MoviePlus
Encyclopedia
Serif MoviePlus is video editing software
created by Serif that allows both professional and home users to edit digital video and digital images.
The latest release, MoviePlus X5, runs on Microsoft Windows XP
, Windows Vista
and Windows 7.
From the early 2000s, MoviePlus has developed an enthusiastic user base. Originally, it was designed largely for editing video from MiniDV camcorders, largely to produce DVDs. Version 4 released in 2004 was a complete re-write of the previous Version 1. It included the ability to edit and generate Windows Media
files and MPEG files as well as DV-AVI. Version 4 ran on Windows 98 SE, Me, 2000 and XP. The current version X5 has added many new features including the capability to edit and generate Quicktime
, MPEG-4
and High Definition HDV
files.
MoviePlus is affordable and popular with home and semi-professional film-makers. It can be used to edit material from FireWire-attached MiniDV video from a consumer digital video camera, professional DV camera or HDV camera. The software captures video onto the computer's hard drive, where it can be edited and processed. The result can be recorded on MiniDV tape, converted into a format suitable for replaying on a PC, converted into a format suitable for uploading to a web site, or burning onto a DVD. The current version of MoviePlus X5 requires a minimum of an Intel Pentium 4
Hyper-Threading
processor or AMD Athlon XP processor and 1 GB of RAM.
and is fully compatible with Windows XP
, Windows Vista (32/64bit)
and Windows 7 (32/64bit).
MoviePlus 4 March 2004.
MoviePlus 5 March 2006.
MoviePlus X3 August 2008.
MoviePlus X5 February 2011
(There was never a version 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 or X4.)
of any compatible video format. It supports unlimited simultaneously composited video tracks; unlimited audio tracks; as well as standard ripple, roll, slip, slide, scrub, razor blade and time remapping edit functions. It comes with a range of dissolve, iris, distortion and basic 3D transitions and a range of video filters
.
MoviePlus, like all current NLE systems also has the ability to up-convert standard definition material to high definition as well as the ability to cross-convert video of differing frame rates. Like many similar products, all rendering is performed in software rather than in hardware: Rendering is a slow process, even on a fast computer.
, which can accommodate multiple Overlay, Music, video and audio tracks, either singly or organized into groups. Video and audio sources and images can be organized in a Media Panel and then dragged onto the appropriate part of the Timeline
. Using an in-built file browser, they can also be dragged direct from any disk
location.
Once on the timeline
, the tools in MoviePlus can be used to non-destructively edit, manipulate and re-arrange these source. All actions can be previewed using the Video Preview screen. The Properties panel displays detailed information about any selected source and permits detailed adjustments. There are two audio level indicators for the left and right audio channels. The positions and sizes of these panel can be changed and while using multiple computer monitors, the different panels can be moved onto different monitors.
MoviePlus has a shuttle interface (for variable-speed scanning through a clip, forwards or backwards) and a jogging interface (for frame-by-frame advancing).
MoviePlus X3 added a storyboard mode which simplifies editing for linear projects and cleaner and simpler interface.
Note: The project file contains only links to the locations of the sources; it does not contain the actual sources.
When the completed movie is exported, MoviePlus uses this project file to build, render
and encode
the movie. If a media source has been moved to a different location on the hard disk, MoviePlus issues a warning and allows the operator to find the new location or to remove the source from that movie. If several media sources have been moved to similar new locations, MoviePlus can quickly re-connect with the whole group.
. Each of these key frames holds information about the "effect" to be applied at that instant to a particular media source. For example: The opacity, colour or zoom of a video source; the volume or pan of an audio source; the pan, zoom, rotation of an image. Key-framed changes can be applied at the source, track, or group level.
are also possible, enabling advanced blending with Overlay or Multiply effects that are generally not common on entry-level packages.
Video editing software
Video editing software, is application software which handles the post-production video editing of digital video sequences on a computer non-linear editing systems...
created by Serif that allows both professional and home users to edit digital video and digital images.
The latest release, MoviePlus X5, runs on Microsoft Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
, Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
and Windows 7.
From the early 2000s, MoviePlus has developed an enthusiastic user base. Originally, it was designed largely for editing video from MiniDV camcorders, largely to produce DVDs. Version 4 released in 2004 was a complete re-write of the previous Version 1. It included the ability to edit and generate Windows Media
Windows Media
Windows Media is a multimedia framework for media creation and distribution for Microsoft Windows. It consists of a software development kit with several application programming interfaces and a number of prebuilt technologies, and is the replacement of NetShow technologies.The Windows Media SDK...
files and MPEG files as well as DV-AVI. Version 4 ran on Windows 98 SE, Me, 2000 and XP. The current version X5 has added many new features including the capability to edit and generate Quicktime
QuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
, MPEG-4
MPEG-4
MPEG-4 is a method of defining compression of audio and visual digital data. It was introduced in late 1998 and designated a standard for a group of audio and video coding formats and related technology agreed upon by the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group under the formal standard ISO/IEC...
and High Definition HDV
HDV
HDV is a format for recording of high-definition video on DV cassette tape. The format was originally developed by JVC and supported by Sony, Canon and Sharp...
files.
MoviePlus is affordable and popular with home and semi-professional film-makers. It can be used to edit material from FireWire-attached MiniDV video from a consumer digital video camera, professional DV camera or HDV camera. The software captures video onto the computer's hard drive, where it can be edited and processed. The result can be recorded on MiniDV tape, converted into a format suitable for replaying on a PC, converted into a format suitable for uploading to a web site, or burning onto a DVD. The current version of MoviePlus X5 requires a minimum of an Intel Pentium 4
Pentium 4
Pentium 4 was a line of single-core desktop and laptop central processing units , introduced by Intel on November 20, 2000 and shipped through August 8, 2008. They had a 7th-generation x86 microarchitecture, called NetBurst, which was the company's first all-new design since the introduction of the...
Hyper-Threading
Hyper-threading
Hyper-threading is Intel's term for its simultaneous multithreading implementation in its Atom, Intel Core i3/i5/i7, Itanium, Pentium 4 and Xeon CPUs....
processor or AMD Athlon XP processor and 1 GB of RAM.
Supported platforms
MoviePlus was developed for Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and is fully compatible with Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
, Windows Vista (32/64bit)
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
and Windows 7 (32/64bit).
History
MoviePlus 1 2003.MoviePlus 4 March 2004.
MoviePlus 5 March 2006.
MoviePlus X3 August 2008.
MoviePlus X5 February 2011
(There was never a version 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 or X4.)
Features
MoviePlus provides non-linear, non-destructive editingNon-destructive editing
Non-destructive editing is a form of editing signals where the original content is not modified in the course of editing—instead the edits themselves are edited by video editing software on a non-linear editing system ....
of any compatible video format. It supports unlimited simultaneously composited video tracks; unlimited audio tracks; as well as standard ripple, roll, slip, slide, scrub, razor blade and time remapping edit functions. It comes with a range of dissolve, iris, distortion and basic 3D transitions and a range of video filters
Filter (video)
A video filter is a software component that is used to decode audio and video. Multiple filters can be used in a filter chain, in which each filter receives input from its previous-in-line filter upstream, processes the input and outputs the processed video to its next-in-line filter downstream...
.
MoviePlus, like all current NLE systems also has the ability to up-convert standard definition material to high definition as well as the ability to cross-convert video of differing frame rates. Like many similar products, all rendering is performed in software rather than in hardware: Rendering is a slow process, even on a fast computer.
Interface
MoviePlus X5 is based around the TimelineTimeline
A timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
, which can accommodate multiple Overlay, Music, video and audio tracks, either singly or organized into groups. Video and audio sources and images can be organized in a Media Panel and then dragged onto the appropriate part of the Timeline
Timeline
A timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
. Using an in-built file browser, they can also be dragged direct from any disk
Disk storage
Disk storage or disc storage is a general category of storage mechanisms, in which data are digitally recorded by various electronic, magnetic, optical, or mechanical methods on a surface layer deposited of one or more planar, round and rotating disks...
location.
Once on the timeline
Timeline
A timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
, the tools in MoviePlus can be used to non-destructively edit, manipulate and re-arrange these source. All actions can be previewed using the Video Preview screen. The Properties panel displays detailed information about any selected source and permits detailed adjustments. There are two audio level indicators for the left and right audio channels. The positions and sizes of these panel can be changed and while using multiple computer monitors, the different panels can be moved onto different monitors.
MoviePlus has a shuttle interface (for variable-speed scanning through a clip, forwards or backwards) and a jogging interface (for frame-by-frame advancing).
MoviePlus X3 added a storyboard mode which simplifies editing for linear projects and cleaner and simpler interface.
Project Files
Like similar digital non-linear editing applications, MoviePlus does not actually alter the media sources; it builds a small "project file" which contains links to all media sources used, together with details of virtual edits, transitions, special effects and titling.Note: The project file contains only links to the locations of the sources; it does not contain the actual sources.
When the completed movie is exported, MoviePlus uses this project file to build, render
Rendering (computer graphics)
Rendering is the process of generating an image from a model , by means of computer programs. A scene file contains objects in a strictly defined language or data structure; it would contain geometry, viewpoint, texture, lighting, and shading information as a description of the virtual scene...
and encode
Encode
Encode may refer to:* Can be related to "Code"* Encode ApS, a Danish software company* Encode SA, a Greek information security company* ENCODE, the ENCyclopedia Of DNA Elements...
the movie. If a media source has been moved to a different location on the hard disk, MoviePlus issues a warning and allows the operator to find the new location or to remove the source from that movie. If several media sources have been moved to similar new locations, MoviePlus can quickly re-connect with the whole group.
Key Frames
Effects and envelopes are introduced by placing special "Key Frames" on a track of the timelineTimeline
A timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
. Each of these key frames holds information about the "effect" to be applied at that instant to a particular media source. For example: The opacity, colour or zoom of a video source; the volume or pan of an audio source; the pan, zoom, rotation of an image. Key-framed changes can be applied at the source, track, or group level.
Computer Generated Sources
MoviePlus provides computer generated sources for coloured backgrounds, shapes and masks, and text in a variety of styles. These can be adjusted and dragged to the timeline.Transitions
MoviePlus provides a variety of 2D and 3D video transitions. These can be dragged to the timeline.Advanced editing and Blending modes
MoviePlus supports an unlimited number of Overlay, Music, video and audio tracks, as well as Video tracks groups for linking elements together. Blending modes like the ones in Adobe PhotoshopAdobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a graphics editing program developed and published by Adobe Systems Incorporated.Adobe's 2003 "Creative Suite" rebranding led to Adobe Photoshop 8's renaming to Adobe Photoshop CS. Thus, Adobe Photoshop CS5 is the 12th major release of Adobe Photoshop...
are also possible, enabling advanced blending with Overlay or Multiply effects that are generally not common on entry-level packages.