Sooner or later, every user comes across the need to edit a video. That editing doesn't have to be complex: an extra effect or a precise cut might be more than enough. The key is finding the right tool. In the past, we've made some suggestions on free programs that are still perfectly valid today, but if you want to expand your horizons further and consider other alternatives, here we offer a very interesting selection.
It doesn't matter if the plan is to join videos, change their format, cut out a part that isn't entirely pleasant (or that didn't turn out well in the recording), put a different soundtrack over the images, or apply sepia-style effects; most likely you'll need an external tool to do all of this. For more than fifteen years, Microsoft's official option has been Windows Movie Maker, and to tell the truth, many people got their feet wet in video editing with this program.
What used to be an integrated utility later became part of the Windows Essentials package, so today it requires an additional download. With the arrival of Windows 10, Microsoft's desire is for users to look for editors in the official store. However, Movie Maker still works very well, but there are also third-party programs that carry a different vision and usually improve specific aspects in editors, such as compatibility and flexibility. Do you want to meet some of them? Let's see...
Jahshaka
Jahshaka is an editor that has in a way stayed under the radar, and its wide range of functions makes that position unjustified. Animation, composition, and playback of 2D/3D elements, color correction, general editing, and an interesting repertoire of effects are part of the Jahshaka package, which, by the way, is also open source. The latest version has been with us for a few years now, and while I must admit the learning curve is quite steep, there is plenty of documentation and instructional videos out there.
VirtualDub
Every time I've run into a serious problem with a video, I've managed to solve it (one way or another) with VirtualDub. Technically, it's not an official editor, but rather it takes on the role of a platform to capture and process content, but that doesn't change the fact that we're dealing with a true "Swiss Army knife of video". Both its support and its performance are out of this world, and the plugin system adds extra compatibility (for example, .MP4 files need this). In other words, it's quite hard to find something VirtualDub can't do. Free and open source.
Movica
Movica emerged as a program to make editing videos in Microsoft's traditional formats, such as Windows Media Video, easier. The codecs and compatible tools were cumbersome and very complicated to use back then, so Movica serves as an 'umbrella interface' to put all that under a more intuitive environment. Compared to other editors, Movica might seem outdated, but we know well that there are many users with old videos or humbler computers that can't run the latest tools. The only thing Movica requires is that you meet the .NET Framework dependencies, which is relatively easy to do.
VideoPad
An old friend of NeoTeo, VideoPad sits on the border that divides the casual from the professional. Its ability to inject transitions and sound effects on multiple channels, combined with motion reduction in videos (camera shake), changes in playback speed or direction, and the possibility of exporting the final result to different platforms (PSP, DVD, YouTube, etc.), means VideoPad has almost nothing to envy other professional tools. Of course... this same point makes its learning curve a bit more complex, but the developer offers several online tutorials. Free for non-commercial use.
VSDC Free Video Editor
The VSDC Free Video Editor presents itself as a 'non-linear editor' on its official page, but it's necessary to look further. In addition to broad support for audio and video effects, this editor carries conversion tools that will make working with multiple formats easier, and a DVD creation system that allows simplifying the development of our own discs. It also includes a download manager focused on video, an optical disc recorder, and support for video capture, whether directly from the desktop or through other sources, such as webcams, IP cameras, and TV tuners.
Kate's Video Toolkit
To close, a recommendation that probably ranks among the simplest to use. Kate's Video Toolkit can cut, join, mix, and insert transitions in supported video formats, as well as convert files from one extension to another. Personally, I'd like to place Kate's Video Toolkit next to Movica on the same shelf: it's a few years old, and it doesn't have support for MP4 videos, but its ease of use and compatibility with older formats make it an interesting complement to old copies of Movie Maker.
Wait a moment, there's more! If what we've named here isn't enough for you, you should take a look at other programs, among them the Lite edition of Machete, or the FileLab online editor, which works directly in the browser. Also don't miss some of our editing recommendations, which despite the years haven't lost their support. Just like with programming, the first step in video editing is the hardest, but don't let it intimidate you. Good luck!
