# editing raw video footage



## kenny1 (Jan 9, 2009)

Hello,
Hoping I'm in the right forum to ask about editing video...
I have a bunch of raw footage in various formats that I need to take clips from and assemble a "best of" montage type video. The challenge I've been running into is one of format compatibility with different programs and with youtube, which is one location I want to upload the finished video. 
My raw footage is in .m2p, .MOD, .wmv, .mpg, .avi, .VOB and I've also converted some of it to .flv and .mp4 - I think that's all of them... 

Reading on youtube I see they prefer mp4 if I'm not mistaken, and they also recommend re encoding the footage as few times as possible from the raw footage in order to preserve the quality. Well, the challenge I'm finding is that the editing software I have on my computer, ie, Windows Movie Maker and Cubase SX3, neither are compatible with mp4 or with m2p or .VOB or .MOD, which accounts for alot of my raw footage. So for example if I want to take some raw footage into either of these two programs I have to convert to another format first. 

My question is this: what format can I convert all my raw footage to that will maintain the greatest degree of quality and also be compatible with my editing software, as well as with youtube when I am ready to export the finished product? I've been toying with a few alternatives but it seems like every variation I have tried has proved to be problematic in one way or another.

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated!:4-dontkno
Cheers,
Kenny


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## zuluclayman (Dec 16, 2005)

Format factory is a good freeware converter that seems to accept most formats and can convert to a range of formats with compression options available for most.
Other than that, download a free trial of either

Sony's Vegas Studio Platinum

or

Adobe's Premiere Elements

Both of these are excellent value editing suites with much higher capabilities than Moviemaker - both are fully functional, non-watermarked 30 day trials. Both also allow for uploading to Youtube directly from within the program.


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## kenny1 (Jan 9, 2009)

kenny1 said:


> My question is this: what format can I convert all my raw footage to that will maintain the greatest degree of quality and also be compatible with my editing software, as well as with youtube when I am ready to export the finished product?


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## zuluclayman (Dec 16, 2005)

Convert your raw footage to .avi (using Format Factory) if you are going to use Moviemaker, using as little compression as possible (ie. don't use H264 or Xvid codecs as they compress pretty heavily, though still with reasonably good quality) - edit in Moviemaker (if that is your preferred software) then output it as .mp4, using Youtube's recommended settings.


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## kenny1 (Jan 9, 2009)

Z, thanks for that. I have http://www.any-video-converter.com/ is format factory preferable for some reason, or is the one I have adequate?


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

Your software is $50, Format Factory is free. Both are equally good, with some minor differences.


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

Although you make a very persuasive argument for spending $100 on VideoCharge Studio, I find that the highly recommended Format Factory does an excellent job for free. Can you give some more details about the RAW to MP4/AVI converting aspect of VideoCharge and what makes it worth the money?


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## Bustor Williams (Dec 15, 2009)

I am not sure of the Video split function in the converter which I use but I have tried VLC Player and it is one the most effective freeware converter and player that I ever came across.


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