Need advice, please read.

[Faii]

I'm afraid this will turn out to be rather lengthy so for those who bear with me and read it through, much thanks.

Basically I have a genuine interested in video editing, originally started doing World of Warcraft PvP videos via Sony Vegas trial versions. I used two different trials and so after 60 days I stopped making videos, but I managed to learn the program rather thoroughly. Recently I've been craving for the chance to create something again, and I'm looking for a program to suit me. After checking some ratings on google I got a hold of PowerDirector, and much to my dismay I was entirely dissatisfied with it, despite the ratings I found that the program offered little to no customization and seems only appealing to those who are just wanting to put 2 clips together with maybe a title and some music. I'm looking for a powerful program; I want a program that gives me endless control over what I'm doing. In terms of purpose, I’m going to continue doing gaming videos, so I need effects to compliment games, nice transitions and good quality. More so I’m wanting to start working with real life shoots, the kind of stuff you would find on google video, youtube, etc.

After more reading I ran across AvidXpress, and this is the program I'm currently considering getting a hold of. I'm only 18 and I haven't more than 20 hours of experience with editing so naturally reading reviews that tell me a program is really hard to learn would make me cringe, but after trying out a "easy to use" program such as PowerDirector, I'm much more confident and inclined to give it a shot.

The feedback I'm looking for is: Which program would you personally suggest given my circumstances and, more importantly, how this program compares to Sony Vegas in terms of functionality (what can and can’t be done), time efficiency(how long it takes to achieve certain effects), customization and room for growth (addons and plugins available).