Do they listen to users?

Paul E wrote on 1/27/2014, 3:05 PM
Movie Studio 13 - such a disappointment for one reason only. The new toolbars have rendered it a such pain to use. Clearly the programmers have done very little actual video editing. Or is it the fault of some marketing person.
I actually like the bigger buttons. They were too small before on a big screen. They dont need to be quite as big as they are now but never mind that. The problem is there aren't enough and that would be ok if the toolbar was customisable. Notably absent is 'RIpple' and 'Ignore Grouping' which are essential for any kind of efficient editing.. Yes you can get to them through a Config button that gives you a menu. How silly! A toolbar is for buttons not menus. And you can use control keys but there is no display showing the state of those buttons. Ironically Simple mode does have a Ripple button.
Likewise the selection tool is very useful but no button. You can still get to it with the 'D' key though or menu clicks. How inefficient is that.
Also I have my preview monitor on a second screen and now I dont have the navigation buttons that used to be under the timeline.

So much for my rant - question is - is there any evidence that they listen to pleas from users? Should I wait or request a refund and go back to 12?

Its a sad day when they take perfectly good features away. Funny the publicity didnt mention that.
On the up side I like the CTRL to dock function.

Comments

richard-amirault wrote on 1/27/2014, 4:33 PM
... is there any evidence that they listen to pleas from users?

How do you know that other users didn't request those "features" (added/removed)?

They can't please everyone.
UKharrie wrote on 1/27/2014, 4:42 PM
Surely the "Ripple Button" is below the Timeline - I was watching a Demo on YT so may have missed many facts.
I too wonder if the programmers ever go out with a camcorder in the morning rush-hour and have to Film/Edit before the Afternoon tea-break, complete with a voiceover? This should show up many areas that can be improved . . . as to buttons I hate them. A Menu give you more options and you save apace.
The whole point of the Editor is to see 1) The clips and 2) the output. everything else is stealing screen-space.
I see they've remove one set of Transport Keys - which is reasonable enough - but still there a buttons above the screen (wasting space) and yet just above there is a clear space. It annoys me that with a 19" screen I can regularly lose an inch top and bottom on useless features.
The QWERTY keyboard hasn't changed recently, despite having the option of USB. why can't I have a small keyboard to perform the edit features I need and remove them from the screen???
I notice too that Sony engineers don't watch their Vids during Render - why would you put a non-working audio-level panel on the Right, when the massive popup window showing progress plonkls itself on top of the Preview? The rest of the screen is immobile - shift the Elapsed-time details over to the Left. Please.

Whilst they are about it, the Show Me How text measures 2mm high on a 19" screen (and smaller still on a laptop) - I think they can enlarge that Text without the need to enlarge the panel - and a 50% improvement would help.


If Movie Studio is interested, I have another improvement re VO for v14

Phew.!

Oh, yes I know those Audio Meters can be moved . . . . but why are they there to start with?
vkmast wrote on 1/27/2014, 4:52 PM
>>> I was watching a Demo on YT so may have missed many facts.<<<
Trial versions here
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/download/trials/moviestudiope

I don't understand your comment about the main window. The track list, timeline, and window docking area sections can be sized to your preferences before "the massive (?) popup window showing progress plonkls itself on top of the Preview."

>>>If Movie Studio is interested, I have another improvement re VO for v14<<<
Pls see Steve's post above.
Paul E wrote on 1/27/2014, 5:01 PM
brighterside - I cant imagine anyone requesting features to be removed they dont want. They CAN please everyone - by having a customise feature like they used to.

UKharrie - Yes there is Ripple button below the timeline in SImple mode but not in Advanced mode. It moves on to a pop-up menu. Point is - it is not instantly available and worse there is no indication of which mode it is in.

Re. USB keyboard, take a look at my Keypad Controller which modifes the numeric keypad keys to more useful editing functions. eg. instead of the two-handed CTRL-SHIFT-U to toggle 'Ignore Group' you can use the single - key.
http://www.darkwooddesigns.co.uk/pc2/keypad.html
it's going to be be even more useful.
vkmast wrote on 1/27/2014, 5:10 PM
I agree that "Customize Toolbar" should be there.
May have been dropped to encourage "advancing" users to make a move to Pro.
Auto Ripple modes are under Options / Ripple as you probably noticed. They could have kept that as was as well.
Paul E wrote on 1/27/2014, 5:47 PM
I'd love to move to Pro but it is just too expensive.
D7K wrote on 1/27/2014, 7:37 PM
Probably you change programs.
Paul E wrote on 1/28/2014, 5:51 AM
I really like Movie Studio and I've been with it for a few years. There is nothing else as good at sensible money. It does what I want and on two 1920x1080 screens it is a superb editing environment. All it needs is more buttons.

I was an avid user (pun intended) of Pinnacle Studio from 3 up to 14 until they dumbed it down and messed up the user interface. I just hope Sony doesn't go the same way.
D7K wrote on 1/28/2014, 11:30 AM
Paul - I had the same experience over at Studio, and found MS. I was wrong, thought you didn't like MS.
Paul E wrote on 1/28/2014, 11:56 AM
I love Movie Studio. My only criticism of 12 and earlier is the buttons are too small and the icons not clear. Now they are too big - Ironic really. But size doesn't matter (in this case) The upper toolbar is only 1/3 used and the lower one 2/3 used so there's plenty of room for more buttons.
Meanwhile the Trimmer window is overflowing with buttons, but that never was customizable and it doesnt matter.