Effortless Writing: Top-Rated Free Mac Speech Recognition Apps

Do you struggle to meet deadlines for your text assignments? If you do, then you are in luck. Speech recognition technology is the best way to beat this challenge. Whether you are a student or a corporate professional, several speech-to-text apps can be used to guarantee that you meet your deadlines. For example, Mac owners can use dragon for Mac to complete typing assignments in half the time.

Below are the best speech-to-text apps on Mac you might have missed since the beginning of 2022. Some of the apps in the list are in-built into your device, while others may require you to download additional software. Regardless, all of those listed below are free to use on your Mac device. Keep reading to find out more.

Part1: Top 1 Built-in Mac Dictation Feature

Did you know your Mac device comes with a built-in speech-to-text feature? So whether you use a laptop or desktop, you can generate text from your voice through your device’s microphone. Officially known as Dictation, the app allows you to transcribe text anywhere you can type it. So, for example, you can use Apple Dictation for your messaging and word processing apps.

The feature has been available since macOS Sierra as a free built-in feature. Earlier versions of Apple Dictation relied on its voice recognition software. However, it now relies on Siri for users of macOS Catalina onwards.

Typically, the app allows you to transcribe thirty seconds and below of audio. However, you can enable Enhanced dictation for longer transcription times. According to most users, the app is suitable for getting the first draft of your assignment, which you can manually edit later.

Follow these steps to enable Apple Dictation on your Mac:

1. Tap the Apple logo on the top-left toolbar of your screen and select System Preferences from the resulting menu.
2. Click on the Keyboard option from the system preferences screen.
3. Once there, click on the Dictation option located at the top of the menu.
4. Select On to activate the app in its default mode. In addition, you can check the Use Enhanced Dictation box to enable additional functions such as offline use and text commands like bold and italics.
5. Finally, select your language from the dropdown menu and choose a shortcut key.

Please note that you need to speak your punctuation loudly when using Apple Dictation. Otherwise, the app will consider them as regular words.

Part2: Top 2 Microsoft Word [Free & No Download]

Another option to consider is speech-to-text Microsoft Word Mac. The app is free to use and relies on Microsoft Azure Speech Services to transcribe text. Below are the requirements to use speech-to-text word mac.

• An external microphone for your Mac desktop, or you can use your built-in microphone for your MacBook. This is because speech-to-text on Microsoft word mac only allows input with a microphone rather than an audio file upload.
• An active Office 365 subscription. Please note you need to log in to your account for the app to function.
• Insider builds 16.32 (19120802) and above.
• An active internet connection.

Once you have everything set up, follow these steps to use speech-to-text on Word.

1. Launch Microsoft Word from your desktop.
2. Click on the Dictate button from the top menu of your Word document, and wait for the red dot to appear. The button features a microphone for easy identification.
3. Once the dot appears, start speaking to transcribe your text. Ensure you are in a quiet environment for the best results. In addition, speak louder when transcribing punctuations.
4. Click on the Dictate button to finish the transcription.

Part3: Top 3 Google docs

Google Docs is arguably the market’s most accurate free speech-to-text service. In addition, it allows you to transcribe your voice to text and format documents with your voice. However, you can only use the service through the Chrome browser.

Follow these steps to activate Google Docs voice typing on your Mac device:

1. Launch the Chrome browser on your macOS and select Docs from the app menu. Please note you will need an active Google account to use the service.
2. Open a new document and click on the Tools tab from the top menu.
3. Select Voice Typing from the menu to access speech-to-text on Google Docs.
4. Tap the microphone to start transcribing, and tap it again to finish.

Google Docs speech-to-text is available in 71 languages. In addition, it supports simple commands such as ‘create a bulleted list,’ which are unavailable on other speech-to-text apps. As such, it is one of the market’s most popular voice typing apps.

Part4: Top 4 Filmora

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Adding subtitles to your videos can be incredibly time-consuming if you do not have the right tools. However, with Filmora’s speech-to-text function, you can add subtitles to your video with a single click. In addition, it automatically recognizes audio in your videos and transcribes it to text with incredible accuracy. The plugin uses state-of-the-art algorithms to ensure the video industry’s most accurate speech technology.

Furthermore, you can import external files to your video’s timeline and edit them as you please. For example, you can import a video from your thumb drive and use the Filmora speech-to-text plugin to transcribe to text. Currently, the plugin can transcribe the text in 26 languages. As such, it is a favorite for vloggers, teachers, and film editors, who all have to deliver their content with great efficiency.

Please note that you must have Filmora installed on your Mac device to access the Speech to Text plugin. In addition, check if your Filmora version is compatible with the plugin before downloading. Once you confirm that you meet all the requirements, here is how to use the service:

• Launch the Filmora app on your Mac and open a new video workspace.
• Click on the microphone symbol at the bottom right corner of the page to start recording. Tap it once again to finish the recording.
• Tap the Tools tab on your main menu and select Speech to Text. Then, confirm your preferences and wait for the transcription.

Part5: Top 5 Dragon for Mac

Dragon Dictate is arguably the best dictation software currently on the market. According to most users, its accuracy and feature sets are next to none. For example, the Smart Format Rules learn how you represent dates, numbers, and abbreviations, resulting in less editing work for you. The Dragon Dictate app is free to download from the Apple Store.

Dragon for Mac users reports a dictation accuracy of nearly 99%, which is excellent in the speech-to-text software category. All of Nuance’s Dragon products use deep learning technology to capture your accent and cadence. As such, the app gets better at transcribing your text as you continue using it. In addition, dragon for Mac professional allows you to transcribe audio clips from uploaded files. For example, you can import audio from your iPhone to your Dragon Dictate workspace and transcribe it hassle-free.

Unfortunately, you cannot get a stand-alone dragon app for Mac. This is because Nuance discontinued its development in 2018. In addition, Microsoft’s acquisition of the company in 2021 proves that the decision is permanent. However, you can still use the Windows version of Dragon through Parallels, which allows you to run macOS and Windows simultaneously. In addition, this method also works for M1 Macs.

Part6: FAQs

Is there a difference between voice recognition and speech-to-text?

Voice recognition software allows your device to capture your accent and tone and then stores that data for different functions, such as user logins and speech-to-text functionality. For example, Siri will ask you to repeat a sentence several times as one of the setup steps.

Which is the best external device for the speech-to-text service?

Most users report better speech-to-text accuracy when using headsets compared to using an external microphone. This is because the microphone is much closer to your mouth, so your voice is less affected by external noise.

Can speech-to-text apps automatically translate a transcribed text?

Yes, they can. Apps such as Google’s Speech to Text include a translation feature in their functionality. However, you will need the Google Chrome browser to access Speech to text. This is because the service is only available to active google account holders.

How much faster is speech to text faster than typing?

A 2017 Stanford study states that speech to text is aboutthree times faster than typing . In addition, it found that speech-to-text apps can transcribe over 150 words per minute, while professional transcriptionists range between 50 to 80 words per minute.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Adding subtitles to your videos can be incredibly time-consuming if you do not have the right tools. However, with Filmora’s speech-to-text function, you can add subtitles to your video with a single click. In addition, it automatically recognizes audio in your videos and transcribes it to text with incredible accuracy. The plugin uses state-of-the-art algorithms to ensure the video industry’s most accurate speech technology.

Furthermore, you can import external files to your video’s timeline and edit them as you please. For example, you can import a video from your thumb drive and use the Filmora speech-to-text plugin to transcribe to text. Currently, the plugin can transcribe the text in 26 languages. As such, it is a favorite for vloggers, teachers, and film editors, who all have to deliver their content with great efficiency.

Please note that you must have Filmora installed on your Mac device to access the Speech to Text plugin. In addition, check if your Filmora version is compatible with the plugin before downloading. Once you confirm that you meet all the requirements, here is how to use the service:

• Launch the Filmora app on your Mac and open a new video workspace.
• Click on the microphone symbol at the bottom right corner of the page to start recording. Tap it once again to finish the recording.
• Tap the Tools tab on your main menu and select Speech to Text. Then, confirm your preferences and wait for the transcription.

Part5: Top 5 Dragon for Mac

Dragon Dictate is arguably the best dictation software currently on the market. According to most users, its accuracy and feature sets are next to none. For example, the Smart Format Rules learn how you represent dates, numbers, and abbreviations, resulting in less editing work for you. The Dragon Dictate app is free to download from the Apple Store.

Dragon for Mac users reports a dictation accuracy of nearly 99%, which is excellent in the speech-to-text software category. All of Nuance’s Dragon products use deep learning technology to capture your accent and cadence. As such, the app gets better at transcribing your text as you continue using it. In addition, dragon for Mac professional allows you to transcribe audio clips from uploaded files. For example, you can import audio from your iPhone to your Dragon Dictate workspace and transcribe it hassle-free.

Unfortunately, you cannot get a stand-alone dragon app for Mac. This is because Nuance discontinued its development in 2018. In addition, Microsoft’s acquisition of the company in 2021 proves that the decision is permanent. However, you can still use the Windows version of Dragon through Parallels, which allows you to run macOS and Windows simultaneously. In addition, this method also works for M1 Macs.

Part6: FAQs

Is there a difference between voice recognition and speech-to-text?

Voice recognition software allows your device to capture your accent and tone and then stores that data for different functions, such as user logins and speech-to-text functionality. For example, Siri will ask you to repeat a sentence several times as one of the setup steps.

Which is the best external device for the speech-to-text service?

Most users report better speech-to-text accuracy when using headsets compared to using an external microphone. This is because the microphone is much closer to your mouth, so your voice is less affected by external noise.

Can speech-to-text apps automatically translate a transcribed text?

Yes, they can. Apps such as Google’s Speech to Text include a translation feature in their functionality. However, you will need the Google Chrome browser to access Speech to text. This is because the service is only available to active google account holders.

How much faster is speech to text faster than typing?

A 2017 Stanford study states that speech to text is aboutthree times faster than typing . In addition, it found that speech-to-text apps can transcribe over 150 words per minute, while professional transcriptionists range between 50 to 80 words per minute.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Music to Your Eyes: Best Video Editors with Audio Capabilities 2024

‘Movies are 50 % visual and 50 % sound,’ remarked famed movie director David Lynch. Even though creating a well-crafted soundtrack is just as vital as having a flawlessly shot movie, most novice filmmakers and video producers overlook the fact that sound may assist them in creating a fuller and dramatic visual output. The reality is that these software applications enable artists to create cutting-edge videos.

These tools are adept at everything from PIP to audio addition and effects addition to general video control, with a low-cost means of creating music. When all of these effects are combined, music makers become a must-have for everyone. Continue reading this article to learn about the best Video Editor with Music that makes it easier to incorporate music into your videos!

Part 1: Best Video Editors with Music on Windows and Mac

Whether it’s a personal video, a promo, or a cinematic trailer, the audio or song in a video may have a significant impact on our impression of it.

But what if you just have muted footage or a cracked and damaged audio file that has to be repaired, and you would like to add audio to the movie right now? In such a case, you may make things easy for yourself by using the applications listed below!

1 Windows 10 Photos App

Supported System: Windows 10 and Windows 11

Pricing: Free

Microsoft or Windows Photo App, a free photo viewer and editor bundled with Windows 10, provides capable image editing and photo improvements, as well as capabilities for managing and editing video, all in a touch-friendly interface.

You may doodle on photographs, add background music and 3D effects to films, and use automated object tagging to make searching easier. Microsoft Photos is a wonderful tool for working with digital photographs, and for certain users, it may even replace third-party photo applications.

The Windows 10 Photos application’s artificial intelligence function allows you to create a video with music automatically with the Automatic Video feature. It’s simple to accomplish, what’s more, there are some music track presets in the Photos app, so you can change the background music and edit it further manually.

Besides that, you can also create a new video project from scratch and choose music from its background music library.

Step 1: Launch the Photos app, go to New video and then click New Video Project button at the top of the screen, and then rename the video accordingly.

Step 2: Click on the +Add option to import photos or videos to the project from your PC or collection, and then drop and place them to the storyboard.

Step 3: Next, from the top-right, press the Background music menu, pick one from the list. And the music track will fit to the length of the video automatically. You can enable Sync your video to the music’s beat to sync music to the beat of a video.

Step 4: Then press the Done button. This is how you can use the Windows Photos App and add a soundtrack from its background music library to videos. Windows 10 has several benefits, and with the correct tools, you can get the most out of it.

2 Apple iMovie

Supported System: macOS, iOS

Pricing: Free

Apple’s entry-level desktop video editing software can transform your video and photographs into professional-looking creations. However, Apple’s video editing software hasn’t evolved much in the last several years.

Nevertheless, it still outperforms what you will get with Windows 10, which would be limited to the (albeit increasing) video capabilities integrated within Windows’ Photos app.

In your digital films, Apple iMovie contains superb capabilities for media management, color grading, speed, green-screen effects, narration, and music.

It isn’t always the first to support new formats—360-degree video is currently unavailable, but it supports 4K. Trailers and Movies are two of the greatest storyboard-based movie-making features for beginners in iMovie.

For beginner-level video editing, Apple iMovie is an excellent choice. For background sound, the iMovie creator integrates with iTunes and GarageBand, and you may choose from a good range of background soundtracks and audio effects, such as four pitch levels, cosmic, and robot.

The Reduce Background Noise option, on the other hand, is controlled by a slider. Follow these steps to add music to your videos using iMovie:

Step 1: Click the Add Media button while your application is visible in the timeline.

Step 2: To access the built-in music, go to Audio, then Soundtracks.

Step 3: To hear a sample of a soundtrack, press it. If a soundtrack is muted, press it to download it first, then tap it again to listen to it.

Step 4: Tap the Add Audio button near a soundtrack to include it in your composition. iMovie sets the music at the start of the project and instantly adjusts it to the project’s duration.

3 Wondershare Filmora

Supported System: Windows , macOS

Pricing: Free trial

Filmora video editor is among the most advanced and cutting-edge systems for making music videos . This music video creator free download is likewise available for everybody to benefit from. It is a must-have for everyone, with the greatest UI and top-notch support.

Among the most popular features that Filmora has related to adding music are the amazing audio library and the audio editing features it has. The audio library includes different genres of music, such as tender and sentimental, rock, folk, electronic, and young and bright. Some of these audio features include fade in and fade out, audio ducking, adjust level, etc. to enhance your videos after adding the audio of your desire.

Filmora can immediately detect audio beats, evaluate music rhythm, and apply editing marks as a superb music video producer. You may quickly and smartly create your music video this way. This approach is made easier by the project’s user-friendly interface.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: To begin the procedure, launch Filmora and select Import Media Files to load photos and videos.

Step 2: Place the video in the timeline by dragging and dropping it. And now go to the Audio library to choose a music track to fit the video file.

Step 3: Double click the music track in the timeline, you can change the volume, speed, and other settings here.

and then you can add fade-in or fade-out effects to the audio.

Step 4: After you’ve finished editing, you may export the video in any of the 50+ codecs that the application supports.

4 Cyberlink PowerDirector 365

Supported System: Windows, MacOS

Pricing: Free trial for 30 days

The video editing program PowerDirector from CyberLink bridges the gap between professional editing and user-friendliness. It has frequently been ahead of the curve in terms of support for new formats and techniques.

It also comes with several features that will assist you in creating a great digital movie, complete with transitions, music, and titles. Best of all, it’s simple to use and renders quickly. PowerDirector is the best video editing program on the market.

The new Smart Fit Audio Duration tool allows you to change the length of background music in your movie while keeping the style and tempo of the music. When you’re down in the woods of fine-tuning video and audio features, the application’s user interface is about as plain and easy as a tool with such a massive amount of options can be, but it can still be intimidating.

Step 1: To import audio clips, go to Import Media Files and choose to import audio clips straight from your portable hard drive.

Step 2: Right-click on the song and select Add to Music Track or drag the music onto the playlist.

Step 3: You may choose from a large range of unique background music recordings. Click on the Media category in the Media Room to open a drop-down menu, where you’ll discover the Background Music selection.

5 Movavi Video Editor

Supported System: Window, macOS

Pricing: Free trial

Movavi is a video editing program with a straightforward, user-friendly interface. PiP, chroma-key, titling, adding music to video, basic keyframing, and motion tracking are all included. It isn’t as feature-rich or speedy as some competitors, but it allows you to create appealing work quickly.

It’s time to begin the post-production procedure when your video capture is finished, and your newly obtained film has been safely transferred from your camcorder to a hard disk. You may alter the audio file of your short video in any manner you like with the Movavi video editor.

Step 1: From the welcome box, choose to Create a project in full feature mode. When you’re in the editor, click the Add Media Files button to incorporate the video and audio files you want to utilize in your new project.

Step 2: Every file you choose will be instantly placed on the Movavi timeline, with video files will appear on the Video Track and audio files on the Audio Track. To eliminate the unnecessary section of the audio file, click the Split option.

Step 3: Simply press Start and wait for your movie to be exported after selecting the correct video format and setting the destination folder by deciding on the Save to section.

Conclusion

Any video without some background soundtrack or any music, in general, appears to be at its 50% percent. Users tend to lose interest soon if they don’t have something playing in the background all the time.

This is why the best Video Editor with Music reviewed in this article will ultimately do everything for you. From editing your videos and pictures, these apps are tailored to provide excellent functionality to any user. Decide on the one you liked based on the features and treat yourself to the best!

Step 2: Click on the +Add option to import photos or videos to the project from your PC or collection, and then drop and place them to the storyboard.

Step 3: Next, from the top-right, press the Background music menu, pick one from the list. And the music track will fit to the length of the video automatically. You can enable Sync your video to the music’s beat to sync music to the beat of a video.

Step 4: Then press the Done button. This is how you can use the Windows Photos App and add a soundtrack from its background music library to videos. Windows 10 has several benefits, and with the correct tools, you can get the most out of it.

2 Apple iMovie

Supported System: macOS, iOS

Pricing: Free

Apple’s entry-level desktop video editing software can transform your video and photographs into professional-looking creations. However, Apple’s video editing software hasn’t evolved much in the last several years.

Nevertheless, it still outperforms what you will get with Windows 10, which would be limited to the (albeit increasing) video capabilities integrated within Windows’ Photos app.

In your digital films, Apple iMovie contains superb capabilities for media management, color grading, speed, green-screen effects, narration, and music.

It isn’t always the first to support new formats—360-degree video is currently unavailable, but it supports 4K. Trailers and Movies are two of the greatest storyboard-based movie-making features for beginners in iMovie.

For beginner-level video editing, Apple iMovie is an excellent choice. For background sound, the iMovie creator integrates with iTunes and GarageBand, and you may choose from a good range of background soundtracks and audio effects, such as four pitch levels, cosmic, and robot.

The Reduce Background Noise option, on the other hand, is controlled by a slider. Follow these steps to add music to your videos using iMovie:

Step 1: Click the Add Media button while your application is visible in the timeline.

Step 2: To access the built-in music, go to Audio, then Soundtracks.

Step 3: To hear a sample of a soundtrack, press it. If a soundtrack is muted, press it to download it first, then tap it again to listen to it.

Step 4: Tap the Add Audio button near a soundtrack to include it in your composition. iMovie sets the music at the start of the project and instantly adjusts it to the project’s duration.

3 Wondershare Filmora

Supported System: Windows , macOS

Pricing: Free trial

Filmora video editor is among the most advanced and cutting-edge systems for making music videos . This music video creator free download is likewise available for everybody to benefit from. It is a must-have for everyone, with the greatest UI and top-notch support.

Among the most popular features that Filmora has related to adding music are the amazing audio library and the audio editing features it has. The audio library includes different genres of music, such as tender and sentimental, rock, folk, electronic, and young and bright. Some of these audio features include fade in and fade out, audio ducking, adjust level, etc. to enhance your videos after adding the audio of your desire.

Filmora can immediately detect audio beats, evaluate music rhythm, and apply editing marks as a superb music video producer. You may quickly and smartly create your music video this way. This approach is made easier by the project’s user-friendly interface.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: To begin the procedure, launch Filmora and select Import Media Files to load photos and videos.

Step 2: Place the video in the timeline by dragging and dropping it. And now go to the Audio library to choose a music track to fit the video file.

Step 3: Double click the music track in the timeline, you can change the volume, speed, and other settings here.

and then you can add fade-in or fade-out effects to the audio.

Step 4: After you’ve finished editing, you may export the video in any of the 50+ codecs that the application supports.

4 Cyberlink PowerDirector 365

Supported System: Windows, MacOS

Pricing: Free trial for 30 days

The video editing program PowerDirector from CyberLink bridges the gap between professional editing and user-friendliness. It has frequently been ahead of the curve in terms of support for new formats and techniques.

It also comes with several features that will assist you in creating a great digital movie, complete with transitions, music, and titles. Best of all, it’s simple to use and renders quickly. PowerDirector is the best video editing program on the market.

The new Smart Fit Audio Duration tool allows you to change the length of background music in your movie while keeping the style and tempo of the music. When you’re down in the woods of fine-tuning video and audio features, the application’s user interface is about as plain and easy as a tool with such a massive amount of options can be, but it can still be intimidating.

Step 1: To import audio clips, go to Import Media Files and choose to import audio clips straight from your portable hard drive.

Step 2: Right-click on the song and select Add to Music Track or drag the music onto the playlist.

Step 3: You may choose from a large range of unique background music recordings. Click on the Media category in the Media Room to open a drop-down menu, where you’ll discover the Background Music selection.

5 Movavi Video Editor

Supported System: Window, macOS

Pricing: Free trial

Movavi is a video editing program with a straightforward, user-friendly interface. PiP, chroma-key, titling, adding music to video, basic keyframing, and motion tracking are all included. It isn’t as feature-rich or speedy as some competitors, but it allows you to create appealing work quickly.

It’s time to begin the post-production procedure when your video capture is finished, and your newly obtained film has been safely transferred from your camcorder to a hard disk. You may alter the audio file of your short video in any manner you like with the Movavi video editor.

Step 1: From the welcome box, choose to Create a project in full feature mode. When you’re in the editor, click the Add Media Files button to incorporate the video and audio files you want to utilize in your new project.

Step 2: Every file you choose will be instantly placed on the Movavi timeline, with video files will appear on the Video Track and audio files on the Audio Track. To eliminate the unnecessary section of the audio file, click the Split option.

Step 3: Simply press Start and wait for your movie to be exported after selecting the correct video format and setting the destination folder by deciding on the Save to section.

Conclusion

Any video without some background soundtrack or any music, in general, appears to be at its 50% percent. Users tend to lose interest soon if they don’t have something playing in the background all the time.

This is why the best Video Editor with Music reviewed in this article will ultimately do everything for you. From editing your videos and pictures, these apps are tailored to provide excellent functionality to any user. Decide on the one you liked based on the features and treat yourself to the best!

Step 2: Click on the +Add option to import photos or videos to the project from your PC or collection, and then drop and place them to the storyboard.

Step 3: Next, from the top-right, press the Background music menu, pick one from the list. And the music track will fit to the length of the video automatically. You can enable Sync your video to the music’s beat to sync music to the beat of a video.

Step 4: Then press the Done button. This is how you can use the Windows Photos App and add a soundtrack from its background music library to videos. Windows 10 has several benefits, and with the correct tools, you can get the most out of it.

2 Apple iMovie

Supported System: macOS, iOS

Pricing: Free

Apple’s entry-level desktop video editing software can transform your video and photographs into professional-looking creations. However, Apple’s video editing software hasn’t evolved much in the last several years.

Nevertheless, it still outperforms what you will get with Windows 10, which would be limited to the (albeit increasing) video capabilities integrated within Windows’ Photos app.

In your digital films, Apple iMovie contains superb capabilities for media management, color grading, speed, green-screen effects, narration, and music.

It isn’t always the first to support new formats—360-degree video is currently unavailable, but it supports 4K. Trailers and Movies are two of the greatest storyboard-based movie-making features for beginners in iMovie.

For beginner-level video editing, Apple iMovie is an excellent choice. For background sound, the iMovie creator integrates with iTunes and GarageBand, and you may choose from a good range of background soundtracks and audio effects, such as four pitch levels, cosmic, and robot.

The Reduce Background Noise option, on the other hand, is controlled by a slider. Follow these steps to add music to your videos using iMovie:

Step 1: Click the Add Media button while your application is visible in the timeline.

Step 2: To access the built-in music, go to Audio, then Soundtracks.

Step 3: To hear a sample of a soundtrack, press it. If a soundtrack is muted, press it to download it first, then tap it again to listen to it.

Step 4: Tap the Add Audio button near a soundtrack to include it in your composition. iMovie sets the music at the start of the project and instantly adjusts it to the project’s duration.

3 Wondershare Filmora

Supported System: Windows , macOS

Pricing: Free trial

Filmora video editor is among the most advanced and cutting-edge systems for making music videos . This music video creator free download is likewise available for everybody to benefit from. It is a must-have for everyone, with the greatest UI and top-notch support.

Among the most popular features that Filmora has related to adding music are the amazing audio library and the audio editing features it has. The audio library includes different genres of music, such as tender and sentimental, rock, folk, electronic, and young and bright. Some of these audio features include fade in and fade out, audio ducking, adjust level, etc. to enhance your videos after adding the audio of your desire.

Filmora can immediately detect audio beats, evaluate music rhythm, and apply editing marks as a superb music video producer. You may quickly and smartly create your music video this way. This approach is made easier by the project’s user-friendly interface.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: To begin the procedure, launch Filmora and select Import Media Files to load photos and videos.

Step 2: Place the video in the timeline by dragging and dropping it. And now go to the Audio library to choose a music track to fit the video file.

Step 3: Double click the music track in the timeline, you can change the volume, speed, and other settings here.

and then you can add fade-in or fade-out effects to the audio.

Step 4: After you’ve finished editing, you may export the video in any of the 50+ codecs that the application supports.

4 Cyberlink PowerDirector 365

Supported System: Windows, MacOS

Pricing: Free trial for 30 days

The video editing program PowerDirector from CyberLink bridges the gap between professional editing and user-friendliness. It has frequently been ahead of the curve in terms of support for new formats and techniques.

It also comes with several features that will assist you in creating a great digital movie, complete with transitions, music, and titles. Best of all, it’s simple to use and renders quickly. PowerDirector is the best video editing program on the market.

The new Smart Fit Audio Duration tool allows you to change the length of background music in your movie while keeping the style and tempo of the music. When you’re down in the woods of fine-tuning video and audio features, the application’s user interface is about as plain and easy as a tool with such a massive amount of options can be, but it can still be intimidating.

Step 1: To import audio clips, go to Import Media Files and choose to import audio clips straight from your portable hard drive.

Step 2: Right-click on the song and select Add to Music Track or drag the music onto the playlist.

Step 3: You may choose from a large range of unique background music recordings. Click on the Media category in the Media Room to open a drop-down menu, where you’ll discover the Background Music selection.

5 Movavi Video Editor

Supported System: Window, macOS

Pricing: Free trial

Movavi is a video editing program with a straightforward, user-friendly interface. PiP, chroma-key, titling, adding music to video, basic keyframing, and motion tracking are all included. It isn’t as feature-rich or speedy as some competitors, but it allows you to create appealing work quickly.

It’s time to begin the post-production procedure when your video capture is finished, and your newly obtained film has been safely transferred from your camcorder to a hard disk. You may alter the audio file of your short video in any manner you like with the Movavi video editor.

Step 1: From the welcome box, choose to Create a project in full feature mode. When you’re in the editor, click the Add Media Files button to incorporate the video and audio files you want to utilize in your new project.

Step 2: Every file you choose will be instantly placed on the Movavi timeline, with video files will appear on the Video Track and audio files on the Audio Track. To eliminate the unnecessary section of the audio file, click the Split option.

Step 3: Simply press Start and wait for your movie to be exported after selecting the correct video format and setting the destination folder by deciding on the Save to section.

Conclusion

Any video without some background soundtrack or any music, in general, appears to be at its 50% percent. Users tend to lose interest soon if they don’t have something playing in the background all the time.

This is why the best Video Editor with Music reviewed in this article will ultimately do everything for you. From editing your videos and pictures, these apps are tailored to provide excellent functionality to any user. Decide on the one you liked based on the features and treat yourself to the best!

Step 2: Click on the +Add option to import photos or videos to the project from your PC or collection, and then drop and place them to the storyboard.

Step 3: Next, from the top-right, press the Background music menu, pick one from the list. And the music track will fit to the length of the video automatically. You can enable Sync your video to the music’s beat to sync music to the beat of a video.

Step 4: Then press the Done button. This is how you can use the Windows Photos App and add a soundtrack from its background music library to videos. Windows 10 has several benefits, and with the correct tools, you can get the most out of it.

2 Apple iMovie

Supported System: macOS, iOS

Pricing: Free

Apple’s entry-level desktop video editing software can transform your video and photographs into professional-looking creations. However, Apple’s video editing software hasn’t evolved much in the last several years.

Nevertheless, it still outperforms what you will get with Windows 10, which would be limited to the (albeit increasing) video capabilities integrated within Windows’ Photos app.

In your digital films, Apple iMovie contains superb capabilities for media management, color grading, speed, green-screen effects, narration, and music.

It isn’t always the first to support new formats—360-degree video is currently unavailable, but it supports 4K. Trailers and Movies are two of the greatest storyboard-based movie-making features for beginners in iMovie.

For beginner-level video editing, Apple iMovie is an excellent choice. For background sound, the iMovie creator integrates with iTunes and GarageBand, and you may choose from a good range of background soundtracks and audio effects, such as four pitch levels, cosmic, and robot.

The Reduce Background Noise option, on the other hand, is controlled by a slider. Follow these steps to add music to your videos using iMovie:

Step 1: Click the Add Media button while your application is visible in the timeline.

Step 2: To access the built-in music, go to Audio, then Soundtracks.

Step 3: To hear a sample of a soundtrack, press it. If a soundtrack is muted, press it to download it first, then tap it again to listen to it.

Step 4: Tap the Add Audio button near a soundtrack to include it in your composition. iMovie sets the music at the start of the project and instantly adjusts it to the project’s duration.

3 Wondershare Filmora

Supported System: Windows , macOS

Pricing: Free trial

Filmora video editor is among the most advanced and cutting-edge systems for making music videos . This music video creator free download is likewise available for everybody to benefit from. It is a must-have for everyone, with the greatest UI and top-notch support.

Among the most popular features that Filmora has related to adding music are the amazing audio library and the audio editing features it has. The audio library includes different genres of music, such as tender and sentimental, rock, folk, electronic, and young and bright. Some of these audio features include fade in and fade out, audio ducking, adjust level, etc. to enhance your videos after adding the audio of your desire.

Filmora can immediately detect audio beats, evaluate music rhythm, and apply editing marks as a superb music video producer. You may quickly and smartly create your music video this way. This approach is made easier by the project’s user-friendly interface.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: To begin the procedure, launch Filmora and select Import Media Files to load photos and videos.

Step 2: Place the video in the timeline by dragging and dropping it. And now go to the Audio library to choose a music track to fit the video file.

Step 3: Double click the music track in the timeline, you can change the volume, speed, and other settings here.

and then you can add fade-in or fade-out effects to the audio.

Step 4: After you’ve finished editing, you may export the video in any of the 50+ codecs that the application supports.

4 Cyberlink PowerDirector 365

Supported System: Windows, MacOS

Pricing: Free trial for 30 days

The video editing program PowerDirector from CyberLink bridges the gap between professional editing and user-friendliness. It has frequently been ahead of the curve in terms of support for new formats and techniques.

It also comes with several features that will assist you in creating a great digital movie, complete with transitions, music, and titles. Best of all, it’s simple to use and renders quickly. PowerDirector is the best video editing program on the market.

The new Smart Fit Audio Duration tool allows you to change the length of background music in your movie while keeping the style and tempo of the music. When you’re down in the woods of fine-tuning video and audio features, the application’s user interface is about as plain and easy as a tool with such a massive amount of options can be, but it can still be intimidating.

Step 1: To import audio clips, go to Import Media Files and choose to import audio clips straight from your portable hard drive.

Step 2: Right-click on the song and select Add to Music Track or drag the music onto the playlist.

Step 3: You may choose from a large range of unique background music recordings. Click on the Media category in the Media Room to open a drop-down menu, where you’ll discover the Background Music selection.

5 Movavi Video Editor

Supported System: Window, macOS

Pricing: Free trial

Movavi is a video editing program with a straightforward, user-friendly interface. PiP, chroma-key, titling, adding music to video, basic keyframing, and motion tracking are all included. It isn’t as feature-rich or speedy as some competitors, but it allows you to create appealing work quickly.

It’s time to begin the post-production procedure when your video capture is finished, and your newly obtained film has been safely transferred from your camcorder to a hard disk. You may alter the audio file of your short video in any manner you like with the Movavi video editor.

Step 1: From the welcome box, choose to Create a project in full feature mode. When you’re in the editor, click the Add Media Files button to incorporate the video and audio files you want to utilize in your new project.

Step 2: Every file you choose will be instantly placed on the Movavi timeline, with video files will appear on the Video Track and audio files on the Audio Track. To eliminate the unnecessary section of the audio file, click the Split option.

Step 3: Simply press Start and wait for your movie to be exported after selecting the correct video format and setting the destination folder by deciding on the Save to section.

Conclusion

Any video without some background soundtrack or any music, in general, appears to be at its 50% percent. Users tend to lose interest soon if they don’t have something playing in the background all the time.

This is why the best Video Editor with Music reviewed in this article will ultimately do everything for you. From editing your videos and pictures, these apps are tailored to provide excellent functionality to any user. Decide on the one you liked based on the features and treat yourself to the best!

Top Video Smoothening Software

Stabilize Shaky Videos After Recording Easily

Wondershare Filmora is one of the most popular video editing software among YouTubers , which provides the video stabilization tool to remove shake from videos within one-click. Download and have a try now.

Try It Free Try It Free

Gone are the days when creating a movie or short video required a high level of technical expertise and the ability to handle video editing and related chores. With today’s smartphone cameras, anyone can shoot and capture video.

Following the introduction of these breakthrough technologies and their everyday applications, video editing has become a simple task, giving you an understanding of which video stabilizer to use. There are several free and premium video stabilizer software solutions available in the market.

These video editing programs have varied features, prices, and some are difficult to use. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an expert; there’s a lot of excellent software available. This article will give you a fast rundown of the best and most outstanding free and commercial Video Stabilizer App available.

In this article

01 What is Video Stabilization?

02 Best Video Stabilizer Apps for iPhone and Android

03 What Features Should I Look for in a Video Stabilizer App?

Part 1: What is Video Stabilization?

Video stabilization refers to algorithms that remove undesirable camera tremors and jitters caused by hand jiggling and the unintended camera panning to improve video quality.

Without affecting moving objects or purposeful camera panning, video stabilization technology is used to minimize visual quality loss by decreasing undesired shaking and twitches of an image/video capture equipment. This is especially important in portable imaging equipment, which is more susceptible to vibrations due to its smaller size.

Excessive hand wobbling and purposeful camera panning often result in inconsistent photos, while undesired camera position variations result in unstable image sequences. Video stabilization techniques maintain good visual clarity and steady video footage even under less-than-ideal settings.

It is not always feasible to re-enact a video, and in those cases, we must make amends with what we have. This approach will necessitate particular video stabilization software, which will increase the movie’s transparency, allowing more innovation and modification.

Part 2: Best Video Stabilizer Apps for iPhone and Android

Here are the best video stabilizer apps for iPhone and Android for you to choose from.

1. Emulsio

Emulsio is a fantastic iPhone and iPad video stabilizer software for smoothing down jittery footage. You may modify the stabilizer strength using the tool’s stabilization function. Without leaving the application, you may examine the stabilized footage to the original video. Emulsio provides tools for editing and cutting footage and repairing shaky films.

Emulsio allows you to import movies from any location. It offers camera motion correction in horizontal, vertical, and rotating directions and is capable of removing rolling shutter distortion.

Overall, this app provides accurate control as well as previewing capabilities. It offers time-editing capabilities as well as live comparison capabilities. Finally, you may send altered films by email or social media. However, if you want to remove the watermark, you need to pay.

Using Emulsio to stabilize video on iPhone is easy, all you need to do is importing the video to analyse, and the app will analyse the video for you automatically. After analysing, the video will be stabilized accordingly, and you can then modify it based on your needs.

Emulsio also provides some additional settings, such as stabilization profile, rolling shutter, avoid black borders, and discontinuity handling to improve the stabilization result.

2. Shaky Video Stabilizer

The second one on our list is the Shaky Video Stabilizer app for Android phones, which is simple to use and straightforwardly transforms your video into a much more stabilized one. You can now transform a shaky video into a smooth and motion-stabilized one. Watch the results, which seems like it was shot with a gimbal. There are no watermarks! It’s possible to share it right from your phone. A steady video is more enjoyable to view and post on social media.

It’s easy to use Shaky Video Stabilizer app to remove the shakiness. Choose a video from your library. Begin the process of stabilization, and use the Background or wait. After the video is stabilized, save the result. And now you can examine the video’s Before and After result.

3. VideoStabilizer for KineMaster

KineMaster is a common choice amongst expert YouTubers and social networking experts who want to incorporate more sophisticated editing tools into their films. The VideoStabilizer for KineMaster app is for iPhone and Android both, which makes your videos smoother! This app offers all of the essentials and a large selection of professional editing tools and effects not seen in other apps.

At KineMaster, you can change the color of your movies and improve their visual quality with the press of a button. Its loudness tools take your audio to a professional level, allowing you to easily add voice-overs, background music, and other sound effects.

Advanced capabilities include keyframe animation tools for adding movement to your layers and speed control and quality blending options. Your videos may be exported in 4K or 2160p and directly uploaded to social networking sites.

How to use KineMaster to stabilize video? Well, it is easy as well. Tap the Add button to add a video and then tap Next to continue. And this app will analyse the video automatically. After analysed, you will see the original and the stabilized result in the screen. Tap the Save button and set the quality to High from Medium or Low to Medium, depending on your preference.

4. PowerDirector

The PowerDirector app has many options that allow you to create the ideal film from beginning to end—all on your Android hone or tablet.

Speed adjustment, keyframe controls for transparency and placement, animated text and titles, and video stabilization are just a few of the easy-to-use editing capabilities included in PowerDirector.

You can create fantastic effects with filters, overlays, and blending modes, and the app’s green screen chroma-key editor allows altering your background very simple. This program also includes several fine-tuning tools for splicing sequences, rotating films, and adjusting brightness, color, and saturation. However, if you want to unlocks more complex templates and editing tools, you may need to pay for the premium plan.

Stabilizing videos with PowerDirector on Android phone is not complex. Follow the steps below to find out how.

Step 1: Install the PowerDirector app on your smartphone

Step 2: Launch the app, create a new project, then upload the video you wish to stabilize to it.

Step 3: Select the video from the Timeline and then hit the edit (pencil) icon in the upper-left corner.

Step 4: Simply click the Stabilizer button to discover an option to stabilize the video.

5. Deshake

Deshake offers desktop-quality video stabilization to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, so you can fix all those shaky-hand movies of your favorite moments.

Choose a film from your picture gallery and tweak the parameters while seeing the results in real-time on your phone! It’s super-fast due to a next-generation stabilization technology that surpasses most pro programs and has been thoroughly tested on genuine home movies like yours.

6. LumaFusion

LumaFusion is among the “pro” iPad apps that people frequently request. The sophisticated video editor uses the Apple Pencil and touch screen for people who wish to edit on the move. At the same time, Apple has yet to confirm whether or not Final Cut will be released for iPadOS.

LumaFusion is so beautifully built that you can film and edit on an iPhone while on location and make professional-looking shows without having to transfer all of your clips to an iPad or Mac.

You would save a huge amount of time and work by filming and editing on the same device instead of transferring large video files to another place.

To stabilize video footage with LumaFusion, double tap on the footage in the timeline, and in the Clip Editor pane, tap on the Stabilize button to start stabilizing the video.

Part 3: What Features Should I Look for in a Video Stabilizer App?

There are a lot of features to look for when choosing a video stabilizer for your videos. The application for your iPhone or Android should be easy-to-use. It should also allow the stabilization strength adjustment. Further, never compromise on video quality. Choose one that produces high-quality video results.

The stabilizer app should offer a large variety of format support. Plus, it should have many other editing tools to enhance photos or videos for your future projects.

If you are editing videos on Windows and Mac computers, you can try Wondershare Filmora , which is an easy to use and powerful video editing software for all video content creators. Stabilize video in Filmora video editor is easy. All you need to do is import videos to timeline, enable the Video Stabilization tool, and the video is stabilized automatically.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Conclusion

Well, there you have it – your ideal Video Stabilizer App. Oftentimes, your shaky videos kill the entertaining side of the video. If the video is too shaky, the viewer would lose interest soon and not watch the full video. But that’s not the case anymore. With the advanced technology and so many apps on the market, stabilizing a video has never been easier!

Try It Free Try It Free

Gone are the days when creating a movie or short video required a high level of technical expertise and the ability to handle video editing and related chores. With today’s smartphone cameras, anyone can shoot and capture video.

Following the introduction of these breakthrough technologies and their everyday applications, video editing has become a simple task, giving you an understanding of which video stabilizer to use. There are several free and premium video stabilizer software solutions available in the market.

These video editing programs have varied features, prices, and some are difficult to use. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an expert; there’s a lot of excellent software available. This article will give you a fast rundown of the best and most outstanding free and commercial Video Stabilizer App available.

In this article

01 What is Video Stabilization?

02 Best Video Stabilizer Apps for iPhone and Android

03 What Features Should I Look for in a Video Stabilizer App?

Part 1: What is Video Stabilization?

Video stabilization refers to algorithms that remove undesirable camera tremors and jitters caused by hand jiggling and the unintended camera panning to improve video quality.

Without affecting moving objects or purposeful camera panning, video stabilization technology is used to minimize visual quality loss by decreasing undesired shaking and twitches of an image/video capture equipment. This is especially important in portable imaging equipment, which is more susceptible to vibrations due to its smaller size.

Excessive hand wobbling and purposeful camera panning often result in inconsistent photos, while undesired camera position variations result in unstable image sequences. Video stabilization techniques maintain good visual clarity and steady video footage even under less-than-ideal settings.

It is not always feasible to re-enact a video, and in those cases, we must make amends with what we have. This approach will necessitate particular video stabilization software, which will increase the movie’s transparency, allowing more innovation and modification.

Part 2: Best Video Stabilizer Apps for iPhone and Android

Here are the best video stabilizer apps for iPhone and Android for you to choose from.

1. Emulsio

Emulsio is a fantastic iPhone and iPad video stabilizer software for smoothing down jittery footage. You may modify the stabilizer strength using the tool’s stabilization function. Without leaving the application, you may examine the stabilized footage to the original video. Emulsio provides tools for editing and cutting footage and repairing shaky films.

Emulsio allows you to import movies from any location. It offers camera motion correction in horizontal, vertical, and rotating directions and is capable of removing rolling shutter distortion.

Overall, this app provides accurate control as well as previewing capabilities. It offers time-editing capabilities as well as live comparison capabilities. Finally, you may send altered films by email or social media. However, if you want to remove the watermark, you need to pay.

Using Emulsio to stabilize video on iPhone is easy, all you need to do is importing the video to analyse, and the app will analyse the video for you automatically. After analysing, the video will be stabilized accordingly, and you can then modify it based on your needs.

Emulsio also provides some additional settings, such as stabilization profile, rolling shutter, avoid black borders, and discontinuity handling to improve the stabilization result.

2. Shaky Video Stabilizer

The second one on our list is the Shaky Video Stabilizer app for Android phones, which is simple to use and straightforwardly transforms your video into a much more stabilized one. You can now transform a shaky video into a smooth and motion-stabilized one. Watch the results, which seems like it was shot with a gimbal. There are no watermarks! It’s possible to share it right from your phone. A steady video is more enjoyable to view and post on social media.

It’s easy to use Shaky Video Stabilizer app to remove the shakiness. Choose a video from your library. Begin the process of stabilization, and use the Background or wait. After the video is stabilized, save the result. And now you can examine the video’s Before and After result.

3. VideoStabilizer for KineMaster

KineMaster is a common choice amongst expert YouTubers and social networking experts who want to incorporate more sophisticated editing tools into their films. The VideoStabilizer for KineMaster app is for iPhone and Android both, which makes your videos smoother! This app offers all of the essentials and a large selection of professional editing tools and effects not seen in other apps.

At KineMaster, you can change the color of your movies and improve their visual quality with the press of a button. Its loudness tools take your audio to a professional level, allowing you to easily add voice-overs, background music, and other sound effects.

Advanced capabilities include keyframe animation tools for adding movement to your layers and speed control and quality blending options. Your videos may be exported in 4K or 2160p and directly uploaded to social networking sites.

How to use KineMaster to stabilize video? Well, it is easy as well. Tap the Add button to add a video and then tap Next to continue. And this app will analyse the video automatically. After analysed, you will see the original and the stabilized result in the screen. Tap the Save button and set the quality to High from Medium or Low to Medium, depending on your preference.

4. PowerDirector

The PowerDirector app has many options that allow you to create the ideal film from beginning to end—all on your Android hone or tablet.

Speed adjustment, keyframe controls for transparency and placement, animated text and titles, and video stabilization are just a few of the easy-to-use editing capabilities included in PowerDirector.

You can create fantastic effects with filters, overlays, and blending modes, and the app’s green screen chroma-key editor allows altering your background very simple. This program also includes several fine-tuning tools for splicing sequences, rotating films, and adjusting brightness, color, and saturation. However, if you want to unlocks more complex templates and editing tools, you may need to pay for the premium plan.

Stabilizing videos with PowerDirector on Android phone is not complex. Follow the steps below to find out how.

Step 1: Install the PowerDirector app on your smartphone

Step 2: Launch the app, create a new project, then upload the video you wish to stabilize to it.

Step 3: Select the video from the Timeline and then hit the edit (pencil) icon in the upper-left corner.

Step 4: Simply click the Stabilizer button to discover an option to stabilize the video.

5. Deshake

Deshake offers desktop-quality video stabilization to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, so you can fix all those shaky-hand movies of your favorite moments.

Choose a film from your picture gallery and tweak the parameters while seeing the results in real-time on your phone! It’s super-fast due to a next-generation stabilization technology that surpasses most pro programs and has been thoroughly tested on genuine home movies like yours.

6. LumaFusion

LumaFusion is among the “pro” iPad apps that people frequently request. The sophisticated video editor uses the Apple Pencil and touch screen for people who wish to edit on the move. At the same time, Apple has yet to confirm whether or not Final Cut will be released for iPadOS.

LumaFusion is so beautifully built that you can film and edit on an iPhone while on location and make professional-looking shows without having to transfer all of your clips to an iPad or Mac.

You would save a huge amount of time and work by filming and editing on the same device instead of transferring large video files to another place.

To stabilize video footage with LumaFusion, double tap on the footage in the timeline, and in the Clip Editor pane, tap on the Stabilize button to start stabilizing the video.

Part 3: What Features Should I Look for in a Video Stabilizer App?

There are a lot of features to look for when choosing a video stabilizer for your videos. The application for your iPhone or Android should be easy-to-use. It should also allow the stabilization strength adjustment. Further, never compromise on video quality. Choose one that produces high-quality video results.

The stabilizer app should offer a large variety of format support. Plus, it should have many other editing tools to enhance photos or videos for your future projects.

If you are editing videos on Windows and Mac computers, you can try Wondershare Filmora , which is an easy to use and powerful video editing software for all video content creators. Stabilize video in Filmora video editor is easy. All you need to do is import videos to timeline, enable the Video Stabilization tool, and the video is stabilized automatically.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Conclusion

Well, there you have it – your ideal Video Stabilizer App. Oftentimes, your shaky videos kill the entertaining side of the video. If the video is too shaky, the viewer would lose interest soon and not watch the full video. But that’s not the case anymore. With the advanced technology and so many apps on the market, stabilizing a video has never been easier!

Try It Free Try It Free

Gone are the days when creating a movie or short video required a high level of technical expertise and the ability to handle video editing and related chores. With today’s smartphone cameras, anyone can shoot and capture video.

Following the introduction of these breakthrough technologies and their everyday applications, video editing has become a simple task, giving you an understanding of which video stabilizer to use. There are several free and premium video stabilizer software solutions available in the market.

These video editing programs have varied features, prices, and some are difficult to use. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an expert; there’s a lot of excellent software available. This article will give you a fast rundown of the best and most outstanding free and commercial Video Stabilizer App available.

In this article

01 What is Video Stabilization?

02 Best Video Stabilizer Apps for iPhone and Android

03 What Features Should I Look for in a Video Stabilizer App?

Part 1: What is Video Stabilization?

Video stabilization refers to algorithms that remove undesirable camera tremors and jitters caused by hand jiggling and the unintended camera panning to improve video quality.

Without affecting moving objects or purposeful camera panning, video stabilization technology is used to minimize visual quality loss by decreasing undesired shaking and twitches of an image/video capture equipment. This is especially important in portable imaging equipment, which is more susceptible to vibrations due to its smaller size.

Excessive hand wobbling and purposeful camera panning often result in inconsistent photos, while undesired camera position variations result in unstable image sequences. Video stabilization techniques maintain good visual clarity and steady video footage even under less-than-ideal settings.

It is not always feasible to re-enact a video, and in those cases, we must make amends with what we have. This approach will necessitate particular video stabilization software, which will increase the movie’s transparency, allowing more innovation and modification.

Part 2: Best Video Stabilizer Apps for iPhone and Android

Here are the best video stabilizer apps for iPhone and Android for you to choose from.

1. Emulsio

Emulsio is a fantastic iPhone and iPad video stabilizer software for smoothing down jittery footage. You may modify the stabilizer strength using the tool’s stabilization function. Without leaving the application, you may examine the stabilized footage to the original video. Emulsio provides tools for editing and cutting footage and repairing shaky films.

Emulsio allows you to import movies from any location. It offers camera motion correction in horizontal, vertical, and rotating directions and is capable of removing rolling shutter distortion.

Overall, this app provides accurate control as well as previewing capabilities. It offers time-editing capabilities as well as live comparison capabilities. Finally, you may send altered films by email or social media. However, if you want to remove the watermark, you need to pay.

Using Emulsio to stabilize video on iPhone is easy, all you need to do is importing the video to analyse, and the app will analyse the video for you automatically. After analysing, the video will be stabilized accordingly, and you can then modify it based on your needs.

Emulsio also provides some additional settings, such as stabilization profile, rolling shutter, avoid black borders, and discontinuity handling to improve the stabilization result.

2. Shaky Video Stabilizer

The second one on our list is the Shaky Video Stabilizer app for Android phones, which is simple to use and straightforwardly transforms your video into a much more stabilized one. You can now transform a shaky video into a smooth and motion-stabilized one. Watch the results, which seems like it was shot with a gimbal. There are no watermarks! It’s possible to share it right from your phone. A steady video is more enjoyable to view and post on social media.

It’s easy to use Shaky Video Stabilizer app to remove the shakiness. Choose a video from your library. Begin the process of stabilization, and use the Background or wait. After the video is stabilized, save the result. And now you can examine the video’s Before and After result.

3. VideoStabilizer for KineMaster

KineMaster is a common choice amongst expert YouTubers and social networking experts who want to incorporate more sophisticated editing tools into their films. The VideoStabilizer for KineMaster app is for iPhone and Android both, which makes your videos smoother! This app offers all of the essentials and a large selection of professional editing tools and effects not seen in other apps.

At KineMaster, you can change the color of your movies and improve their visual quality with the press of a button. Its loudness tools take your audio to a professional level, allowing you to easily add voice-overs, background music, and other sound effects.

Advanced capabilities include keyframe animation tools for adding movement to your layers and speed control and quality blending options. Your videos may be exported in 4K or 2160p and directly uploaded to social networking sites.

How to use KineMaster to stabilize video? Well, it is easy as well. Tap the Add button to add a video and then tap Next to continue. And this app will analyse the video automatically. After analysed, you will see the original and the stabilized result in the screen. Tap the Save button and set the quality to High from Medium or Low to Medium, depending on your preference.

4. PowerDirector

The PowerDirector app has many options that allow you to create the ideal film from beginning to end—all on your Android hone or tablet.

Speed adjustment, keyframe controls for transparency and placement, animated text and titles, and video stabilization are just a few of the easy-to-use editing capabilities included in PowerDirector.

You can create fantastic effects with filters, overlays, and blending modes, and the app’s green screen chroma-key editor allows altering your background very simple. This program also includes several fine-tuning tools for splicing sequences, rotating films, and adjusting brightness, color, and saturation. However, if you want to unlocks more complex templates and editing tools, you may need to pay for the premium plan.

Stabilizing videos with PowerDirector on Android phone is not complex. Follow the steps below to find out how.

Step 1: Install the PowerDirector app on your smartphone

Step 2: Launch the app, create a new project, then upload the video you wish to stabilize to it.

Step 3: Select the video from the Timeline and then hit the edit (pencil) icon in the upper-left corner.

Step 4: Simply click the Stabilizer button to discover an option to stabilize the video.

5. Deshake

Deshake offers desktop-quality video stabilization to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, so you can fix all those shaky-hand movies of your favorite moments.

Choose a film from your picture gallery and tweak the parameters while seeing the results in real-time on your phone! It’s super-fast due to a next-generation stabilization technology that surpasses most pro programs and has been thoroughly tested on genuine home movies like yours.

6. LumaFusion

LumaFusion is among the “pro” iPad apps that people frequently request. The sophisticated video editor uses the Apple Pencil and touch screen for people who wish to edit on the move. At the same time, Apple has yet to confirm whether or not Final Cut will be released for iPadOS.

LumaFusion is so beautifully built that you can film and edit on an iPhone while on location and make professional-looking shows without having to transfer all of your clips to an iPad or Mac.

You would save a huge amount of time and work by filming and editing on the same device instead of transferring large video files to another place.

To stabilize video footage with LumaFusion, double tap on the footage in the timeline, and in the Clip Editor pane, tap on the Stabilize button to start stabilizing the video.

Part 3: What Features Should I Look for in a Video Stabilizer App?

There are a lot of features to look for when choosing a video stabilizer for your videos. The application for your iPhone or Android should be easy-to-use. It should also allow the stabilization strength adjustment. Further, never compromise on video quality. Choose one that produces high-quality video results.

The stabilizer app should offer a large variety of format support. Plus, it should have many other editing tools to enhance photos or videos for your future projects.

If you are editing videos on Windows and Mac computers, you can try Wondershare Filmora , which is an easy to use and powerful video editing software for all video content creators. Stabilize video in Filmora video editor is easy. All you need to do is import videos to timeline, enable the Video Stabilization tool, and the video is stabilized automatically.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Conclusion

Well, there you have it – your ideal Video Stabilizer App. Oftentimes, your shaky videos kill the entertaining side of the video. If the video is too shaky, the viewer would lose interest soon and not watch the full video. But that’s not the case anymore. With the advanced technology and so many apps on the market, stabilizing a video has never been easier!

Try It Free Try It Free

Gone are the days when creating a movie or short video required a high level of technical expertise and the ability to handle video editing and related chores. With today’s smartphone cameras, anyone can shoot and capture video.

Following the introduction of these breakthrough technologies and their everyday applications, video editing has become a simple task, giving you an understanding of which video stabilizer to use. There are several free and premium video stabilizer software solutions available in the market.

These video editing programs have varied features, prices, and some are difficult to use. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an expert; there’s a lot of excellent software available. This article will give you a fast rundown of the best and most outstanding free and commercial Video Stabilizer App available.

In this article

01 What is Video Stabilization?

02 Best Video Stabilizer Apps for iPhone and Android

03 What Features Should I Look for in a Video Stabilizer App?

Part 1: What is Video Stabilization?

Video stabilization refers to algorithms that remove undesirable camera tremors and jitters caused by hand jiggling and the unintended camera panning to improve video quality.

Without affecting moving objects or purposeful camera panning, video stabilization technology is used to minimize visual quality loss by decreasing undesired shaking and twitches of an image/video capture equipment. This is especially important in portable imaging equipment, which is more susceptible to vibrations due to its smaller size.

Excessive hand wobbling and purposeful camera panning often result in inconsistent photos, while undesired camera position variations result in unstable image sequences. Video stabilization techniques maintain good visual clarity and steady video footage even under less-than-ideal settings.

It is not always feasible to re-enact a video, and in those cases, we must make amends with what we have. This approach will necessitate particular video stabilization software, which will increase the movie’s transparency, allowing more innovation and modification.

Part 2: Best Video Stabilizer Apps for iPhone and Android

Here are the best video stabilizer apps for iPhone and Android for you to choose from.

1. Emulsio

Emulsio is a fantastic iPhone and iPad video stabilizer software for smoothing down jittery footage. You may modify the stabilizer strength using the tool’s stabilization function. Without leaving the application, you may examine the stabilized footage to the original video. Emulsio provides tools for editing and cutting footage and repairing shaky films.

Emulsio allows you to import movies from any location. It offers camera motion correction in horizontal, vertical, and rotating directions and is capable of removing rolling shutter distortion.

Overall, this app provides accurate control as well as previewing capabilities. It offers time-editing capabilities as well as live comparison capabilities. Finally, you may send altered films by email or social media. However, if you want to remove the watermark, you need to pay.

Using Emulsio to stabilize video on iPhone is easy, all you need to do is importing the video to analyse, and the app will analyse the video for you automatically. After analysing, the video will be stabilized accordingly, and you can then modify it based on your needs.

Emulsio also provides some additional settings, such as stabilization profile, rolling shutter, avoid black borders, and discontinuity handling to improve the stabilization result.

2. Shaky Video Stabilizer

The second one on our list is the Shaky Video Stabilizer app for Android phones, which is simple to use and straightforwardly transforms your video into a much more stabilized one. You can now transform a shaky video into a smooth and motion-stabilized one. Watch the results, which seems like it was shot with a gimbal. There are no watermarks! It’s possible to share it right from your phone. A steady video is more enjoyable to view and post on social media.

It’s easy to use Shaky Video Stabilizer app to remove the shakiness. Choose a video from your library. Begin the process of stabilization, and use the Background or wait. After the video is stabilized, save the result. And now you can examine the video’s Before and After result.

3. VideoStabilizer for KineMaster

KineMaster is a common choice amongst expert YouTubers and social networking experts who want to incorporate more sophisticated editing tools into their films. The VideoStabilizer for KineMaster app is for iPhone and Android both, which makes your videos smoother! This app offers all of the essentials and a large selection of professional editing tools and effects not seen in other apps.

At KineMaster, you can change the color of your movies and improve their visual quality with the press of a button. Its loudness tools take your audio to a professional level, allowing you to easily add voice-overs, background music, and other sound effects.

Advanced capabilities include keyframe animation tools for adding movement to your layers and speed control and quality blending options. Your videos may be exported in 4K or 2160p and directly uploaded to social networking sites.

How to use KineMaster to stabilize video? Well, it is easy as well. Tap the Add button to add a video and then tap Next to continue. And this app will analyse the video automatically. After analysed, you will see the original and the stabilized result in the screen. Tap the Save button and set the quality to High from Medium or Low to Medium, depending on your preference.

4. PowerDirector

The PowerDirector app has many options that allow you to create the ideal film from beginning to end—all on your Android hone or tablet.

Speed adjustment, keyframe controls for transparency and placement, animated text and titles, and video stabilization are just a few of the easy-to-use editing capabilities included in PowerDirector.

You can create fantastic effects with filters, overlays, and blending modes, and the app’s green screen chroma-key editor allows altering your background very simple. This program also includes several fine-tuning tools for splicing sequences, rotating films, and adjusting brightness, color, and saturation. However, if you want to unlocks more complex templates and editing tools, you may need to pay for the premium plan.

Stabilizing videos with PowerDirector on Android phone is not complex. Follow the steps below to find out how.

Step 1: Install the PowerDirector app on your smartphone

Step 2: Launch the app, create a new project, then upload the video you wish to stabilize to it.

Step 3: Select the video from the Timeline and then hit the edit (pencil) icon in the upper-left corner.

Step 4: Simply click the Stabilizer button to discover an option to stabilize the video.

5. Deshake

Deshake offers desktop-quality video stabilization to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, so you can fix all those shaky-hand movies of your favorite moments.

Choose a film from your picture gallery and tweak the parameters while seeing the results in real-time on your phone! It’s super-fast due to a next-generation stabilization technology that surpasses most pro programs and has been thoroughly tested on genuine home movies like yours.

6. LumaFusion

LumaFusion is among the “pro” iPad apps that people frequently request. The sophisticated video editor uses the Apple Pencil and touch screen for people who wish to edit on the move. At the same time, Apple has yet to confirm whether or not Final Cut will be released for iPadOS.

LumaFusion is so beautifully built that you can film and edit on an iPhone while on location and make professional-looking shows without having to transfer all of your clips to an iPad or Mac.

You would save a huge amount of time and work by filming and editing on the same device instead of transferring large video files to another place.

To stabilize video footage with LumaFusion, double tap on the footage in the timeline, and in the Clip Editor pane, tap on the Stabilize button to start stabilizing the video.

Part 3: What Features Should I Look for in a Video Stabilizer App?

There are a lot of features to look for when choosing a video stabilizer for your videos. The application for your iPhone or Android should be easy-to-use. It should also allow the stabilization strength adjustment. Further, never compromise on video quality. Choose one that produces high-quality video results.

The stabilizer app should offer a large variety of format support. Plus, it should have many other editing tools to enhance photos or videos for your future projects.

If you are editing videos on Windows and Mac computers, you can try Wondershare Filmora , which is an easy to use and powerful video editing software for all video content creators. Stabilize video in Filmora video editor is easy. All you need to do is import videos to timeline, enable the Video Stabilization tool, and the video is stabilized automatically.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Conclusion

Well, there you have it – your ideal Video Stabilizer App. Oftentimes, your shaky videos kill the entertaining side of the video. If the video is too shaky, the viewer would lose interest soon and not watch the full video. But that’s not the case anymore. With the advanced technology and so many apps on the market, stabilizing a video has never been easier!

The Great DVR Debate: TiVo vs Comcast’s Features and Pricing

TiVo vs Comcast, Who Wins the DVR Battle?

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Cable, satellite, over the air broadcast, streaming internet video – never before have we had so many choices of how to receive television programming. DVR, PVR, computer hard drive, external storage device; now we have choices in how to store programs for viewing later to consider as well. So what is true and what is hype when it comes to what’s the best device? Let’s peel back the layers and look at the information.

First, what is a DVR? A DVR, or digital video recorder, is a device that records video from a source for playback at another time. It often comes with a television programming guide included so you can easily locate shows you want to record. Most DVRs come with large capacity hard drives, though some have flash memory cards as their storage medium. There are a variety of types that range from small storage capacity and two tuners, up through several tuners and massive hard drive storage ability. You also can pause and rewind live TV, which is great when you want to create your own sports instant replays. Most DVRs also allow you to watch one program that was previously recorded while two others are recording, though some have greater capacity.

A TiVo is a particular kind of DVR that was first introduced in 1999. It requires a subscription to its own programming guide that can be purchased month to month, or as a “lifetime” subscription (that means the life of the TiVo, not your life, by the way). TiVos, like cable company DVRs, can record just one show or an entire season. TiVos have a smart feature which notices which shows you are watching and recommends similar ones to you based on how you rate current programs. It also uses these ratings to suggest shows to other viewers.

Let’s look at a few of the main features of both so you can do a comparison. We’ll look at five factors.

1. TiVo vs Comcast: Cost and rent versus own

With a Comcast DVR, you are renting it from the cable company at a cost of $10 to $16 a month, depending on your market. There are no upfront costs, and should the device fail, you can swap it at no cost at your local Comcast service center. Some folks have found that the new X1 boxes are prone to crashes, so that free swap is handy.

A TiVo is yours to keep as long as it lasts or as long as you want it, whichever comes first. It has an initial cost of between $200 and $600, depending on the model. Plus, you have the subscription cost on top of the unit price, which is $15 a month or $500 for a “lifetime” subscription, which TiVo may or may not give you partial credit for should your device fail and you need a new one. Like the Comcast DVRs, some TiVo boxes are less than stable. It’s the nature of electronics. TiVos also have advertising on them, which some Comcast channels do also, like MusicChoice, but not on all of them.

2. TiVo vs Comcast: Services available

With a DVR from Comcast, you can only record shows that are broadcast on one of Comcast’s channels or play shows that are loaded into its On Demand section. A TiVo can be connected to a number of sources, including cable via a cable card, and allow you to combine all of your viewing sources into the one box. It even connects to a high definition antenna.

The TiVo with cable card has access to all of the cable On Demand services, so in that sense it can replace all of the Comcast DVRs. However, the cable card is not free. It typically runs $1.50 per card per month, up to $2.50 per card on the Frontier system.

The menus are slightly different, as you can see below.

Comcast interface

TiVo interface

TiVos also recognize SD and HD as just different versions of the same show, instead of different channels like Comcast does, so you can set your DVR to just record HD. This makes it somewhat harder to just record HD on a TiVo.

Down the road, Comcast is planning the X2 system which would have cloud recording capacity, thus ending the need for a box in your house at all. TiVo has not yet announced such a plan.

3. TiVo vs Comcast: Connection to a network

TiVos can be connected to your home computer network, and the newest one, the Roamio, comes with built-in wifi, for total freedom of use. Because it’s on the network, you can stream shows from your computer through the TiVo box for later playback. It supports channels like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant. You can also stream shows to your Apple portable devices and then take the shows with you on the plane or to the gym, or use the device as a remote control. (Android devices will have the same capacity soon.) The network capacity also means you can use your computer to control the TiVo box and view content wherever you are.

Some reviewers have also noted that the network set up is not as simple as it might be, and it requires some computer knowledge and ability. Unless you have a tech person nearby, novice computer users may not wish to set up the network.

The iPhone app remote screen looks like this:

A TiVo does have limitations of who can access which channels. For instance, it does not stream HBOGo, nor does it interface with Apple’s TV programming. For that you still need an AppleTV device.

Comcast boxes simply do not network well. They are designed to broadcast the cable signals through your TV, but not on a home network. They are often easier to connect, however, just requiring a cable from the box to be plugged into the TV.

4. TiVo vs Comcast: Recording capacity

The new TiVo, the Roamio, has as many as six tuners that can record at the same time with up to 150 hours of high definition programming. You’ll never have another scheduling conflict again!

TiVos have recording capacities that range from 75 to 450 hours, depending on whether it is standard definition or high definition, and which device you are using. You can choose from three models of the Roamio. The base model costs $200 and has 75 hours of capacity. The menu and features are more limited on this one than on the others. There is a middle model priced at $400 that has the same six tuners as the high-end one but can only hold 150 hours of recordings. Then the top tier model costs $600 and has 450 hours of recording capacity, all of it in high definition.

The Comcast X1 DVR has four tuners and it can record them simultaneously. You can watch a prerecorded program while it’s recording, too. It can hold 120 hours of HD or 600 hours of SD programming.

5. TiVo vs Comcast: User interface

The Comcast X1 DVR system has a voice-activated interface and a completely different look and layout than their standard system has.

The basic Comcast remote is a multi-function remote and capable of controlling all functions, but it does not have the ability to connect to a portable device like a tablet or a smartphone to have connectivity that way like a TiVo can through an app. The remote has to be line of sight in order to work.

The TiVo device menu is in standard definition, so for those who have a high definition set up, you may find this a bit distraction or fuzzy. It does come with apps for extending what the box can do, including games for kids.

Many reviewers liked the interface on the TiVo better than the grid used on the Comcast service. The TiVo programming guide allows you to delete channels you don’t watch so you’re only looking at the channels you like. Comcast’s guide covers every channel they offer, even ones that are not available on your tier of service.

With the TiVo Roamio, connecting to a tablet allows you to be in another room and still operate the “remote” for the TiVo DVR. Download the app onto your device and you’re ready to go.

TiVo’s device remote has a sleek layout called the “peanut”.

Summary

What it all comes down to is looking at how you use your TV, where you get your sources from, and what your budget is. Each device has its own set of things that are appealing, and its own drawbacks. For flexibility of being able to use multiple sources and devices, the TiVo is the clear winner. For cost in the long run, it’s almost a draw. For ease of connection to a TV, the Comcast box comes out on top. No matter which one you pick, you’ll never run out of great programs to watch.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Cable, satellite, over the air broadcast, streaming internet video – never before have we had so many choices of how to receive television programming. DVR, PVR, computer hard drive, external storage device; now we have choices in how to store programs for viewing later to consider as well. So what is true and what is hype when it comes to what’s the best device? Let’s peel back the layers and look at the information.

First, what is a DVR? A DVR, or digital video recorder, is a device that records video from a source for playback at another time. It often comes with a television programming guide included so you can easily locate shows you want to record. Most DVRs come with large capacity hard drives, though some have flash memory cards as their storage medium. There are a variety of types that range from small storage capacity and two tuners, up through several tuners and massive hard drive storage ability. You also can pause and rewind live TV, which is great when you want to create your own sports instant replays. Most DVRs also allow you to watch one program that was previously recorded while two others are recording, though some have greater capacity.

A TiVo is a particular kind of DVR that was first introduced in 1999. It requires a subscription to its own programming guide that can be purchased month to month, or as a “lifetime” subscription (that means the life of the TiVo, not your life, by the way). TiVos, like cable company DVRs, can record just one show or an entire season. TiVos have a smart feature which notices which shows you are watching and recommends similar ones to you based on how you rate current programs. It also uses these ratings to suggest shows to other viewers.

Let’s look at a few of the main features of both so you can do a comparison. We’ll look at five factors.

1. TiVo vs Comcast: Cost and rent versus own

With a Comcast DVR, you are renting it from the cable company at a cost of $10 to $16 a month, depending on your market. There are no upfront costs, and should the device fail, you can swap it at no cost at your local Comcast service center. Some folks have found that the new X1 boxes are prone to crashes, so that free swap is handy.

A TiVo is yours to keep as long as it lasts or as long as you want it, whichever comes first. It has an initial cost of between $200 and $600, depending on the model. Plus, you have the subscription cost on top of the unit price, which is $15 a month or $500 for a “lifetime” subscription, which TiVo may or may not give you partial credit for should your device fail and you need a new one. Like the Comcast DVRs, some TiVo boxes are less than stable. It’s the nature of electronics. TiVos also have advertising on them, which some Comcast channels do also, like MusicChoice, but not on all of them.

2. TiVo vs Comcast: Services available

With a DVR from Comcast, you can only record shows that are broadcast on one of Comcast’s channels or play shows that are loaded into its On Demand section. A TiVo can be connected to a number of sources, including cable via a cable card, and allow you to combine all of your viewing sources into the one box. It even connects to a high definition antenna.

The TiVo with cable card has access to all of the cable On Demand services, so in that sense it can replace all of the Comcast DVRs. However, the cable card is not free. It typically runs $1.50 per card per month, up to $2.50 per card on the Frontier system.

The menus are slightly different, as you can see below.

Comcast interface

TiVo interface

TiVos also recognize SD and HD as just different versions of the same show, instead of different channels like Comcast does, so you can set your DVR to just record HD. This makes it somewhat harder to just record HD on a TiVo.

Down the road, Comcast is planning the X2 system which would have cloud recording capacity, thus ending the need for a box in your house at all. TiVo has not yet announced such a plan.

3. TiVo vs Comcast: Connection to a network

TiVos can be connected to your home computer network, and the newest one, the Roamio, comes with built-in wifi, for total freedom of use. Because it’s on the network, you can stream shows from your computer through the TiVo box for later playback. It supports channels like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant. You can also stream shows to your Apple portable devices and then take the shows with you on the plane or to the gym, or use the device as a remote control. (Android devices will have the same capacity soon.) The network capacity also means you can use your computer to control the TiVo box and view content wherever you are.

Some reviewers have also noted that the network set up is not as simple as it might be, and it requires some computer knowledge and ability. Unless you have a tech person nearby, novice computer users may not wish to set up the network.

The iPhone app remote screen looks like this:

A TiVo does have limitations of who can access which channels. For instance, it does not stream HBOGo, nor does it interface with Apple’s TV programming. For that you still need an AppleTV device.

Comcast boxes simply do not network well. They are designed to broadcast the cable signals through your TV, but not on a home network. They are often easier to connect, however, just requiring a cable from the box to be plugged into the TV.

4. TiVo vs Comcast: Recording capacity

The new TiVo, the Roamio, has as many as six tuners that can record at the same time with up to 150 hours of high definition programming. You’ll never have another scheduling conflict again!

TiVos have recording capacities that range from 75 to 450 hours, depending on whether it is standard definition or high definition, and which device you are using. You can choose from three models of the Roamio. The base model costs $200 and has 75 hours of capacity. The menu and features are more limited on this one than on the others. There is a middle model priced at $400 that has the same six tuners as the high-end one but can only hold 150 hours of recordings. Then the top tier model costs $600 and has 450 hours of recording capacity, all of it in high definition.

The Comcast X1 DVR has four tuners and it can record them simultaneously. You can watch a prerecorded program while it’s recording, too. It can hold 120 hours of HD or 600 hours of SD programming.

5. TiVo vs Comcast: User interface

The Comcast X1 DVR system has a voice-activated interface and a completely different look and layout than their standard system has.

The basic Comcast remote is a multi-function remote and capable of controlling all functions, but it does not have the ability to connect to a portable device like a tablet or a smartphone to have connectivity that way like a TiVo can through an app. The remote has to be line of sight in order to work.

The TiVo device menu is in standard definition, so for those who have a high definition set up, you may find this a bit distraction or fuzzy. It does come with apps for extending what the box can do, including games for kids.

Many reviewers liked the interface on the TiVo better than the grid used on the Comcast service. The TiVo programming guide allows you to delete channels you don’t watch so you’re only looking at the channels you like. Comcast’s guide covers every channel they offer, even ones that are not available on your tier of service.

With the TiVo Roamio, connecting to a tablet allows you to be in another room and still operate the “remote” for the TiVo DVR. Download the app onto your device and you’re ready to go.

TiVo’s device remote has a sleek layout called the “peanut”.

Summary

What it all comes down to is looking at how you use your TV, where you get your sources from, and what your budget is. Each device has its own set of things that are appealing, and its own drawbacks. For flexibility of being able to use multiple sources and devices, the TiVo is the clear winner. For cost in the long run, it’s almost a draw. For ease of connection to a TV, the Comcast box comes out on top. No matter which one you pick, you’ll never run out of great programs to watch.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Cable, satellite, over the air broadcast, streaming internet video – never before have we had so many choices of how to receive television programming. DVR, PVR, computer hard drive, external storage device; now we have choices in how to store programs for viewing later to consider as well. So what is true and what is hype when it comes to what’s the best device? Let’s peel back the layers and look at the information.

First, what is a DVR? A DVR, or digital video recorder, is a device that records video from a source for playback at another time. It often comes with a television programming guide included so you can easily locate shows you want to record. Most DVRs come with large capacity hard drives, though some have flash memory cards as their storage medium. There are a variety of types that range from small storage capacity and two tuners, up through several tuners and massive hard drive storage ability. You also can pause and rewind live TV, which is great when you want to create your own sports instant replays. Most DVRs also allow you to watch one program that was previously recorded while two others are recording, though some have greater capacity.

A TiVo is a particular kind of DVR that was first introduced in 1999. It requires a subscription to its own programming guide that can be purchased month to month, or as a “lifetime” subscription (that means the life of the TiVo, not your life, by the way). TiVos, like cable company DVRs, can record just one show or an entire season. TiVos have a smart feature which notices which shows you are watching and recommends similar ones to you based on how you rate current programs. It also uses these ratings to suggest shows to other viewers.

Let’s look at a few of the main features of both so you can do a comparison. We’ll look at five factors.

1. TiVo vs Comcast: Cost and rent versus own

With a Comcast DVR, you are renting it from the cable company at a cost of $10 to $16 a month, depending on your market. There are no upfront costs, and should the device fail, you can swap it at no cost at your local Comcast service center. Some folks have found that the new X1 boxes are prone to crashes, so that free swap is handy.

A TiVo is yours to keep as long as it lasts or as long as you want it, whichever comes first. It has an initial cost of between $200 and $600, depending on the model. Plus, you have the subscription cost on top of the unit price, which is $15 a month or $500 for a “lifetime” subscription, which TiVo may or may not give you partial credit for should your device fail and you need a new one. Like the Comcast DVRs, some TiVo boxes are less than stable. It’s the nature of electronics. TiVos also have advertising on them, which some Comcast channels do also, like MusicChoice, but not on all of them.

2. TiVo vs Comcast: Services available

With a DVR from Comcast, you can only record shows that are broadcast on one of Comcast’s channels or play shows that are loaded into its On Demand section. A TiVo can be connected to a number of sources, including cable via a cable card, and allow you to combine all of your viewing sources into the one box. It even connects to a high definition antenna.

The TiVo with cable card has access to all of the cable On Demand services, so in that sense it can replace all of the Comcast DVRs. However, the cable card is not free. It typically runs $1.50 per card per month, up to $2.50 per card on the Frontier system.

The menus are slightly different, as you can see below.

Comcast interface

TiVo interface

TiVos also recognize SD and HD as just different versions of the same show, instead of different channels like Comcast does, so you can set your DVR to just record HD. This makes it somewhat harder to just record HD on a TiVo.

Down the road, Comcast is planning the X2 system which would have cloud recording capacity, thus ending the need for a box in your house at all. TiVo has not yet announced such a plan.

3. TiVo vs Comcast: Connection to a network

TiVos can be connected to your home computer network, and the newest one, the Roamio, comes with built-in wifi, for total freedom of use. Because it’s on the network, you can stream shows from your computer through the TiVo box for later playback. It supports channels like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant. You can also stream shows to your Apple portable devices and then take the shows with you on the plane or to the gym, or use the device as a remote control. (Android devices will have the same capacity soon.) The network capacity also means you can use your computer to control the TiVo box and view content wherever you are.

Some reviewers have also noted that the network set up is not as simple as it might be, and it requires some computer knowledge and ability. Unless you have a tech person nearby, novice computer users may not wish to set up the network.

The iPhone app remote screen looks like this:

A TiVo does have limitations of who can access which channels. For instance, it does not stream HBOGo, nor does it interface with Apple’s TV programming. For that you still need an AppleTV device.

Comcast boxes simply do not network well. They are designed to broadcast the cable signals through your TV, but not on a home network. They are often easier to connect, however, just requiring a cable from the box to be plugged into the TV.

4. TiVo vs Comcast: Recording capacity

The new TiVo, the Roamio, has as many as six tuners that can record at the same time with up to 150 hours of high definition programming. You’ll never have another scheduling conflict again!

TiVos have recording capacities that range from 75 to 450 hours, depending on whether it is standard definition or high definition, and which device you are using. You can choose from three models of the Roamio. The base model costs $200 and has 75 hours of capacity. The menu and features are more limited on this one than on the others. There is a middle model priced at $400 that has the same six tuners as the high-end one but can only hold 150 hours of recordings. Then the top tier model costs $600 and has 450 hours of recording capacity, all of it in high definition.

The Comcast X1 DVR has four tuners and it can record them simultaneously. You can watch a prerecorded program while it’s recording, too. It can hold 120 hours of HD or 600 hours of SD programming.

5. TiVo vs Comcast: User interface

The Comcast X1 DVR system has a voice-activated interface and a completely different look and layout than their standard system has.

The basic Comcast remote is a multi-function remote and capable of controlling all functions, but it does not have the ability to connect to a portable device like a tablet or a smartphone to have connectivity that way like a TiVo can through an app. The remote has to be line of sight in order to work.

The TiVo device menu is in standard definition, so for those who have a high definition set up, you may find this a bit distraction or fuzzy. It does come with apps for extending what the box can do, including games for kids.

Many reviewers liked the interface on the TiVo better than the grid used on the Comcast service. The TiVo programming guide allows you to delete channels you don’t watch so you’re only looking at the channels you like. Comcast’s guide covers every channel they offer, even ones that are not available on your tier of service.

With the TiVo Roamio, connecting to a tablet allows you to be in another room and still operate the “remote” for the TiVo DVR. Download the app onto your device and you’re ready to go.

TiVo’s device remote has a sleek layout called the “peanut”.

Summary

What it all comes down to is looking at how you use your TV, where you get your sources from, and what your budget is. Each device has its own set of things that are appealing, and its own drawbacks. For flexibility of being able to use multiple sources and devices, the TiVo is the clear winner. For cost in the long run, it’s almost a draw. For ease of connection to a TV, the Comcast box comes out on top. No matter which one you pick, you’ll never run out of great programs to watch.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Cable, satellite, over the air broadcast, streaming internet video – never before have we had so many choices of how to receive television programming. DVR, PVR, computer hard drive, external storage device; now we have choices in how to store programs for viewing later to consider as well. So what is true and what is hype when it comes to what’s the best device? Let’s peel back the layers and look at the information.

First, what is a DVR? A DVR, or digital video recorder, is a device that records video from a source for playback at another time. It often comes with a television programming guide included so you can easily locate shows you want to record. Most DVRs come with large capacity hard drives, though some have flash memory cards as their storage medium. There are a variety of types that range from small storage capacity and two tuners, up through several tuners and massive hard drive storage ability. You also can pause and rewind live TV, which is great when you want to create your own sports instant replays. Most DVRs also allow you to watch one program that was previously recorded while two others are recording, though some have greater capacity.

A TiVo is a particular kind of DVR that was first introduced in 1999. It requires a subscription to its own programming guide that can be purchased month to month, or as a “lifetime” subscription (that means the life of the TiVo, not your life, by the way). TiVos, like cable company DVRs, can record just one show or an entire season. TiVos have a smart feature which notices which shows you are watching and recommends similar ones to you based on how you rate current programs. It also uses these ratings to suggest shows to other viewers.

Let’s look at a few of the main features of both so you can do a comparison. We’ll look at five factors.

1. TiVo vs Comcast: Cost and rent versus own

With a Comcast DVR, you are renting it from the cable company at a cost of $10 to $16 a month, depending on your market. There are no upfront costs, and should the device fail, you can swap it at no cost at your local Comcast service center. Some folks have found that the new X1 boxes are prone to crashes, so that free swap is handy.

A TiVo is yours to keep as long as it lasts or as long as you want it, whichever comes first. It has an initial cost of between $200 and $600, depending on the model. Plus, you have the subscription cost on top of the unit price, which is $15 a month or $500 for a “lifetime” subscription, which TiVo may or may not give you partial credit for should your device fail and you need a new one. Like the Comcast DVRs, some TiVo boxes are less than stable. It’s the nature of electronics. TiVos also have advertising on them, which some Comcast channels do also, like MusicChoice, but not on all of them.

2. TiVo vs Comcast: Services available

With a DVR from Comcast, you can only record shows that are broadcast on one of Comcast’s channels or play shows that are loaded into its On Demand section. A TiVo can be connected to a number of sources, including cable via a cable card, and allow you to combine all of your viewing sources into the one box. It even connects to a high definition antenna.

The TiVo with cable card has access to all of the cable On Demand services, so in that sense it can replace all of the Comcast DVRs. However, the cable card is not free. It typically runs $1.50 per card per month, up to $2.50 per card on the Frontier system.

The menus are slightly different, as you can see below.

Comcast interface

TiVo interface

TiVos also recognize SD and HD as just different versions of the same show, instead of different channels like Comcast does, so you can set your DVR to just record HD. This makes it somewhat harder to just record HD on a TiVo.

Down the road, Comcast is planning the X2 system which would have cloud recording capacity, thus ending the need for a box in your house at all. TiVo has not yet announced such a plan.

3. TiVo vs Comcast: Connection to a network

TiVos can be connected to your home computer network, and the newest one, the Roamio, comes with built-in wifi, for total freedom of use. Because it’s on the network, you can stream shows from your computer through the TiVo box for later playback. It supports channels like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant. You can also stream shows to your Apple portable devices and then take the shows with you on the plane or to the gym, or use the device as a remote control. (Android devices will have the same capacity soon.) The network capacity also means you can use your computer to control the TiVo box and view content wherever you are.

Some reviewers have also noted that the network set up is not as simple as it might be, and it requires some computer knowledge and ability. Unless you have a tech person nearby, novice computer users may not wish to set up the network.

The iPhone app remote screen looks like this:

A TiVo does have limitations of who can access which channels. For instance, it does not stream HBOGo, nor does it interface with Apple’s TV programming. For that you still need an AppleTV device.

Comcast boxes simply do not network well. They are designed to broadcast the cable signals through your TV, but not on a home network. They are often easier to connect, however, just requiring a cable from the box to be plugged into the TV.

4. TiVo vs Comcast: Recording capacity

The new TiVo, the Roamio, has as many as six tuners that can record at the same time with up to 150 hours of high definition programming. You’ll never have another scheduling conflict again!

TiVos have recording capacities that range from 75 to 450 hours, depending on whether it is standard definition or high definition, and which device you are using. You can choose from three models of the Roamio. The base model costs $200 and has 75 hours of capacity. The menu and features are more limited on this one than on the others. There is a middle model priced at $400 that has the same six tuners as the high-end one but can only hold 150 hours of recordings. Then the top tier model costs $600 and has 450 hours of recording capacity, all of it in high definition.

The Comcast X1 DVR has four tuners and it can record them simultaneously. You can watch a prerecorded program while it’s recording, too. It can hold 120 hours of HD or 600 hours of SD programming.

5. TiVo vs Comcast: User interface

The Comcast X1 DVR system has a voice-activated interface and a completely different look and layout than their standard system has.

The basic Comcast remote is a multi-function remote and capable of controlling all functions, but it does not have the ability to connect to a portable device like a tablet or a smartphone to have connectivity that way like a TiVo can through an app. The remote has to be line of sight in order to work.

The TiVo device menu is in standard definition, so for those who have a high definition set up, you may find this a bit distraction or fuzzy. It does come with apps for extending what the box can do, including games for kids.

Many reviewers liked the interface on the TiVo better than the grid used on the Comcast service. The TiVo programming guide allows you to delete channels you don’t watch so you’re only looking at the channels you like. Comcast’s guide covers every channel they offer, even ones that are not available on your tier of service.

With the TiVo Roamio, connecting to a tablet allows you to be in another room and still operate the “remote” for the TiVo DVR. Download the app onto your device and you’re ready to go.

TiVo’s device remote has a sleek layout called the “peanut”.

Summary

What it all comes down to is looking at how you use your TV, where you get your sources from, and what your budget is. Each device has its own set of things that are appealing, and its own drawbacks. For flexibility of being able to use multiple sources and devices, the TiVo is the clear winner. For cost in the long run, it’s almost a draw. For ease of connection to a TV, the Comcast box comes out on top. No matter which one you pick, you’ll never run out of great programs to watch.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

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