sort, arrange, and add sound to scenes (99 tracks). It is vital to be able to switch from timeline to storyboard in any video editing software. Storyboard allows an overview of your project, timeline allows fine editing points to be made.
Scene Recognition
Automatically splits videos into individual scenes as desired.
3D titles
Choice of over 100 animated and static templates (e.g. flowing opening/closing credits, subtitles). Not a key feature but a great way to give your final production that extra “something.”
Multi-cam Editing * Key Feature!
Synchronize 2 cameras and select the best scenes with live preview. This task of sybchronizing two cams is a royal pain in the b**t with other software, in Movie Edit Pro it is a snap.
Animated GIF file import
Animated decorative elements from Internet graphics, ClipArts, etc.
Magnetic Objects – Huge feature here! *Key Feature
Automatically set decorative elements, picture-in-picture and text objects to follow moving objects in the background video. In most video editing software at this level of the market this feature is missing. The only way to work around it would be to “frame by fame” keep re-positioning a mask or overlay to follow the object in the base video. It takes hours to do that! E.g. Your child is in a team and they are playing football, you add an arrow to the overlay track, mark your kid’s head as the object to follow and the arrow follows his head around! Cool!
Overdub & Synchronize
MAGIX Soundtrack Maker Creates individual background music mood changes to match your individual scenes, nice feature great for video files that have bad sound.
Audio Restoration
Remove overmodulation & distortion, denoise and normalize.
Audio Mixer
With real time automation for volume and panorama.
Sound Effects
60 templates (for example, karaoke, telephone, pitch) + VST® plug-in support
Integrated Sound Studio
With equalizer, compressor, stereo FX, reverb, echo, and more.
Dolby®Digital 5.1 sound
Create movies with genuine Dolby®Digital 5.1 sound
Interactive Menus (4:3 and16:9)* Key Feature.
30 uniquely customizable templates with intros, backgrounds (videos/music), animated buttons and 3D titles. Also for Blu-ray Discs.
Custom DVD Backgrounds
Templates for automatic DVD background animation using motifs from your video project.
Multi-Copy, disc splitting, ondisc editing
Creates double-layer DVDs (+R), multiple disc copies, divides movies onto several discs, creates attachments to DVD-/+RWs, and much more
Universal Data Burn Module
For video disc copies, project backups, etc.
Real Time DVD Burning
Burn directly to disc during analog capture from TV card, camcorder, DVD player or VHS recorder.
Batch Processing
Automatically convert multiple videos and projects into other formats. Now available for whole folders.
Smart rendering (also for videos with Dolby®Digital Sound) *Key Feature.
Import, capture, edit, and burn to disc in original format without recalculation. (requires a free activation via the Internet)
Easy Burn Mode
Now you can burn it directly to DVD even faster.
Export to Mobile Devices (.mov, .wmv, .rm) *Key Feature
For video players, SmartPhones, PDAs, mobiles, etc. Export of MPEG-4 profiles for mobile devices with corresponding codec (for example, PSP, iPod).
Transfer films to digital picture frames (MJPEG format)
YouTube Upload
Upload movies and slideshows to YouTube directly.
MAGIX Online Album
Present personal videos on your own web page – for free. Export your films as a WebDVD or as a mixed-mode album.
MAGIX.info Community
Share your knowledge with other users directly from within the program.
Extensive Multimedia Archive
2,000 universal templates: 7 thematic intros & outros, 150 decorative elements, 100 video, image & colour effects, 200 fades, 60 videos & complementary motifs, 60 audio effects, background music, new overdubbing sounds and much more.
As always with video editing software…mileage may vary! Make sure you take advantage of the free trial to be certain it will play nice with your computer set up.
Click here to check out Magix Movie Edit Pro 17
Or…you can read a full review here at Magix Movie Edit Pro 17 Review.
I am having many problems trying to burn a simple project to a DVD.
Can Anyone help me. I have a total of 160 jpeg photos and I am trying to turn it into a slideshow with one standard flow, cross fading of all photos and then burn it to DVD. My guys at Best Buy recommended this software but I am having my own reservations about it and it’s support line.
HELP! HELP! HELP!
Hi Cyndi (or should I just call you Bubbles!)
Although what you are describing may seem pretty straightforward it is difficult for me to work out where it is all going wrong without more info.
You can contact me directly using the contact buttons here on the site and I will try to debug this for you.
The software itself is very good under most circumstances but (and it’s a big one!) every computer is going to be a little (or a lot) different and sometimes things conflict so neither the guys at BestBuy steered you wrong nor really have Magix.
So if you want to get this moving contact me directly as I will have to go into a long series of questions and answers to get a picture of what is happening.
We have Movie Edit Pro 15, and are having a terrible time getting a DVD to burn. We are running Vista.
First, it would burn, and when we’d play it, it would play the menu, and only the first minute or so of the movie, and then it would just stop and go back to the menu.
On the menu, all the scenes show up on the scene selection, but won’t play.
The next thing we tried, was to export the movie as a Magix video file (which took like 2 days!),and then we put the new file into a new timeline, and tried to burn that, and it seemed successful at first, except a short portion of the video at the end was all black, except we could still hear the audio. We tried exporting only the blacked out part as a Magix video file again, then putting it in the timeline again, and this time it only burned a short portion and then stopped.
We have downloaded all the fixes from Magix, and updated everything we can. Help! My son is supposed to burn copies of the piano recital he filmed and edited, and we can’t even get the first copy to burn.
No one on the Magix help forums is answering me, either. Anyone?
Hi Lynn,
Ok this could be a problem with Magix, Vista, the DVD burner or a combination of all of them! So…
Try this first.
Go to http://www.ccleaner.com and download the free Ccleaner software. Install it and run the Cleaner part of it first. Just accept the default settings.
Next go to the Registry part of the program and run the “Check for Errors” module. Then select to fix all the errors found.
Repeat this step until Ccleaner finds no more errors.
Now go to the tools part of the computer and defrag the hard drive(s).
Now go back to Magix and try to burn a DVD.
Let me know what happens and I’ll try to help.
I am having the same problem. I am in the try out version and if you can recommend any books or starting out tutorials I would certainly appreciate it. I want this to work and I am pretty computer savy…..just have never edited movies. I have seen Kicker Fools and some of his video’s on you tube but I am simply looking to cut some sceens add some effects etc……
Thanks
Hi Michael,
Have you been to the Magix website? They have a forum there and some tutorials that are very well maintained: http://www.magix.info/us/
If you can’t find an answer there come back here and lay out the whole problem for me and I will try to help in any way I can.
Hello just came across your site and been browsing around some of your posts and just wondering why you chose a WordPress blog dont you find it impossible to do anything with? Been thinking about starting one.
Not at all. It is very versatile, easy to configure and there are a bunch of plugins to automatically perform many tasks. There are lots of good free themes available and it’s natural state is quite search engine friendly.
Trust me, if I can install it and get it running any idiot can do it!
Hello. I have just begun using MEP 15 Plus, and have only one issue thus far: Right after I convert a home video (from my camcorder) and after the video ends, I want to add that movie file to my project, but it does not work. I see that it exists because it is visible in the “Explorer” window. I have tried using the “Import File” as well as going to “File”…”Manage Movies”…”Import Movie.” Neither works. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks!
Hi Paul,
I am having just a little trouble understanding the situation!
When you say you have “converted” the home movie, what exactly do you mean?
Do you mean that you have transferred the movie from the camcorder to the computer?
If so how did you do that?
When you try to play the movie with another type of software like Media Player, does it play?
We are now at edit pro 16 this software cost $57.00
this software is good but it really takes a long time for it to produce the final cut. Some times my computer locks up. If you were thinking of buying this software beware it may not work well on your computer, and if you have a vista operating system, you may want to forget it.
Hi Michael,
I guess it really comes down to a point I make constantly on this blog and other forums.
Unless you have downloaded a free trial of ANY video editing software that is going to run on Windows you know absolutely nothing.
It is vital to run it on the system and files you will be working with before you make any purchase.
I have heard horror stories from every conceivable brand of video editing software but the point is that they are in the minority. No software maker can survive if they put out a product that consistently fails across the boards. Word gets out like lightening and they lose sales fast.
Having said that a lot of people also went through hell with video editing software of all types trying to run Vista!
Valuable info. Lucky me I found your site by google search
Hi, I have a little problem, I’m doing a movie but now when I click on play button it starts on movie start, always, dont starts where I have the cursor, Can help me?
Thanks
This could be a problem both in the video file itself or with your computer’s ability to play the file. What kind of video file is it?
hi – i am having difficulty syncing two cameras up on screen (displaying both videos at the same time with the action in sync). both are helmet cams but different brands. it works fine when i view it inside the program but when i render it out the videos are no longer synced. any help would be appreciated.
Hi Colin,
Sorry about both the delay and the difficult Captcha! Something a little screwy going on with this blog at the moment as I should receive an email that your comment/question was awaiting moderation and an answer.
Anyhoo, enough about my problems!
Movie Edit pro is usually pretty good at the task you are describing so my first suggestion would be to take a look at either the footage itself or your computing power.
If the footage is AVCHD or MP4 of some description then dealing with a two cam shoot makes things pretty labor intensive for the computer to render together. Generally speaking this is the most common source of out-of-sync footage. To combat this try rendering with everything you possible can shut down on the computer. Any unnecessary processes programs, connections to the internet… everything! See how that goes. It is also a good idea to do a computer clean up using something like Ccleaner (free) and defragging your hard drive.
If that doesn’t get a result then the most likely culprit is that one of the video assets you are using has a small time code corruption in it that was formed when it was recorded. To fix that you can start a new project. Load the video on to the timeline and render the video in exactly the same format and using exactly the same parameters as the original. The software will automatically correct the file and the newly rendered file can then be used for editing.
is there a delay in posting? there seems to be issues with the posting mechanism. also, the security codes are almost impossible to read….
thank you for the response. as far as horsepower is concerned i think i’m ok. i have a 2.3 ghz dual-core with 8 gigs of ram and a dedicated 1 gig video card with up to 4 gigs shared. plus i’m only processing avi files from older helmet cams. i’ve had this problem before with a single camera source not lining up with text or music files after rendering. i think there is something corrupted within the program itself. in the music maker programs there is a way to change the setting of the timeline itself (SMTE, bars, time). i thought you could in earlier versions or movie edit as well but can’t seem to find it. is this the case?