Editing Software Opinions (PLEASE help..?)

[GuntherAMVs]

I'm very, very new to this site, and I need help with my editing software. Please, I'm begging anyone to give me guidence on what to do.
I have two good editing programs, but both are prone to crashing and are difficult to work with:

Pinnacle Studio 12: will not work with .VOB file extension, which is what I decrypt to; has multiple plug-ins, and is also prone to memory leaking
Adobe Premiere Elements 9: difficult interface, looks like terrible redering quality, complicated effects, and will NOT accept any itunes music

This is very disappointing, since I just got one for Christmas (the other is old).
PLEASE give me your honest opinions of what is the best software to use. I am not looking for anything professional like $500 Sony Vegas, but I am wondering if there is something out there from about $100-$200 that is not so touchy about file extentions and can handle several GB worth of video.

Thank you all SO much

[Panky]

In most editors it is NOT recommended (if even you're able to) to edit directly from VOBs. Refer to the guide part for ripping (http://www.animemusicvideos.org/guides/ ... ogetb.html) for more information on how to do it.
Rendering quality in adobe premiere elements is probably due to the codec you're ussing to compress the playback. However, note that rendering quality isn't really important since it won't be the final quality and is only for you to see progress of your editing (well, at least I don't care much about it). I don't understand what you mean by Itunes music though.

Don't buy any others until you are sure you are doing things right or you can't learn how to use them right. Adobe premiere pro also looked hard but once you get a hand of it, it's pretty simple.

[Pwolf]

Both software should work fine if you convert your source correctly. You'll want to convert the mpeg2 vobs to a lossless codec like Lagarith. I'm not sure if premiere elements will take avisynth sources with the plugin but thats also another option. As for the audio, if the music you purchased in itunes isn't protected with DRM you can convert it to wav for editing. I use behappy for most of my audio conversions http://behappy.codeplex.com/

[post-it]

Most people, here, are used to doing a routine of things. A step-by-step process
to get where you've jumped-to with your editors.

There's only one editor designed to directly with .VOB files and I still have problems
with it every now-and-then! If your trying to save space while editing your videos,
that ain't gonna happen -- so get used to it.

Pwolf is right; had you ripped the video from the DVD and saved it to a "lossless" codec
then any editor would have worked for doing the editing. On the side of the box that
your software came in I'll bet that is says, "can edit DVD's already on your hard drive."
Editors rarely understand compressed files of any kind. So get a good DVD Ripping
Program and start sectioning-off the area's you want to keep; we'll keep the lights-on for ya!