There is an incredible and wonderful free program called blender. Is mostly a renderer but it also includes very powerful video editing.

Free.

I thought it had a pretty steep learning curve - Usually I skips the instructions but this thing humbled me and I simply couldn't start using immediatelly.

I had to watch youtube videos to learn key strokes and mouse conventions. There's several main operating modes and you need to switch to video before you can see the video stuff.

After a few hours of playing I was automatically smoothing cellphone video. Arbitrary tracks and audio. 3d stereo and effects. Stunningly full featured.

http://www.blender.org

Free and open source. Definately a great value for the money and also good if you're looking for a challenge. :)

That's a 3d modeling app.

Yeah it's got a built in video editor but video is far from Blenders primary purpose.

It's kinda like buying the 50 drawer Snap-On tool chest fully loaded when all you need is a 10 mm socket.

The next multi millionaire will bring a simple to use software to market that works with voice commands like Alexa.

Stop. Cut to xx:xx:xx. Fade out. Resume. Louder/softer. Add xxxx music track. Start at xx:xx.

Add text to frame. "What do you want to say?" And so on.

I could do a decent job with less than 20 commands.

It's probably already part of YouTube's free Video Editor

I've used that and no, not yet.

Still researching for the best options and I got a glimpse of a camera tethered to a laptop for video using the same sort of controls one can use with software and a DSLR. My Canon 50D does a lot but it don't shoot no video and I'm not going to hack it — it's been a great still shot camera for me. With a couple of older laptops in the closet I'm wondering about something a few cuts above a webcam. Something with a lens and sensor with little on board controls. A slave, if you will.

Does that sort of thing exist? I got nothing so far looking around but I likely don't know the correct terminology. I just want to save the captures? directly to the computer so no memory card needed.

Edit: I'm OK with a fixed lens.

I use videopad i dont know if it does what your are trying to do but iv got windows. And it was a free download

Not much info on whether it works with .mov files but looks like maybe not.

Gonna try Handbrake as suggested earlier.

I spent several hours editing a long video on my new Dell that came with PowerDirect. Got it done and found out no one supports PD's .pds files. Not even Handbrake can help. The PD has a produce function to save the new files to 5 different formats but it won't do it with the edited files, only the files downloaded from the camcorder BEFORE you drag them into the storyboard.

So all that work over 2 days was in vain and doing some reading I'm not alone. Oh, and there's this: I went to "burn a cd" button and it says not supported in my version, I need to buy the upgrade. Well fvk me once, but not 2wice.

Because of this, Dell lost a long time customer. Don't sell me siht. Should have bought an iMac a long time ago.

So, after nearly a month researching and trying things out, including a new camcorder, my advice to anyone wanting to make videos for uploading to the Net — buy a Mac and use your various i* devices as well as any camera capable of video capture.

You'll thank me before you fumble your money.

With a brief search, it looks like PowerDirect is the only program which opens .pds.
What a sucker play...bastages.

Is there a different "save as" format within PowerDiret such as mp4, WMV, ,AVI,or .MOV (which might be best. idk)

It might be worthwhile using a different program, restart the transfer, and go watch a movie or something.
BTDT.

Bad advice due to user error. I edit GoPro and cell phone video on my Dell with no issues. Then post to YouTube. As do a million other people.

You ignored the advice you were given, and tried some oddball solution. Your fault.
I spent $20 on a Windows based software package that works perfectly.

And I bet you're using PowerDirector incorrectly.
Why would a product exist that can only read its own file format.
Makes zero sense. Read the manual

Did you pick File -> Produce Movie ?
https://youtu.be/0NFIp0obN94?t=435
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT4hb6gtW9w

Did you do this?
https://www.tenforums.com/software-apps/56644-how-can-i-save-videos-cyberlinks-powerdirector-12-a.html

Hey mr sugar, thanks for the uplifting message. In the famous words of Joe Bob, "Bite me."

I solved the problem in minutes. PowerDirector was holding me hostage. All I had to do was buy it. It was a working sample installed OEM but it lacked any real export capability.

After reading the reviews for Adobe Premier and the cost, I decided to pay the $129 ransom and I was up and running in 30 minutes. Plus, I had taken the time the learn how to use PD, so the choice wasn't difficult.

I take back my statement about Dell but it was pretty sneaky. Machines 10 years ago came with Microsoft Movie Editor, full blown (as much as it was) and ready to go as part of Windows. The 2016 version on this computer, not the new one, is called simply Video editor. I used that on my first couple of videos but was having, once again, troubles with file transfers. But it works if you have a compatible camera, not an i* device.

Oh, and before I bought, I downloaded Handbrake for my .pds (Power Direct Script) files and no love. I was backed into a corner that wouldn't have been there if I had known the OEM PD was just a shell until you 'upgrade'. Learned something there.

I always wondered who the suckers were that purchased bloatware.
Now I know.

Again, 100% your fault.
Resolve is free.
And there are tons of programs for $40

And I guarantee you didn't use the Director program correctly.
No trial would ever disable "Publish"

.pds is not a video format.
It's an internal project file.
Of course Handbrake doesn't handle it.
It's not a video file!

?

That's actually one of the more common limits of trial ware.

You could have paid $50
https://www.cyberlink.com/store/powerdirector-video-editing-software/buy_en_US.html?affid=2581_1476_540

Or, for single use
$4/month then cancel

Not this one.
https://www.cyberlink.com/support/faq-content.do?id=12825

Thank you. And I thought I had stated that I didn't want 2 things in the software: dependence on using online features and no subscription.

I could have purchased the highly recommended Adobe Premiere (non pro version, just a one-time purchase) for $100 or gone with the PD for 30 bucks more.

I'm not a computer person by nature. I've learned by trial and error since the first machine came into the household in '95 — Netscape days. I have been in the home improvement contracting business for 50 years and only 2wice have made a presentation based on a cad program (Sketchup). I damn near could have built the thing in the amount of time it took me to do the drawing. The 3D with rotation was cool, I'll have to admit.

Other than that, computers to me generate contracts, invoices and estimates on templates I made 15 years ago. The rest of the time I've just played on forums and looked at images of cool cars. I watch TY almost every day learning. I can barely change the margins in Word.

No reason for optimization for me — any port in a storm. And apparently Adobe has some bugs, at least that seems to run in the comments about the program.

But maybe they are using it wrong.

No complaints today.

For very basic video operations, like copying a small section off a video to a separate file, merging files, etc I use Avidemux - Main Page