http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ Videomaker Community Forums » Topic: A difficult decision...which NLE en Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:36:32 +0000 http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-52930 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:00:04 +0000 8string 52930@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>jumping in late: </p> <p>My curiousity in all this is that I'm ramping up for some better quality production, using a new Panasonic HMC150, and have been both a Windows and Mac user for over two decades. My MacBook Pro is good enough to run FCP, but only supports 2GB RAM and I don't particularly want to spend another $2500 to $3k to buy a MacP. I'm at the cusp of buying into either (or both) editing worlds (Mac or Win7 as base OS). Why? Because I bought a wonderful 6 GB RAM, Quad  core HP Desktop for under $600 (wish I could buy a MPro for that!) for some software development work. So I would really like to take advantage of that quad core and large RAM for that particularly processor intensive AVCHD format. Given that, are any of you Windows users running a package that doesn't crash on Windows7? It seems that many of the packages I've tried to load don't yet support it (Panasonic software shipping in box does not support Win7, won't even install). I'd love to be rendering at full bore with lots of cores and huge RAM use.</p> <p>I don't want to spend $1000 on software for both systems, but is there a decent reason to run some specific software that takes advantage of Windows7 processing on the quad cores and then move it to the Mac for better editing? Or is all this just overkill? Maybe just load up the Windows machine and learn to use a total package on that? Sell it and splurge on a MacPro on Ebay so I have less hardware incompatabilities? </p> <p>My worry is that my experience with Windows in general, and why I'm on the Mac in the first place, is that Windows has always been much more problematic for me in getting accessories to work right, and in unison. After trying in vain for weeks to get my Sony video camera to work right with my Windows machine (three years ago), I just went out, bought the Mac and it all worked. I've never had a problem getting an accessory to work with my Mac, (try getting Protools to run on either machine and you'll know what I'm describing) and that is not the case with previous versions of MS, whether XP or Vista. Win7 seems better, but...</p> <p>Thanks for any thoughts, in advance. This thread has been very edutaining, and I always chuckle when the Mac vs. PC arguement comes up. I remind everyone, it's just a tool! I like my screwdrivers too, but could you imagine if there were as much debate about which screwdriver to use! I'll use the best tool for the job, but it seems that in this case, folks are using both to do professional quality work. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-52912 Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:08:28 +0000 tjtyrrell 52912@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>My preference is Adobe Premier because of the massive integration of the entire Adobe suite (as others have said)! And it only gets better as the Adobe Suites progress (curses Adobe for holding back awesome features to make you buy the next round of CS, but it's good business and I'd rather have 10 features done REALLY well then 150 new half-hearted features)... So anyway</p> <p>I've also used Final Cut and think it's an incredible piece of software for a Mac (I am, however, a PC user, gasp)... So if you have a Mac I would have a hard time suggesting between the two and would make that decision based on Finances (since I normally buy the entire Adobe Suite it's only natural for me to use Premier)... As far as integration, FC is great as well (and getting better) and also connects to Apples version of AfterEffects (Motion, which is also a great piece of software).</p> <p>Between those two, it's a personal preference (I only say that now, a few years ago I would say Final Cut Pro, hands down).</p> <p>I've only used Vegas a few times years ago and wasn't impressed. But at the same time I wasn't impressed with Adobe's Premier (before "Pro)... So I wouldn't be one to say anything good or bad about Vegas (and it was Vegas' cheap version)...</p> <p>There are a lot of forums asking the same thing you are (Google "vegas vs premier vs finalcut")... At this point you probably need to look at these three things:</p> <p>Personal History: Which company have you had the best experience with? Are you proud to be an Apple owner? Love your Adobe Suite? Adore your Sony Vaio? A company with a good history is very interested in keeping you as a customer and should continue to create content you love.</p> <p>Personal Finances:<br />Final Cut Suite: $999 http://bit.ly/73glHp<br />Adobe Video Suite: $1500 (but includes Photoshop, Illustrater) http://bit.ly/7XadpH<br />Vegas Pro: $600 http://bit.ly/6166p9</p> <p>Not totally a fair cost comparison, I only chose those versions because I am an all or nothing kind of guy. Adobe and Final Cut both have cheaper versions that would do the job, but what is $1500ish when you are serious about your craft? You'd spend over $4k for a car, so ride a bike for a while until you have the money ;)... So as mentioned before, how much money do you have and how much software do you need?</p> <p>Personal Preference: This, at this point, is the most important. See if you can get your hands on a few demos. I believe all three companies offer 30 day trials. I ALWAYS recommend trial software as it allows you to get your feet wet. At the same time I would also suggest registering with Lynda.com for a few months and use the tutorials for each software (for example, get a 30 day trial of Premier, take the Lynda.com tutorials for Premier... Once that trial expires, do the same thing for Final Cut, then Vegas)... Get dirty! It's the only way YOU will personally be satisfied.</p> <p>For example, I like a lot of movies, a lot of movies I like are not popular and not all of my friends like them. So if I were to rely solely on my friends there would be a lot of movies I would miss... I rent the movies if I am unsure and at that point still haven't committed to a purchase!</p> <p>I hope this all makes sense!</p> <p>Good luck!</p> <p>TJ</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-52897 Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:39:08 +0000 brokenjack 52897@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>You're the person the kids love to prank call, because you keep picking up the phone. I never said you didn't know what a EULA was.</p> <p>Listen, I have no animosity what so ever toward compostit1. It's just a friendly neighborhood peeing contest. We all have our opinions and it's fun to spice them up sometimes with a colorful debate. Nobody was personally attacked, no kittens died, it's just two strong willed people having a go. You should see me with my best friend. You would think we were married. </p> <p>As to the software piracy issue. It is most definitely not. Apple sells their operating system standalone without the computer. It's called the snow leopard box set(which I bought), and comes with ilife and iwork for about $130. It's actually a pretty good deal. There is just some gray area whether or not it's legal to install it on whatever hardware you want, and that's a debate that's almost as fiery as the Mac vs. PC debate. Composite1 was right when he said the so-called Mac-nazis would disapprove. I can't stand the Mac nazis myself, and I know a few. Most of them don't really appreciate the unix underpinnings. I think it's up to the individual user to decide if it's ethical or not. No, I don't think it's right to sell hackintoshes, and you will obviously be under scrutiny, but I think it's OK for the computer hobbyist to mess around with it. I work for a large production company, and I do all my paid work on an Avid DS Nitris system. It's PC based, and other than the crashes(from the unity indexer I'm sure) I experience on a weekly basis, it's a decent professional platform to work on. I don't really talk about the DS since it's out of the realm to aquire for most users on this site, including myself. We have 3 of them at work, and we shoot a lot of redcam 4k and cinealta HD, footage, so it's nice to work with that footage in so called real-time. </p> <p>Happy Holidays folks...get out there and make some stellar video.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-52895 Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:35:01 +0000 robGRAUERT 52895@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>how is a hackintosh not super illegal? </p> <p>I don't know much about what you two are talking about because it just isn't something that interests me, but i'd assume a hackintosh falls under the category of piracy. You're stealing software. You get the OS when you buy a Mac, and if the software is on a PC, then they obviously didn't buy a Mac. Therefore, stolen. No?</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-52894 Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:26:50 +0000 shippocaio 52894@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Wow... I can feel the love in the air...</p> <p>BTW, u 2 guys are funny. =D</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-52893 Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:49:36 +0000 composite1 52893@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Brokenjack,</p> <p>You're the one who obviously has no sense of humor. And as usual, you take things completely out of context.</p> <p>I know what a EULA is.</p> <p>And you're right, 'You don't think'. Yeah, you can put the stickers on a 'Hack' but you try parading that thing into the Apple Store trying to get tech support.</p> <p>I also know there's a website dedicated to Hacks. I posted it here many months ago and I'm very much in favor of people building Hacks but until Apple unpuckers their stance on systems not built by them, I strongly recommend they keep a low profile about it. The guy who invented Napster thought what he had started was okay too until the big music corporations decided it wasn't. You let Apple get a bug up their backsides about Hacks and see how much the EULA they wrote with their lawyers will protect you.</p> <p>And stop trying to trade quips with me. You're not remotely funny and completely unarmed.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-52885 Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:18:48 +0000 brokenjack 52885@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Don't be too over dramatic. I wouldn't call that mad illegal. Robbing a bank is mad illegal. There is some gray area concerning the EULA. It states that the software can be loaded on apple-labeled hardware. Stickers are included with the OS. There is a huge number of people (including legislators) who believe that if you buy software, you can load it on anything you want. I don't think an apple lawsuit would hold up in court thus the wording of the EULA. I don't think the "apple nazis" will be showing up at my door anytime soon. Plus there is a whole fraternity of people who have broadcasted the fact they have done the same thing. Heck there is even a website dedicated to hackintoshes. Educational info should not be censored. Plus not everyone can do it. You have to know what you are doing. Milage varies from rig to rig. My rig happens to be one of the more compatible ones, and now overclocked to 3.6Ghz it's pretty sweet to say the least(yes I know, my engineering pc side has surfaced).  Your reference to "some lines of code" made me laugh a bit. Microsoft itself proved that it was all about software, not hardware. OS X is way different than Windows let me tell you. The hardware may be the same, but the experience is way different. Apple will probably do their best to make it more difficult to do this in future updates I'm sure.</p> <p>I guess I got the "Airplane" reference</p> <p>I'm not sure you got the "Stripes" reference</p> <p>Put it on you netflix queue, it's classic Murray.</p> <p>....Wait a second, there are some people outside getting out of what looks like a giant apple on wheels, they all have on black mock turtlenecks and jeans.....Oh my god! there are swastikas burned into their foreheads! Tell my family I love th-------- </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-52404 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:17:41 +0000 composite1 52404@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Sarge,</p> <p>I currently use both adobe and sony product suites. Vegas/Acid/Soundforge for audio finishing and out to PC media format. Adobe for graphics, mographics, flash production and crossplatform collaboration in QT. Both suites have serious muscles in their own right's but have weaknesses that I use one or the other to counter. Soundbooth is a snazzy little program but gets stomped into a fine paste when compared to the soundforge/acid combo. Vegas and Premiere are both workhorses but when combined with their other components (i.e. premiere/photoshop/afx or Vegas/Acid/Soundforge) turn into other-worldly tools. I've used vegas since '07 and premiere since '99. Both are easy to learn and are reasonably priced (premiere in the bundle that is) but neither program alone is a game-changer in my eyes or experience.</p> <p>As far as Vegas being available for mac, you can hold your breath until FCP goes cross-platform while your at it. Not going to happen. Just like apple, sony makes computers too (Vaio anyone?) and just like apple are carving their own niche out of the market.</p> <p>Brokenjack,</p> <p>That rig you built is called a 'Hackintosh' and though I completely admire the 'spirit of building' you've exhibited, that thing is mad-illegal in the eyes of the mac-nazi's. I wouldn't post to the world that you've got one of those things up and running. One thing though, it is a testament to the fact that except for some lines of code, there is nothing different between mac's and pc's anymore except for the price and the hype. BTW, my name is not 'Francis', 'Surely'.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-52402 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:18:29 +0000 SargeHero 52402@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Over this past months I have learn to use Premiere Pro and have edited several proyects. I started editing in Vegas Pro 8 and comparing it with Premiere I like Vegas a lot more. Vegas inter-phase is more user friendly than Premiere and from my experience is easier and more comfortable editing in Vegas. In Premiere you start with 3 video and audio tracks in the timeline (the video is above and the audio below), in Vegas you have a huge timeline with unlimited video and audio tracks rearrange any way you like (this is something I miss a lot) Another thing I miss are the markers and regions, which you could see the lines all over the timeline with an specific color (is use that a lot). In Premiere the markers are not that powerful, but they are still useful. Now Premiere have an incredible powerful tool that Vegas does not have, which is the "Dynamic Link". Using After Effects, Photoshop, Soundbooth and Encore along with Premiere you can make anything you desire and instantly see it in the other program. This is extremely useful in the editing process because you will never have to say "Sorry I cannot do that effect in Vegas" (this happen to me editing a short film) Despite my personal experience with Adobe and dynamic link my vote is still for Vegas Pro as my preferred NLE. Is a shame that they don't have it on Mac OS. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-52399 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:40:53 +0000 XTR-91 52399@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Wow, this thread started a good six months ago. Considering that the poll is actually closed (never heard of one being before), I'd have to give Sony Vegas the edge with the right combination of price, features, and functionality. I'vehad little experience with Final Cut Pro and no experience with Adobe Premiere. Premiere seems very functionable, but outcosts Sony Vegas Pro 9 by nearly $200-$300. Final Cut Express (MSRP $300) is great if you're in the $1,200+ realm of purchasing Mac systems.</p> <p> </p> <p>Here's my take on the age-old Windows vs. Mac phenomena: Microsoft seems to be chasing after budget consumers and businesses with features that burst right through the doors. Apple seems to be implementing the 'high-quality' system that is designed to handle media and suit the needs of a fanatic who wants a good, stable, and less virus-prone system.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-52398 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:25:54 +0000 brokenjack 52398@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Hey sargehero,</p> <p>I'm not sure what hardware you went with on your mac, but I just built a PC and loaded OS X on it just to see how well it would hold up in video editing. I am now running it as my main computer with Final Cut Studio. It is extremely stable, and I saved about $3000 extra bucks by not getting a Mac Pro. There is no IO card in it though.  It's a core i7 w/12GB DDR3 and a 1GB ATI 4870 vid card with dual monitors running at 1920 x 1080. I still cannot get over how well it handles 25 layers of 720p in Motion.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-52005 Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:33:06 +0000 vanlam 52005@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Good choice SargeHero. I love Vegas (And still use it w/ SoundForge for audio editing/mixing), but for more complicated projects, Final Cut Studio is a much better choice (Plus Motion and Color are amazing extras). </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-51012 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:47:11 +0000 brokenjack 51012@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Oh my! Welp anyways Sargehero, congrats on your purchase, you made a wise choice <em>in my opinion</em></p> <p>Lighten up Francis</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-50985 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:20:57 +0000 film814 50985@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Ha. Always funny to listen to people "debate" the Mac v. PC issue. Let's lay down some definitive standards we can all agree on.<br /> (1) Macs and PCs are both computers.<br /> (2) Phenomenal video and animation is edited and created on both.<br /> (3) Each individual is entitled to his own opinion as to which is best.<br /> (4) Because both are so different in many aspects, we cannot compare them and say positively that one is better than the other. (That's like saying apples are better than oranges. Ok. Yes. In apple pie, apples are better than oranges. But for making orange-juice, apples just won't work.)</p> <p>Professional filmmakers accomplish things of equal caliber on both Macs and PCs.</p> <p>Therefore, it is a worthless wast of digital breath to dispute over the definitive "better-ness" of one or the other.</p> <p>Goodnight.</p> <p>Jeremy</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-50978 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:04:55 +0000 composite1 50978@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Broken,</p> <p>A) Not angry.<br /> B) Couldn't care less about Mac's or PC's. Actually hate them both.<br /> C) You say you were 'just voicing your opinion' but to make a statement that suggests someone is 'not creative' because of the type of equipment they use is ridiculous.<br /> D) Read Cfulton's post on the FAQ's for writing forum threads.</p> <p>And please spare me your layman's psychological analysis of what you perceive passive- agressive speech is. What may 'seem' to have been started by me has only been an effort to keep balance in the conversations. Many of the readers who join the forums don't know 'poop from shineola' about the two platforms therefore I want to make sure they hear both sides. Also, if you've actually read my posts in these forums you would also know that I've never discouraged anyone from choosing one platform or another and always encourage them to find out for themselves. Lastly, everything that I have ever said about PC's and Mac's has come from years of direct usage either fully in one platform or working in concert.</p> <p>And you are also wrong about me 'policing' people's opinions. I called you out on your erroneous statement. In a debate there is point and counter point. Statements made must be supported by facts. You have yet to provide hard evidence. If you wish to do so, please start another thread. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-50963 Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:32:20 +0000 brokenjack 50963@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I knew that would get under someone's skin. Don't get so angry, it's just that, my opinion. And yes, I hate to break it to you, but most opinions are subjective. That's what forums in the free world are all about aren't they? The sun will still rise tomorrow. I did not attack anyone personally. Ok sorry about the ALL-CAPS thing, you got me there, but policing peoples opinions? Come on. It just sounds more like you got offended. If the PC vs MAC debate is so ridiculous, why on earth are you perpetuating it by replying in defense.I don't care what people use, I was just supporting one person's decision to go the Mac route. And if the forum doesn't allow bold in the text, why does it say<em> Allowed markup: strong</em> at the bottom of my window. </p> <p> hmmm... after going back and reading your posts, it seems to me that in fact you have started this debate with your passive aggressiveness toward the Mac with your well placed jabs. You also offered up some <em>subjective</em> opinions of your own.</p> <p> And the debate continues </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-50913 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:22:10 +0000 composite1 50913@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Broken,</p> <p>First off, you need to read the forum posting rules about using ALL-CAPS and BOLD lettering to make your statements.</p> <p>Second that stuff you're talking about Mac's being used by artists and PC's being used by engineers is a broken record and is also false.</p> <p>That you've found something that works for you is great. You like mac's, great. But your opinion is subjective. I've used mac's for years and don't like them for various reasons. However, I recognize that people are going to use what works best for them and I want to make sure that whatever they use, we can pool our resources and get the job done. </p> <p>This PC vs Mac debate is ridiculous. Be kind enough to give it a rest. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-50911 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:58:17 +0000 brokenjack 50911@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <blockquote><p>"Finally I transition to MAC OS and I can say that I'm extremely happy."</p></blockquote> <p> I'm glad to hear you switched to FCP. I am a professional editor who works on an Avid DS Nitris. I use FCP when I'm not using the Avid. I have never had my computer crash or freeze with FCP (of course now it will because I made the statement). Don't waste your time learning Premiere if you know you are going to use FCP. That's just ridiculous, and you should question your friendship with someone who told you to learn a program to get ready to use another. If you want to learn FCP, head over to lynda.com and check out the FCP tutorials by Larry Jordan. He's great. A little dorky and buttoned up, but great. I don't want to start a Mac vs. PC debate, but I have been in the video/film biz for 20 years, and after using Windows for much of that time, I have decided that Windows is crap. Yep, I said it. After switching to Mac in 2006, I actually get work done, and more creatively, I might add. Being an editor, or any other artist for that matter, requires you to be <strong>CREATIVE</strong>. There are a lot of people who will tell you how powerful this is and how technically powerful that is, and all they do is sit around and tweak this or that and stand back to admire all their flashing lights and gizmos. You have to decide whether you want to be an engineer, or an artist. I choose the latter. Of course you need to be technically minded and know the tools to realize your ideas. That is why the Mac is used so much by artists. It bridges the gap between the tech and the art. The OS itself is inspirational. PC users will tell you all the time that Macs are overpriced, etc. etc. and yes they are expensive, but you get what you pay for. I'm not sure what kind of work you do, but do yourself a favor and learn Motion as well. I edit hundreds of commercials with tons of animated graphics with extremely tight deadlines. Motion is nothing short of the 2nd coming of Jesus for people who need to impress clients by yesterday.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-50565 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:13:18 +0000 LeanMeanGreenScreen 50565@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I just have a quick question regarding Media Composer v3.5. I purchased a Dell XPS M1530 Laptop recently, and was wondering if it would be able to run MC. It is a Vista Home Premium system, with a 32 bit operating system. It has an Intel Core2 Duo CPU T9300 both running at 2.50GHZ. I also got the academic version of it, and it loaded up without any difficulty. I just wanted to make sure my computer could actually handle it before I start importing video. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-50131 Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:15:08 +0000 SargeHero 50131@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Hello again Videomaker community</p> <p>Finally I transition to MAC OS and I can say that I'm extremely happy. I can run so many things at the same time and the OS rarely freezes. I wanted to mention that I install Windows XP on boothcamp and I also install Vegas Pro 8. You can actually use Vegas and its features, but sometimes Windows OS freezes when you import large project or something complicated.  Its a little bit unstable, it does not work efficiently and yes you can get virus even on a boothcamp Windows (Avast Antivirus identified one Trojan) Another thing is that Windows XP only identified 3 GB of RAM out of 4 GB of my MAC (I read that XP can only use 3 GB RAM. I guess Windows Vista can use more than 4 GB) and the dual processor was identified too. Also, you can use a PC mouse (with the right click and the scroll) on the MAC without any problems. I only installed Windows for Vegas and Visual Communicator, but is for emergencies only. I'm currently learning to edit in Premiere and a friend told me that if I know how to use Premiere, Final Cut will be much easier to learn. Also, definitely MAC OS is a lot better than Windows OS for hardcore projects and editing.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-47304 Thu, 28 May 2009 10:45:36 +0000 composite1 47304@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Zoobie,</p> <p>Thanks for the heads up on WME. I'll check it out. BTW, your's and JediChick's avatars are distractingly attractive.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle/page/2#post-47241 Tue, 26 May 2009 21:56:28 +0000 zoobie 47241@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> composite1, perhaps if you install Windows Media Encoder, Premiere could use that to compress the video. This is how Media Studio Pro works...worth a shot</p> <p>It's hard to beat Vegas Pro's codecs...but there are some stand-alone programs that seem to work well, too</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle#post-47212 Tue, 26 May 2009 09:07:41 +0000 composite1 47212@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Sarge,</p> <p>I recently updated Vegas to 8.1 for 64-bit. It's a touch buggy particularly when it comes to capturing. I'm eyeballing ver 9, but the upgrade price is much steeper than usual (ver 8 $99, ver 9 $200+.) We'll see. As for the folks in your class, I've seen that 'surprise' in Editing courses too. Some folks gain mastery over one nle and are unable to see the advantages of others. As an independent, you will not have the luxury of a 'one trick pony'. You're going to have to develop your own workflow and it will be made up of many different types of software and gear. As an indy, your primary task is to get the work done and do so by the most efficient and economical means. Moving from platform to platform and nle to nle before you gain mastery of any one first will hinder you from that task.</p> <p>Zoobie,</p> <p>Hmm, I've never thought of Vegas as a 'toy' before. I guess because I had worked with Acid and SF for so long, the interface was familiar but strange initally doing video with it. My Editor and I got over the 'newness' quickly and found it to be a high-end tool which in intermediate to skilled hands could turn out an edit with some high production values. Vegas seriously needs to incorporate real-time fx rendering to make it a fully 'pro' tool. However, you are so right about it having good codecs. I recently cut a commercial on Premiere but was having a helluva time exporting it out to .avi and have it be compatible with WMP. Quicktimes came out just fine. Finally, I had to export an uncompressed .avi and compress it to WMV in Vegas. Which worked out great because it kept the file below 2MB and still managed to keep in good quality. Premiere doesn't have the .WMV codec installed. If I didn't have both programs I wouldn't have been able to solve that problem to my standards.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle#post-47186 Tue, 26 May 2009 00:54:20 +0000 zoobie 47186@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> I know...but sometimes, Vegas Pro seems like a toy to me. The editor I really liked, Corel/Ulead Media Studio Pro, stopped production but is still available. It doesn't work on Vista, was simple, and now has been discovered to work on Windows 7 much to the relief of it's owners. Unfortunately, MSP had codecs and other things that weren't deemed "professional". Oddly, Video Studio, the entry level editor, is now the only editor made at Corel/Ulead.</p> <p>You can mostly download a demo of any editor you wish to try...I've tried most...seem to be about the same...except for the codecs used.</p> <p>Guess that's why I'm sticking with Vegas Pro...it's codecs and it matches my cam to boot. It also came with DVD A.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle#post-46636 Sun, 10 May 2009 11:03:42 +0000 SargeHero 46636@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Now I want to make a brief about what Vegas Pro 8 have and what I consider to be powerful and helpful features. (People that deals with Final Cut and Premiere, feel free to describe them briefly)</p> <p>Vegas Pro 8 was the third NLE that I deal with (1.Windows Movie Maker 2.Cyberlink Power Director 6) Some of the I love features are the no limit video and audio tracks (you can change the name of each one) , dual monitor (makes your life a lot easier), the track motion (with a 3D feature) and Pan and Crop tools. The one of the most helpful feature that Vegas has is the autosave project (many projects I haven't completely lost because of this) Vegas is easy to use (after you spend hours with tutorials and a lot of practice) and gives you the advantage to create almost anything you want. The Color Correctors, Levels, Brightness and Contrast are some of the many powerful Video FX that can amazingly improve or fix your project. The chromakey is easy to deal with and can be make near perfect using other Video FX.Of course if you do not light right the greenscreen it would look bad, but even with that Vegas can manage to give you a good keying. While doing the Keying, color correction, etc, using the Video Scopes helps you fix more easily a video and gives you a complete idea of the light and colors of your video (this tool is extremely helpful) The multicam feature is great (it takes a little practice to dominate seeing many videos at the same time) and you can make a project draft just by pressing the Cam angle that you want, which are easily change by clicking in the clip in the video preview window or by pressing the number of the cam on the keyboard. Another good tool is the trimmer, easily making subclips and marking a place or region that you want in the project (which is seen in the timeline clip) By far the most amazing feature that I consider to be the best is the markers and regions. This amazing feature let you mark an specific frame or second of the clip and name it any way you want. You can also make a region of the clip and use it or move it any way you want around the timeline. I consider that Vegas have everything you need to edit video and have powerful tools to edit audio in the same timeline. You can even edit in 5.1 Surround and among so many features that Vegas have that will be way too long to describe in this forum. Check out this video to see more about Vegas Pro</p> <p><a href="http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/video/video.asp?file=commercial/whyvegaspro&amp;title=Why+Vegas+Pro%3F&amp;VideoPref=">http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/video/video.asp?file=commercial/whyvegaspro&amp;title=Why+Vegas+Pro%3F&amp;VideoPref=</a></p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle#post-46635 Sun, 10 May 2009 10:08:45 +0000 SargeHero 46635@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I totally went off topic but from your answer I now have more knowledge and a clear understanding of which NLE I should stick with. Jerron is right, the Adobe suite is definetly right for me and for my purpose. I have to thank Jerron for introducing the portable device dilema, it had become part of our business plan and is another excellent way to market our product and always have our audience happy. And thanks Composite1 for your excellent answers and patience. You clearly state that Vegas  is an excellent NLE and I was a little bit upset with Vegas since in my Cinema class many people use Premiere and saying that Final Cut is great and all and me the only Vegas user remain strong with the fact that Vegas is awesome. In the end the one editing all the proyect is me and Premiere user are surprise at how easy and powerful Vegas is. Im really happy with Vegas.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle#post-46631 Sat, 09 May 2009 21:11:29 +0000 daryldrj 46631@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Hey all just a quick note I read on the vegas fourm that the New Vegas 9 would be compatible with Avid, or at least that is how I remeber reading it might be worth taking a look I already pre ordered my V9</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle#post-46628 Sat, 09 May 2009 17:04:02 +0000 composite1 46628@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Jerron,</p> <p>Yes, we always make copies in .avi and .mov. The prospect of having to make all the content available for mobile devices (though annoying) is a necessary step. Personally I'm not fond of trying to view webpages on my phone, but I do regularly look at content on it. So, the inevitability of it all moving to the 'tiny screen' can be seen in the coming winds.</p> <p>Sarge,</p> <p>Yes. However, there still has to be enough 'difference' between what you do in the parody and the original work. For example; there is a big difference between doing a parody and a 'fan based' work. Parodies are protected as they were originally used to criticize government rule which is why it's generally seen as okay that comedians make fun of public figures but not public figures making fun of other public figures. Fan based works are 'what if I wrote the story' type of stories like the popular 'Star Trek','Harry Potter' or 'Lord of the Rings' ones. The only things different about those stories are who wrote them and the actors used. Both parodies and fan based works are legal, but you can only get compensation for a parody without violating copyright. For example: SNL does parodies and they get paid to do them. When the Wayans Bros. created 'Scary Movie' they totally parodied 'Scream' and other popular horror films and got paid for it. If those guy making the fan based Star Trek films take a dime from advertising or merchandising, despite the original writing they've done they will be in violation of copyright.</p> <p>So, if you create your own material and copyright it the only permission you need is what you give. Now to be fair, this is totally off topic but the whole purpose of buying NLE gear, software, camera gear and asking bazillions of questions in these forums is to facilitate all of the stuff Jerron and I have mentioned.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle#post-46621 Sat, 09 May 2009 03:58:46 +0000 jerronsmith 46621@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>&gt;&gt;I really don't know if this will be entirely successful or not since<br /> not everyone in our audience have access to portable devices.&lt;&lt;</p> <p>You realize that more people in the world, not to mention your specific audience (college kids) have mobile phones than computers right? With a market that is as mobile as college kids what you will probably find is that a large chuck of them are going to be accessing info on the web via phones, blackberrys, etc.</p> <p>&gt;&gt;And yes, we are going to make it accessible mostly WMV for PC users<br /> (since almost everyone use Windows OS) but also in quicktime for does<br /> very few people that have Mac.&lt;&lt;</p> <p>I'm sorry but that might not be a very good idea given your stated audience. You realize that Macs are very popular with college kids right? Apple's marketing targets them specifically and has make their laptops very popular on college campuses. I would seriously caution anyone against using WMV's on the web to display video, the most common video format for online video distribution are FLVs. Since all it needs to play is the Flash player which most computers online already have, and the player is cross platform there is a much lower chance of your viewers not being able to see your content.</p> <p>&gt;&gt;He knows how to use HTML and Flash, how should he build the video<br /> segment of the page considering the internet speed of our audience? <br /> And if its possible to use the Adobe programs for live internet feed?&lt;&lt;</p> <p>To keep the size of Flash content down what most developers do is dynamically load external flash content into the main movie. This way the viewer doesn't have to wait for the entire movie to load, only the parts they want. I don't believe that the technologies in the suite will work for live internet video feed.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/a-difficult-decisionwhich-nle#post-46620 Fri, 08 May 2009 23:22:24 +0000 designcbts 46620@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Back to your original question, I would recommend you consider AVID.  I'm primarily a Premiere user.  However, most studios seem to prefer the AVID platform...</p>