FWIW, remember using a FAST ISA capture card for analog (one of the first capture cards out there). Before and after I've seen a lot of stuff come and go - can't sweat it, worry about it too much as there really is nothing certain in the technology world.

Your editing skills will transfer well to whatever software you use, though memorizing shortcut keys can be a pain. So do your best work, and continue to build your skills & if you have to change NLEs in a few years so be it - it'll just slow you down for for a week or so, which is no more then learning the new features after a major Vegas update.

I second that.

I started my NLE career in the audio world. Got involved with CakeWalk and a slew of other audio applications. All of them had a different "feel" - but pretty much operated the same. When I found SoundForge I stayed with it. Eventually getting into Vegas Audio and Acid....and now Vegas Video.

As far as NLE Video Editing goes...I've played with Premiere (have two copies sitting right here...anyone want a coaster?) - as well as a slew of other editors. They all have a different feel - but pretty much operate the same.

If the MOANLE came out tomorrow and beat Vegas down like a 2 bit hood on the corner of 68th and Cottage....I'm sure that it would have a different "feel" - but pretty much operate the same as Vegas.

I wouldn't sweat it - you are in good company.

(Seriously....anybody want a coaster!)

I also had EditDV and replaced it with Vegas. We can only hope that Sony Digital Pictures will continue to support and develop Vegas. Technology companies purchase other technology companies for the people and their skills. As long as the SOFO people are treated well and remain with Sony, I think chances are good we'll have an even better "Vegas" in the future.

No doubt some SOFO developers will leave and return to a smaller, more startup oriented environment. Lets just hope the SOFO Vegas developers don't do a mass exit. If this happens, there's probably a good chance that Vegas will die a slow death.

I've personally experienced this as an employee with major technology company that has a long list of companies it's acquired over the past 10 years. I've also experienced many very successful products that originated by acquisition. The key to success was always that of how the acquired company's employees were treated and how well they and the products were integrated in with the parent company's culture and exiting technology.

You can not expect any software to last forever. Are you still using the MSDOS 1.0? I'm not! Software producers have to make money to continue to exist. They do this by upgrading an existing product or by producing a completely new product. Either way you pay for the better product. I started my editing with Pinnacle's Studio 400. I then swithed to StudioDV 1.0 thru version 4.X. I got tired of fighting with it and bought VideoFactory. Loved the program but hated the 4 gig file limit. I then switched to Canopus' DVRaptor using Premiere 5. I'm now using VV3 with a standard firewire card and will continue to use it as long as it fulfills my needs. If the ship goes down, I'll just get a ride on one of the newer ships!!

It's like anything else. If Sony can make a profit, they'll keep it. If not, they won't.

As long as VV does what you want, you'll keep using it.

there have been many good NLE that have vanished. One good thing that Premiere an VV have had going for them is that they did not "need" a certian system to work. I used D/Vision wich was DOS based and used the Intel Action Media card. It worked fine but the problem was that Intel decided to do away with the card it was based on. Than D/Vision decided to become mor eopen ended but they sold off and now that editing software is part of Discreet. I also made the HUGE mistake of buying a FAST AV Master card and I wish I hadn't because FAST had zero tech support plus they dumped the card around windows 3.1 and released limited drivers for windows 95 only. Windows 98? Forget about it. I found out after the fact that FAST is notrious for no tech support and launching a product only to drop it a year, or less, later. That is what made Premiere so good, I could use it with almost *any* capture card. Then VV came along and I checked it out because I loved their audio - namely Sound Forge. Like Premiere, VV uses any capture card more or less. I also used a Trinty system, which right after we upgraded to version 2.2 they suddenly sold to another company. But like D/Vision and their changes of hands before it ended up with Discreet, who knows how Sony will swallow up VV or if in a year VV will end up as part of some other "suite" with another company...and like FAST, Sony is sort of notorious for lack of tech support.

Only time will tell.

Common sense says you don't spend money on something you're not going to use. Sony will treat Vegas just fine. More importantly, Sony will be around until a huge comet destroys our planet.

"and like FAST, Sony is sort of notorious for lack of tech support."

Feel like an optimist this morning, or maybe it's a lack of caffiene as the intravenous drip still takes a short while...

My son brought up a good point the other day - Sony has a large base of talent developing for their playstations, & they aren't treated all that bad. (Could be another fit for video technology as well.)

At any rate, to my knowledge Sony hasn't had a serious software effort up to now (if you leave out the playstation stuff), and nothing retail related, that you were likely to see even on a virtual, on-line shelf, before their version of Video Factory - and there they possibly had distribution problems, this being a new market for them.

So... Is the glass half full or half empty? Still in the optimist camp this AM, perhaps Sony wishes to go somewhere it hasn't before? Perhaps they wanted to enter the software market modeling themselves after SOFO, including their great support?

"and like FAST, Sony is sort of notorious for lack of tech support."

Yes, and I STILL use my FAST VM/DPR/YUV setup as my main editior and buying another. I use VV too with my VM system. This forum is what makes it work. VM works and is supported though not by FAST or now any other company. It is supported by the users in a forum. Pinnacle did not take over the VM series. If a product is good, the people using it will make it continue. VN has for years because it was a good product.

Sony owns and does what it will with Vegas. As noted, your editing skills makes the product not the product itself. It makes it easier, faster or better quality etc and on and on. But you the editor makes it do what it does. If you are worried about buying or using Vegas as a new buyer then MAYBE you have a point but even then it works great and is valuable regardless of the financial backdrop going on. Now updates could stop though I doubt it in this case. It will have support for sure even though we don't like Sony support. But NO software lasts forever or is continually updated and so on. I would buy Vegas if I was looking. I may look harder at others if just starting out because of this. Some may buy because of Sony. But we have it and use it so we must go on with it. My two cents.

Vegas has this going for it compared to most past editors:

1. It is not hardware dependent.
2. Firewire is key to Sony's hardware strategy.
3. Irregardless of what happens to Vegas per se, it's basic editing workflow and features will far outlive the product.
4. Vegas is very solid. In fact, I have seldom used a program that is as trouble free. This probably flows from the reality that it is not hamstrung by the hardware considerations of many other editors. It is closely integrated with Windows.
5. If you gear your decision to hardware, which is where the greatest cost resides, Vegas will in most cases be more than adequate for some time to come.

I was one of many, many PC users who lost out when Emagic was sold to Apple therefore ending any new upgrades (they still do updates) for the Logic audio/midi recording program. I say "lost out" because I'm not able to buy Logic 6.0 which seems to have some fairly nifty and new improvements over Logic 5.0.

But I still use Logic 5.0 (LAWP) for almost all of my audio/midi recording needs. It's a great program. Period.

I'm also a proud owner of Vegas 4.0 (and 3.0). This program meets all of my video editing needs. Although I will be extremely saddened and pissed if SONY decides to can or drastically reduce the quality of future upgrades of Vegas, I'll still own and will still use the current versions of this fantastic program.

For now. . . I'm still taking a "wait and see" attitude. And in the meantime, I've been using Vegas 4.0 happily. . . and even confidently! It's such a great program! Like my Logic program!

Ted

"Vegas is very solid. In fact, I have seldom used a program that is as trouble free. This probably flows from the reality that it is not hamstrung by the hardware considerations of many other editors. It is closely integrated with Windows."

Right on. I read somewhere that Vegas was developped using Windows platform instead of "adapting" from another platform (does "Adobe" ring a bell?). THAT sure helps. I read too that a few programmers at SF were former Microsoft employees ...
Rumors? I don't know but Vegas sure rocks!!!

I can give a 3rd vote on Stability!!! Dangit this program rocks. NO CRASHES AT ALL.

I use Cubase 5 vst 24 and Gigastudio and now and then They Crash.

NOT VV4.0 ITS ROCK SOLID!!!

If Sonic Foundry made a sampler like Gigastudio I probably would switch for the stability reasons!!

Awsome program.

Sony has done nothing with software. The company is crap with support. Despite it's deserved reputation with hardware, this product is doomed to go to the desktops of anyone who buys a Sony camera. That is, they'll probably sell Vegas Lite with a camera and then offer you an upgrade to some higher end version if you register the Camera. I don't think Sony is suddenly in the software business.

VV has surpassed my every expectation with regard to NLE. However, I keep my Video Toaster very close by just for events like Sonic screwing us out of our investment. Sonic could have taken this one beyond beyond, but they bailed on us. That's a fact!

AND FINALLY!

Yes...Finally they release yet another GRET product at a GREAT price!

so is the glass 1/2 full or 1/2 empty ?

any comments on DECKLINK & Vegas .. sony has Vegas at NAB with a decklink card in it editing uncompressed SD in RT ...

lets see i can shoot with the panavision sony HD camera .. play back from the new HD deck over 1394 into vegas a low res file ... i can remove pull down from my film to dv tape transfers in RT (using media pool ) and the 29.97 clips will play back 23.97 RT in TL ... lets see i can also render out my clips using sony's YUV 4:2:2 uncompressed codec to create a MASTER render then from that make my mpeg 1-2, wmv, dv etc .... belizier splines !!!
i got my $$ worth ...

It could go either way. Sony PDI should study how Nintendo caters to its customers--they compete for some serious business in a very creative way.

Vegas is everything I wanted EditDV to be. The similarities are striking. But Vegas does seem to have more depth and potential for longer life. Just look at this user community.

The only thing I'm concerned with is the Sony relationship. Some of my buddies at NAB won't even enter Sonyland unless dragged in by a customer--they design media networks, studios and multimedia rooms and they've had less then stellar support from Sony.

GWA, I guess that makes two of us still using Fast, unless Don's still in there. I'm using Vegas on a second unit and am pleased with what I can do. I will upgrade, but want to see where the pricing is going. Glad you're still round.

Lynn

Destined to end up on everybodies desk top?!

Ok, if I got this with a Sony camera, I would be amazed!

VV is an awesome NLE program with "professional intentions", how can we possibly doubt Sony's efforts?

All of my Final Cut buddies are running mad! they hate me!
what does thois company have to do to win us over? Damn!

Go edit something!

Vmcdee ;-)

No. Go away. Go buy FCP and torture Apple's customer's with your ridiculous tirades.