Free Recording and Video Editing Tools for Cheapskates Like Me

A lot of idle time has led me to learn several new skills. Earlier today my brain got fried on Python and so I decided to take on video editing cause why the f*ck not.

The problem, however, was that I was not willing to spend on something I completely know nothing about. So I searched for free stuff. And so I found OBS and Lightworks. I also discovered that these are apparently popular and I have been living under a rock. For those that didn't know they existed just like me, OBS is a free desktop recorder and Lightworks is a free video editor with a premium version.

Here are my reviews on them so far:

Open Broadcast Software

What I like..... So far

It offers a wide range of customization and capture options. I also like the fact that it lets you link to various media sites for live streaming. I tested it on Youtube and it worked for some time until my country's crappy internet started to take over(10mpbs is already considered premium internet here.)

What I dislike.....So far

There are times during the recording the frame rates drop and you end up with a stuttering video. Also, there is a bug in windows 10 that doesn't allow you to use game capture. The capture mode lets you record games. This means that even if you minimize the game window and proceed to blog on steemit, it will still record the game. However, in windows 10, it just records a black screen. I sidestepped this issue by using display capture mode which means it captures whatever your monitor is showing. It works, but it also means that I can't minimize my game.

Lightworks

What I like..... So far

It is pretty straight forward and easy to use for a complete noob like me. I tried using Adobe After Effects on my brother's pc before but it intimidated me so much that I abandoned the thought completely. Lightworks, however, is pretty easy to use. I also liked the fact that there is a built in feature that allows you to connect to Audio Network. Audio Network is a collection of music from various artists that you can use for your videos. There are trial tracks and there are also some which you have to pay for you to use. But once you purchase them you are free to use them whichever way you like without the threat of a copyright strike.

What I dislike.....So far

The number of effects and transitions are limited. Probably since I'm using the free version though XD. It also does not recognize FLV files. It was a huge hassle since the default OBS output file is FLV. So I spent an hour recording something I couldn't edit. Thankfully OBS allows you to save in several file formats, wish I knew that earlier though.