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The Pros and Cons of Video Editing with Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere, and DaVinci Resolve

Nigel G. Kettle

Choosing the right video editing software is crucial for creators, and we at Kettle Media Concepts are always looking for ways to streamline and speed up the process. Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere, and DaVinci Resolve are three standout options. I haven't included Final Cut Pro since I stopped using it after the upgrade from version 7 to 10. This article outlines the pros and cons of the software featured to help you decide. Note, however, that I had to leave out quite a bit to keep this article short. 


Avid Media Composer

Avid Media Composer was once the king of editing software, but it has fallen behind. My company switched to Premiere in 2020 because Avid stopped actively updating its software and failed to provide an easy way to add CEA 601 and 701 captions without relying on third-party software.

 Pros

  • Industry Standard: Avid Media Composer is the go-to software for many television and film editors. Its robust set of tools is designed for high-end editing, making it a staple in professional environments after all these years.

  • Media Management: Avid is renowned for its exceptional media management capabilities, which ensure the smooth handling of large projects with complex workflows.

  • Stability: Avid is known for its stability and reliability, crucial for long-form projects that require uninterrupted focus.

  • Color correction: Avid is still a great color correction software, but it is still not as robust as Resolve.

  • Collaboration: The software supports seamless collaboration, allowing multiple editors to work on the same project simultaneously.

Cons

  • Learning Curve: Avid Media Composer has a steep learning curve, which can be daunting for beginners. Its interface is not as intuitive as it was designed around the old analog film editing process, but we are in the digital age now. 

  • Cost: Compared to Premiere and Resolve, Media Composer is very expensive, and you are getting way less for your money.  The monthly subscription to Media Composer Ultimate is $79.99, as of the writing of this article. All you get for that is editing and color-grading software. For two-thirds of that, Adobe gives you its full suite, which includes Premiere, Photoshop, After Effects, Audition, Illustrator, and so much more. Also, for a one-time fee of just $295, DaVinci Resolve Studio gives the master of all Color grading software, Edit, Fusion (Motion Graphics), and Fairlight (Audio Mixing). 

  • System Requirements: Avid Media Composer is demanding on your processor, so you need a high-end computer for optimal performance.

  • ScriptSync and PhraseFind are still paid add-ons with the standard version, and they are the only so-called AI feature Avid really has. These features are included in Premiere and Resolve. 


Adobe Premiere

Adobe Premiere consistently improves its software to lead the video and media industry, with significant updates almost monthly. While AI poses a future challenge and will eventually prove fatal to us in the audio-visual field, using these tools is essential to staying relevant in today's video business. Adobe and DaVinci are at the forefront of the video production AI race.

Pros

  • Integration with Adobe Suite: Adobe Premiere seamlessly integrates with other Adobe products, such as After Effects, Photoshop, and Audition, offering a comprehensive ecosystem for multimedia projects. This is a game-changer.

  • One of the main reasons software like Premiere caught on is its user-friendly Interface. Premiere's interface is intuitive and customizable, making it accessible to beginners and professionals.

  • Extend your video with AI: Having the option to add more frames to the end of a shot is a lifesaver. How many times have you needed a few more frames to cover the audio but did not have them?

  •  Transcriptions, subtitling, and Captioning:  All these are now a part of Premiere and are getting better and better every day. Need a transcript right away? Done. Like all AI transcription to date, they cannot replace a human, but it is a good start.  AI has a hard time dealing with people who speak with an accent.  However, it is excellent for a quick and dirty job.

  • Enhance Speech: This feature is tricky and should be used with caution. Depending on the audio clip, it can be really good or terrible, but it's a great one nonetheless. It works great on small clips.

  • Remix and Audio Ducking are two great time-saving features. Remix seamlessly extends or shortens your music clip, while audio ducking lowers the audio when someone speaks. While manual adjustments yield better results, starting with audio ducking can save time.

Cons

  • Subscription Model: Adobe's subscription model can be expensive over time, especially for users who require access to the entire Creative Cloud suite.

  •  Performance Issues: Some users report performance issues, such as slow rendering and crashes, particularly when handling large projects or high-resolution footage.

  • Complexity for Advanced Features: While Premiere is user-friendly, mastering its advanced features can be challenging without extensive training or experience.


DaVinci Resolve

Pros

  • Comprehensive Toolset: DaVinci Resolve offers a full suite of tools for editing, color-grading, motion effects, and audio mixing in one software, making it a one-stop solution for video projects.

  • Color Grading: Hands-down, Resolve is the master of color grading—no need to say more. 

  • Magic Mask: This is one of my favorite AI tools in Resolve.  You can replace the background in any video without a green screen.

  • Transcription, subtitles, and Closed Captioning:  Similar to Premiere, Resolve auto-creates transcripts and allows you to edit by word/text detection.

  • Voice Isolation: This helps to remove background noise and improve your dialogue.

  • Smart Reframe: Editing for various social media platforms is a big deal now. This feature auto-converts your 1920x1080 videos to a vertical or 1x1 format without manually re-faming each scene. 

  • Super Scale: This will upscale your old SD low-resolution video to match your HD or 4K video. Again, it's not perfect, but sometimes the results are fantastic.

  • Music Remixer: This nifty feature lets you increase or mute the volume of your music's vocals or instruments, such as the guitar or drums.

  • Relight: As the name suggests, this feature relights your video if you do not like the lighting in your shot.

  • Free Version: DaVinci Resolve offers a robust free version with most of the features available in the paid version, making it accessible to a wide audience.

  • Performance: Resolve is optimized for high-performance editing, utilizing GPU acceleration to handle complex projects smoothly.

Cons

  •  Significant Learning Curve: Similar to Avid, DaVinci Resolve is a professional tool. You have to put serious effort into learning it. 

  •  System Requirements: The software requires powerful hardware to run efficiently, which can be a barrier for users with limited resources.

  • Collaboration Features: While Resolve supports collaboration, its features are not as robust or seamless as those of Media Composer.


To sum up

Each video editing program has strengths and weaknesses. Avid Media Composer became complacent and allowed itself to be left behind. At this point, it is hard to justify the cost of the Avid subscription. You are getting the least bang for your buck of the three software. 

Adobe Premiere is a versatile and user-friendly option for those who value integration with other Adobe products. The software is easy to learn yet offers all the professional bells and whistles you need for any editing job, simple or complex. I hate the subscription model, but for $54 per month, you get access to the cloud suite. For me, it is worth the money.

DaVinci Resolve stands out for its comprehensive toolset and exceptional color grading capabilities, appealing to those who seek an all-in-one solution. It is also the best value for your money. It is really a one-stop solution, but its learning curve deters many editors. However, if you take the time to learn it, you will love it.


Note that none of the editing software really creates closed captioning, even though they claim they do.  What they provide are really subtitles because they do not describe the background sounds required for the hard of hearing. You must add those manually. 


 Happy editing, everybody!

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