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Avid Releases Avid Free DV

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Avid has released Avid Free DV on their website. The free video editing application was announced in January and provides a free Digital Video editing solution for Windows XP and Mac OS X:

Perfect for students, DV camera owners, video enthusiasts or anyone exploring video editing - Avid Free DV software is an easy, free way to join the Avid family and test-drive the industry-standard editing interface used by more professionals than any other video editing solution.

Avid Free DV is feature-streamlined, standalone software which includes basic video and audio editing capabilities, up to two streams of real-time effects and support for both Windows XP and Macintosh OS X platforms.
Click to expand...

A feature comparison of Avid's video products is provided here. Of note, the product does support two video video tracks, which has been a frequently requested feature for Apple's free iMovie application.
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2003/10/07/avid-releases-avid-free-dv/
Careful installing Avid Free DV

A few people, me included, have had problems booting after installing Avid Free DV. It looks like this is happening in 10.2.8. To fix the problem, you have to boot from another disc, and then delete all the .ktext files that were installed. This caused for a very frustrating evening. If you are interested in the program, wait a week or so to see if theres an update.
 
The only bad news here is that, if the software is really good, consumer-level video editing just got that much easier on Windows. Apple loses their significant edge in that arena.
 
YAY

choice=good

I am getting tired of i-Movie

FCP -e still costs money

FCP is way to much for me

:) :D :cool:

edit:

G3nius, you have got a very good point unfortunately.:( :rolleyes: :mad: :eek:
 
I think this is great for those who can't afford a higher end system. Imagine being able to say you have an avid system and it was free. The avid brand name is well respected with most video professionals. FCP is getting more and more respect but it still does not get that avid respect. BTW I'm an FCP user and I won't put this on my system but I know plenty of folks that will.
 
Woo-Hoo!!!

Better late than never. I applaud Avid for showing support for OS X, even when Apple is putting on the pressure with their own video editing solutions.

Avid's software is miles away from iMovie and just because both are free does not mean that they are competing in any way. iMovie is a no-brainer application while Avid Free DV offers extensive complexity.

In the reviews of Avid DV that I have read it was often noted that many real-time effects and renders were faster than the Final Cut Pro equivalents. If this is indeed the case then it would be Avid that is putting the pressure on Apple.
 
Re: Careful installing Avid Free DV

Originally posted by BrianKloc
A few people, me included, have had problems booting after installing Avid Free DV. It looks like this is happening in 10.2.8. To fix the problem, you have to boot from another disc, and then delete all the .ktext files that were installed. This caused for a very frustrating evening. If you are interested in the program, wait a week or so to see if theres an update.
Click to expand...

I'm interested in installing this but I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced the same problems as described above. I don't really want to deal with that if it happens when I install the software.

Also, has anyone successfully installed the software on OS 10.2.8?
 
It is not that good!

If you look at the features and limtations, it is really lacking in basic areas of non-linear editing. I thought it would be more like the complete versions, that way you get to learn or have a better feeling for it in order to get an edting job as an Avid editor. That and the booting problems have led me to erase this and stick with FCP.
I wanted to try it out, but it disappointed.

Limitations
 
Re: Woo-Hoo!!!

Originally posted by Sol
Better late than never. I applaud Avid for showing support for OS X, even when Apple is putting on the pressure with their own video editing solutions.

Avid's software is miles away from iMovie and just because both are free does not mean that they are competing in any way. iMovie is a no-brainer application while Avid Free DV offers extensive complexity.

In the reviews of Avid DV that I have read it was often noted that many real-time effects and renders were faster than the Final Cut Pro equivalents. If this is indeed the case then it would be Avid that is putting the pressure on Apple.
Click to expand...


Do you any links to those reviews? I'm curious to what people have said.

I wish I had a machine to try it out on. I don't have XP on my PC and I'm not about to install it on my FCP NLE. Maybe I'll sneak it onto a computer at work. :)

Someone mentioned this might give Windows users one less reason to switch but I'm not so sure. Avid software, even this Free DV, is more complex than any other low-end editing software and I bet it has a tigthter hardware tolerence as well. And since Avid is not offering any support for Free DV I think windows users will hit more walls w/FreeDV than Mac users will. Of course the user will probably chalk the problems up to "crappy" Avid software and not realize it's their platform, not their editing software, that is the source of their headaches.


Lethal
 
Re: It is not that good!

Originally posted by MacAficionado
If you look at the features and limtations, it is really lacking in basic areas of non-linear editing. I thought it would be more like the complete versions, that way you get to learn or have a better feeling for it in order to get an edting job as an Avid editor. That and the booting problems have led me to erase this and stick with FCP.
I wanted to try it out, but it disappointed.

Limitations
Click to expand...

Not to sound like a smart @ss but it's free. How feature rich do you think it should be? It's not for pro use it's for home/hobbiest use.


Lethal
 
I've already downloaded and looked at this software (installed it on a clean 10.2.8 test system -- external drive). It's got a very complicated interface, definitely not a standard Mac GUI, looks like something half Windows and half roll-your-own. I couldn't get it to recognize my DV capture device (Formac Studio DV/TV), so I think it may only work with a so-called controllable DV device (i.e. a DV camera with an installed tape). I can understand that, but it's unfortunate that it won't work with DV capture devices (apparently, maybe something in the setup can change this behavior).

There is no manual with the download; however, they have a help system (HTML-based) and it seems to work. Perhaps you can download the manual from AVID's web site (as a PDF, hopefully). They also pop up several AVID ads every time you launch the application, one to take you to their product information on the web, and another that asks you to buy (upgrade) to the full version of AVID DV. These seem to appear each time you launch the program. Again, understandable since they are offering this as "free" software.

After the install you should find an AVID FreeDV uninstaller script on your desktop. I've already run the script, since the program didn't appear to work with my Formac Studio DV/TV. In any case, probably worth a look if you find iMovie too limiting and don't want to purchase Final Cut Express.
 
umm iMovie has MOST of the features of AVID Xpress pro.

why would I want this POS let alone pay for the other two.
 
Re: Re: It is not that good!

Originally posted by LethalWolfe
Not to sound like a smart @ss but it's free. How feature rich do you think it should be? It's not for pro use it's for home/hobbiest use.


Lethal
Click to expand...

I understand what you are saying, I'm one not to complain about free stuff, especially food, but if they want people to switch from FCP, those people that have not messed around with Avid before, then it is not worth it. Last time I edited on an Avid Media Composer was back in 1998, I wanted to see how much I remebered and to get reaquainted with the software. I just don't think it will serve that purpose.
 
Originally posted by G3nius
The only bad news here is that, if the software is really good, consumer-level video editing just got that much easier on Windows. Apple loses their significant edge in that arena.
Click to expand...
the only thing is, this is exactly what we need. competition forces further innovation. apple will have to give us more to retain the edge, so this is good for us.
 
fpnc,

IIRC by default Avid assumes deck control. When you open the Digitize menu there should be an icon that looks like a video deck/vcr. If the icon has a circle w/a line thru it then Avid is *not* looking for deck control and you should be able to capture just by pressing the record button. I've never used/scene FreeDV but Avid tends to keep the GUI consistant. Hopefully I'm guessing correctly. :)

MacAficionado,

That was my first reaction too, but then I realized that isn't who Avid is targeting. They are looking for people who want more than a basic consumer app (like iMovie) but are hesitant to drop a few hundred bucks on a better program. They are hopping that a young filmmakers/editors will kick around FreeDV, find out they like it and hope they will be more willing to drop a grand on a "familiar face" Avid XDV and not a "stranger" Premiere Pro, FCP, Vegas Video, etc.,. FreeDV is not aimed at snagging switchers but at snagging virgin users. Getting people to swtich NLE's is a royal PITA so the earlier you get someone using your software the better.

Debman,

iMovie is perrfect if you do basic editing every now and then. But iMovie is very easy to out grow and anyone who uses it on semi-regular basis will quickly hit it's limititations. Especially if you've ever used anything higher up the editing software food chain (FCE, Vegas, Premiere, FreeDV, etc.,) you quickly realize how confining iMovie is and how poor the interface is. iMovie is a great, simple product for the casual user (its target audience), but you sacrifice a lot to make the learning curve that shallow.


Lethal
 
agree totaly!

Originally posted by shadowfax
the only thing is, this is exactly what we need. competition forces further innovation. apple will have to give us more to retain the edge, so this is good for us.
Click to expand...
 
Hmmmm - looks interesting - may well plug the gap between (another) free product (i.e. iMovie) and FCE / FCP / PREMIERE etc. I cannot understand why people are bitching about this when it is FREE - FREE means you do not have to pay anything for it, if it works for you then fine, if not then throw it away !!!

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH - AVID have not produced this software out of "the goodness of their heart" - they are a commercial software company - i.e. they make money from SELLING their wares. This is a way for increasing brand awareness, purposely leaving out more useful features that are only available on their higher end (i.e. expensive) products.

My argument is basically, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT DON'T USE IT - AND STOP MOANING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
It is free, so that is good, but I do have to say that I think iMovie is better, it has more features and is easy to use. The Avid software does not even have a lot of features my $50 Ulead Video Studio on the PC has, so it looks like I will be sticking to iMovie.
 
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