Videopad v Photostage: for simple home videos, which should I buy?

Mike_Goodger

I am not an enthusiast but I occasionally combine stills and videos into very simple home videos. Often to demonstrate a product that I have bought, or designed and made.

I have tried to use Free versions of both Photostage and Videopad and I think (I fumble with software) that Photostage seems a little easier?

Should I buy Photostage Home or Videopad Home? Both are reasonably priced, so it is not about price.

Pros and Cons please?

Do both have good Tutorial Software?

Thanks,

Mike

borate

Whichever is the easiest learning curve for you to accomplish the goal is the way to go. For simple slideshows PS may be your best bet.

A 'sticky' post at the top of this forum links to 55 Videopad tutorials.

Look here for a Photostage guide.

Mike_Goodger

borate wrote:

Whichever is the easiest learning curve for you to accomplish the goal is the way to go. For simple slideshows PS may be your best bet.

Borate - thank you. Re "For simple slideshows Photostage may be your best bet.", I am confused about "slideshow" - with Photostage I have mainly combined several video clips, adding an occasional still photo, so the results are mainly video - so may Photostage still be "my best bet" for this?

I.e. both Photostage and Videopad will combine video clips and stills into "movies", but Videopad has more advanced capabilities for enthusiasts?

And that is why there are more tutorials for Videopad than for Photostage?

Is that correct?

[deleted]

Photostage is most probably the easiest to use. Whilst allowing you to create a simple slideshow of images consecutively on a single timeline, or image track you can also insert video clips at any point within the slideshow. It's very intuitive. Audio, Narration, Titles, Effects and Transitions are all possible and pretty easy to implement.

Videopad, on the other hand is more complex with multiple tracks that interact and is orientated towards video film creation, as its name implies. There are many features more specific to film making and editing. It's a steeper learning curve.

At first sight both programs have a similar interface and both can be used to create slideshows..(still image sequences,) but both can also produce videos. (video clip sequences). Photostage is simpler. Which you choose depends on your requirements. There are forums for both products where advice from other users can be found.

Try them both out before deciding.

Nat

Mike_Goodger

Nat - many thanks, that is very helpful and has increased my leaning towards Photostage as the easier-to-learn software.

I have also been searching around looking for the answer to the question:
"What are the limitations of the Free Version of Photostage, compared with the Paid "Home" version?"

Can you help me with this, please?

Mike

borate

Yes, it's likely that the reason VP tutorials are more extensive is that it is a more complex program. Nat's suggestions are solid.

[deleted]

I think you will find that there are limitations to the export options but the "free" version ( Unlicensed- Non commercial home use only) is otherwise a pretty full implementation and should be more than enough to to give you a good idea of how it runs. Although on export you may get a warning popup relating to the version being a demo version, it may still be possible to export as an avi or mp4. Close the popup and see what happens.

Nat

Mike_Goodger

borate wrote:

Yes, it's likely that the reason VP tutorials are more extensive is that it is a more complex program. Nat's suggestions are solid.

Thanks again.

Mike_Goodger

Nat - many thanks. I'll try your suggestions, especially the export function.

From the little that I did with Photostage before, I think that it is a bit of a "sleeper"/secret - a useful tool for less technical amateurs. Since Microsoft killed Movie Maker (why?) there has been a gap in the market, and with NCH calling Photostage a "slideshow producer", that under-sells it, but obviously they have put more work into Videopad and they want to sell it.

They are both great value for money and buying Photostage Home is still an option for me.

Mike_Goodger

Does Videopad Free let me Export to e.g. MP4, etc? Or Export in a limited way?

(I have found a Videopad Free video that I must have exported, but I can't remember how I did it?)

borate

There are feature and export limitations, and they may be subject to change from time to time. If mp4 is blocked, try AVI.

Better still, purchase a license.

Mike_Goodger

Yes, I probably exported my video to a default format and then converted it to MP4.

[deleted]

I just checked the unlicensed Home version and the export to mp4 ..Seemed to work. This tiny example with just images took about 5 mins. (Could be matched to the music with a bit more time.even randomise the transitions...🙂

Example.mp4

Mike_Goodger

Nat, thank you for the video - done with Free Videopad Home I assume ("Free" is different from "Trial", I think?).

Very neat, and as you managed to export to MP4, I'll persevere with the Free Videopad for a while and see whether I need to buy the Paid version.

Very helpful, thank you.

Mike

[deleted]

Hi Mike

".....- done with Free Videopad Home I assume ....."

No! The short slideshow example I posted was set up in Photostage (Unlicensed) Non-commercial home use only (The slideshow creator)

Not Videopad.🙂

Here are the same slides treated using some of the available effects.....Photostage - (not Videopad)

DEMO.mp4

Nat

Mike_Goodger

Nationalsolo wrote:

No! The short slideshow example I posted was set up in Photostage (Unlicensed) Non-commercial home use only (The slideshow creator)

Not Videopad.🙂

Here are the same slides treated using some of the available effects.....Photostage - (not Videopad). . . . . .

Thanks Nat, that is clear. I now understand better the relative strengths of Photostage and Videopad.

I really do appreciate the free versions of both programs, with the availability of the paid versions at very reasonable prices.