Movavi Video Editor 5 for Mac put to the test

The software developer Movavi kindly provided me with a registration code for the video editing software "Video Editor 5". I have now tried the app a bit and would like to present my experiences here. If you have any questions about the Movavi Video Editor 5 test, please leave a comment.

Note: This test covers Movavi Video Editor for Mac. The software is also available for the Windows PC.

For the past few days and weeks I've been testing Movavi Video Editor 5 for Mac. Here you can find my experiences with the software.
For the past few days and weeks I've been testing Movavi Video Editor 5 for Mac. Here you can find my experiences with the software.

Movavi Video Editor: download, installation, registration

The Movavi Video Editor download is very easy via the Developer's website reachable. You can first download a free version of the video editing app to try it out. Installation under macOS is as easy as usual using the dmg file. If you like the functions available in the demo, you can buy the full version with all the features and extras. You will then receive a code by email with which you can register the software. And then you can merge video files, images, soundtracks and music, output videos or films and even share them directly on YouTube or Google Drive via the program.

Movavi Video Editor 5: Features and Options

The user has various options for importing files. Media files such as music, pictures and videos can be selected in the Finder add, videos can be recorded directly via the webcam or a connected camera or you can record what is happening on the screen as a screencast (you have to buy the screencast function separately). 

If you want to edit, create, combine and export videos with Movavi Video Editor 5, then you have to import files first;)
If you want to edit, create, combine and export videos with Movavi Video Editor 5, then you have to import files first;)

If you have then distributed your files in the collection or perhaps already on the timeline, you can use a number of filters, transitions, titles, stickers and shapes for upgrading. In addition, virtual camera effects such as zooming and panning can be used, and the image stabilization of shaky recordings is also possible. In addition, sections of the image can be highlighted (the rest is made darker, blurred, etc.) or covered (section is pixelated, covered or blurred). 

Pixelize, soften or highlight video areas - this is also possible with the app for video editing on the Mac.
Pixelize, soften or highlight video areas - this is also possible with the app for video editing on the Mac.

Finally, the Movavi Video Editor also has a chroma key function that can be used to extract backgrounds or areas from videos. This is known from the use of so-called green screens or blue screens, thanks to which backgrounds can be exchanged in recordings. 

For the Chromakey test, I downloaded a free stock footage. You can see in the video how the result of the quick feature test turned out.
For the Chromakey test, I downloaded a free stock footage. You can see in the video how the result of the quick feature test turned out.

Here is an example that I created for the clarity of this test (video source: Videvo, Source side): 

Different titles of the software in the test

Movavi Video Editor for Mac offers several shapes and effects for displaying video titles, names of contributors or other information. These text overlays, which are grouped under the “Title” category, offer 11 different options for use in the video project. Here is a video with three of these title effects:

Additional titles and effects for the text display can be purchased in the developer's online store. However, a set (which usually also contains transitions, stickers, audio files and backgrounds) costs another 19,95 euros. This is less worthwhile for special projects and films, for hobbies or holiday videos. Available sets are currently e.g. B. the wedding, travel, family, season, eco, fitness and technology set. Some sets are available in packages as a savings bundle.

4K video editing with Movavi software

I recorded a two-minute time-lapse video with a 4K action camera, which I trimmed to 5:1 minutes with Movavi Video Editor 30 and then exported again. I was able to choose the original aspect ratio of 3.840 x 2.160 pixels (16: 9). When outputting 1,5 minutes of 4K video, I could also choose from these three quality levels and the associated file sizes:

  • Good - 372,8MB
  • High - 1,85 GB
  • The highest - 2,95 GB

First, I selected “Highest” to see how long the software on my MacBook (hardware details see below) needed to output. It was 1 minute and 3 seconds. The prediction of the remaining time was quite reliable.

Then I selected “Good” for uploading the video, because with a smaller file I don't have to wait so long until YouTube has processed it and I can insert it here. The output took a similar amount of time at 58 seconds. You can find the video here:

Movavi Video Editor also works on older Macs

I carried out the Movavi Video Editor 5 test on a mid-2012 MacBook Pro Retina with macOS 10.13.6 High Sierra. At the CPU It is an Intel Core i7 with 2,6 GHz and the main memory is 16 GB RAM. For the graphics card, the info window shows me NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1024 MB and Intel HD Graphics 4000 1536 MB. 

"About this Mac"
“About This Mac”

This means that you can definitely use the app for video editing, video effects, screencasts and the like with a current Mac, iMac or MacBook. The app also runs on old Macs, as I saw in my test. If you want to see the minimum requirements issued by the developer in case of doubt, they are:

  • Operating system: Mac OS X 10.7 or newer
  • Processor: 64-bit Intel CPU
  • Graphics card: Intel HD Graphics 2000, NVIDIA GeForce Series 8 / 8M, Quadro FX 4800, Quadro FX 5600, AMD Radeon R600, Mobility Radeon HD 4330, Mobility FirePro, Radeon R5 M230 or more recent GPU
  • Screen / display: from 1.280 x 800 pixels, 32-bit color
  • RAM: at least 256 MB RAM
  • Memory: 800 MB space for installation; 500 MB for operation
  • Others: User account with admin rights

Previous use for Sir Apfelot

Maybe you already have a look at the Review of the Proscenic P8 Trojan thrown. In this experience report on the cordless vacuum cleaner, I have already included a video that I edited with the Movavi Video Editor. In addition to trimming the clip, I also used the app to insert a title fade-in at the beginning and end as well as a fade-out of the main video in front of the end title. Here is the result:

Preliminary conclusion and your questions

So far I have not yet fully exhausted all options, functions and possibilities of the program. Most of the time I'm in the text and website area and less in the video business. However, in the future, some videos (in connection with product tests) will certainly appear on the Sir Apfelot YouTube channel, for which I will then use Movavi Video Editor 5. So far I can speak positively about the framework in which I have used the software. It is recommended for hobbies, holiday videos, semi-professional productions with a small budget and the like. 

If you have any questions about individual features, options and settings before this experience report is updated, please leave them as a comment. I will then try to answer as soon as possible;)

Did you like the article and did the instructions on the blog help you? Then I would be happy if you the blog via a Steady Membership would support.

2 comments on “Movavi Video Editor 5 for Mac Review”

  1. Hi,

    does the SW also work with the photos media library? In the trial version I cannot import my pictures from here ...

    Thank you
    Robert

Post a comment

Your e-mail address will not be published. Required fields are marked with * marked

In the Sir Apfelot Blog you will find advice, instructions and reviews on Apple products such as the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, iMac, Mac Pro, Mac Mini and Mac Studio.