Lightworks

Pros

• Award-winning video editor
• Non-linear video authoring
• Compatible with many broadcast-quality file formats
• Edit HD files and 4K

Cons

• The free version is time and feature limited
• Difficult for beginners to master

Experts in the field refer to the free version of Lightworks as one of the most powerful video editors available today. The non-linear video authoring software is loaded with features, including a core processing engine that supports just about every conceivable video format, plus a web export option that allows keen editors to upload their efforts to Youtube or Vimeo.

This is the free edition of Lightworks, so it lacks some of the more advanced features that are expected of a professionally capable film authoring software package. Granted, the program natively supports DVCAM / DVCPRO 25, Uncompressed HD 8 bit and 10 bit, Sony XAVC, and many other broadcast formats, as found in the highest echelons of the film industry, but their resolutions and bit rates are hamstrung, unless the would-be editor is willing to pull out cash for the paid version, that is. Furthermore, the free version can only output web-compatible MPEG4/H.264, which is locked down at 720p. There's no 4k Ultra-HD output here, not in the basic package.

Having pointed out one of the few drawbacks, Lightworks still has tons of features to offer. The sophisticated video editor sports a powerful footage manipulating interface. There's also an advanced VFX panel built-in to the software, so compositing projects and real-time video effects can be added to the workflow. Better yet, the panel incorporates a number of handy inbuilt presets, which will color correct, blur, or even mask the footage so that the final output looks polished and professional, just like a broadcast-quality video. Again, a certain level of user knowledge is required to take advantage of these advanced features. For a video enthusiast, a short learning curve is anticipated. For beginners, however, that learning curve might seem more like a mountain.

Deeper into the densely packed video editing interface, Lighworks employs a very accurate footage trimming panel. Trim the video, copy it, manipulate it in creative ways, add a colorful transition effect, and sync groups of clips, all with a few pushes of the trimming controls. For the maestro editors out there, this download really can deliver a professionally tailored final cut, but only after the program has been mastered. After all, as capable of rendering high production values as this Emmy winning software package undoubtedly is, it takes time to master the intuitively laid out timeline controls and the non-linear editing tools.

In conclusion, the free version of Lightworks is designed for video enthusiasts, users who need to realize the program's limitations. Even then, the lower resolutions and web-exporting features run out after 7-days. For access to every award-winning video editing panel and import/export setting, be prepared to pay for a time-limited license or an expensive outright ownership license.

Pros

• Award-winning video editor
• Non-linear video authoring
• Compatible with many broadcast-quality file formats
• Edit HD files and 4K

Cons

• The free version is time and feature limited
• Difficult for beginners to master