Looking for input on Windows video editing programs

Community, We get many questions from users on recommendations for Windows video editing programs. For the Mac, the field is pretty simple – iMovie and Final Cut. But, for Windows there are a lot more options. I wanted to start a thread so we can start to tap into the collective experience of the MindBites community on your experiences with the different packages. So which ones have you worked with? What have you liked/disliked? Share your experiences and wisdom! Thanks!

Popular Windows Video Editing Programs: Windows MovieMaker Premiere Elements ULead Video Studio 10 Plus Pinnacle Studio 10.5 Roxy Easy Media Creator Sony Vegas

For PC, Adobe Premiere Pro is in my opinion the best option for professional quality editing. I use Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 extensively. It is wonderful and when compared to Final Cut Pro I find it comparable as a professional video editor. As far as entry level software, I found that Adobe Premiere Elements is probably the best under $100 out there. Sony’s Vegas Movie Studio 8 is a close second place, and Pinnacle Studio 11 is very easy to use but is has more bugs and requires a lot of patches to keep it from crashing constantly.

Final Verdict: stick to Adobe for PC editing, Premiere Pro if you can afford it or Elements for entry to mid level editing. Both integrate well with the other slew of Adobe products for PC (Flash, Photoshop, Illustrator, Encore DVD, Audition, After Effects…) and they can handle most editing needs as well as their Mac counterparts.