Customer Rating: 
Summary: Upgrading from iMovie? Read this
Comment: Final Cut Express is a very powerful video editing package. If you are thinking about making the step up from iMovie (as I did), you need to understand that the level of sophistication and power in this package is exponentially greater than that of iMovie. If your video editng experience is limited to iMovie, don't expect to be able to install FCE and be off and running in an hour or two. You'll need to plan on investing some real time to learn the program.
This is in no way a criticism of FCE - it is as advertised, a "light" version of Final Cut Pro, which is used by professionals everywhere. I just want your expectations to be set properly. You'll need to invest in a third-party manual, as only soft copies of documentation are included, and they are for reference only, not for training. Just be CERTAIN that the manual you get is for the FCE 4 - there aren't many available as of this writing.
FCE is a very expansive and powerful program; just don't expect the type of plug-n-play results you got from iMovie. You'll need to spend time to understand the numerous differences in how iMovie and FCE operate.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great product
Comment: This is a great product for the money. I have used a few editing programs on Windows and also iMovie extensively ('08 and older). While I like iMovie, I was looking for just a little more control. So i bought this program.
At first, the interface seemed a bit dated (in comparison to Aperture, itunes, imovie, etc). However, after using it for a few hours I cam to realize the interface is very functionality and componetized based on task. I actually grew to appreciate the logic of the interface with use. So don't be scared away by this simple thing.
Second, I hate having to learn new editing software. Personally, I don't think any of my iMovie knowledge transferred between programs. They are not in any way the same. However, I was able to compose a 2 hour DVD (with about 5 unique segments) in about 4 hours. I also spent an additional 2 hours familiarizing myself with the concepts and features of the program. So this isn't bad. In a few hours I had good video, edited, with nice transitions. I exported everything and created the DVD in iDVD. All this worked wonderfully together.
I highly recommend this program to those who plan to do a lot of video editing. iMovie is great if you want to create a few simple one-off movies. However, if you have larger projects and want to be guaranteed you have control, go with this program.
The only thing I wish is that the DVD came with a video tutorial. I think the idea of EXPRESS means it does appeal to newer users and possibly those new to video editing. Some tutorials would go a long way. [...]
Customer Rating:
Summary: Final Cut Express 4 (Apple Pro Training Series)
Comment: This is perfect for anyone who is either new to video editing or graduating from imovie to this more demanding but much more powerful application. It is complementary to the large Users Manual that comes with FCE. The course begins with a couple of lessons which are designed to introduce anyone at all to the necessary concepts, and progresses by carefully integrated steps, making use of excellent visual media from the included DVD. Highly recommended.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Comment: This software is amazing and i definately underestimated it, with some creativity you can make just about anything. Ive made lightsabers,gunshots,explosion and lots of other stuff.There is also a bunch of filters, i use color correction to make my movies look more filmish then home movie like.. I didnt buy it though and i dont suggest u do either. Go get a bittorrent and search for it its FREE 100% and its awesome.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great program at a great price!
Comment: Wow, this is a really powerful program that isn't too hard to figure out. I bought this book to go along with it:
Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Express 4 (Apple Pro Training)
In about a week, I was able to completely do anything I need to do.
Summary: Upgrading from iMovie? Read this
Comment: Final Cut Express is a very powerful video editing package. If you are thinking about making the step up from iMovie (as I did), you need to understand that the level of sophistication and power in this package is exponentially greater than that of iMovie. If your video editng experience is limited to iMovie, don't expect to be able to install FCE and be off and running in an hour or two. You'll need to plan on investing some real time to learn the program.
This is in no way a criticism of FCE - it is as advertised, a "light" version of Final Cut Pro, which is used by professionals everywhere. I just want your expectations to be set properly. You'll need to invest in a third-party manual, as only soft copies of documentation are included, and they are for reference only, not for training. Just be CERTAIN that the manual you get is for the FCE 4 - there aren't many available as of this writing.
FCE is a very expansive and powerful program; just don't expect the type of plug-n-play results you got from iMovie. You'll need to spend time to understand the numerous differences in how iMovie and FCE operate.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great product
Comment: This is a great product for the money. I have used a few editing programs on Windows and also iMovie extensively ('08 and older). While I like iMovie, I was looking for just a little more control. So i bought this program.
At first, the interface seemed a bit dated (in comparison to Aperture, itunes, imovie, etc). However, after using it for a few hours I cam to realize the interface is very functionality and componetized based on task. I actually grew to appreciate the logic of the interface with use. So don't be scared away by this simple thing.
Second, I hate having to learn new editing software. Personally, I don't think any of my iMovie knowledge transferred between programs. They are not in any way the same. However, I was able to compose a 2 hour DVD (with about 5 unique segments) in about 4 hours. I also spent an additional 2 hours familiarizing myself with the concepts and features of the program. So this isn't bad. In a few hours I had good video, edited, with nice transitions. I exported everything and created the DVD in iDVD. All this worked wonderfully together.
I highly recommend this program to those who plan to do a lot of video editing. iMovie is great if you want to create a few simple one-off movies. However, if you have larger projects and want to be guaranteed you have control, go with this program.
The only thing I wish is that the DVD came with a video tutorial. I think the idea of EXPRESS means it does appeal to newer users and possibly those new to video editing. Some tutorials would go a long way. [...]
Customer Rating:
Summary: Final Cut Express 4 (Apple Pro Training Series)
Comment: This is perfect for anyone who is either new to video editing or graduating from imovie to this more demanding but much more powerful application. It is complementary to the large Users Manual that comes with FCE. The course begins with a couple of lessons which are designed to introduce anyone at all to the necessary concepts, and progresses by carefully integrated steps, making use of excellent visual media from the included DVD. Highly recommended.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Comment: This software is amazing and i definately underestimated it, with some creativity you can make just about anything. Ive made lightsabers,gunshots,explosion and lots of other stuff.There is also a bunch of filters, i use color correction to make my movies look more filmish then home movie like.. I didnt buy it though and i dont suggest u do either. Go get a bittorrent and search for it its FREE 100% and its awesome.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great program at a great price!
Comment: Wow, this is a really powerful program that isn't too hard to figure out. I bought this book to go along with it:
Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Express 4 (Apple Pro Training)
In about a week, I was able to completely do anything I need to do.