Windows Movie Maker

[Pikavolt321]

What do you guys think of Windows Movie Maker? Specifically, I'd like to hear thoughts on Movie Maker 1.0 mainly, but 1.1, 2.0, 2.1, 2.5, and 2.6 are fair game. Do you think they are actually good editors? How do you think they stack up to Windows Live Movie Maker (something I hate) and contemporary versions of iMovie to the WMM builds.

My personal thoughts - they all have good, intuitive user interfaces, but I find little use for them because they lack support for file formats like MOV and MP4 (mainly having support for AVI, WMV, and MPEG/MPEG-2) - though WMM6 is little better. I heard Windows Movie Maker 2.5 was at least HD, but I haven't used it, and I don't know the deal with 2.6. Any of you know?

[OltScript131]

There is also version 6.0 of Windows Movie Maker which is less buggy and accepts MP4 files !
For MOV files, I do not know, I think...

Link Of Download : http://movies.blainesville.com/p/wmm-60 ... ows-7.html
It's the better version for me !

[DOS]

I used to use some old versions like 2.1 (and probably earlier) on Windows XP, and they were quite adequate for capturing video from IEEE 1394, doing some reasonable editing, and exporting to usable formats. I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't fine-grained control over the output - you just got to pick from a list of predefined settings - but it was good enough for me, and simple.

I never tried importing existing video, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that it was limited in what it could import, although I would have hoped that it might support importing anything you have a codec installed for.

I also didn't like the Live versions (although I can't remember why), and last time I needed to do some video capture and editing from my old camera I found an old PC with an older version of Movie Maker to do it!

[Overdoze]

The Live version gives you a bit more control over the output format IIRC, though it has the ribbon (which some people hate with a passion) and limits you in terms of the effects. It's been years since I last used any Movie Maker version though, so I'm not 100% sure about this. It does the job for some basic editing etc., but if you need something more it's inadequate of course.

[MrBurgerKing]

Yeah same, used the live version of Movie Maker for high school projects. Personally I thought the ribbon was ok but poorly organized, and the timeline layout and task pane of Windows XP's version was way better.
Live was way too dumbed down, the old version just worked with basically no learning curve

[SistemaRayoXP]

Did you know that there was going to be Windows Movie Maker 3.0?

Before the Vista Reset, in build 4093, you can actually find a Movie Maker that says 3.0 in the about box. And in my personal opinion, that Movie Maker was just great (It was actually black, and was a bit Vegas Pro style)

[OltScript131]

I hate too the Live version... !

[MSUser2013]

I've used Windows Movie Maker (including Live) quite often during my childhood. I understand that the Live versions were limited compared to the earlier bundled versions, but I actually still enjoyed it, especially because the Live versions gave me more control over format choices and supported HD video unlike the XP (2.x) versions.

As far as Movie Maker 1.0 (from Windows ME and early Whistler builds) and 1.1 (XP RTM/SP1) go, those are severely lacking in features compared to the newer versions, IIRC the only things those two were useful for were capturing video and exporting basic "cut & paste" style videos. Movie Maker 2.x is where it really shined, but then again, what did you expect from a first version?

Movie Maker 2.6 is basically the later XP Movie Maker for Windows Vista and 7, it was mainly intended for users of low-end XPDM video adapters, but it does have a place for nostalgia.

I haven't really used Movie Maker 6.0 so I don't have much to say about it, I will say that it's good that version has HD support so anyone who didn't like the Live Movie Maker versions and owned an HD camcorder had something to use instead.

That being said, I rarely use Windows Movie Maker anymore, I do crank it up once in a while for the occasional attempt at some cheeky (but private) YTP style videos but that's about it.

[Maza]

What do you guys think of Windows Movie Maker? Specifically, I'd like to hear thoughts on Movie Maker 1.0 mainly, but 1.1, 2.0, 2.1, 2.5, and 2.6 are fair game. Do you think they are actually good editors? How do you think they stack up to Windows Live Movie Maker (something I hate) and contemporary versions of iMovie to the WMM builds.

If you don't mind me asking, why do you hate Windows Live Movie Maker?

Did you know that there was going to be Windows Movie Maker 3.0?

Before the Vista Reset, in build 4093, you can actually find a Movie Maker that says 3.0 in the about box. And in my personal opinion, that Movie Maker was just great (It was actually black, and was a bit Vegas Pro style)

Windows Movie Maker in Windows Vista is visually similar to the design seen in build 4093 (and is also colored black).

[MasonSparkle]

To me, it's surprising that Movie Maker wasn't a project worked on in Neptune as well as Millennium. Since the two shared a lot of concepts, I would have thought that Neptune would have had an early version of Movie Maker along with Millennium. Unless I'm not looking in any specific areas, Neptune doesn't have any evidence of Movie Maker in its files.

[Overdoze]

To me, it's surprising that Movie Maker wasn't a project worked on in Neptune as well as Millennium. Since the two shared a lot of concepts, I would have thought that Neptune would have had an early version of Movie Maker along with Millennium. Unless I'm not looking in any specific areas, Neptune doesn't have any evidence of Movie Maker in its files.

I agree, Millennium eventually shipped with Movie Maker 1.0, but it'd be worth checking in which build it appeared first. Afterall, the development of Millennium continued for 6 months or so after Neptune was already dead, so it's possible it was added later.

[Windows Thunderstruck]

The earliest leaked build of ME to have Movie Maker was 2452.

[MasonSparkle]

IIRC build 2452 was sent to testers around January 21th 2000. Coincidentally, on that day

Paul Thurrott reveals that both Neptune and Odyssey are cancelled and will be replaced by Whistler.

So Neptune would never feature Movie Maker as it got cancelled around the same time that 2452 got sent out.

[adinbied]

The earliest leaked build of ME to have Movie Maker was 2452.

What are the main differences between the 2452 Movie Maker and the newer versions? I remember using Windows Live Movie Maker back when it first launched and being amazed at the futuristic design, lol.

[Windows Thunderstruck]

Not much, just minor visual differences and executable names.

2452's exe has the name of Mediapad.exe, later builds and the final have Moviemk.exe as the name.

Buttons on 2452's version are smaller than the final, look slighty different and the filmstrip has no graident.

Functionally, Movie Maker was identical to the ME version until 2.1, the one that was bundled with XP SP2.

[Ephoric]

I remember using Windows Movie Maker! The one that came with most Windows Vista computers is the one I used. For it's day, Windows Movie Maker was a really good editor to get your hands on for free.