At the time when YouTube and other video-sharing sites started to be popular, there comes the booming time for Flash videos (FLV). You can find videos of any style, any content, and any theme. Accompany with the popularity of Flash videos, there also comes out programs for download, convert and edit these videos. This article is to compare the most outstanding FLV editors.
Here I’d like to compare them in 7 different aspects:
     ■ Price
     ■ Import format
     ■ Editing functions
     ■ Notable functions
     ■ Short comings
     ■ Output format
     ■ Usage of output video

1. Adobe Premiere

Whenever you talk about video editing, you will never forget Adobe Premiere. No one can deny its powerful video editing functions.
Price: $668 (Adobe Premiere Pro CS4); 30days trial.
Import format: FLV and other video formats. Please note that FLV format cannot be imported directly to versions below CS4, You must convert the FLV into other formats with some converter, say, FLV to Video Converter Pro, or use some plug-in program for help importing FLV, such as FLV Importer for Adobe Premiere Pro.
Editing functions: Timeline editing, trim video, cut video, add any effects, transaction, subtitle, and image to the video, adjust video and audio effect, etc.
Notable functions: This program is about the most integrated editor in the world. Any editing that you can think of or not are all available.
Short comings: The edited video will be output frame by frame and it really takes time. The speed depends on your CPU.
Output format: FLV and other video formats, such as AVI, MPEG, etc.
Usage of output video: The output videos can be used on television shows, business presentations (video inserted in PPT or PDF), burn to DVD (with some burning software), upload back to YouTube or other video-sharing sites, etc.

Features from its official site (part):
Faster performance on 64-bit systems
Skip the capture process with DV or HDV camera footage
Rough cut dialogue faster than ever
Move more quickly between Adobe Premiere Pro and Encore
Boost productivity with batch encoding
Discover more than 50 other ways to increase efficiency
Easily import projects from Final Cut Pro to Adobe Premiere Pro

2. FLV Editor Lite/ Ultimate

These two programs are especially designed for FLV editing. They are similar, but Lite is free with some limitations, while Ultimate is full version with more powerful functions. You will attracted by its timeline which greatly simplifies the editing process. You even have shortcut-keys for editing precisely.
Price: $49.95 (Ultimate version); free (Lite version).
Import format: MP3 and FLV encoded with H.264, H.263, Flash 8, or Flash 8 with alpha, etc.
Main editing functions: Timeline editing, trim FLV, cut FLV, merge FLV, rip video and audio, real-time preview, add metadata and cue point, save project file (Ultimate only), add attractive and customizable player skins, preloaders, and special effects for SWF output, etc.
Notable functions: The output speed is really fast and there’s no quality loss since it does not recode FLVs. It also can be taken as an MP3 to FLV lossless converter.
Short comings: The program seeks by key frame, so sometimes when you drag the pointer on Timeline to a non key frame, it will play from the very beginning, but not the non key frame position.
Output format: FLV, SWF, and HTML.
Usage of output video: The output files can be upload to website, and blog, or upload directly to YouTube for sharing. It cooperates perfectly with YouTube FLV Downloader and FLV to Video Converter. Thus you can integrate FLV download, conversion and uploading online.
Features from its official site (part):
Project saving helps store all settings for further editing.
Import as many FLV and MP3 files and export FLV without any quality loss
In this program, you have 30 attractive player skins, 14 special effects, and 16 preloaders options to the SWF file. You can even order your personalized player skins or preloaders by emailing us your requirements.
Profile settings option enables you to customize the player skin
You can set navigation on click (not available in Lite version), navigation at end, skin auto hide, allow big play button, etc.
This program is especially designed for FLV. The timeline function will make you feel like using Adobe Premiere (below CS4) which does not support FLV import.
With this FLV editor, users can trim the FLV video length, cut the FLV video into several clips, rearrange order of the FLV clips, merge different FLV files into one, and so on. All these can be done easily on the timeline.
This program also helps rip the FLV video and audio. You can either output a video only FLV or FLV audio. What’s more, you can replace the audio of a FLV video with a MP3 file, easier to make your own MTV.
Short-cut keys and right-click menu help easily and precisely edit FLV
If you are familiar with ActionScript and cue point, you can even add cue point with this free FLV editor to make more astonishing effects to the FLV file.
3. FLV Editor Pro

This program is also for FLV only. It features sequence editing. You can download FLV with YouTube FLV Downloader by selecting “Tools> FLV Downloader”, and then edit with this editor.
Price: $49.95 (unlimited); free trial with watermark on video and audio.
Import format: FLV
Editing functions: Sequence editing, trim FLV, crop FLV, merge FLV, add image and text watermark, deinterlace, add special effects, save project files, etc.
Notable functions: It outputs multiple formats and can also be taken as an FLV converter. It cooperates with YouTube FLV Downloader, so you can download and edit FLV without difficulties.
Short comings: You can’t cut FLV files in this program, but you can use trim function to achieve it.
Output format: FLV, FLV (without recode), AVI, MPEG, MP4, 3GP, etc.
Usage of output video: The output FLV can be played by FLV Player or upload to YouTube. As for the other formats, they can be enjoyed on portable devices like iPod, iPhone, PSP, Windows Mobile, Pocket PC, etc.

Features from its official site (part):
Import various FLV files, with the codecs like H.263, Flash 8, and Flash 8 with alpha.
Trim and crop the video clips for output.
Join more than one FLV files into one sequence to convert.
Allow adding multiple image or text watermarks.
Save as a project file for mobile officing.
Insert special effects like Emboss, Purple, InvertColor and more.
Output picture sequences for each of frame.
Stretchable and flexible interface.
Resource Manager for arranging FLV easily.
Powerful video sequence List. Multiple import FLV methods.
Real-time preview and conversion preview.
Bonus tool: YouTube FLV Downloader.

4. AVS Video Editor

This editor is also a useful tool with many video effects, transitions, etc.
Price: $59 (unlimited); $39 (1year); trial with watermark on video.
Import format: FLV, other videos and audios, and images.
Editing functions: Timeline editing, transitions, video effects, text, video overlay, audio mix, voice recording, chapters, trim, cut, etc.
Notable functions: It’s voice recording enables you to record narration for the video. The chapters section enables you to arrange chapters for burning on DVD.
Short comings: It does not support FLV format. The original video and audio cannot be ripped.
Output format: AVI, MPEG, WMV, QT, etc.
Usage of output video: Burn to DVD, sync to other devices like iPod, PSP, etc.; upload online (QT, RM).
Features from its official site (partially):
Choose between 300 innovative video effects and transitions.
Apply text and credits to video. Experiment with picture-in-picture or chroma-key effects.
Easy and clear navigation for use of video effects.
Edit videos from HD-cameras quickly and easily.
Record your voice or live music. Combine audio tracks with video.
Split video into scenes and delete unnecessary ones.
Use ready presets of dynamic overlay effect. Various trajectories available.
Edit videos of practically all formats.
Burn your video collections onto a CD-R/RW, DVD+/-R, DVD+/-RW, DVD-RAM, Double/Dual Layer.
Use ready individual menu styles for every occasion and taste.
Save video project for PC, DVD, DivX/Xvid discs, mobile device, Web.
Upload your collections to PSP, iPod, Archos, Creative Zen Vision, mobile phones, portable DVD players.

5. RichFLV

This program is based on Adobe Air. You must install Adobe Air before installing RichFLV.
Price: Free
Import format: FLV/ MP3
Editing functions: Read FLV Metadata, read/edit/modify/delete cuepoints, cut FLVs, convert the sound of the FLV to mp3, convert FLV to SWF, convert FLV to SWF, etc.
Notable functions: As a free program, it is quite stable and helpful.
Short comings: It runs on Adobe Air. So before installing this program, you must install Adobe Air. And there are not many editing functions available.
Output format: FLV, SWF, XML, Jpeg, PNG, etc.
Usage of output video: The output can be uploaded to website or get image collection for future use.
Features from its official site:
Read FLV Metadata
Read/edit/modify/delete cuepoints
Cut FLVs
Convert the sound of the FLV to mp3
Convert FLV to SWF
6. FLV Audio Editor

This is also freeware. You can download FLV and edit the audio.

Price: Free
Import format: FLV
Editing functions: Trim FLV audio, set audio fade in and fade out, set replay,
Notable functions: It has a downloader helps download FLVs. It also helps generate MP3 and WAV files.
Short comings: It crashed while I was trimming and I still cannot find the reason.

Output format: FLV (audio), MP3, and WAV.
Usage of output video: Play on FLV player or on MP3.

Features from its official site:

Download YouTube Videos and edit the audio using a visual WaveForm.
Edit local FLV files you have downloaded to your PC.
Cut and Trim the audio from the beginning or end of the audio file.
Add upto a 5 second fade to the beginning or end of the audio file.
Play, Pause, Stop, Loop and volume controls when listening to FLV audio.
Save As file naming system, downloaded FLV's from YouTube use intelligent naming to suggest an accurate file name.
Convert the FLV audio file to the most popular formats like MP3 and WAV.