I'm using both Vegas7 and SpeedEDIT 1.0 (released via download)

SpeedEDIT is ideal if you wish to repeat the DV-preview benefits you have with Vegas but at HDV resolution. In most cases you get a best quality preview in realtime via firewire (HDV). This is for preview, not layback. The current crop of HDV camcorders are too stringent to allow what they'll preview to be recorded. That needs a PTT/render phase.

Yes, you edit in SpeedEDIT and have both a full preview via your second head, a window version and the option to run it out via the HDV MPEG-2 system out to your firewire deck, bridge or camcorder.

SpeedEDIT is also able to preview (render-on-the-fly) the VGA output with field temporal accuracy. No more getting that wrong without noticing it! Something that I requested with Vegas4 when VGA output was only a twinkle in Sonic Foundry's eyes. The technology of the day probably didn't make that an option anyway. Back then Vegas was all about DV-preview and VGA preview was so much less relevant due to the notion that computers didn't have 601 color, didn't support and didn't support anything but square pixels. Not to mention computing power was difficult to drum up in quantity.

SpeedEDIT won't knock Vegas off it's pedestal yet. It is however very refined for a 1.0 product and what with it having an 8bit YUV pipeline with 16bit internal headroom, it does a good job with today's compressed formats. It also has a nice character generator, not the pair of CG tools you get with NewTek's VT, but very well tuned for nice CG nevertheless. So I am already using it as a complimentary technology to Vegas (and an uplift from the limitations of VT-Edit too).

It is _missing_ or has a protractive workflow currently but may have some of these by NAB or the 1.1 release, can't say as I don't know:

1. VST plug-ins
2. Frame-rate interpolation
3. Batch capture from HDV
4. Panasonic P2 MXF handling
5. >4 channel audio
6. Ability to drop frame rate on a complex project/lower-spec'd machine so as not to stutter the audio
7. Frame-serving via AVI signpost or project-plug-in to TMPGEnc
8. Operators need to keep the clip directory you'll be opening through SpeedEDIT quite clean from "runt media" that hasn't come from a clean render or camcorder source.
9. VT-Edit has chapter marker compatibility with DVD Architect using the VT-Edit AVI wrapper. Hopefully this will return in a later for SpeedEDIT or VT[5].
10. Multicam is available, but relies on adding a plug-in from BobFX.com . Great plug-in but this might still send first-buyers over to EDIUS.
[PS, everything Bob makes is worth buying, it is usually better than anything that ships built-in to an NLE. The point I'm making is broader in scope than my intent to make sure that Bob receives props for his fine wares.]

If you see SpeedEDIT running on a Mac, it will be an Intel Mac running Windows.
It is 64bit compliant as far as XP x64 is concerned, Vista depends largely on your VGA card and sound drivers being supported afaik.

It is a perfect match for the lightwave animator and could easily suit any synthetic content creation workdlow . For videographers who feel constrained with the editing experience in Vegas, there might be something for you to tap into there right now. A trial download has been spoken of, but that might be after NAB.

SpeedEDIT washes it's face for me just from the colour correction (in a 16bit headroom YUV space) and CG elements. Like I've heard about EDIUS compulsion to remain realtime, it does really require a half decent PC. Core2 duo or quad with a >=1066 FSB. Also your graphics card is best having more than 128MB and being PCIexpress based. The DirectX derived Pixel Shader 2.0 GPU system is used for a preview oriented CPU-offload enhancement. This is another reason why you would try this software rather than to buy it blindly.

I also have used PureMotion's EditStudio Pro to bolster up what I can do with Vegas. That I use for removing time/date from other peoples 8mm video and I've also used it for animated CharGen tasks. EditStudio used to be the only software only editor I knew for the PC that had both a storyboard picon and timeline interface. SpeedEDIT has this now whilst owners of EditStudio have compaigned to have it removed to hold their heads up with Premiere owners etc. Editing can be aided with a storyboard, NewTek realise this and they won't ever let theirs go!

The last few years have shown a serious amount of focus by NewTek on their switching production suite solution (TriCaster, TriCaster Pro and the already previewed but unreleased as yet TriCaster HD). 2007 looks like the standalone version of VT-Edit, which is this SpeedEDIT and the "at last" release of VT[5] is going to affirm their commitment to post-production tools too.

To quote a great videographer by paraphrasing him: There is really no one NLE that does it all. Competition is beneficial to the whole industry.


The Speed in SpeedEDIT, from my perspective comes from the fact that you can uplift to HiDef work and treat it as if it was standard def. The interface remains slick and doesn't need an intermediate format like we were somewhat (Sony+MainConcept) forced to use on earlier Vegas releases. Also, the editing paradigm is all about Speed.

You still need a fast computer if you wish to race Vegas against SpeedEDIT. A slow computer makes a bad effort with both these NLEs. That said, many have justified a bleeding edge laptop for SpeedEDIT based on what it then provides in the field.

Adobe bought SeriousMagic for creating a number of tools that don't cover anything like as much ground as the NewTek products.

In summary - watch out for SpeedEDIT. Defnintely "For Your Consideration"

The storyboard feature is what really has me itching on that one. I've been wanting a storyboard timeline function in Vegas for a long time. On larger projects that would work wonders for me. It would open up a whole world of creativity that is stifeled somewhat. I've got to get that download, we run a VT4.6 at our church and are awaiting the upgrade to 5, but I'm not the one who gets those emails, and I don't think the guy who does, even realizes sometimes, what he's getting.

Dave

I would call customer services at NewTek and discuss what you are entitled to already and what will come soon or with the release of VT[5]. Then you can judge whether you want one or more seats of SpeedEDIT. You'll need to wait until Monday, start of business Texas time.

Unlike Vegas, you'll find that there is no single concurrency license (across theoretically a fair number of machines). You have to install SpeedEDIT on one machiine only per purchase. If you break that machine or satisfy NewTek that you aren't breaking the terms of their supply, then they'll let you activate it again and perhaps again after that. NewTek have been big on dongles up until now which normally upset folks who feel they are penalized for being customers.

SpeedEDIT is the editor that has evolved from their expensive uncompressed-D1 platform (with live switching if you need it). You can buy many seats of SpeedEDIT for the price of a single VT suite. I think that is the main rationále.

The download is critical to sales beyond the very enlightening demos. SE isn't NLE perfection by a long chalk. However it's unique properties and prospects for the future would make it a recommendation. Vegas is where I spend most of my time overall and will be for quite a while. I'm particularly capturing and finishing in Vegas+DVD. SpeedEDIT is almost my bread and butter editor from a in/out trimming-on-the-timeline, colour correcting/grading perspective. Then I'm also using it for CG for titles and DVD menu animated-cells/stills. It compliments nicely so far.

I'm sure there are other good multi-product solutions that blend well too. CanopusHQ was worth having at one point in time, even if you ignored the EDIUS NLE. NewTek's SpeedHQ is a good archival format also, if you are running out at HD. That codec is planned for release as a separate entity at some point. This may have some wide audience, but for now it is good between different apps that share a local SpeedEDIT install.

I haven't had much luck with SE. The interface runs slow and I encountered a number of crashes just fooling around with the strange GUI. From what I observe, SE is a joy to NewTek dye-hards, but a bit of an enigma to this outsider. Although I am still quite new to Vegas as well, it has been giving me solid performance and I had no trouble instantly navigating through its very intuitive GUI.

My only gripe with Vegas 7 is its somewhat sluggish performance on my Windows Secondary Display which will run a 24 fps HD 720p project only at about 19 fps. On the other hand, the Preview window can be drawn out to a very comfortable size for editing on my 21" plasma monitor (I have 3 of these in my setup) while maintaining a constant 24 fps rate.

At the moment I am 30 minutes into a feature film and SE doesn't give me enough confidence to risk more time searching for its promised merits, however I am keeping an eye on it and waiting for one or two more upgrades. I happen to own it by coincidence and much prefer Vegas.

Paul