Video Editing Software

I really enjoy all of the great videos the group posts here on the site.  I've begun using my Gopro in the kayak the last few outings, and have a lot of raw video.  I wanted to see if anyone has any thoughts on what video editing software they like to use, and if there are any good free ones out there, or if I will need to buy something to get the good, easy to use features.

Any thoughts?

I'm a cheapa$$ so I use "Windows Live Movie Maker".  It does alright.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-live/movie-maker#t1=overview

Windows Live Movie Maker is awesome as far as cheap and simple goes.  I used that program for a couple of years.  I now use Adobe Premiere Pro and am pretty happy with it.  I can't seem to find it available online anymore though.  Adobe makes really good stuff. 

I've been using Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 11 a couple years now at work for several projects. There are newer versions available for more money of course, but you can buy this on Amazon now for under $30. For what you get with this software, this is an EXCELENT choice and has all the features you would expect without costing hundreds. Simple learning curve too.

I recently used Pinnacle Studio HD Ultimate version 15.  It has lots of effects and pretty useful editing tools, but not very user friendly in my opinion.  I had to download additional keys to unlock high definition DVD burning and 5.1 sound.  In the end, I was really happy with the end result HD-DVD that played in my blu-ray player with exceptional picture and sound, but the software user experience was pretty low for me.  I prefer Adobe products.

I recently used Pinnacle Studio HD Ultimate version 15.  It has lots of effects and pretty useful editing tools, but not very user friendly in my opinion.  I had to download additional keys to unlock high definition DVD burning and 5.1 sound.  In the end, I was really happy with the end result HD-DVD that played in my blu-ray player with exceptional picture and sound, but the software user experience was pretty low for me.  I prefer Adobe products.

I tried Pinnacle for a while and I totally agree with it being not very user friendly.

CyberLink PowerDirector is also a very solid option.

I just switched to Cyberlink Powerdirector 12. I really like it! A little overwhelming at first, but once you figure it out, very powerful tool

Depends on how much you want to do--effects-wise. For a while, I thought I had to spend a lot of money to have really good video editing software, but *for me* the options were way overkill and, honestly, I would spend more time thinking about what I could do than doing anything at all. Making super good quality video clips (good quality for timing, clip length, great shots, clear and steady footage) is really complex. For me, as a novice who just wants to share video, I just wasn't good enough for that higher quality software. So I decided to start with basic tools, and if I get the basics down, I'll may sometime spring for something better again.

So...I use the GoPro software and/or iMovie. Windows media editor (mentioned above) would work well, too. But all I'm interested in doing is clipping, merging, and basic transitions with the ability to add text and audio.

Obviously, with more money comes many more options. Once you start spending money, I've heard really great things about the Adobe software.

Started out using the free GoPro studio software but found it to be less than intuitive...started using the Windows Movie Maker software that came with my Windows7 operating system. It's easy to use and has all the features I need.