Elements is a very popular program and a good value for the money from what I hear. I've never used it so I can't comment on how easy it is to use. I think they have a free trial version you can download to see how it works before you plunk down your cash.
I'm a big fan of the Sony Vegas products. They are quite easy to use for simple things like splitting video, creating transitions, moving scenes around, adding music, that sort of thing. And if you plan to make DVDs, the MPEG-2 encoder in the Vegas products is one of the best.
Vegas Movie Studio (VMS) is the entry level program. It comes in two version, one does HDV the other does not. I think it lists for around $90. The pro version is simply called Vegas. It has many more features including extensive audio editing and mastering features for when you outgrow VMS. With the DVD Architect (DVDA) authoring program it lists for around $600, I believe. Don't buy it without DVDA because you can't buy DVDA alone later.
There's a bunch of other programs that are mentioned here. Drop in to the Consumer Computer Digital Video forum where editing programs are often discussed for more info on some of the others. This thread http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/sh...05&postcount=21 might help, too.
Good luck.
Dennis
