Microsoft has made available a version of their popular Windows Movie Maker application for Windows 7. But is this a usable tool? Is it anything more than a rebranded version of Windows Live Movie Maker? Does it have any advantages over alternatives? Read my review to find out.
Video editing software is one of the most powerful features in any video production. Whether you’re creating animation, editing sound, or even creating marketing videos, video editing software gives any small-time vlogger the chances to become a major media player. The amount of creativity that comes with this type of functionality can be overwhelming. There are thousands upon thousands of editors in the world today, each with their own preferences and techniques. And while some are better than others, today I’ll show you some worthy options for Windows 7 users to choose from. In order to assist you in your quest for the best video editor on Windows 7, I’ll be covering a wide range of features ranging from the standard slideshow and basic trimming.
There are many Windows 7 video editing tools available for your computer, but the barrier for entry may be too high for individuals that do not want to spend a lot of money on software that they will use sparingly. Additionally, many of these tools are not very user-friendly, and require a considerable amount of education before you can perform very simple tasks. Fortunately Microsoft has made the Windows Live Movie Maker available to anyone that has a valid Windows 7 product key. This video editing tool is available as a free download, and is part of Windows Live Essentials. With this program you can perform many video editing functions, plus you can save in a variety of formats, or upload your finished video directly to your favorite video sharing site.
How to use the Windows 7 Video Editor
Due to the complexities and surprising amount of tools available in this free video editing program, it would be difficult to discuss every editing option that is included. Therefore, we are just going to focus on getting started, familiarizing ourselves with the program, and saving the edited video.
The image shown below is the home screen of Windows Live Movie Maker. To begin, click the Click here to browse for videos and photos button at the center of the window, then double-click the video file that you want to edit. Note that if the video has copyright protection on it, such as a video that you purchase from iTunes or Amazon, then you will be unable to edit it.
At the top of the window you will notice a sequence of tabs labeled Home, Animations, Visual Effects, Project, View and Edit. Windows Live Movie Maker employs the same ribbon-based navigation structure as the Microsoft Office programs, so clicking each of these tabs will display a different set of tools related to the tab title. For example, clicking Visual Effects will offer a menu of different effects that you can click to apply to your video, while clicking Animations will allow you to add one of many transition effects at the beginning or end of your selected video segment.
The main portion of the screen is divided into two sections. The section on the left side of the window contains a preview window where you can view, play, rewind and fast forward your video. The section at the right side of the window is the timeline, where you can see the entirety of your video. You can click at any point on the timeline to move the video to that point, at which time you can use the controls in the preview window to play, rewind or fast forward the video.
Movavi Video Editor Plus [Recommended]
Movavi Video Editor Plus is one of the best video editors for Windows 7 available. It has all needed basic and advanced editing features. Use it to create small home videos or short clips for social media, like YouTube or TikTok. The video editor also allows you to make elaborate movies with special effects. With this software, you get transitions with sounds as well as a quick movie creation tool. The drag-and-drop operation makes it ideal for beginner editors.
What’s more, you can create multiple video tracks, which is perfect if you plan to create an overlay video. The app also has motion tracking. You also don’t have to worry about format compatibility issues since Movavi Video Editor Plus supports all popular formats as well as high resolutions, and you can change video formats to play on various devices. The program is free to download and you get a free 7-day trial. So you can test out the features and tools the video editor offers. After the trial is up, you can get the full version for your Windows 7 PC.
Pros
- User-friendly interface
- Offers an easy-to-use movie creation tool
- Has picture-in-picture editing tools
- Includes transitions, filters, titles, and stickers
- Has chroma key
- Can edit vertical videos
Cons
- The free trial has some limitations
OpenShot
Best for: Creating animations, short films, and videos for social media
OpenShot is one of the best video editors for Windows 7. It’s a free open-source video-editing app that is feature-rich and ideal for people who want to create professional content on a budget. There are plenty of features to play around with, both for beginners and advanced users. For example, OpenShot has slow motion and time effects to reverse or slow down your videos. Additionally, you can make stunning animated films using the 3D animations feature to create lens flares and moving text.
It’s easy to use OpenShot because it has a drag and drop feature to add videos, audio, and images to your file manager. OpenShot also has a quick Trim & Slice feature to shorten your videos or to edit clips in your content. To download this free video editing software, you’ll need a 64-bit or 32-bit operating system, 4GB of RAM and 500MB of hard disk space. Just visit the official OpenShot website and choose the software version suitable for your computer.
Pros
- Easy-to-use interface so it’s suitable for beginners
- A lot of video editing features to create a perfect video
- Allows you to mix and match video elements
- Completely free to download and use and has various versions for different systems
Cons
- Some editing tools can be a little confusing to use
- Takes a while to export finished videos to your computer
Avidemux
Best for: Making quick edits, encoding and cutting your video clips
Avidemux is a professional video-editing software for Windows 7 that you can download and use for free on your Windows device. This platform supports a lot of popular video formats, such as AVI, MPEG, DVD, ASF, and MP4. It’s not as feature-rich as other video-editing software on our list, but it is a user-friendly platform ideal for beginner editors. So if you need to make some basic video edits, you should definitely give Avidemux a shot.
With Avidemux, you can copy portions of a video and add filters to your film. Furthermore, you can convert your videos to a smaller size so you can upload them to platforms that require a certain sized video. It also has an encoding feature so you can change the format of your videos and play them on different devices you own.
Pros
- Ideal for beginners
- Supports popular video formats, including MP4
- Offers basic video-editing features and tools
- Allows you to create custom scripts
- It’s a completely free video-editing software for Windows 7 with no watermark
Cons
- Lacks interesting transitions, titles, and stickers
- Doesn’t have many advanced features
VideoPad
Best for: Making videos with transitions, music, and narrations
There are two versions of VideoPad, one is free to download for Windows 7 and the other is a paid version. You can create videos for DVD, HD, YouTube, and more. It has over 50 visuals and transitions for you to make professional videos. And it supports all popular video formats such as AVI, MP4, DIVX, and MPEG.
Using VideoPad you can edit videos from a GoPro, webcam, or DV camcorder. Other effects this video editor offers are 3D effects and you can customize the duration of your transitions. VideoPad is also user-friendly because it has a drag-and-drop feature so it’s ideal for beginner editors.
Pros
- Has professional video templates to use for your movies
- Allows you to import and mix multiple audio tracks
- You can add various text and overlays to your video
- Has interesting title text animation
Cons
- Some users reports slow upload speeds
- Some problems with importing and exporting files
Nero Video
Best for: Disk burning and personalizing movie menus
Nero Video has a paid and free version you can download to your Windows 7 device. It supports 21 languages, including English, Chinese, German, and Italian. This video editor is ideal for making movies or changing video formats. There are over 1000 themes and effects available to you. You can also decorate your videos using Nero LifeThemes Pro.
There are also many transitions you can play around with as well as animations and keyframes. Nero Video also has an Express Mode feature that allows you to edit your videos faster. This platform is easy to use because it has a simple drag-and-drop feature suitable for beginner editors.
Pros
- Easy-to-use program interface
- Allow you to transfer files from any device, such as cameras
- Slideshow creating feature
- Supports high-resolution videos, including 4K and Full HD
Cons
- Doesn’t offer 3D effects
- No motion tracking tool
Conclusion:
Video editing software is a multi-purpose application that can be used to create videos. It comes with a number of features that can be used to edit your videos into a professional looking format.