Developer(s) | Microsoft |
---|---|
Initial release | September 14, 2000; 19 years ago |
Stable release | 2012 (v16.4.3528.0331) (April 17, 2014; 5 years ago)[±] |
Operating system | Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10[1] |
Platform | IA-32 and x64[2] |
Included with | Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows Vista[1] |
Replaced by | Microsoft Photos |
Available in | 64 languages[3] |
Type | Video editing software |
License | Freeware |
Website | support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/18614/windows-essentials |
Windows Movie Maker (known as Windows Live Movie Maker for the 2009 and 2011 releases) is a discontinued video editing software by Microsoft. It was a part of Windows Essentials software suite and offered the ability to create and edit videos as well as to publish them on OneDrive, Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube, and Flickr. Windows Movie Maker (known as Windows Live Movie Maker for the 2009 and 2011 releases) is a discontinued video editing software by Microsoft.It was a part of Windows Essentials software suite and offered the ability to create and edit videos as well as to publish them on OneDrive, Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube, and Flickr. Can I still download Windows Movie Maker? Windows Movie Maker is a free video editing software for Windows 7/8, which allows users to split, cut, trim, edit a video easily on the Microsoft Windows system. However, this free video editor is reached the end of the support on January 10, 2017.
- Windows movie maker free download - Windows Live Movie Maker, Windows Movie Maker (Windows XP), Windows Movie Maker (Windows Vista), and many more programs.
- Feb 27, 2019 How to Fix 'Windows Movie Maker Won't Work on Windows 10'? These are just some of the reasons why a lot of people would rather look for a video editor tool that doesn't encounter much errors rather than using Windows Movie Maker on Windows 10.
- Download this app from Microsoft Store for Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, Windows 10 Team (Surface Hub). See screenshots, read the latest customer reviews, and compare ratings for Movie Creator: Free Video Editor.
Windows Movie Maker (known as Windows Live Movie Maker[4] for the 2009 and 2011 releases) is a discontinued video editing software by Microsoft. It was a part of Windows Essentials software suite and offered the ability to create and edit videos as well as to publish them on OneDrive, Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube, and Flickr.
Movie Maker was officially discontinued on January 10, 2017 and it is replaced by Microsoft Story Remix which is built in with Microsoft Photos in Windows 10.
- 1History
- 3Layout
History[edit]
Initial releases[edit]
The first release of Windows Movie Maker was included with Windows Me on September 14, 2000.
Version 1.1 was included in Windows XP a year later, and included support for creating DV AVI and WMV 8 files. Version 2.0 was released as a free update in November 2002, and added a number of new features. Version 2.1, a minor update, is included in Windows XP Service Pack 2. The Movie Maker in Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 had more transitions and support for DVD burning.
Windows Vista[edit]
The next version of Movie Maker was released as part of Windows Vista and – like most Windows components – reported version number 6.0.6000, same as Windows Vista itself. It included new effects and transitions, support for playback on the Xbox 360,[5] and support for the DVR-MS file format that Windows Media Centre records television in. The HD version in Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista also added support for capturing from HDV camcorders. The capture wizard also created DVR-MS type files from HDV tapes. However, the Windows Vista version of Windows Movie Maker removed support for importing video from an analog video source such as an analog camcorder, VCR or from a webcam.[6]
As some older systems might not be able to run the new version of Windows Movie Maker, Microsoft also released an updated older version 2.6 for Windows Vista on Microsoft Download Centre. This version included the old effects and transitions, and is basically the same as Windows Movie Maker 2.1, but without the ability to capture video. Installation requires Windows Vista and is only intended for use on computers where the hardware accelerated version cannot be run.[7]
A Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) version of Windows Movie Maker was also included in some development builds of Vista (at the time codenamed 'Longhorn'), but was removed in the development reset in August 2004.[8] After the development reset, the interface for the WPF-based Windows Movie Maker was retained in Windows Vista.
Windows Live[edit]
A new version of the software, renamed Windows Live Movie Maker 2009, was released as a beta on September 17, 2008, and officially released as a standalone product through Windows Live Essentials suite on August 19, 2009. This was effectively a completely new software, as it could not read projects created by earlier versions and did not support custom XML transitions written for the previous versions. In addition, many features were removed.
Also, Movie Maker's interface was redesigned in the Windows Live version to use a ribbon toolbar similar to Office 2007; it also added features such as 'Auto Movie' and the ability to export videos directly to DVDs and YouTube.[9] Certain advanced features were also removed from the software, such as image stabilization and the ability to record voice-overs.[10]
Movie Maker 2009 supported both Windows Vista and Windows 7. As the previous version of Windows Movie Maker was no longer included with the operating system, the only way to obtain Movie Maker on Windows 7 and later was through the Windows Live Essentials suite,[4][11] although some manufacturers pre-installed the application on new PCs.
An updated version, Windows Live Movie Maker 2011, was released on August 17, 2010, adding features such as webcam capture, support for high-definition video, the ability to upload videos directly to SkyDrive and Facebook, and the ability to add media files stored on network shares to projects.[10]
2012[edit]
With the discontinuation of the Windows Live brand (and the re-branding of the Windows Live suite as Windows Essentials), Windows Movie Maker 2012 was released in April 2012. Support for recording voice-overs was restored, along with an audio mixer and integration with several free stock music services. H.264/MP4 became the default export format (replacing Windows Media Video, but still can be used), support for uploading to Vimeo was introduced, and hardware accelerated video stabilisation was also added as an exclusive feature for Windows 8 users.[12]
Discontinuation and replacement[edit]
Movie Maker was officially removed for download on January 10, 2017. Like other Windows Essentials apps, Movie Maker is now replaced by Windows Story Remix in Windows 10's Photos App.[13]
Layout[edit]
The layout consists of a storyboard view and a timeline view, collections for organizing imported video, and a preview pane. When in Storyboard view, the video project appears as a film strip showing each scene in clips. The storyboard/timeline consists of one 'Video' (with accompanying 'Audio' bar), one 'Music/Audio' bar, and one 'Titles/Credits' bar. In each bar, clips can be added for editing (e.g., a .WAV music file will belong on the 'Music/Audio' bar). Still images can also be imported into the timeline and 'stretched' to any desired number of frames.The Video and Music/Audio bars can be 'cut' to any number of short segments, which will play together seamlessly, but the individual segments are isolated editing-wise, so that for example, the music volume can be lowered for just a few seconds while someone is speaking.
Importing footage[edit]
When importing footage into the program, a user can either choose to Capture Video (from camera, scanner or other device) or Import into Collections to import existing video files into the user's collections. The accepted formats for import are .WMV/.ASF, .MPG (MPEG-1), .AVI (DV-AVI), .WMA, .WAV, and .MP3. Additionally, the Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Movie Maker support importing MPEG-2Program streams and DVR-MS formats.[14] Importing of other container formats such as MP4/3GP, FLV and MOV, and AAC are also supported if the necessary codecs are installed and the system is running Windows 7 or later.[15]
In the XP version, import and real-time capture of video from an analog source such as a VCR, tape-based analog camcorder or webcam is possible. This feature is based on Windows Image Acquisition. Video support in Windows Image Acquisition was removed in Windows Vista, as a result importing analog footage in Windows Movie Maker is no longer possible.[16]
When importing from a DV tape, if the 'Make Clips on Completion' option is selected, Windows Movie Maker automatically flags the commencement of each scene, so that the tape appears on the editing screen as a collection of short clips, rather than one long recording. That is, at each point where the 'Record' button was pressed, a new 'clip' is generated, although the actual recording on the hard drive is still one continuous file. This feature is also offered after importing files already on the hard drive. In the Windows Vista version, the 'Make clips on completion' option has been removed — the clips are now automatically created during the capture process.
The efficiency of the importing and editing process is heavily dependent on the amount of file fragmentation of the hard disk. The most reliable results can be obtained by adding an extra hard disk dedicated for scratch space, and regularly re-formatting/defragmenting it, rather than simply deleting the files at the end of the project. Fragmented AVI files result in jerky playback on the editing screen, and make the final rendering process much longer.
Although it is possible to import digital video from cameras through the USB interface, most older cameras only support USB version 1 and the results tend to be poor — 'sub VHS' — quality. Newer cameras using USB 2.0 give much better results. A FireWire interface camera will allow recording and playback of images identical in quality to the original recordings if the video is imported and subsequently saved as DV AVI files, although this consumes disk space at about 1 gigabyte every five minutes (12 GB/Hr). Alternatively, most DV cameras allow the final AVI file to be recorded back onto the camera tape for high quality playback. Some standalone DVD recorders will also directly accept DV inputs from video cameras and computers.
Editing and output[edit]
After capture, any clip can be dragged and dropped anywhere on the timeline. Once on the timeline, clips can be duplicated, split, repositioned or edited. An AutoMovie feature offers predefined editing styles (titles, effects and transitions) for quickly creating movies.
The original camera file on the hard drive is not modified; the project file is just a list of instructions for reproducing a final output video file from the original file. Thus, several different versions of the same video can be simultaneously made from the original camera footage.
Earlier versions of Windows Movie Maker could only export video in Windows Media Video or DV AVI formats.[17] It includes some predefined profiles, but users can also create custom profiles.[18]Windows XP Media Centre Edition bundled Sonic DVD Burning engine, licensed from Sonic Solutions, allowing video editors to burn their project in DVD-Video format on a DVD. In Windows Vista, Windows Movie Maker passes the video project to Windows DVD Maker.
Windows Movie Maker 2012 introduced the default ability to export in H.264MP4 format.
Video can be exported back to the video camera if supported by the camera. Movie Maker also allows users to publish a finished video on video hosting websites.
Windows Movie Maker can also be used to edit and publish audio tracks. If no video or image is present, Movie Maker allows exporting the sound clips in Windows Media Audio format.
Effects and transitions[edit]
Windows Movie Maker supports a large variety of titles, effects and transitions.
- Titles are animated text screens, normally placed at the beginning or end of the movie, but can also be placed over video clips. Titles and credits can be added as stand alone titles or overlaying them on the clip by adding them onto the selected clip. Titles range from static (non-animated) titles to fly in, fading, news banner, or spinning newspaper animations. They can also be placed on video clips to create sub-titles.
- Transitions affect how one video clips flows into another. Examples include fade and dissolve, but many more spectacular transitions are available.
- Effects alter how a video clip appears. Example include allowing control of brightness, contrast or hue, but other more dramatic effects are available, such as giving an 'old time' flickering black and white feel.
Versions 2.x included in Windows XP includes 60 transitions, 37 effects, 34 title and 9 credits animations. The Windows Vista version includes a different set of transitions, effects and title/credits animations while dropping a few older ones. There are in all 49 effects and 63 transitions. They are applied by using a drag and drop interface from the effects or transitions folders.
Early versions (V2 onwards) of Windows Movie Maker had a flexible interface so programming custom effects and other content were possible via XML. The Windows Vista version supports Direct3D-based effects. Microsoft also provides SDK documentation for custom effects and transitions.[19] Since the effects are XML based, users could create and add custom effects and transitions of their own with XML knowledge.
Many custom transitions were commercially available and created additional features such as picture-in-picture.
Windows Movie Maker V6 did not support customisations to effects and transitions in the same way as V2.x and so many customisations had to be re-written. Versions after V6 do not support custom transitions and effects at all.
Reception and criticism[edit]
Movie Maker 1.0, introduced with Windows Me, was widely criticised for being 'bare bones'[20] and suffering 'a woeful lack of features';[21] and saving movies only in Microsoft's ASF file format.[22] Critical reception of versions 2.0 and 2.6 has been slightly more positive.[21]
Many longstanding users were disappointed by the removal of so many features in the effective re-writing of the software in Live Movie Maker 2009. Some of those features (such as visualisation of the audio levels) have subsequently been re-added.
In June 2008, a memo purportedly by Bill Gates from January 2003 was circulated on the Internet in which he heavily criticized the downloading process for Movie Maker at the time.[23] The memo was originally made available online as part of the plaintiffs' evidence in Comes v. Microsoft Corp., an antitrust class-action suit, and was submitted as evidence in that case on January 16, 2007.[24]
References[edit]
- ^ ab'Get Movie Maker - Microsoft Windows'. Windows.microsoft.com. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
- ^'Windows Essentials 2012 system requirements'. Windows Essentials portal. Microsoft. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
- ^'Windows Essentials: Worldwide Downloads'. Windows Essentials portal. Microsoft. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
- ^ ab'Getting ready for Windows Live Wave 3'. Chris Overd. LiveSide.net. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
- ^Microsoft. 'Explore the features: Windows Movie Maker and Movie Maker HD'. Archived from the original on August 3, 1987. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- ^'Windows Movie Maker no longer supports analog capture or webcam capture'. Windowshelp.microsoft.com. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
- ^'Windows Movie Maker 2.6 for Vista'. Download Centre. Microsoft. April 6, 2007. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
- ^''Longhorn' Professional Build 4093'. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
- ^'Windows Live Movie Maker: Awesome Slideshows Made Simple'. PC World. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
- ^ ab'Windows Live Movie Maker 2011 review'. PC Magazine. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
- ^'Windows Live Wave 3: Microsoft's kinder and simpler consumer services strategy?'. ZDNet. November 12, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
- ^'Windows 8 Brings Video Stabilisation to Movie Maker'. PC Magazine. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
- ^The Verge (May 11, 2017). 'Microsoft's Story Remix app is Windows Movie Maker on steroids'. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
- ^'Movie Maker Vista File Format Support'. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
- ^'Windows Movie Maker FAQ (File Types)'. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^'Problems importing files into Windows Movie Maker'. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
- ^'What kind of files can I use in Movie Maker? - Windows Help'. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
- ^'Create custom movie settings for Windows Movie Maker'. Windows Vista Help. Microsoft. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- ^Windows Movie Maker and Windows DVD Maker SDK
- ^The 20 Worst Windows Features of All Time, PC World
- ^ abMicrosoft Windows Movie Maker HD review, TechRadar
- ^Windows Millennium Edition, PC World
- ^An epic Bill Gates e-mail rant, Seattle P-I
- ^'Full text: An epic Bill Gates e-mail rant'. June 24, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
External links[edit]
Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: Windows Movie Maker |
- Windows Movie Maker at the Wayback Machine (archived June 19, 2004)
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Windows_Movie_Maker&oldid=917530939'
- Is Windows Movie Maker still available?
- Is Movie Maker discontinued?
- Can I still download Windows Movie Maker?
- ...
Windows Movie Maker is a free video editing software for Windows 7/8, which allows users to split, cut, trim, edit a video easily on the Microsoft Windows system. However, this free video editor is reached the end of the support on January 10, 2017. Then, more and more users want to know is it possible to get Microsoft Windows Movie Maker again, and if no, what program can works well as the best Windows Movie Maker alternative tool in 2018 or the coming 2019.
Well, you can get an ideal answer in this post.
It's important for the aspiring film makers to choose the best video editor that fit their needs, not only the beginners or the professionals. In this article, I'll not only recommend an ideal alternative tool to Windows Movie Maker, but also compare it to Windows Movie Maker from different aspects. So that you can easily find the recommended tool can works well in Windows video editing tasks.
Now, let's get started.
- Part 2. Comparison: Filmora Video Editor vs Windows Movie Maker[Tablesheet]
Filmora Video Editor - Top Windows Movie Maker Alternative
Filmora Video Editor for Windows (or Filmora Video Editor for Mac) is one of the best Windows Movie Maker alternative. It is specially designed for a beginner or semi-professional user, so that they can use the 100+ editing tools and 1000+ video effects to customize or edit a creative video on Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP, Mac OS (10.14 include). What's more, it features the ability to easily exported to 24+ video formats, 20+ mobile devices like an iPhone, Blackberry, most Android devices, etc.or uploaded to YouTube, Viemo as you like.
Pros: - Basic and advanced editing tools enables you to split, trim, crop, cut, edit a video or perform effects like PIP, green screen, video stablization, etc. with simple clicks.
- Import and export videos in 24+ formats, including MP4, MP3, WMV, 3GP, AVI, etc.
- 1000+ video effects help you customize and create an awesome video easily, including title, text, transition, filter, overlay, element, etc.
- Specially designed for beginner and semi-professional, requires no professional skills.
Now, let's check how to perform this Windows Movie Maker alternative software on your PC or Mac.
Step 1. Launch the program and enter 'Full Feature Mode', then you can click 'Import Media Files Here' to load all video files you wish to edit into the media library.
Step 2. Drag and drop the video file into the Timeline, and now you can start your editing process as follows:
- Split, cut or remove unwanted part
If the video is too long and you want to remove some contents, you can drag the slider to the position you want to cut, and hit 'Split' scissors icon to cut the video from one to two part. Then drag the slider to the end of the part you wish to remove, and hit scissors icon agian. After that, right click on the video clip, and click 'Delete' button to remove the cutted part.
For more info about split a video, please click here - how to split a video into several parts.
- Add text or title to video
Click 'Text/Credit' option, and you can add a video intro, outro, or any text to any postion as you like.
- Apply Effects to Video
To add effects like transitions, filters, overlays, etc. to a video, you only need to choose the corresponding function icon in the program, and then select your desired effects to your video with 1 click. (Maybe you want to know what is video effects Maker?)
Windows Live Movie Maker Replacement
For more editing tips, please read the full guide of Filmora Video Editor - how to edit a video completely.
Step 3. When your video is reached your desired effects, you can click 'Export' button and choose an output format to save the video on the PC or Mac.
Comparison: Filmora Video Editor vs Windows Movie Maker
Below is a tablesheet to help you understand the different between Filmora Video Editor and Windows Movie Maker, and how powerful the Windows Movie Maker alternative is.
Windows Movie Maker | Filmora Video Editor | |
---|---|---|
Support Media Formats | Input: Almost all popular media formats; Output: Only MPEG-4, WMV, AAC. | Input: Almost all popular media formats; Output: 24+ output formats, including MP4, WMV, AVI, MP4, MP3, etc. |
Support for Most Devices | Yes | Yes |
Support for 4K Video | Yes | |
Transitions & Effects | Few | 200+ |
Caption Presets | Few | 200+ |
Callouts, Stickers | Yes | |
Flip, Crop, Split, Trim, and Rotate | Yes | Yes |
Sound Adjustment and Editing | Yes | Yes |
Pan & Zoom | Yes | Yes |
Video Stabilization | Yes | Yes |
Auto Adjustment | Yes | |
Mask & Highlight | Yes | |
Compatible System | Windows 7/8 | Windows 7/8/10; Mac OS X 10.10-10.14 |
Price | Free | $39.99/year, $59.99/lifetime |
Lifetime Update | Reach the end of the support on January 10, 2017 | Yes |
Conclusion: From the above tablesheet, you might find that the Filmora Video Editor can provide more functions than the Windows Movie Maker, so if you wish to edit a video on PC or Mac, Filmora Video Editor could be an ideal alterntive to Windows Movie Maker.