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Lightworks
Now on Linux. New pricing structures with limited free version, paid “pro” version with monthly, yearly, and perpetual options. Support for AJA. OSX “coming soon”.
https://www.lwks.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=98&Itemid=209
Jeremy
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41 Replies
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[Jeremy Garchow] “Now on Linux.”
Uhh, Jeremy, this “now” was news about 18 months ago.
[Jeremy Garchow] “OSX “coming soon”.”
They have been saying this for about a year.
Seriously, I’ve been a registered member of their web site for almost 2 years. I think they made a serious mistake in spending their very limited resources trying to be platform independent — better they improve the program on one platform then have it half-assed on three. As far as I can tell they have no plug-in architecture, which makes it very limited in any but an off-line scenario. Lightworks has lots of tools for feature editors, not so much for anyone else.
Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
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nothin’ attached to nothin’
“Deciding the spine is the process of editing” F. Bieberkopf -
Lightworks was originally built very tightly around Windows NT. Porting it to anything else is difficult. I think the reason there’s a Linux version is not necessarily because there’s a market, but rather because Linux is close to Unix and therefore becomes a stepping stone for EditShare to get to MacOSX. Plus the EditShare guys know a lot about Linux as they use it in their other products.
[Herb Sevush] “Lightworks has lots of tools for feature editors, not so much for anyone else.”
There isn’t a single editor that does everything well. The closest to that was probably Avid DS, which is now EOL. If you look at Smoke, it’s a good finishing editor and VFX tool, but not a good offline editor. Each tool has its deficiencies. So, expecting Lightworks to do everything well is probably unrealistic. The same is also true of FCP X, Premiere Pro, etc.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “There isn’t a single editor that does everything well.”
While it’s true that every NLE has it strengths and weaknesses, most of them make an attempt to be an “all-around” editor. The comparison to Smoke is the most apt – at this point Lightworks is a “niche” editor. It’s strengths seems to be in collaboration and long form organization and cutting. It is very week in any kind of effects and polishing, with no ability to use plug-ins to buttress is’t weaknesses and only XML to communicate with other video programs like AE.
[Oliver Peters] “Lightworks was originally built very tightly around Windows NT. Porting it to anything else is difficult.”
Not only difficult, but in my opinion a waste of resources. As insular as it is what advantage does it get from being on OSX? I can almost understand Linux, where it’s insularity is matched by the lack of popular programs and plug-ins that work with Linux. Making a turnkey Linux edit station has some appeal, but I just don’t see the need for them to be on OSX.
Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
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nothin’ attached to nothin’
“Deciding the spine is the process of editing” F. Bieberkopf -
[Herb Sevush] “. Lightworks has lots of tools for feature editors, not so much for anyone else.”
!!! But isn’t this the qualification bar for a truly “professional” NLE? At least, so I’ve heard. If it’s good enough for a feature to be edited…
I humbly submit we change the forum name to: “Lightworks, No Question About It”.
“Constituo, ergo sum”
Bob Woodhead / Atlanta
CMX-Quantel-Avid-FCP-Premiere-3D-AFX-Crayola
“What a long strange trip it’s been….” -
[Herb Sevush] “what advantage does it get from being on OSX”
Marketshare. Mac OSX has a disproportionate percentage of users in the creative community than users at large. Especially film/video editors.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Bob Woodhead] “But isn’t this the qualification bar for a truly “professional” NLE? At least, so I’ve heard. If it’s good enough for a feature to be edited…”
One of the most counter intuitive aspects of our industry is that high-end feature editors are sometimes the least technologically advanced editors you can find. Feature editors were the last hold-outs for the upright moviola when the flatbeds came out and they were very late to accepting the digital NLE. While Avid’s seem ubiquitous in Hollywood now, it wasn’t so many years ago that most feature editors swore they would never touch them. When you can afford to hire as many assistant editors as you want, and when all EFX and audio work is outsourced to specialists, you can cut on pretty much anything that you want.
Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
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nothin’ attached to nothin’
“Deciding the spine is the process of editing” F. Bieberkopf -
Given Lightworks and EditShare’s potential (and the entire company’s tool sets), I think they may have the wherewithal to be Avid’s “real” competitor. The longer Avid stagnates the more time EditShare has to evolve and stabilize.
Given development resources involved, it may be very smart for them to focus on the things an Avid feature film editor would find important (and not the things they don’t).
A “late to the game” do everything editor may be stuck in “also ran” mode for a very long time with PremierePro and FCPX progressing as well.
On the other hand Avid is a slow motion behemoth beast in a high dollar niche. The NLE storage combination might be sill situated to chase after Avid’s film market.
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[Herb Sevush] “Uhh, Jeremy, this “now” was news about 18 months ago.”
Well, I must be reading it wrong as the press release says this: “This will also be the first time in Lightworks’ history that a version will be available across two different platforms (Windows and Linux). The Linux community has been very excited about Lightworks and we are proud to be releasing such a professional and powerful editing tool to their community.”
I will forever be the idiot in the room, but perhaps I am misconstruing the details.
[Herb Sevush] “They have been saying this for about a year.”
Yeah, but a finished Linux version means a closer version to OSX. I believe them this time.
[Herb Sevush] “Lightworks has lots of tools for feature editors, not so much for anyone else.”
And that’s the crux of the issue, isn’t it. I don’t know if you were following the FCPX Keyer threads, but an NLE is expected to be so much more than an NLE these days.
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[Oliver Peters] “Porting it to anything else is difficult. I think the reason there’s a Linux version is not necessarily because there’s a market, but rather because Linux is close to Unix and therefore becomes a stepping stone for EditShare to get to MacOSX.”
Oops. Sorry, Herb, I see Oliver has covered this already.
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[Jeremy Garchow] “an NLE is expected to be so much more than an NLE these days.”
Isn’t that a good thing?
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
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