VR-Zone

Sony have introduced an affordable version of it's Vegas Movie Studio at half the price of the Platinum edition - $39.95.

This makes it an easy choice for any casual camcorder owner who would like to put together their footage in a powerful yet easy to use non-linear video editor.

First impressions based on the fully functional trial are extremely positive. Vegas Movie Studio HD is remarkably similar to the much more expensive Vegas Movie Studio Platinum. This means you get the same backbone as the professional $600 Vegas Pro as well.

Some of the notable features missing compared to the $80 Platinum edition are direct DVD authoring, 24p export, 5.1 support and primary color correction circles (you still get other color correction tools). Fortunately, these should not be of much concern for the casual videographer out there. You still get more than 300 video effects, more than 200 video transitions, 200 soundtracks and most of the Vegas Movie Studio goodness. Importantly, it supports HDV and AVCHD, codecs most contemporary camcorders use.

As for free alternatives, we have the impressive Windows Live Movie Maker. However, Vegas Movie Studio HD does everything WLMM does that much better, with a dizzying increment in features that makes the $39.95 price tag well worth the investment. On the other hand, WLMM is a capable editor if you are not willing to shell out money for your editing needs.

You can download a free trial of the Vegas Movie Studio HD at Sony's website.

Reference: Vegas Family Comparison.