JVC EUROPE, free NLE software
 

Check this:

http://www.jvcpro.co.uk/tech/prohd2/cg?page=jvccan

WOW!

With EDIUS you can work with either native or intermediate codecs. So that provides two options. In fact, I think you can mix both in the same timeline so intermediate can be used for compositing.

However:

1) In the version I reviewed (see two mini-reviews at: http://www.gyhduser.com), you had to have a PC that could perform the conversion from native to intermediate in real-time. Unlike AspectHD, EDIUS did not have a double-buffer scheme.

2) Unlike FCP -- working with native was SLOW.

3) Unlike AspectHD -- the FX were not accelerated so the number of streams were limited.

4) Unlike AspectHD there is no HD out to a monitor without buying an expensive board. With AspectHD you only need a Matrox graphic's board.

5) Unlike the wonderful StormEdit, EDIUS has grown to rival FCP and Avid in complexity (and power) so you've got a learning curve. Because almost everyone has used Premiere at some point in their life, there's almost no learning curve.

Nevertheless, for "free" it does give one an immediate total solution even if it's not the best one for those that use an intermediate codec.

I use Edius one year now, it's a wonderfull software. I came from Premier 6.5, and I tell you, the learning curve was about 4 hrs.
Yes, Edius missing some important features, which is more then likely will be fix in the upcoming (April?) version 4
Edius is NOT that bad at all how you thing.
Also, in Edius you don't need edit with native files. They have a wonderfull codec, which is bigger, but much less compressed, so much easier for the computer, and we don't loose ANY quality.
I use a dual core dual Opteron, and with the 720/30p footage, everything realtime. I NEVER need rendering anything. I do five layer in reatime which is more then I need. If somebody don't want to spend that much (~$1200 for two processors) my second setup is a dual core single P4, the third is dual core single Opteron. These processors not expensive at all
About the component output, it's also not expensive.
(I'm not working for Canopus, I just try to be realistic here)
Laszlo