KDEnLive 0.7.5 was released a few days ago, so I installed it on my Ubuntu machine to see how the app has been progressed since the last time I tried it. KDEnLive is the most actively developed, and easiest to use Linux video editor. Its UI resembles Sony Vegas in many ways; if you know how to use Vegas, you won't have trouble with KDEnLive.
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Member since:
2006-04-28
Despite the criticism, I think the review is quite positive overall. Of course it is difficult for a Free video editor to compete with commercial ones, but it is great to see that despite its problems this app is heading in the right direction to become the video editor that Linux/OSS needs. The advanced features can be added along the way, but it would be good if they could work first in making it stable enough for "normal" users to be able to do simple editing with their holidays' footage without any crashes. At that point, and with a little polishing along the way, it could be a 1.0 release and it could be shipped by distributions by default (except the patented formats), which would be a great step for the Linux desktop.
Member since:
2006-01-04
It is good to know that eventually there will be a good free video editor for Linux (and other platforms KDE4 run on)
I think KDE4 is still _VERY_ young and has still a long life ahead of it and there are a lot of promising apps. Once web browsing is webkit based KDE could truely rock. Maybe 2010 will be the year of the KDE desktop 
Good times
Edit: And thanks for filing bugs. Most reviewers probably don't bother. Your professional input is hopefully well received.
Edited 2009-07-07 10:36 UTC
Member since:
2008-05-26
Member since:
2006-02-15
Linux is lacking on the video-editing side of things, among others, and the ones that already exist have their share of shortcomings. As such, KDEnLive has lots of room to grow and prosper in if they just fix the issues that are bothering people. One good thing about Eugenia's review is that it's easy to gather a simple checklist of things to fix from there, instability going to the top of the list; it is seriously frustrating to be interrupted unexpectedly when you've just gotten things rolling.
Member since:
2006-02-27
Member since:
2009-03-17
I think the most actively developed open-source video editing app is Pitivi.
Have a look : http://www.pitivi.org
It's still basic but Pitivi grows fast.
Member since:2009-05-15
I think most promising video editor for Linux and OSX has to be OpenShot. It doesn't have big community yet, but it has a very active developer with clear objective to make OpenShot a great NLE.
http://www.openshotvideo.com/
Member since:2009-07-07
Member since:2009-05-15
You're right, Dan. Often libraries and frameworks on the "background" of all these nice programs are forgotten. Thank you for your work with MLT. What I've read from OpenShot developer Jonathan's blog, he likes to develop with it.
It's very good to see that now there is lots of action on developing video editing software for free operating systems. It seems that now the "background work" has progressed to level where results start to show on end users' desktops. It's been possible to do video editing before, but until lately it hasn't been easy enough for "amateur" users like myself.
Thanks!
Edited 2009-07-08 04:20 UTC
Member since:2006-07-26
Member since:2005-06-28
Pitivi is _extremely_ primitive right now, sorry. I have tried its latest version, it's not worthwhile yet. KDEnLive is way more advanced at this point. Both equally unstable though. Cinelerra is also pretty unstable with some formats and it has terrible usability. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Member since:2007-02-17
WereCatf:
jfebrer:
It is strange because under GNOME it was supposed that Qt apps use the GTK style, it maybe an Ubuntu issue.
The Qt GTK style make use of the GTK+ theme engine, so Qt applications look and feel more native under a GTK environment.
If you want this, in qtconfig you can select GTK+ as GUI style.
Perhaps Eugenia if you had run Kdenlive (a KDE4 application) under the KDE4 desktop and Kwin/Phonon/ it possibly might have been a little more stable for you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonon_(KDE)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kdenlive
Member since:
2005-12-27
I don't know why exactly, but reading this in OSnews was refreshing, is not the kind of things you get here often, but this was awesome. The review was fair, I use Linux as my main OS, and I have used kdenlive to try and do some video editing, I am bad at it, but the tools is quite good. But as the article said, needs some improvement.
I got to say, two thumbs up Eugenia, you really just put OSnews in my mind as a great and refreshing site. Hope more of this gets published more often than it does now.
Highlighting an application that is free, for linux and has had not much media coverage, and giving a positive review while pointing out all you think is missing from it, really helps developers.
Member since:
2009-07-07
I see in your screenshot that the Qt style used in KDEnlive was Oxygen, the default KDE style.
It is strange because under GNOME it was supposed that Qt apps use the GTK style, it maybe an Ubuntu issue.
The Qt GTK style make use of the GTK+ theme engine, so Qt applications look and feel more native under a GTK environment.
If you want this, in qtconfig you can select GTK+ as GUI style.
Member since:
2009-07-07
It is possible to override the detected aspect ratio by double-clicking the clip in the Project Tree (clip bin) to open the clip properties dialog. Then, you can make the change in the Advanced tab. It is true that currently you can not override the detection of interlace vs. progressive. I recently added that in MLT, so we can very easily add that to the next Kdenlive release.
It should be possible to preview transitions without rendering. Maybe something went wrong and broke that for you. In any case, it will perform frame-dropping if you play, and you might not get much throughput depending on resolution, cpu, etc. However, you should also be able to step and scrub it to get an idea. Finally, the preview monitor provides an option to turn off the frame-dropping.
I would like to add that in addition to Video4Linux capture there is also Firewire (DV and HDV with preview) and screen capture.
I also think one of the more interesting features is the online sharing of transition wipes, project settings, and render profiles. Within the tool, you can browse, download, install, and start using them.
Thank you for the review and feedback.
Member since:2005-06-28
Member since:
2009-07-08
I wish open source developers put a little imagination into the naming of their apps. As basic rules I would suggest:
- Don't use "KDE", "GNOME" or "GNU" as part of the name.
- Don't use the word "open". We know when it's open source.
- Enough with those "k" or "g" if front of whatever you have in mind.
- Forget about "funny" recursive acronyms like "GNU", "WINE", etc. They aren't funny anymore.
I know it's not easy to find the right name and it's time consuming but it's part of the perceived value of any product for the end user.
Member since:2007-02-17
Names are problematic. Many "good" names for applications are already taken by commercial programs, and hence are trademarked.
Adding in "k" or "g" (or "i" or "Win") for that matter is a good way to get around difficulties in naming.
Perhaps for this very reason (the need to use more obscure names), in Linux the actual name is not all that improtant. In both the package manager when searching for and/or installing an application, and on the menus when trying to run it, applications can be selected and identified after their function as well as their name.
That is to say, it is just as easy in Linux to search for, install and run a "wordprocessor" or an "office suite" as it is to search for, install and run "OpenOffice.org". One ends up with the same thing installed.
Edited 2009-07-08 03:34 UTC