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VideoSpin - It's free and it comes from Avid!

Videospin is one of the more promising free video editing tools on the market. The reason being that it comes from Avid who are the prime maker of professional grade editing software. If you've watched a Hollywood feature film recently chances are it has been edited on an Avid system.

The software is actually a low functional version of Pinnacle Studio that has been rebranded and given away.

UPDATE
** Pinnacle have revamped Videospin and released it as version 2 **

What it does it does well but, for example, it won't allow you to capture video from a camera or other source (although it will allow you to bring in footage already captured by another tool). Also once you take the footage and open it in Pinnace Studio it is then no longer usable in your original free software version
Video Spin graphic

In addition to that the number of codecs that are available to exporting video is limited. The official FAQ quotes the following:

Import

    Video: (.avi, mpg, .mpeg, .mod, .mp2, .mp4, .wmv)
        * AVI (DV AVI)
        * MJPEG
        * MPEG-1
        * MPEG-2 (optional) MPEG-4 (optional)
        * DivX (optional)
        * WMV
    Audio: (.Wav, .mp3, .mpa, .m4a, .wma, .AVI)
        * Dolby 2ch (optional)
        * MPEG-1 Layer 2
        * MP3 Audio

Export

    Video:
        * AVI (DV AVI)
        * MJPEG
        * MPEG-1
        * MPEG-2 (optional)
        * MPEG-4 (optional)
        * DivX (optional)
        * WMVReal Media
        * Flash Video
    Audio:
        * Dolby 2ch (optional)
        * MPEG-1 Layer 2
        * MP3 Audio
        * AAC (optional)

The codecs are actually supplied with the software but expire after 15 days. you must then purchase the additional codec packs if you wish to continue using them. (NOTE: It's not ALL the codecs that expire, just MPEG-2, MPEG-4/DivX, or Dolby Digital 2 Channel files)

Export to web

One benefit of this tool is that it can actually export directly onto Youtube or Yahoo movies
Output to web from Videospin

The screen allows you to specify the presets that you need to export and it will do the rest, even adding appropriate tags and dropping the file into your account.

The Update

So what does the update do?
Well, not a great deal, actually. It's more to do with the Videospin web site. Videospin is back with a new website to helpnew folks to head in the right direction. The site features how-tos, user-made examples and access to basic info and faqs.

The software is now, apparently, ad supported as well. As PC World said in their review "You also must put up with advertisements--for Pinnacle products, and even for products sold on Amazon.com--rotating in the top-middle of the interface. I didn't find them intrusive, but like Studio, VideoSpin has a few spots where you must watch where you click. If you select 'More Transitions' from a drop-down menu, the application will open your Web browser to an ad for upgrades. That's more annoying." If you can get over this then fine.

Summary

A basic tool with a good pedigree. Obviously designed to lure folks in with some functionality and get them to purchase Pinnacle Studio when they become more adventurous.

If you can live without the capture function (and don't want to export to
MPEG/DivX or Dolby codecs) and don't mind adverts while you work then this is probably a good tool for you

Click here to go to the VideoSpin home Page

Click here to download the software

Click here to return from Videospin to Free editing Software

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