Videopad Video Editor Review: Does It Live Up to the Hype?

There are a variety of video editors available for home video editors, but VideoPad editor offers the basic tools needed by home movie makers. In addition to being easy to learn and use, it has many additional features that don’t interfere with your work but are there to assist if you need them.

There are multiple versions of this multiplatform video editor at different price points, in addition to a free version. How can you go wrong? This is one of the reasons why VideoPad is one of the best free video editing software programs.

VideoPad Video Editor is compatible with both Mac and Windows computers and supports a number of video import and export options. This nch video editor comes with a free basic plan where you don’t have to pay anything, so you can try to see how it works. In this article, we will do a quick review of this video editing software so that you have a better understanding of its features.

Features of VideoPad

The features list of videopad video editor is as follows:

• You can share videos with your family and friends
• Facebook and YouTube videos can be uploaded directly
• Multiple resolutions for exporting movies
• Burn DVDs and Blu-rays
• You can save the file to your PSP, iPod, iPhone, or 3GP mobile phone
• Visual effects and video transitions
• Effects models for visual effects
• Editing 3D videos
• 2D to 3D stereoscopic conversion
• 360 video overlays and texts
• Optimization of videos
• Reducing camera shake
• Sequences can be enhanced with photos and digital images
• Tools for audio production
• Mix music and import it
• A library of sound effects
• Any camera can be used to create videos

Ease of use and interface

With VideoPad’s easy-to-use interface and well-organized conventions, movie makers of any skill level can become familiar with its basics in no time at all. You will become fluent in no time at all in opening and closing windows, stringing clips together, and adding narration, transitions, and text to create a powerful visual presentation. Adding video, audio, and still, photo assets to the files pane will put them on the timeline and allow you to assemble your story.

Videos and still images are organized into bins by the app, ensuring they don’t get confused on the timeline, which speeds up the workflow, especially for newcomers.

The app uses menus and can be dragged and dropped, so a single objective can be accomplished in different ways. You can control all functions from within the application frame, or dockable panels can be used to get a closer look at what needs to be done. A permanent reorganization of the workspace would be appreciated.

Videopad Video Editing Features

VideoPad is the perfect balance between too much and not enough. Although there are not many options, it offers a reasonable selection of transitions for moving between clips and images, as well as a selection of filters to give them a unique look. In addition to editing 360-degree video, video stabilization is another helpful feature.

Each filter can be previewed with a click before applying it, and You can combine several to create a custom effect or template for reuse. You can also adjust their length via menus.

A video can be enhanced with transitions, visual effects, overlays, and text using VideoPad. Also included are some basic audio tools and a library of sound effects and atmospheric background music. There are a number of features that allow you to optimize videos, including color correction, adding digital images, adding subtitles, and adjusting the speed of playback. With its video stabilization feature, you can reduce camera shake, and the high-end version supports special effect plugins, but only for Windows.

Videopad Audio Editing Features

VideoPad offers a limited set of audio tools, but it does allow you to mix multiple audio tracks, music, and narration to create a movie soundtrack. A video clip’s audio can be faded, mixed, and adjusted for volume, but if you want to go further, you’ll need an external mixer or editor. From VideoPad’s main menu, you can download NCH’s own WavePad.

While the text-to-speech features always sounded false, you can record narration directly within the program. There is a great idea in having voice recognition for subtitles, which is only available on the Windows version. However, the implementation falls short of expectations. Although the video was clearly spoken in a quiet environment, it automatically failed to translate into subtitles.

Videopad Content Sharing features

Video creators who publish to YouTube or other social media platforms can use the software because it allows them to share videos directly to platforms such as Dropbox, Flickr, Google Drive, and Vimeo. To avoid unnecessary data sharing, you can save videos to your desktop and upload them yourself.

Is VideoPad worth buying?

Although the VideoPad video editor free version is somewhat limited, it functions as a free trial to see if you like it enough to upgrade. Apps that are easy to use and have a simple interface can help convert a free user to a paying customer, and VideoPad has a strong claim to your money thanks to its simplicity and light hardware requirements.

Our Recommendation

As a beginner, you may be looking to use Videopad free, but when it comes to features, it just falls short compared to modern video editors. So, we recommend you use our Filmora X video editor. Filmora video editor is free to download, so you can try out all the features without paying a penny. However free version will have a watermark when you export the video. You will have to purchase a subscription to get rid of the watermark. If you compare the features and user-friendliness of both these video editors, then Filmora definitely stands out by all means. In addition to its feature richness, it also has a user-friendly interface that beginners can easily adapt to. So, don’t waste your time and give it a try right now.

Wondershare Filmora

Get started easily with Filmora’s powerful engine, intuitive interface, and thousands of effects!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

There are multiple versions of this multiplatform video editor at different price points, in addition to a free version. How can you go wrong? This is one of the reasons why VideoPad is one of the best free video editing software programs.

VideoPad Video Editor is compatible with both Mac and Windows computers and supports a number of video import and export options. This nch video editor comes with a free basic plan where you don’t have to pay anything, so you can try to see how it works. In this article, we will do a quick review of this video editing software so that you have a better understanding of its features.

Features of VideoPad

The features list of videopad video editor is as follows:

• You can share videos with your family and friends
• Facebook and YouTube videos can be uploaded directly
• Multiple resolutions for exporting movies
• Burn DVDs and Blu-rays
• You can save the file to your PSP, iPod, iPhone, or 3GP mobile phone
• Visual effects and video transitions
• Effects models for visual effects
• Editing 3D videos
• 2D to 3D stereoscopic conversion
• 360 video overlays and texts
• Optimization of videos
• Reducing camera shake
• Sequences can be enhanced with photos and digital images
• Tools for audio production
• Mix music and import it
• A library of sound effects
• Any camera can be used to create videos

Ease of use and interface

With VideoPad’s easy-to-use interface and well-organized conventions, movie makers of any skill level can become familiar with its basics in no time at all. You will become fluent in no time at all in opening and closing windows, stringing clips together, and adding narration, transitions, and text to create a powerful visual presentation. Adding video, audio, and still, photo assets to the files pane will put them on the timeline and allow you to assemble your story.

Videos and still images are organized into bins by the app, ensuring they don’t get confused on the timeline, which speeds up the workflow, especially for newcomers.

The app uses menus and can be dragged and dropped, so a single objective can be accomplished in different ways. You can control all functions from within the application frame, or dockable panels can be used to get a closer look at what needs to be done. A permanent reorganization of the workspace would be appreciated.

Videopad Video Editing Features

VideoPad is the perfect balance between too much and not enough. Although there are not many options, it offers a reasonable selection of transitions for moving between clips and images, as well as a selection of filters to give them a unique look. In addition to editing 360-degree video, video stabilization is another helpful feature.

Each filter can be previewed with a click before applying it, and You can combine several to create a custom effect or template for reuse. You can also adjust their length via menus.

A video can be enhanced with transitions, visual effects, overlays, and text using VideoPad. Also included are some basic audio tools and a library of sound effects and atmospheric background music. There are a number of features that allow you to optimize videos, including color correction, adding digital images, adding subtitles, and adjusting the speed of playback. With its video stabilization feature, you can reduce camera shake, and the high-end version supports special effect plugins, but only for Windows.

Videopad Audio Editing Features

VideoPad offers a limited set of audio tools, but it does allow you to mix multiple audio tracks, music, and narration to create a movie soundtrack. A video clip’s audio can be faded, mixed, and adjusted for volume, but if you want to go further, you’ll need an external mixer or editor. From VideoPad’s main menu, you can download NCH’s own WavePad.

While the text-to-speech features always sounded false, you can record narration directly within the program. There is a great idea in having voice recognition for subtitles, which is only available on the Windows version. However, the implementation falls short of expectations. Although the video was clearly spoken in a quiet environment, it automatically failed to translate into subtitles.

Videopad Content Sharing features

Video creators who publish to YouTube or other social media platforms can use the software because it allows them to share videos directly to platforms such as Dropbox, Flickr, Google Drive, and Vimeo. To avoid unnecessary data sharing, you can save videos to your desktop and upload them yourself.

Is VideoPad worth buying?

Although the VideoPad video editor free version is somewhat limited, it functions as a free trial to see if you like it enough to upgrade. Apps that are easy to use and have a simple interface can help convert a free user to a paying customer, and VideoPad has a strong claim to your money thanks to its simplicity and light hardware requirements.

Our Recommendation

As a beginner, you may be looking to use Videopad free, but when it comes to features, it just falls short compared to modern video editors. So, we recommend you use our Filmora X video editor. Filmora video editor is free to download, so you can try out all the features without paying a penny. However free version will have a watermark when you export the video. You will have to purchase a subscription to get rid of the watermark. If you compare the features and user-friendliness of both these video editors, then Filmora definitely stands out by all means. In addition to its feature richness, it also has a user-friendly interface that beginners can easily adapt to. So, don’t waste your time and give it a try right now.

Wondershare Filmora

Get started easily with Filmora’s powerful engine, intuitive interface, and thousands of effects!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

There are multiple versions of this multiplatform video editor at different price points, in addition to a free version. How can you go wrong? This is one of the reasons why VideoPad is one of the best free video editing software programs.

VideoPad Video Editor is compatible with both Mac and Windows computers and supports a number of video import and export options. This nch video editor comes with a free basic plan where you don’t have to pay anything, so you can try to see how it works. In this article, we will do a quick review of this video editing software so that you have a better understanding of its features.

Features of VideoPad

The features list of videopad video editor is as follows:

• You can share videos with your family and friends
• Facebook and YouTube videos can be uploaded directly
• Multiple resolutions for exporting movies
• Burn DVDs and Blu-rays
• You can save the file to your PSP, iPod, iPhone, or 3GP mobile phone
• Visual effects and video transitions
• Effects models for visual effects
• Editing 3D videos
• 2D to 3D stereoscopic conversion
• 360 video overlays and texts
• Optimization of videos
• Reducing camera shake
• Sequences can be enhanced with photos and digital images
• Tools for audio production
• Mix music and import it
• A library of sound effects
• Any camera can be used to create videos

Ease of use and interface

With VideoPad’s easy-to-use interface and well-organized conventions, movie makers of any skill level can become familiar with its basics in no time at all. You will become fluent in no time at all in opening and closing windows, stringing clips together, and adding narration, transitions, and text to create a powerful visual presentation. Adding video, audio, and still, photo assets to the files pane will put them on the timeline and allow you to assemble your story.

Videos and still images are organized into bins by the app, ensuring they don’t get confused on the timeline, which speeds up the workflow, especially for newcomers.

The app uses menus and can be dragged and dropped, so a single objective can be accomplished in different ways. You can control all functions from within the application frame, or dockable panels can be used to get a closer look at what needs to be done. A permanent reorganization of the workspace would be appreciated.

Videopad Video Editing Features

VideoPad is the perfect balance between too much and not enough. Although there are not many options, it offers a reasonable selection of transitions for moving between clips and images, as well as a selection of filters to give them a unique look. In addition to editing 360-degree video, video stabilization is another helpful feature.

Each filter can be previewed with a click before applying it, and You can combine several to create a custom effect or template for reuse. You can also adjust their length via menus.

A video can be enhanced with transitions, visual effects, overlays, and text using VideoPad. Also included are some basic audio tools and a library of sound effects and atmospheric background music. There are a number of features that allow you to optimize videos, including color correction, adding digital images, adding subtitles, and adjusting the speed of playback. With its video stabilization feature, you can reduce camera shake, and the high-end version supports special effect plugins, but only for Windows.

Videopad Audio Editing Features

VideoPad offers a limited set of audio tools, but it does allow you to mix multiple audio tracks, music, and narration to create a movie soundtrack. A video clip’s audio can be faded, mixed, and adjusted for volume, but if you want to go further, you’ll need an external mixer or editor. From VideoPad’s main menu, you can download NCH’s own WavePad.

While the text-to-speech features always sounded false, you can record narration directly within the program. There is a great idea in having voice recognition for subtitles, which is only available on the Windows version. However, the implementation falls short of expectations. Although the video was clearly spoken in a quiet environment, it automatically failed to translate into subtitles.

Videopad Content Sharing features

Video creators who publish to YouTube or other social media platforms can use the software because it allows them to share videos directly to platforms such as Dropbox, Flickr, Google Drive, and Vimeo. To avoid unnecessary data sharing, you can save videos to your desktop and upload them yourself.

Is VideoPad worth buying?

Although the VideoPad video editor free version is somewhat limited, it functions as a free trial to see if you like it enough to upgrade. Apps that are easy to use and have a simple interface can help convert a free user to a paying customer, and VideoPad has a strong claim to your money thanks to its simplicity and light hardware requirements.

Our Recommendation

As a beginner, you may be looking to use Videopad free, but when it comes to features, it just falls short compared to modern video editors. So, we recommend you use our Filmora X video editor. Filmora video editor is free to download, so you can try out all the features without paying a penny. However free version will have a watermark when you export the video. You will have to purchase a subscription to get rid of the watermark. If you compare the features and user-friendliness of both these video editors, then Filmora definitely stands out by all means. In addition to its feature richness, it also has a user-friendly interface that beginners can easily adapt to. So, don’t waste your time and give it a try right now.

Wondershare Filmora

Get started easily with Filmora’s powerful engine, intuitive interface, and thousands of effects!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

There are multiple versions of this multiplatform video editor at different price points, in addition to a free version. How can you go wrong? This is one of the reasons why VideoPad is one of the best free video editing software programs.

VideoPad Video Editor is compatible with both Mac and Windows computers and supports a number of video import and export options. This nch video editor comes with a free basic plan where you don’t have to pay anything, so you can try to see how it works. In this article, we will do a quick review of this video editing software so that you have a better understanding of its features.

Features of VideoPad

The features list of videopad video editor is as follows:

• You can share videos with your family and friends
• Facebook and YouTube videos can be uploaded directly
• Multiple resolutions for exporting movies
• Burn DVDs and Blu-rays
• You can save the file to your PSP, iPod, iPhone, or 3GP mobile phone
• Visual effects and video transitions
• Effects models for visual effects
• Editing 3D videos
• 2D to 3D stereoscopic conversion
• 360 video overlays and texts
• Optimization of videos
• Reducing camera shake
• Sequences can be enhanced with photos and digital images
• Tools for audio production
• Mix music and import it
• A library of sound effects
• Any camera can be used to create videos

Ease of use and interface

With VideoPad’s easy-to-use interface and well-organized conventions, movie makers of any skill level can become familiar with its basics in no time at all. You will become fluent in no time at all in opening and closing windows, stringing clips together, and adding narration, transitions, and text to create a powerful visual presentation. Adding video, audio, and still, photo assets to the files pane will put them on the timeline and allow you to assemble your story.

Videos and still images are organized into bins by the app, ensuring they don’t get confused on the timeline, which speeds up the workflow, especially for newcomers.

The app uses menus and can be dragged and dropped, so a single objective can be accomplished in different ways. You can control all functions from within the application frame, or dockable panels can be used to get a closer look at what needs to be done. A permanent reorganization of the workspace would be appreciated.

Videopad Video Editing Features

VideoPad is the perfect balance between too much and not enough. Although there are not many options, it offers a reasonable selection of transitions for moving between clips and images, as well as a selection of filters to give them a unique look. In addition to editing 360-degree video, video stabilization is another helpful feature.

Each filter can be previewed with a click before applying it, and You can combine several to create a custom effect or template for reuse. You can also adjust their length via menus.

A video can be enhanced with transitions, visual effects, overlays, and text using VideoPad. Also included are some basic audio tools and a library of sound effects and atmospheric background music. There are a number of features that allow you to optimize videos, including color correction, adding digital images, adding subtitles, and adjusting the speed of playback. With its video stabilization feature, you can reduce camera shake, and the high-end version supports special effect plugins, but only for Windows.

Videopad Audio Editing Features

VideoPad offers a limited set of audio tools, but it does allow you to mix multiple audio tracks, music, and narration to create a movie soundtrack. A video clip’s audio can be faded, mixed, and adjusted for volume, but if you want to go further, you’ll need an external mixer or editor. From VideoPad’s main menu, you can download NCH’s own WavePad.

While the text-to-speech features always sounded false, you can record narration directly within the program. There is a great idea in having voice recognition for subtitles, which is only available on the Windows version. However, the implementation falls short of expectations. Although the video was clearly spoken in a quiet environment, it automatically failed to translate into subtitles.

Videopad Content Sharing features

Video creators who publish to YouTube or other social media platforms can use the software because it allows them to share videos directly to platforms such as Dropbox, Flickr, Google Drive, and Vimeo. To avoid unnecessary data sharing, you can save videos to your desktop and upload them yourself.

Is VideoPad worth buying?

Although the VideoPad video editor free version is somewhat limited, it functions as a free trial to see if you like it enough to upgrade. Apps that are easy to use and have a simple interface can help convert a free user to a paying customer, and VideoPad has a strong claim to your money thanks to its simplicity and light hardware requirements.

Our Recommendation

As a beginner, you may be looking to use Videopad free, but when it comes to features, it just falls short compared to modern video editors. So, we recommend you use our Filmora X video editor. Filmora video editor is free to download, so you can try out all the features without paying a penny. However free version will have a watermark when you export the video. You will have to purchase a subscription to get rid of the watermark. If you compare the features and user-friendliness of both these video editors, then Filmora definitely stands out by all means. In addition to its feature richness, it also has a user-friendly interface that beginners can easily adapt to. So, don’t waste your time and give it a try right now.

Wondershare Filmora

Get started easily with Filmora’s powerful engine, intuitive interface, and thousands of effects!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

Easiest Video Editor for Mac: Make Impressive Videos with Ease

Best Video Maker for Mac: Easily make videos on Mac

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding a good video maker for Mac is not always easy – not for lack of options, there are many applications out there, but there are two main limitations: money, first and foremost, we all know how expensive video makers – good video makers – can be. The second limitation is complexity: sometimes you end up spending more time reading the help instead of editing, and the application you’ve chosen probably contains the features that you need – except that you have serious problems finding them on the menu.

1. Wondershare Filmora Video Maker for Mac
2. iMovie
3. Blender

Best Video Maker for Mac

Some video makers manage to stay on top by avoiding, or at least limiting these problems, and here are three of those.

1.Vieo Maker on Mac: Wondershare Filmora Video Maker for Mac

Wondershare Filmora for Mac offers perhaps the best value for money (not to mention that it has a free version as well if you’d like to try it first. It supports pretty much any format you may think of (AVI, MP4, MOV, MPG, MKV, TRP, and so on), and it’s quite easy to use when it comes to the most basic features you’d expect in a video editor, such as cropping, joining, trimming, and rotating, as well as for adding some effects, transitions, and sound effects.

Because of that, Wondershare Filmora may actually be deceptively simple – because it’s capable of much more powerful features, if you take your time to study all its options, such as picture in picture, green screen, if you fancy yourself the next Hollywood director, adjustable playback speed, separation of the audio track from the original video file, tilt-shift effects, which can create very interesting results in a video, automatic noise reduction, and image enhancement, to bring back to life the subjects of the video, and automatic scene detection – allowing you to create a new video clip every time a scene changes. And there are a lot more things you can discover for yourself if you spend some time playing around.

Wondershare Filmora will also allow you to upload your creations directly to Facebook or YouTube, or to burn them on DVDs, so you can get straight into the next project without wasting any time.

2. Video Maker for Mac: iMovie

iMovie is the proprietary software provided by Apple as part of its iLife suit. You may find it already installed on your Mac if you’ve just purchased a new machine. If not, it’s free to use after you purchase iLife.

It’s not the most powerful and complex application out there, as you can imagine for a piece of software that comes pre-installed, but it’s a good first stop for people who are just starting out in this field and need to learn the basics of editing videos on Mac without too many headaches.

It has many easy-to-use effects and lots of build-in animations, music samples, and sounds to get you started on your first project immediately.

Granted, iMovie has sacrificed a lot of features for the simplicity of use – sooner or later you’ll want to move on to something more complex, but, for beginners and for people who just need to add a few editing touches to a project here and there, this is a more than the reasonable solution. Don’t let yourself put off by the fact iMovie has a rather bad reputation online – of course, that very advanced users are disappointed by it, but you can use it for a while and you’ll know when it’s time to move on.

3. Video Maker on Mac: Blender

When you’ve exhausted the possibilities offered by iMovie and you need more power, Blender will be there, waiting for you. It’s by far the most impressive of the free video makers for Mac – it’s an open-source program, developed by the community – so it’s always free to use, you won’t stumble upon any hidden charges later on.

Like all open source applications, Blender is not the most intuitive at the first glance, but it more than compensates with the impressive range of features that bring it to the same level as a professional application. If you’ve been struggling to get everything just perfect before, now you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips and you only need to unleash your imagination. It’s 3D modeling options have been frequently compared to those that can only be found in applications that cost more than your Mac (maybe even more than your car, come to think of it).

Moreover, the community will always be there for you – if you have any questions or if you get stuck, you only need to post a question online and somebody will be there to help you out – not to mention the very large number of tutorials available online, with more being added almost daily.

If you’re not sure about this, you may want to start by searching online for clips created entirely with Blender. Of course, yours won’t be masterpieces from day one, it will take some time to get used to this application – but you’ll get some idea of how powerful it can be, and the level of mastery that you’ll want to achieve, eventually.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding a good video maker for Mac is not always easy – not for lack of options, there are many applications out there, but there are two main limitations: money, first and foremost, we all know how expensive video makers – good video makers – can be. The second limitation is complexity: sometimes you end up spending more time reading the help instead of editing, and the application you’ve chosen probably contains the features that you need – except that you have serious problems finding them on the menu.

1. Wondershare Filmora Video Maker for Mac
2. iMovie
3. Blender

Best Video Maker for Mac

Some video makers manage to stay on top by avoiding, or at least limiting these problems, and here are three of those.

1.Vieo Maker on Mac: Wondershare Filmora Video Maker for Mac

Wondershare Filmora for Mac offers perhaps the best value for money (not to mention that it has a free version as well if you’d like to try it first. It supports pretty much any format you may think of (AVI, MP4, MOV, MPG, MKV, TRP, and so on), and it’s quite easy to use when it comes to the most basic features you’d expect in a video editor, such as cropping, joining, trimming, and rotating, as well as for adding some effects, transitions, and sound effects.

Because of that, Wondershare Filmora may actually be deceptively simple – because it’s capable of much more powerful features, if you take your time to study all its options, such as picture in picture, green screen, if you fancy yourself the next Hollywood director, adjustable playback speed, separation of the audio track from the original video file, tilt-shift effects, which can create very interesting results in a video, automatic noise reduction, and image enhancement, to bring back to life the subjects of the video, and automatic scene detection – allowing you to create a new video clip every time a scene changes. And there are a lot more things you can discover for yourself if you spend some time playing around.

Wondershare Filmora will also allow you to upload your creations directly to Facebook or YouTube, or to burn them on DVDs, so you can get straight into the next project without wasting any time.

2. Video Maker for Mac: iMovie

iMovie is the proprietary software provided by Apple as part of its iLife suit. You may find it already installed on your Mac if you’ve just purchased a new machine. If not, it’s free to use after you purchase iLife.

It’s not the most powerful and complex application out there, as you can imagine for a piece of software that comes pre-installed, but it’s a good first stop for people who are just starting out in this field and need to learn the basics of editing videos on Mac without too many headaches.

It has many easy-to-use effects and lots of build-in animations, music samples, and sounds to get you started on your first project immediately.

Granted, iMovie has sacrificed a lot of features for the simplicity of use – sooner or later you’ll want to move on to something more complex, but, for beginners and for people who just need to add a few editing touches to a project here and there, this is a more than the reasonable solution. Don’t let yourself put off by the fact iMovie has a rather bad reputation online – of course, that very advanced users are disappointed by it, but you can use it for a while and you’ll know when it’s time to move on.

3. Video Maker on Mac: Blender

When you’ve exhausted the possibilities offered by iMovie and you need more power, Blender will be there, waiting for you. It’s by far the most impressive of the free video makers for Mac – it’s an open-source program, developed by the community – so it’s always free to use, you won’t stumble upon any hidden charges later on.

Like all open source applications, Blender is not the most intuitive at the first glance, but it more than compensates with the impressive range of features that bring it to the same level as a professional application. If you’ve been struggling to get everything just perfect before, now you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips and you only need to unleash your imagination. It’s 3D modeling options have been frequently compared to those that can only be found in applications that cost more than your Mac (maybe even more than your car, come to think of it).

Moreover, the community will always be there for you – if you have any questions or if you get stuck, you only need to post a question online and somebody will be there to help you out – not to mention the very large number of tutorials available online, with more being added almost daily.

If you’re not sure about this, you may want to start by searching online for clips created entirely with Blender. Of course, yours won’t be masterpieces from day one, it will take some time to get used to this application – but you’ll get some idea of how powerful it can be, and the level of mastery that you’ll want to achieve, eventually.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding a good video maker for Mac is not always easy – not for lack of options, there are many applications out there, but there are two main limitations: money, first and foremost, we all know how expensive video makers – good video makers – can be. The second limitation is complexity: sometimes you end up spending more time reading the help instead of editing, and the application you’ve chosen probably contains the features that you need – except that you have serious problems finding them on the menu.

1. Wondershare Filmora Video Maker for Mac
2. iMovie
3. Blender

Best Video Maker for Mac

Some video makers manage to stay on top by avoiding, or at least limiting these problems, and here are three of those.

1.Vieo Maker on Mac: Wondershare Filmora Video Maker for Mac

Wondershare Filmora for Mac offers perhaps the best value for money (not to mention that it has a free version as well if you’d like to try it first. It supports pretty much any format you may think of (AVI, MP4, MOV, MPG, MKV, TRP, and so on), and it’s quite easy to use when it comes to the most basic features you’d expect in a video editor, such as cropping, joining, trimming, and rotating, as well as for adding some effects, transitions, and sound effects.

Because of that, Wondershare Filmora may actually be deceptively simple – because it’s capable of much more powerful features, if you take your time to study all its options, such as picture in picture, green screen, if you fancy yourself the next Hollywood director, adjustable playback speed, separation of the audio track from the original video file, tilt-shift effects, which can create very interesting results in a video, automatic noise reduction, and image enhancement, to bring back to life the subjects of the video, and automatic scene detection – allowing you to create a new video clip every time a scene changes. And there are a lot more things you can discover for yourself if you spend some time playing around.

Wondershare Filmora will also allow you to upload your creations directly to Facebook or YouTube, or to burn them on DVDs, so you can get straight into the next project without wasting any time.

2. Video Maker for Mac: iMovie

iMovie is the proprietary software provided by Apple as part of its iLife suit. You may find it already installed on your Mac if you’ve just purchased a new machine. If not, it’s free to use after you purchase iLife.

It’s not the most powerful and complex application out there, as you can imagine for a piece of software that comes pre-installed, but it’s a good first stop for people who are just starting out in this field and need to learn the basics of editing videos on Mac without too many headaches.

It has many easy-to-use effects and lots of build-in animations, music samples, and sounds to get you started on your first project immediately.

Granted, iMovie has sacrificed a lot of features for the simplicity of use – sooner or later you’ll want to move on to something more complex, but, for beginners and for people who just need to add a few editing touches to a project here and there, this is a more than the reasonable solution. Don’t let yourself put off by the fact iMovie has a rather bad reputation online – of course, that very advanced users are disappointed by it, but you can use it for a while and you’ll know when it’s time to move on.

3. Video Maker on Mac: Blender

When you’ve exhausted the possibilities offered by iMovie and you need more power, Blender will be there, waiting for you. It’s by far the most impressive of the free video makers for Mac – it’s an open-source program, developed by the community – so it’s always free to use, you won’t stumble upon any hidden charges later on.

Like all open source applications, Blender is not the most intuitive at the first glance, but it more than compensates with the impressive range of features that bring it to the same level as a professional application. If you’ve been struggling to get everything just perfect before, now you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips and you only need to unleash your imagination. It’s 3D modeling options have been frequently compared to those that can only be found in applications that cost more than your Mac (maybe even more than your car, come to think of it).

Moreover, the community will always be there for you – if you have any questions or if you get stuck, you only need to post a question online and somebody will be there to help you out – not to mention the very large number of tutorials available online, with more being added almost daily.

If you’re not sure about this, you may want to start by searching online for clips created entirely with Blender. Of course, yours won’t be masterpieces from day one, it will take some time to get used to this application – but you’ll get some idea of how powerful it can be, and the level of mastery that you’ll want to achieve, eventually.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding a good video maker for Mac is not always easy – not for lack of options, there are many applications out there, but there are two main limitations: money, first and foremost, we all know how expensive video makers – good video makers – can be. The second limitation is complexity: sometimes you end up spending more time reading the help instead of editing, and the application you’ve chosen probably contains the features that you need – except that you have serious problems finding them on the menu.

1. Wondershare Filmora Video Maker for Mac
2. iMovie
3. Blender

Best Video Maker for Mac

Some video makers manage to stay on top by avoiding, or at least limiting these problems, and here are three of those.

1.Vieo Maker on Mac: Wondershare Filmora Video Maker for Mac

Wondershare Filmora for Mac offers perhaps the best value for money (not to mention that it has a free version as well if you’d like to try it first. It supports pretty much any format you may think of (AVI, MP4, MOV, MPG, MKV, TRP, and so on), and it’s quite easy to use when it comes to the most basic features you’d expect in a video editor, such as cropping, joining, trimming, and rotating, as well as for adding some effects, transitions, and sound effects.

Because of that, Wondershare Filmora may actually be deceptively simple – because it’s capable of much more powerful features, if you take your time to study all its options, such as picture in picture, green screen, if you fancy yourself the next Hollywood director, adjustable playback speed, separation of the audio track from the original video file, tilt-shift effects, which can create very interesting results in a video, automatic noise reduction, and image enhancement, to bring back to life the subjects of the video, and automatic scene detection – allowing you to create a new video clip every time a scene changes. And there are a lot more things you can discover for yourself if you spend some time playing around.

Wondershare Filmora will also allow you to upload your creations directly to Facebook or YouTube, or to burn them on DVDs, so you can get straight into the next project without wasting any time.

2. Video Maker for Mac: iMovie

iMovie is the proprietary software provided by Apple as part of its iLife suit. You may find it already installed on your Mac if you’ve just purchased a new machine. If not, it’s free to use after you purchase iLife.

It’s not the most powerful and complex application out there, as you can imagine for a piece of software that comes pre-installed, but it’s a good first stop for people who are just starting out in this field and need to learn the basics of editing videos on Mac without too many headaches.

It has many easy-to-use effects and lots of build-in animations, music samples, and sounds to get you started on your first project immediately.

Granted, iMovie has sacrificed a lot of features for the simplicity of use – sooner or later you’ll want to move on to something more complex, but, for beginners and for people who just need to add a few editing touches to a project here and there, this is a more than the reasonable solution. Don’t let yourself put off by the fact iMovie has a rather bad reputation online – of course, that very advanced users are disappointed by it, but you can use it for a while and you’ll know when it’s time to move on.

3. Video Maker on Mac: Blender

When you’ve exhausted the possibilities offered by iMovie and you need more power, Blender will be there, waiting for you. It’s by far the most impressive of the free video makers for Mac – it’s an open-source program, developed by the community – so it’s always free to use, you won’t stumble upon any hidden charges later on.

Like all open source applications, Blender is not the most intuitive at the first glance, but it more than compensates with the impressive range of features that bring it to the same level as a professional application. If you’ve been struggling to get everything just perfect before, now you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips and you only need to unleash your imagination. It’s 3D modeling options have been frequently compared to those that can only be found in applications that cost more than your Mac (maybe even more than your car, come to think of it).

Moreover, the community will always be there for you – if you have any questions or if you get stuck, you only need to post a question online and somebody will be there to help you out – not to mention the very large number of tutorials available online, with more being added almost daily.

If you’re not sure about this, you may want to start by searching online for clips created entirely with Blender. Of course, yours won’t be masterpieces from day one, it will take some time to get used to this application – but you’ll get some idea of how powerful it can be, and the level of mastery that you’ll want to achieve, eventually.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Streaming Supremacy: TiVo and Comcast’s DVR Offerings Compared

TiVo vs Comcast, Who Wins the DVR Battle?

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Cable, satellite, over the air broadcast, streaming internet video – never before have we had so many choices of how to receive television programming. DVR, PVR, computer hard drive, external storage device; now we have choices in how to store programs for viewing later to consider as well. So what is true and what is hype when it comes to what’s the best device? Let’s peel back the layers and look at the information.

First, what is a DVR? A DVR, or digital video recorder, is a device that records video from a source for playback at another time. It often comes with a television programming guide included so you can easily locate shows you want to record. Most DVRs come with large capacity hard drives, though some have flash memory cards as their storage medium. There are a variety of types that range from small storage capacity and two tuners, up through several tuners and massive hard drive storage ability. You also can pause and rewind live TV, which is great when you want to create your own sports instant replays. Most DVRs also allow you to watch one program that was previously recorded while two others are recording, though some have greater capacity.

A TiVo is a particular kind of DVR that was first introduced in 1999. It requires a subscription to its own programming guide that can be purchased month to month, or as a “lifetime” subscription (that means the life of the TiVo, not your life, by the way). TiVos, like cable company DVRs, can record just one show or an entire season. TiVos have a smart feature which notices which shows you are watching and recommends similar ones to you based on how you rate current programs. It also uses these ratings to suggest shows to other viewers.

Let’s look at a few of the main features of both so you can do a comparison. We’ll look at five factors.

1. TiVo vs Comcast: Cost and rent versus own

With a Comcast DVR, you are renting it from the cable company at a cost of $10 to $16 a month, depending on your market. There are no upfront costs, and should the device fail, you can swap it at no cost at your local Comcast service center. Some folks have found that the new X1 boxes are prone to crashes, so that free swap is handy.

A TiVo is yours to keep as long as it lasts or as long as you want it, whichever comes first. It has an initial cost of between $200 and $600, depending on the model. Plus, you have the subscription cost on top of the unit price, which is $15 a month or $500 for a “lifetime” subscription, which TiVo may or may not give you partial credit for should your device fail and you need a new one. Like the Comcast DVRs, some TiVo boxes are less than stable. It’s the nature of electronics. TiVos also have advertising on them, which some Comcast channels do also, like MusicChoice, but not on all of them.

2. TiVo vs Comcast: Services available

With a DVR from Comcast, you can only record shows that are broadcast on one of Comcast’s channels or play shows that are loaded into its On Demand section. A TiVo can be connected to a number of sources, including cable via a cable card, and allow you to combine all of your viewing sources into the one box. It even connects to a high definition antenna.

The TiVo with cable card has access to all of the cable On Demand services, so in that sense it can replace all of the Comcast DVRs. However, the cable card is not free. It typically runs $1.50 per card per month, up to $2.50 per card on the Frontier system.

The menus are slightly different, as you can see below.

Comcast interface

TiVo interface

TiVos also recognize SD and HD as just different versions of the same show, instead of different channels like Comcast does, so you can set your DVR to just record HD. This makes it somewhat harder to just record HD on a TiVo.

Down the road, Comcast is planning the X2 system which would have cloud recording capacity, thus ending the need for a box in your house at all. TiVo has not yet announced such a plan.

3. TiVo vs Comcast: Connection to a network

TiVos can be connected to your home computer network, and the newest one, the Roamio, comes with built-in wifi, for total freedom of use. Because it’s on the network, you can stream shows from your computer through the TiVo box for later playback. It supports channels like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant. You can also stream shows to your Apple portable devices and then take the shows with you on the plane or to the gym, or use the device as a remote control. (Android devices will have the same capacity soon.) The network capacity also means you can use your computer to control the TiVo box and view content wherever you are.

Some reviewers have also noted that the network set up is not as simple as it might be, and it requires some computer knowledge and ability. Unless you have a tech person nearby, novice computer users may not wish to set up the network.

The iPhone app remote screen looks like this:

A TiVo does have limitations of who can access which channels. For instance, it does not stream HBOGo, nor does it interface with Apple’s TV programming. For that you still need an AppleTV device.

Comcast boxes simply do not network well. They are designed to broadcast the cable signals through your TV, but not on a home network. They are often easier to connect, however, just requiring a cable from the box to be plugged into the TV.

4. TiVo vs Comcast: Recording capacity

The new TiVo, the Roamio, has as many as six tuners that can record at the same time with up to 150 hours of high definition programming. You’ll never have another scheduling conflict again!

TiVos have recording capacities that range from 75 to 450 hours, depending on whether it is standard definition or high definition, and which device you are using. You can choose from three models of the Roamio. The base model costs $200 and has 75 hours of capacity. The menu and features are more limited on this one than on the others. There is a middle model priced at $400 that has the same six tuners as the high-end one but can only hold 150 hours of recordings. Then the top tier model costs $600 and has 450 hours of recording capacity, all of it in high definition.

The Comcast X1 DVR has four tuners and it can record them simultaneously. You can watch a prerecorded program while it’s recording, too. It can hold 120 hours of HD or 600 hours of SD programming.

5. TiVo vs Comcast: User interface

The Comcast X1 DVR system has a voice-activated interface and a completely different look and layout than their standard system has.

The basic Comcast remote is a multi-function remote and capable of controlling all functions, but it does not have the ability to connect to a portable device like a tablet or a smartphone to have connectivity that way like a TiVo can through an app. The remote has to be line of sight in order to work.

The TiVo device menu is in standard definition, so for those who have a high definition set up, you may find this a bit distraction or fuzzy. It does come with apps for extending what the box can do, including games for kids.

Many reviewers liked the interface on the TiVo better than the grid used on the Comcast service. The TiVo programming guide allows you to delete channels you don’t watch so you’re only looking at the channels you like. Comcast’s guide covers every channel they offer, even ones that are not available on your tier of service.

With the TiVo Roamio, connecting to a tablet allows you to be in another room and still operate the “remote” for the TiVo DVR. Download the app onto your device and you’re ready to go.

TiVo’s device remote has a sleek layout called the “peanut”.

Summary

What it all comes down to is looking at how you use your TV, where you get your sources from, and what your budget is. Each device has its own set of things that are appealing, and its own drawbacks. For flexibility of being able to use multiple sources and devices, the TiVo is the clear winner. For cost in the long run, it’s almost a draw. For ease of connection to a TV, the Comcast box comes out on top. No matter which one you pick, you’ll never run out of great programs to watch.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Cable, satellite, over the air broadcast, streaming internet video – never before have we had so many choices of how to receive television programming. DVR, PVR, computer hard drive, external storage device; now we have choices in how to store programs for viewing later to consider as well. So what is true and what is hype when it comes to what’s the best device? Let’s peel back the layers and look at the information.

First, what is a DVR? A DVR, or digital video recorder, is a device that records video from a source for playback at another time. It often comes with a television programming guide included so you can easily locate shows you want to record. Most DVRs come with large capacity hard drives, though some have flash memory cards as their storage medium. There are a variety of types that range from small storage capacity and two tuners, up through several tuners and massive hard drive storage ability. You also can pause and rewind live TV, which is great when you want to create your own sports instant replays. Most DVRs also allow you to watch one program that was previously recorded while two others are recording, though some have greater capacity.

A TiVo is a particular kind of DVR that was first introduced in 1999. It requires a subscription to its own programming guide that can be purchased month to month, or as a “lifetime” subscription (that means the life of the TiVo, not your life, by the way). TiVos, like cable company DVRs, can record just one show or an entire season. TiVos have a smart feature which notices which shows you are watching and recommends similar ones to you based on how you rate current programs. It also uses these ratings to suggest shows to other viewers.

Let’s look at a few of the main features of both so you can do a comparison. We’ll look at five factors.

1. TiVo vs Comcast: Cost and rent versus own

With a Comcast DVR, you are renting it from the cable company at a cost of $10 to $16 a month, depending on your market. There are no upfront costs, and should the device fail, you can swap it at no cost at your local Comcast service center. Some folks have found that the new X1 boxes are prone to crashes, so that free swap is handy.

A TiVo is yours to keep as long as it lasts or as long as you want it, whichever comes first. It has an initial cost of between $200 and $600, depending on the model. Plus, you have the subscription cost on top of the unit price, which is $15 a month or $500 for a “lifetime” subscription, which TiVo may or may not give you partial credit for should your device fail and you need a new one. Like the Comcast DVRs, some TiVo boxes are less than stable. It’s the nature of electronics. TiVos also have advertising on them, which some Comcast channels do also, like MusicChoice, but not on all of them.

2. TiVo vs Comcast: Services available

With a DVR from Comcast, you can only record shows that are broadcast on one of Comcast’s channels or play shows that are loaded into its On Demand section. A TiVo can be connected to a number of sources, including cable via a cable card, and allow you to combine all of your viewing sources into the one box. It even connects to a high definition antenna.

The TiVo with cable card has access to all of the cable On Demand services, so in that sense it can replace all of the Comcast DVRs. However, the cable card is not free. It typically runs $1.50 per card per month, up to $2.50 per card on the Frontier system.

The menus are slightly different, as you can see below.

Comcast interface

TiVo interface

TiVos also recognize SD and HD as just different versions of the same show, instead of different channels like Comcast does, so you can set your DVR to just record HD. This makes it somewhat harder to just record HD on a TiVo.

Down the road, Comcast is planning the X2 system which would have cloud recording capacity, thus ending the need for a box in your house at all. TiVo has not yet announced such a plan.

3. TiVo vs Comcast: Connection to a network

TiVos can be connected to your home computer network, and the newest one, the Roamio, comes with built-in wifi, for total freedom of use. Because it’s on the network, you can stream shows from your computer through the TiVo box for later playback. It supports channels like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant. You can also stream shows to your Apple portable devices and then take the shows with you on the plane or to the gym, or use the device as a remote control. (Android devices will have the same capacity soon.) The network capacity also means you can use your computer to control the TiVo box and view content wherever you are.

Some reviewers have also noted that the network set up is not as simple as it might be, and it requires some computer knowledge and ability. Unless you have a tech person nearby, novice computer users may not wish to set up the network.

The iPhone app remote screen looks like this:

A TiVo does have limitations of who can access which channels. For instance, it does not stream HBOGo, nor does it interface with Apple’s TV programming. For that you still need an AppleTV device.

Comcast boxes simply do not network well. They are designed to broadcast the cable signals through your TV, but not on a home network. They are often easier to connect, however, just requiring a cable from the box to be plugged into the TV.

4. TiVo vs Comcast: Recording capacity

The new TiVo, the Roamio, has as many as six tuners that can record at the same time with up to 150 hours of high definition programming. You’ll never have another scheduling conflict again!

TiVos have recording capacities that range from 75 to 450 hours, depending on whether it is standard definition or high definition, and which device you are using. You can choose from three models of the Roamio. The base model costs $200 and has 75 hours of capacity. The menu and features are more limited on this one than on the others. There is a middle model priced at $400 that has the same six tuners as the high-end one but can only hold 150 hours of recordings. Then the top tier model costs $600 and has 450 hours of recording capacity, all of it in high definition.

The Comcast X1 DVR has four tuners and it can record them simultaneously. You can watch a prerecorded program while it’s recording, too. It can hold 120 hours of HD or 600 hours of SD programming.

5. TiVo vs Comcast: User interface

The Comcast X1 DVR system has a voice-activated interface and a completely different look and layout than their standard system has.

The basic Comcast remote is a multi-function remote and capable of controlling all functions, but it does not have the ability to connect to a portable device like a tablet or a smartphone to have connectivity that way like a TiVo can through an app. The remote has to be line of sight in order to work.

The TiVo device menu is in standard definition, so for those who have a high definition set up, you may find this a bit distraction or fuzzy. It does come with apps for extending what the box can do, including games for kids.

Many reviewers liked the interface on the TiVo better than the grid used on the Comcast service. The TiVo programming guide allows you to delete channels you don’t watch so you’re only looking at the channels you like. Comcast’s guide covers every channel they offer, even ones that are not available on your tier of service.

With the TiVo Roamio, connecting to a tablet allows you to be in another room and still operate the “remote” for the TiVo DVR. Download the app onto your device and you’re ready to go.

TiVo’s device remote has a sleek layout called the “peanut”.

Summary

What it all comes down to is looking at how you use your TV, where you get your sources from, and what your budget is. Each device has its own set of things that are appealing, and its own drawbacks. For flexibility of being able to use multiple sources and devices, the TiVo is the clear winner. For cost in the long run, it’s almost a draw. For ease of connection to a TV, the Comcast box comes out on top. No matter which one you pick, you’ll never run out of great programs to watch.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Cable, satellite, over the air broadcast, streaming internet video – never before have we had so many choices of how to receive television programming. DVR, PVR, computer hard drive, external storage device; now we have choices in how to store programs for viewing later to consider as well. So what is true and what is hype when it comes to what’s the best device? Let’s peel back the layers and look at the information.

First, what is a DVR? A DVR, or digital video recorder, is a device that records video from a source for playback at another time. It often comes with a television programming guide included so you can easily locate shows you want to record. Most DVRs come with large capacity hard drives, though some have flash memory cards as their storage medium. There are a variety of types that range from small storage capacity and two tuners, up through several tuners and massive hard drive storage ability. You also can pause and rewind live TV, which is great when you want to create your own sports instant replays. Most DVRs also allow you to watch one program that was previously recorded while two others are recording, though some have greater capacity.

A TiVo is a particular kind of DVR that was first introduced in 1999. It requires a subscription to its own programming guide that can be purchased month to month, or as a “lifetime” subscription (that means the life of the TiVo, not your life, by the way). TiVos, like cable company DVRs, can record just one show or an entire season. TiVos have a smart feature which notices which shows you are watching and recommends similar ones to you based on how you rate current programs. It also uses these ratings to suggest shows to other viewers.

Let’s look at a few of the main features of both so you can do a comparison. We’ll look at five factors.

1. TiVo vs Comcast: Cost and rent versus own

With a Comcast DVR, you are renting it from the cable company at a cost of $10 to $16 a month, depending on your market. There are no upfront costs, and should the device fail, you can swap it at no cost at your local Comcast service center. Some folks have found that the new X1 boxes are prone to crashes, so that free swap is handy.

A TiVo is yours to keep as long as it lasts or as long as you want it, whichever comes first. It has an initial cost of between $200 and $600, depending on the model. Plus, you have the subscription cost on top of the unit price, which is $15 a month or $500 for a “lifetime” subscription, which TiVo may or may not give you partial credit for should your device fail and you need a new one. Like the Comcast DVRs, some TiVo boxes are less than stable. It’s the nature of electronics. TiVos also have advertising on them, which some Comcast channels do also, like MusicChoice, but not on all of them.

2. TiVo vs Comcast: Services available

With a DVR from Comcast, you can only record shows that are broadcast on one of Comcast’s channels or play shows that are loaded into its On Demand section. A TiVo can be connected to a number of sources, including cable via a cable card, and allow you to combine all of your viewing sources into the one box. It even connects to a high definition antenna.

The TiVo with cable card has access to all of the cable On Demand services, so in that sense it can replace all of the Comcast DVRs. However, the cable card is not free. It typically runs $1.50 per card per month, up to $2.50 per card on the Frontier system.

The menus are slightly different, as you can see below.

Comcast interface

TiVo interface

TiVos also recognize SD and HD as just different versions of the same show, instead of different channels like Comcast does, so you can set your DVR to just record HD. This makes it somewhat harder to just record HD on a TiVo.

Down the road, Comcast is planning the X2 system which would have cloud recording capacity, thus ending the need for a box in your house at all. TiVo has not yet announced such a plan.

3. TiVo vs Comcast: Connection to a network

TiVos can be connected to your home computer network, and the newest one, the Roamio, comes with built-in wifi, for total freedom of use. Because it’s on the network, you can stream shows from your computer through the TiVo box for later playback. It supports channels like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant. You can also stream shows to your Apple portable devices and then take the shows with you on the plane or to the gym, or use the device as a remote control. (Android devices will have the same capacity soon.) The network capacity also means you can use your computer to control the TiVo box and view content wherever you are.

Some reviewers have also noted that the network set up is not as simple as it might be, and it requires some computer knowledge and ability. Unless you have a tech person nearby, novice computer users may not wish to set up the network.

The iPhone app remote screen looks like this:

A TiVo does have limitations of who can access which channels. For instance, it does not stream HBOGo, nor does it interface with Apple’s TV programming. For that you still need an AppleTV device.

Comcast boxes simply do not network well. They are designed to broadcast the cable signals through your TV, but not on a home network. They are often easier to connect, however, just requiring a cable from the box to be plugged into the TV.

4. TiVo vs Comcast: Recording capacity

The new TiVo, the Roamio, has as many as six tuners that can record at the same time with up to 150 hours of high definition programming. You’ll never have another scheduling conflict again!

TiVos have recording capacities that range from 75 to 450 hours, depending on whether it is standard definition or high definition, and which device you are using. You can choose from three models of the Roamio. The base model costs $200 and has 75 hours of capacity. The menu and features are more limited on this one than on the others. There is a middle model priced at $400 that has the same six tuners as the high-end one but can only hold 150 hours of recordings. Then the top tier model costs $600 and has 450 hours of recording capacity, all of it in high definition.

The Comcast X1 DVR has four tuners and it can record them simultaneously. You can watch a prerecorded program while it’s recording, too. It can hold 120 hours of HD or 600 hours of SD programming.

5. TiVo vs Comcast: User interface

The Comcast X1 DVR system has a voice-activated interface and a completely different look and layout than their standard system has.

The basic Comcast remote is a multi-function remote and capable of controlling all functions, but it does not have the ability to connect to a portable device like a tablet or a smartphone to have connectivity that way like a TiVo can through an app. The remote has to be line of sight in order to work.

The TiVo device menu is in standard definition, so for those who have a high definition set up, you may find this a bit distraction or fuzzy. It does come with apps for extending what the box can do, including games for kids.

Many reviewers liked the interface on the TiVo better than the grid used on the Comcast service. The TiVo programming guide allows you to delete channels you don’t watch so you’re only looking at the channels you like. Comcast’s guide covers every channel they offer, even ones that are not available on your tier of service.

With the TiVo Roamio, connecting to a tablet allows you to be in another room and still operate the “remote” for the TiVo DVR. Download the app onto your device and you’re ready to go.

TiVo’s device remote has a sleek layout called the “peanut”.

Summary

What it all comes down to is looking at how you use your TV, where you get your sources from, and what your budget is. Each device has its own set of things that are appealing, and its own drawbacks. For flexibility of being able to use multiple sources and devices, the TiVo is the clear winner. For cost in the long run, it’s almost a draw. For ease of connection to a TV, the Comcast box comes out on top. No matter which one you pick, you’ll never run out of great programs to watch.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Cable, satellite, over the air broadcast, streaming internet video – never before have we had so many choices of how to receive television programming. DVR, PVR, computer hard drive, external storage device; now we have choices in how to store programs for viewing later to consider as well. So what is true and what is hype when it comes to what’s the best device? Let’s peel back the layers and look at the information.

First, what is a DVR? A DVR, or digital video recorder, is a device that records video from a source for playback at another time. It often comes with a television programming guide included so you can easily locate shows you want to record. Most DVRs come with large capacity hard drives, though some have flash memory cards as their storage medium. There are a variety of types that range from small storage capacity and two tuners, up through several tuners and massive hard drive storage ability. You also can pause and rewind live TV, which is great when you want to create your own sports instant replays. Most DVRs also allow you to watch one program that was previously recorded while two others are recording, though some have greater capacity.

A TiVo is a particular kind of DVR that was first introduced in 1999. It requires a subscription to its own programming guide that can be purchased month to month, or as a “lifetime” subscription (that means the life of the TiVo, not your life, by the way). TiVos, like cable company DVRs, can record just one show or an entire season. TiVos have a smart feature which notices which shows you are watching and recommends similar ones to you based on how you rate current programs. It also uses these ratings to suggest shows to other viewers.

Let’s look at a few of the main features of both so you can do a comparison. We’ll look at five factors.

1. TiVo vs Comcast: Cost and rent versus own

With a Comcast DVR, you are renting it from the cable company at a cost of $10 to $16 a month, depending on your market. There are no upfront costs, and should the device fail, you can swap it at no cost at your local Comcast service center. Some folks have found that the new X1 boxes are prone to crashes, so that free swap is handy.

A TiVo is yours to keep as long as it lasts or as long as you want it, whichever comes first. It has an initial cost of between $200 and $600, depending on the model. Plus, you have the subscription cost on top of the unit price, which is $15 a month or $500 for a “lifetime” subscription, which TiVo may or may not give you partial credit for should your device fail and you need a new one. Like the Comcast DVRs, some TiVo boxes are less than stable. It’s the nature of electronics. TiVos also have advertising on them, which some Comcast channels do also, like MusicChoice, but not on all of them.

2. TiVo vs Comcast: Services available

With a DVR from Comcast, you can only record shows that are broadcast on one of Comcast’s channels or play shows that are loaded into its On Demand section. A TiVo can be connected to a number of sources, including cable via a cable card, and allow you to combine all of your viewing sources into the one box. It even connects to a high definition antenna.

The TiVo with cable card has access to all of the cable On Demand services, so in that sense it can replace all of the Comcast DVRs. However, the cable card is not free. It typically runs $1.50 per card per month, up to $2.50 per card on the Frontier system.

The menus are slightly different, as you can see below.

Comcast interface

TiVo interface

TiVos also recognize SD and HD as just different versions of the same show, instead of different channels like Comcast does, so you can set your DVR to just record HD. This makes it somewhat harder to just record HD on a TiVo.

Down the road, Comcast is planning the X2 system which would have cloud recording capacity, thus ending the need for a box in your house at all. TiVo has not yet announced such a plan.

3. TiVo vs Comcast: Connection to a network

TiVos can be connected to your home computer network, and the newest one, the Roamio, comes with built-in wifi, for total freedom of use. Because it’s on the network, you can stream shows from your computer through the TiVo box for later playback. It supports channels like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant. You can also stream shows to your Apple portable devices and then take the shows with you on the plane or to the gym, or use the device as a remote control. (Android devices will have the same capacity soon.) The network capacity also means you can use your computer to control the TiVo box and view content wherever you are.

Some reviewers have also noted that the network set up is not as simple as it might be, and it requires some computer knowledge and ability. Unless you have a tech person nearby, novice computer users may not wish to set up the network.

The iPhone app remote screen looks like this:

A TiVo does have limitations of who can access which channels. For instance, it does not stream HBOGo, nor does it interface with Apple’s TV programming. For that you still need an AppleTV device.

Comcast boxes simply do not network well. They are designed to broadcast the cable signals through your TV, but not on a home network. They are often easier to connect, however, just requiring a cable from the box to be plugged into the TV.

4. TiVo vs Comcast: Recording capacity

The new TiVo, the Roamio, has as many as six tuners that can record at the same time with up to 150 hours of high definition programming. You’ll never have another scheduling conflict again!

TiVos have recording capacities that range from 75 to 450 hours, depending on whether it is standard definition or high definition, and which device you are using. You can choose from three models of the Roamio. The base model costs $200 and has 75 hours of capacity. The menu and features are more limited on this one than on the others. There is a middle model priced at $400 that has the same six tuners as the high-end one but can only hold 150 hours of recordings. Then the top tier model costs $600 and has 450 hours of recording capacity, all of it in high definition.

The Comcast X1 DVR has four tuners and it can record them simultaneously. You can watch a prerecorded program while it’s recording, too. It can hold 120 hours of HD or 600 hours of SD programming.

5. TiVo vs Comcast: User interface

The Comcast X1 DVR system has a voice-activated interface and a completely different look and layout than their standard system has.

The basic Comcast remote is a multi-function remote and capable of controlling all functions, but it does not have the ability to connect to a portable device like a tablet or a smartphone to have connectivity that way like a TiVo can through an app. The remote has to be line of sight in order to work.

The TiVo device menu is in standard definition, so for those who have a high definition set up, you may find this a bit distraction or fuzzy. It does come with apps for extending what the box can do, including games for kids.

Many reviewers liked the interface on the TiVo better than the grid used on the Comcast service. The TiVo programming guide allows you to delete channels you don’t watch so you’re only looking at the channels you like. Comcast’s guide covers every channel they offer, even ones that are not available on your tier of service.

With the TiVo Roamio, connecting to a tablet allows you to be in another room and still operate the “remote” for the TiVo DVR. Download the app onto your device and you’re ready to go.

TiVo’s device remote has a sleek layout called the “peanut”.

Summary

What it all comes down to is looking at how you use your TV, where you get your sources from, and what your budget is. Each device has its own set of things that are appealing, and its own drawbacks. For flexibility of being able to use multiple sources and devices, the TiVo is the clear winner. For cost in the long run, it’s almost a draw. For ease of connection to a TV, the Comcast box comes out on top. No matter which one you pick, you’ll never run out of great programs to watch.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Freeze Time: A Step-by-Step Guide to Pausing Videos

How to Freeze Frame in a Video Easily

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Want to make a still or “Frozen” scene to tell the most exciting or the funniest moment of the story? Or would like to freeze something to give a familiar story some freshness? Actually, it’s quite easy to freeze a video to emphasis an action or add some captions if you get the right tool at hand.

Here, Wondershare Filmora is directly shared with you. With it, you can create a still image with your desired zoom in and out effect in a simple click. Below shows how to do it step by step.

To begin with, get a free trial copy of Wondershare Filmora.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Why You Need to Freeze Frame in a Video

You can show your favorite scene by freezing a video to let viewers know your idea easily. In doing so, the core of your video would be shown naturally. After you apply freeze video, your video will be split into two parts because the edited frame will be in the middle of the clicp. However, it won’t affect the completeness of video. Safe and easy!

You may also like: How to Edit Video Frame

How to Freeze Video with Filmora

1 Import your media files

Click “Import” to browse your file folder or simply drag and drop all files into the primary window. This program supports a vast array of media files, including WMV, MOV, MP4, AVI, MKV, MTS, DV, TS, 3GP, M4V, and more.

When you load all of them, they will show as thumbnails in the Media Library. Now drag them to the Video Timeline and get ready for step 2.

Note: by default, all files in Video Timeline will be merged together without any stop.

You may also like: How to Create Freeze Frame in Adobe Premiere Pro

2 Freeze video with ease

Now play the video clip you want to create a frozen picture, and pause it when it comes to the right position. Click the “Snapshot” incon that locates under the Viewer panel. Immediately, there will be a picture added to media library. Drag the image to the PIP track over the main video track, and set the duration of the still image.

Now you’ve created a frozen frame, want to further customize it? Double click the picture icon to reveal the editing window. Here, you can rotate it 90 degrees clockwise, adjust the duration, brightness, contrast.

You can also pick up your favorite fade in/out or zoom in/out effect by in the “Motion” pane.

3 Save your creation

When everything satisfies, simply click “Export” to export your creation. In the pop-up window that appears, choose from a variety of format options to save onto your computer. Or directly upload it to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter to share with your friends or family.

Bonus tips:
You may also want to add captions for the still image to make it more meaningful. It’s pretty easy to do this with the help of Wondershare Filmora . Simply click the “Text/Credit” tab in the toolbar, and pick up your favorite template to further customize it. Time duration, size, and zoom in/out effect are all flexibly adjustable.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Want to make a still or “Frozen” scene to tell the most exciting or the funniest moment of the story? Or would like to freeze something to give a familiar story some freshness? Actually, it’s quite easy to freeze a video to emphasis an action or add some captions if you get the right tool at hand.

Here, Wondershare Filmora is directly shared with you. With it, you can create a still image with your desired zoom in and out effect in a simple click. Below shows how to do it step by step.

To begin with, get a free trial copy of Wondershare Filmora.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Why You Need to Freeze Frame in a Video

You can show your favorite scene by freezing a video to let viewers know your idea easily. In doing so, the core of your video would be shown naturally. After you apply freeze video, your video will be split into two parts because the edited frame will be in the middle of the clicp. However, it won’t affect the completeness of video. Safe and easy!

You may also like: How to Edit Video Frame

How to Freeze Video with Filmora

1 Import your media files

Click “Import” to browse your file folder or simply drag and drop all files into the primary window. This program supports a vast array of media files, including WMV, MOV, MP4, AVI, MKV, MTS, DV, TS, 3GP, M4V, and more.

When you load all of them, they will show as thumbnails in the Media Library. Now drag them to the Video Timeline and get ready for step 2.

Note: by default, all files in Video Timeline will be merged together without any stop.

You may also like: How to Create Freeze Frame in Adobe Premiere Pro

2 Freeze video with ease

Now play the video clip you want to create a frozen picture, and pause it when it comes to the right position. Click the “Snapshot” incon that locates under the Viewer panel. Immediately, there will be a picture added to media library. Drag the image to the PIP track over the main video track, and set the duration of the still image.

Now you’ve created a frozen frame, want to further customize it? Double click the picture icon to reveal the editing window. Here, you can rotate it 90 degrees clockwise, adjust the duration, brightness, contrast.

You can also pick up your favorite fade in/out or zoom in/out effect by in the “Motion” pane.

3 Save your creation

When everything satisfies, simply click “Export” to export your creation. In the pop-up window that appears, choose from a variety of format options to save onto your computer. Or directly upload it to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter to share with your friends or family.

Bonus tips:
You may also want to add captions for the still image to make it more meaningful. It’s pretty easy to do this with the help of Wondershare Filmora . Simply click the “Text/Credit” tab in the toolbar, and pick up your favorite template to further customize it. Time duration, size, and zoom in/out effect are all flexibly adjustable.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Want to make a still or “Frozen” scene to tell the most exciting or the funniest moment of the story? Or would like to freeze something to give a familiar story some freshness? Actually, it’s quite easy to freeze a video to emphasis an action or add some captions if you get the right tool at hand.

Here, Wondershare Filmora is directly shared with you. With it, you can create a still image with your desired zoom in and out effect in a simple click. Below shows how to do it step by step.

To begin with, get a free trial copy of Wondershare Filmora.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Why You Need to Freeze Frame in a Video

You can show your favorite scene by freezing a video to let viewers know your idea easily. In doing so, the core of your video would be shown naturally. After you apply freeze video, your video will be split into two parts because the edited frame will be in the middle of the clicp. However, it won’t affect the completeness of video. Safe and easy!

You may also like: How to Edit Video Frame

How to Freeze Video with Filmora

1 Import your media files

Click “Import” to browse your file folder or simply drag and drop all files into the primary window. This program supports a vast array of media files, including WMV, MOV, MP4, AVI, MKV, MTS, DV, TS, 3GP, M4V, and more.

When you load all of them, they will show as thumbnails in the Media Library. Now drag them to the Video Timeline and get ready for step 2.

Note: by default, all files in Video Timeline will be merged together without any stop.

You may also like: How to Create Freeze Frame in Adobe Premiere Pro

2 Freeze video with ease

Now play the video clip you want to create a frozen picture, and pause it when it comes to the right position. Click the “Snapshot” incon that locates under the Viewer panel. Immediately, there will be a picture added to media library. Drag the image to the PIP track over the main video track, and set the duration of the still image.

Now you’ve created a frozen frame, want to further customize it? Double click the picture icon to reveal the editing window. Here, you can rotate it 90 degrees clockwise, adjust the duration, brightness, contrast.

You can also pick up your favorite fade in/out or zoom in/out effect by in the “Motion” pane.

3 Save your creation

When everything satisfies, simply click “Export” to export your creation. In the pop-up window that appears, choose from a variety of format options to save onto your computer. Or directly upload it to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter to share with your friends or family.

Bonus tips:
You may also want to add captions for the still image to make it more meaningful. It’s pretty easy to do this with the help of Wondershare Filmora . Simply click the “Text/Credit” tab in the toolbar, and pick up your favorite template to further customize it. Time duration, size, and zoom in/out effect are all flexibly adjustable.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Want to make a still or “Frozen” scene to tell the most exciting or the funniest moment of the story? Or would like to freeze something to give a familiar story some freshness? Actually, it’s quite easy to freeze a video to emphasis an action or add some captions if you get the right tool at hand.

Here, Wondershare Filmora is directly shared with you. With it, you can create a still image with your desired zoom in and out effect in a simple click. Below shows how to do it step by step.

To begin with, get a free trial copy of Wondershare Filmora.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Why You Need to Freeze Frame in a Video

You can show your favorite scene by freezing a video to let viewers know your idea easily. In doing so, the core of your video would be shown naturally. After you apply freeze video, your video will be split into two parts because the edited frame will be in the middle of the clicp. However, it won’t affect the completeness of video. Safe and easy!

You may also like: How to Edit Video Frame

How to Freeze Video with Filmora

1 Import your media files

Click “Import” to browse your file folder or simply drag and drop all files into the primary window. This program supports a vast array of media files, including WMV, MOV, MP4, AVI, MKV, MTS, DV, TS, 3GP, M4V, and more.

When you load all of them, they will show as thumbnails in the Media Library. Now drag them to the Video Timeline and get ready for step 2.

Note: by default, all files in Video Timeline will be merged together without any stop.

You may also like: How to Create Freeze Frame in Adobe Premiere Pro

2 Freeze video with ease

Now play the video clip you want to create a frozen picture, and pause it when it comes to the right position. Click the “Snapshot” incon that locates under the Viewer panel. Immediately, there will be a picture added to media library. Drag the image to the PIP track over the main video track, and set the duration of the still image.

Now you’ve created a frozen frame, want to further customize it? Double click the picture icon to reveal the editing window. Here, you can rotate it 90 degrees clockwise, adjust the duration, brightness, contrast.

You can also pick up your favorite fade in/out or zoom in/out effect by in the “Motion” pane.

3 Save your creation

When everything satisfies, simply click “Export” to export your creation. In the pop-up window that appears, choose from a variety of format options to save onto your computer. Or directly upload it to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter to share with your friends or family.

Bonus tips:
You may also want to add captions for the still image to make it more meaningful. It’s pretty easy to do this with the help of Wondershare Filmora . Simply click the “Text/Credit” tab in the toolbar, and pick up your favorite template to further customize it. Time duration, size, and zoom in/out effect are all flexibly adjustable.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Also read: