kevin i'm glad someone finally posed this question publicly. the reason for that is i've been asked this in messages for forever by lots of different people. now i can just give my take on it on the boards and then i can just refer people to this post,lol.
i don't mind answering any questions really, i'm just lazy. if i can just one-click it, why not. ha ha
i have only used about 3 or 4 video editing programs, but i've researched a bunch. so i'll make this short. for the money, the ease of use, and features it's very tough to beat Sony Vegas. Compare them all side by side with price in mind and Sony is tough to beat in the world of video and video editing. their cameras tend to fall into this category as well. I found Sony Vegas easy to learn, your quick to get started, and it even comes with instructional video cd's that will walk you through getting started. It is FULL of features. There are many things I still have not even had to make use of yet. And once you start learning the tricks, you realize that your not limited by much with this program. And mine came with Sony Dvd Architect, which allows you to make really customized, great Dvds!
okay so you know what i like. now here are the ones i don't like. Any of the Ulead video software and Definitely Not Cyberlink Powerproducer. Both either have limted features, or you have to get to them in round-about ways that are a pain. IMO do yourself a favor, skip all the trial and error i went through and just get Sony Vegas. And if you don't have a Sony video camera, make it your next one. i know i plan to...