Rolling out the first non-linear editing application, Avid's Media Composer has carved its own niche in the world of editing. The software runs on both Mac and PC platforms, but here lies the biggest caveat: it is officially supported only on certain makes and models of Macs and PCs, which is available on Avid's Web site. Extensive research must be done before anything else. Once the hardware checks, the software installs quite easily, with copy protection provided by a USB dongle that you must take care of as it cannot be backed up. The reviewer states that the software edits very nicely. Avid developed the basics of non-linear editing, so familiarizing the software isn’t an issue. The Media Composer also has advanced features for editing, effects, and media management such as the ScriptSync. However, the audio editing in Media Composer is not nearly as feature-filled or thought-out as the video side and the reviewer recommends finishing your audio on a dedicated digital audio workstation. Overall, Avid’s Media Composer is a top-end editing software with a top-end price tag as well.

If you can afford its costly price tag, Avid’s Media Composer 2.7 is bound to make you happy. It’s a software-only non-linear editor, that works with Intel-based Macs, as opposed to previous versions that could only be used with the proprietary Adrenaline hardware. Version 2.7 is still dongle-protected, meaning it can be installed on multiple machines, but can only be run on one at time. It has a new progressive scan codec, DNxHD 36, with 36Mbps for HD offline editing that according to the reviewer generates excellent image quality. While Apple and Adobe lord it over in this market today, Avid is far from out of the contest. It has certain features like ScriptSync, XDCAM proxy editing, and intraframe paint that may be indispensable to certain editors.