Google just announced that the software is currently in open beta, marking it as an important milestone in the company’s long-held goal to “bring professional and accessible video editing” to mainstream consumers. As such, this software was built from the ground up to integrate with ChromeOS. In other words, this is not simply a rehash of the LumaFusion app available to smartphone and tablet owners, and the ChromeOS version takes full advantage of being installed on an actual computer. The new engine was built to manage multiple MediaCodecs with a unified central clock for synchronization, so you won’t be tied to a single video and audio source, as the software is powerful enough for multitrack compositions. It also ships with “dozens” of video faders and the same OpenGLES shaders available to Android users. The user interface prioritizes simplicity, making this a great place for amateurs to start learning about video editing, though there is plenty of power underneath the hood for more advanced users. Those who purchase the open beta will receive regular and free updates until the product officially launches. For now, LumaFusion for ChromeOS costs $20, though that price shoots up to $30 once the product exits its beta phase. Additionally, both Google and developer LumaTouch will incorporate suggestions from beta users for future updates.
