What is the best method/software to edit .mov files on a PC?
 

I'm leery of something that involves the cloud and a monthly subscription — I draw the line there. But yes, my iPad and even old iPhone's not in service shoot great videos. Eventually I'll pick up a decent camcorder to do this. I have an old Sony mini DVD camcorder but it is not supported any longer so anything I do with that is useless unless I'm missing something.

Meanwhile, and as I said, the i products all do very well on the recording end. The biggest drawback is that every time I stop, it creates a new file whereas camcorders have the pause function to stay in the same file using 'standby'. Easier to transfer to YouTube directly but online editing is difficult in the sense of limited features.

So, there I am, presently wanting to use Apple format and all the stop and go files. And the desktops and laptops around here are Windows PC's. I've reviewed a few apps and I'm even more confused.

My son uses Final Cut on his Apple laptop and can do some amazing stuff with it.

I use a couple things: "Handbrake" for switching movie formats and it is free! I use "AVS Video Editor" for going into a movie to make changes or to fasten together a bunch of movies from YouTube into one long movie. It is part of a whole sweet of programs, not free but not very expensive either. Finally to capture YouTube or other movies I use "iTube Studio" which can save a whole list of music or race car or black powder videos. It is not free either but not expensive and it saves what is in your computers video memory so the source does not know what is happening.

MS MovieMakerFree is back, but it's on the MS Store: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/movie-maker-10-free/9mvfq4lmz6c9

Some others : https://www.lifewire.com/best-free-video-editing-software-programs-4128924
(no experience here)

I should have emphasized more that I don't have any Apple stuff other than a few phones (only one connected if I wanted to upload directly from the phone — I don't). I need to convert.

John, I have heard of handshake and might have a go with that. But I thought you had to upload to the cloud and then download the converted files. If so, I'm trying to avoid the cloud.

I used to use MS MovieMaker for my early train videos. Haven't used the latest version on my W10 machine yet though.

Maybe look at Adobe Premier Elements.

Unless I misunderstood, that requires a subscription for full features at $19.99/mo.

Kinda like MS Office. I used to buy that now it's a hunny a year. I don't like that.

I didn't come to PPOT w/o doing my research. I've been on this for 3 days when I have time to sit at the PC. No love.

Only the full/pro version requires a subscription. The consumer-level version (Elements) is not part of the "Creative Cloud" and does not require a subscription. ;)

Cool. I'll dig into that.

Elements is going to cost you $100
AVIDemux and OpenShot appear to be 2 free video editors.
Try those first

Do they convert .mov to MP4? I know Adobe does. That's my problem right there. I have a branny new Dell with hot rod insides including 2 internal drives, one SS and it came with Dell Movie (maker something) but I cannot get Apple .mov files into it no matter what I do. RB's handshake will likely do that, as I said, I'm keep my stuff here, not on a cloud.

That's another discussion.

DaVinci Resolve has a free version.

Made by Black Magic, they are the one of the premiere vendors for hardware in the video space.

All pro level stuff.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/

Transcoding between formats is something most editing apps can do.

What's likely missing are the proper codecs, compressor / decompressor

Think of codecs as "the formula" to compress a certain format.

If you are missing the codec for a format no app can write it because the recipe is missing.

Same thing when you get a file you can't play, the decompressor (codec) is missing.

Luckily almost all the common codecs are available for free download.

Paid pro editing apps generally include them, freeware not all the time.

None of the 3 programs I mentioned use the cloud unless your PC is setup to use an out of your PC system, I.E. the cloud. My Handbrake goes to my "C:" solid state drive, the other two to 6 terabyte external drive in a USB holder.

.MOV is quicktime.
Any major editor should be able to handle it.

DaVinci appears to be a huge program.
(I think you might have mentioned it was 'too big' for basic users like myself once. And probably correct.) ;)

The freeware version was slow to load but gets the job done.
The Audacity of video editing..

Or for those doing more than basic cuts and home movies, the pro version is even affordable for what it does.
Top quality software is now available at the base consumer market. How wonderful.

It would definitely be an option if I were vested in that video-editing world.

Stomach, what kind of video editing do you do?
I'm going to try DaVinci later today. Good to know this option is out there

I paid about $50 IIRC for a lifetime use of Filmora editing software. I have been using it to edit video shot from my android phone and my gopro for creating youtube videos. I have never used anything else, but it works to stitch together and trim video segments and has many templates for opening scenes, credits etc. It also allows you to insert photos and do voice overs, speed increases, transitions between scenes etc.

I have not spent too much time learning all it's features.... might have more time now that Ohio just closed all essential businesses.

Pretty much everything.

Lots of trailers for video games.

My wife has always used the Corel VideoStudio for her tourism stuff. It isn't terrible expensive either.

For making DVDs back in the day she used DVD Lab as it had far better menu options. You could do the same as any production house DVD with that. I don't think anyone does DVDs any longer. Not for most stuff at home. It is mostly streaming or MP2/4.