Windows Live Movie Maker

I've volunteered to do the last chapter (on marketing phone apps) for Mike Ormonds upcoming Kindle book (which is why just recently, my blog is full of marketing stuff).

One of the things I have been pretty lapse about before now is doing a video for the WP7 apps I have developed  (essentially because I don't have the right equipment to do justice).

So as a part of this project I had to upload one to YouTube.  For the main part I used the free 'Windows Live Movie Maker' app and have to say I was very impressed.  Not only was it very inuitive, it performed well and gave me all the basics I needed, including a button to upload to YouTube!

Urge anyone in a similar position to give it a go.

I did a short write up on my blog (http://rd3d2.wordpress.com)

Do you have a link to any videos you've uploaded to YT? I'd like to see what the quality is like and if the correct resolution, aspect ratio, and other things are preserved.

One thing I hate is transcoding, but I don't know how to upload 1080p content to YT such that the 1080p HD version won't be transcoded.

I also agree that it is very well implemented and extremely easy to use. unfortunately it lacks one huge feature that was dropped from previous non-live versions, slo-mo. With the popularity of cameras like the Go-Pro HD and Drift HD lots of people are shooting 720P at 60fps but there is no way to slow that down (or speed it up) in WLMM. you can do that with a collection of stills when making a time lapse shot, just not with video.

@W3bbo: Yes, there is a link off the blog to this video.  I am in the country so would never consider an HD video in YouTube (would take too long to upload!)

One draw back is no crop or zoom. When you rotate the video, the video shrink to fit, but u just want to crop certain percentage of it. Or you know, crop a super wide DVD movie to regular TV wide, a certain percent of crop , but not all. Hope they have this later.

@Ian2:It's unfortunate that most people have no clue that they even HAVE Live Movie Maker installed.

@dentaku: I only had a vague awareness myself.

8 hours ago, NullUserName wrote

I also agree that it is very well implemented and extremely easy to use. unfortunately it lacks one huge feature that was dropped from previous non-live versions, slo-mo. With the popularity of cameras like the Go-Pro HD and Drift HD lots of people are shooting 720P at 60fps but there is no way to slow that down (or speed it up) in WLMM. you can do that with a collection of stills when making a time lapse shot, just not with video.

Are you saying it works for 720P video as long as it is only 30fps or less but not if its 60fps?

I don't have a 60fps video to test with, just 30fps and 19fps, which is supported in Movie Maker 2011 for slowmo and speed up.

I think the makers have to walk a thin line between their target (a simple to use Movie Making App) and their established users (who naturally, eventually  want something more).  I think they have done a pretty good job.  Anyone who sees major limitations should be turning their eye to a commercial video editing App.

BTW Had some criticism that my App trailer was too long so I chopped out the start & the middle bit.  (OK, just call me Dino De Laurentiis!)

Yup, the original was too long. This one is better.

15 hours ago, dentaku wrote

@Ian2:It's unfortunate that most people have no clue that they even HAVE Live Movie Maker installed.

Only on Windows XP and Vista, and in both cases the software is out of date. Now you have to install Windows Live Essentials, and Microsoft makes it very hard for you to get the latest version of WL Movie Maker and WL Mail if you don't want the latest version of WL Messenger.

@W3bbo:One of the first things I do on a new computer is install Live Photo Gallery, Live Mail and Live Movie Maker. I simply un-check everything else and it doesn't install them.

@dentaku:

but, you need to have brain to actually click second button (choose what you want) instead of 1st button (full).