Pogue Evaluates iMovie '09

Final Cut Express is the affordable video editing tool of choice for most videojournalists, but many folks get their start on iMovie (right), which comes with every Mac computer.

Our favorite tech columnist, David Pogue, ranted in 2007 when Apple took a giant step backward with its iMovie '08 video editing software:

It's nothing like its predecessor and contains none of the same code or design. It's incapable of the more sophisticated editing that the old iMovie made so enjoyable.

But now he says that the new iMovie '09 is "far more usable."

If you're scoring at home, here are the features that have been restored: themes, extracting audio, chapter markers, direct export to iDVD, visual effects (including slo-mo, reverse motion, black-and-white and more).

Here's what's still missing: plug-ins, audio effects, manual audio adjustments, bookmarks, importing old iMovie projects without losing all your enhancements.

That tally isn't exactly fair, however, because it doesn't consider all the things the new iMovie does that the old one couldn't.

The killer app ... is image stabilization, making jerky footage smooth, even if you were filming while hiccuping on a camel ride during an earthquake...

Our verdict: Play with iMovie, since the price is right, but eventually you're going to want to spring $200 and graduate to Final Cut.

Whole Lotta Shakin' Going Away

Imagine downloading software that will make jerky videos smooth, stabilize shaky videos, brighten dark videos, and remove noise and pixilation from videos to reveal crisper details -- for only $40.

Originally developed for high-end forensics use (think CIA), MotionDSP's "vReveal" desktop software was unveiled at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and should be available next month.

Apple announced at the recent Macworld Expo that its iMovie '09 version of its ubiquitous movie-editing software will have some form of automatic video stabilization to clear up shakes. Additionally, Adobe and Sony offer editing software that includes video-enhancing features for under $100.

All this should help make YouTube become more watchable, at least in terms of viewing quality if not content quality. But it should also be a boon for videojournalists who can't afford to invest in expensive video-editing software, as even vReveal comes with conventional tools that enable you to edit and stitch clips together, and it works with the Windows XP and Vista operating systems.

Smooth sailing ahead!