There is no perfect editing solution on the market that will fulfill every editor's needs on a consistent basis. Premiere Pro is great, but many take issue with the lack of ownership of the software with Adobe's subscription-based business model. FCPX is the fastest thing around, but it still scares a good many editors, many of whom are not switching back to Apple any time soon. Avid is powerful. Really powerful. But it's also a bit clunky and the learning curve is steep and somewhat intimidating. So what's an editor to do when none of these programs fit their needs? How about trying Edius on for size?

Every NLE has the thing that sets it apart from the others. Premiere Pro has integration with the rest of the Adobe Suite. FCPX reinvented the timeline by doing away with track-based editing. Avid boasts a list of just about every major studio film in the past 20 years, all of which were cut on its systems.

So, what is it that makes Edius special, that sets it apart from the pack? Well, nothing really. There are no flashy features or reinventions of editing conventions. There's just one solid NLE, with a focus on usability and workflow speed, that has been meeting the needs of broadcast editors for years.

Here's a quick video rundown of the Edius interface (Keep in mind this is version 6.5, not 7):

And here are a few of the key features in Edius 7:

  • Superior 4K workflow, including support for Blackmagic Design's DeckLink 4K Extreme and EDL import/export color correction interchange with DaVinci
  • Open to third-party I/O hardware from Blackmagic Design, Matrox, and AJA
  • Editing media files with different resolutions—from 24x24 to 4Kx2K, as well as real-time conversion of frame rates on the same timeline delivers more efficient editing into the hands of editors
  • Fast, flexible user interface, including unlimited video, audio, title, and graphics tracks
  • Support for the latest file formats (Sony XAVC/XVAC S, Panasonic AVC-Ultra, and Canon 1D C M-JPEG) as they are released
  • Work natively with many different video formats, such as Sony's XDCAM, Panasonic's P2, Ikegami's GF, RED, Canon's XF format and EOS movie format
  • Fastest AVCHD editing in the market (up to 3+ streams in real time)
  • Multicam editing of up to 16 different sources simultaneously, with video output support
  • 64-bit native processing with maximum memory access for streamlined real-time editing
  • 3D stereoscopic editing

In my eyes, these features put Edius Pro in contention with all of the other major NLE's on the market, especially considering the fact that many editors now expect their NLE's to natively deal with any and all codecs. In this area, Edius delivers and even excels.

If you'd like to give Edius Pro 7 a shot, you can head over to the Grass Valley website and download a 31-day free trial.  While pricing information for Edius 7 is still unavailable, it will likely follow previous versions and come in around $600.

What do you guys think? Is Edius a viable alternative to the three major NLE's? Let us know in the comments!

Link: Edius Pro 7 - Grass Valley

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Editing & Post-Production