Forum reading overload

MikeB wrote on 9/25/2002, 6:20 PM
I am new to video editing/production. After reading many forums and reviews, vv3 seems well respected. As users of vv3, please tell me why vv3 over premiere 6 or msp 6.5.

Also, just to be sure--on input I am doing analog -- on output doing vhs, vcd, svcd. Will vv3 do all I need or should I have a different authoring program?

One last question. Does anyone have a problem with advc100 & firewire card for capture/output?

Thanks so much

Comments

sonicboom wrote on 9/25/2002, 6:55 PM
first of all, if you hit search function you can find many threads on vv3 against premiere and others
i never used premiere but i know many professional videographers who have switched to vv3
secondly, vv3 can print to tape to a vcr--but you need an a/v concerter
if your dv camera has a passthru you can do it that way

vv3 can make cd-rom and vcd's
i am not sure of svcd's--

i say buy vv3 and you'll love it
and make sure to read this forum cause the people in here really know their stuff
good luck
sb
rextilleon wrote on 9/25/2002, 7:31 PM
Sonic is correct---in order to use any NLE you are going to have to convert your analog footage to digital--this requires a converter---I like the ones that Canopus makes---

As far as the NLE part of the equation goes, Vegas is the way to go---It can do pretty much everything you mentioned and do it well with a minimal amount of computing power---Why not download the Demo and try it out?
salad wrote on 9/25/2002, 8:02 PM
Yes, definitely DL the demo!
You asked: "Does anyone have a problem with advc100 & firewire card for capture/output?"
There has been nothing but GREAT success stories using the Canopus advc100 and an OHCI compliant 1394 card with VV3. Sonic Foundry supports the advc50 and 100, and even advertises them in their product catalog. Sonic Foundry does not support some models of Pinnacle 1394 cards, even though the basic models seem to work fine for most. I bought a $25 card(TexasInstruments chip), which works great, and it included a nice 4 to 6 pin firewire cable, and....................some crappy software you can give to your......friends?....
Enjoy!
snicholshms wrote on 9/26/2002, 12:00 AM
I second Salad's comments. I just bought the ADVC-100 and converted 8 hours of analog to DV with no dropped frames. I use a generic firewire card. Get Vegas... it's amazingly easy to learn and VERY robust.
Steve
snicholshms wrote on 9/26/2002, 12:00 AM
I second Salad's comments. I just bought the ADVC-100 and converted 8 hours of analog to DV with no dropped frames. I use a generic firewire card. Get Vegas... it's amazingly easy to learn and VERY robust. And this Forum is great for getting answers to any questions you might have about Vegas.
Steve
Laurence wrote on 9/29/2002, 9:37 PM
Back to the original question: why do we like Vegas more than Premier etc.

Well I never tried Premier, but I did move from Final Cut Pro on the Mac to Vegas Video on the PC. The main reason: I'm an audio guy who's branched out into video. Vegas Video is set up like an audio program. With FCP, I struggled with it and never could quite figure it out. With Vegas Video, I pretty much knew how to work it the first time I tried it. I can't imagine ever using anything else again.
JJKizak wrote on 9/30/2002, 4:46 PM
Mike:
I switched from Premier 6.0c to Vegas for the following reasons:
a: With a 1.5 hour clip on the timeline Premier slows to a crawl.
b: Every so often Premier will crash.
c. There is an instability problem when doing hard core editing.
d. Sometimes it does not save properly.
e. It is extremely difficult to learn.
f. It has no mpeg 2 codec.
g. If you have over 800 fonts Premier will hang.
h. It takes forever to boot up a 1.5 hour project.
I. The time line does not move as the clip is playing.
j. Transitions and the like take forever to create.
i. The sound editing will jerk your head off. This means it is not very good.
k. The tutorial Disc has the same problems as the software. (optional)
l. The buttons type is so small you can't read it.
m. Generally, you have to use three clicks to do the same thing
Vegas does with one click.
n. I'm getting tired going through these nightmares, and I am
quite sure there are more lurking about.

James J. Kizak
spidey2002 wrote on 9/30/2002, 4:59 PM
You have to use other programs like tmpegenc to encode and ulead dvd movie factory or nero, etc. to make your svcds.
seeker wrote on 9/30/2002, 6:55 PM
Mike,

"As users of vv3, please tell me why vv3 over premiere 6 or msp 6.5."

Well, you probably meant Premiere 6.5 since that is the current version, and it does have some significant improvements over 6.0. However, at the time I made my choice of Vegas Video 3.0 the alternatives were Adobe's Premiere 6 or Ulead's Media Studio Pro 6.5. I made my choice based on the competitive performance of Vegas Video, and also its lower acquisition price. As an owner of Sonic Foundry's Video Factory 2.0 I was eligible to upgrade to Vegas Video 3 for $199.95. That was much more economical for me than to purchase either Adobe Premiere or Ulead Media Studio Pro.

Since you probably don't have Sonic Foundry's Video Factory, I think the "smartest" acquisition route for you would be to purchase the book "Digital Video and Audio Production" by Gary Rebholz and Michael Bryant. It costs $49.95 and it is worth that as a great self learning guide that includes many tutorials on using Vegas, but it also comes with a CD-ROM that includes "over $200 worth" of software, including Vegas Video 3.0 LE. You can use that Limited Edition of Vegas Video to complete all the lessons in the book and you can also use it as an upgrade step to get the full version of Vegas Video 3.0 for only $199.95. The books's CD-ROM also includes Sound Forge XP Studio 5.0, ACID Xpress, and loops for ACID as well as lesson files and sample media for use with the book. For more information on the book and a downloadable sample in PDF form, click on:

http://www.sonicfoundry.com/Products/NewShowProduct.asp?PID=684

I was influenced by the 5-page review of Vegas Video 3.0 by Charlie White, which you can read by clicking on:

http://www.digitalvideoediting.com/2001/12_dec/reviews/cw_vegasvid3.htm

A review by Deras Flynn also influenced my thinking:

http://video.multimedian.com/reviews/vegasvideo3.html

Another thing that biased me toward Vegas was its superiority in audio editing. My study of movies, TV, and videos has led me to believe that the audio part is probably more important than the video part. I think that is true, not just for music videos, but for video in general. We tend not to notice the audio, or to take it for granted as a sort of subliminal background. But now, when watching the new TV series, I am noticing what they are doing with the music. Music can convey mood, emotion, and continuity. You can make a lot of quick cuts in the video track for a good effect, but you definitely can't do that to the audio tracks. Your brain expects the audio to stay continuous, and any "cut" in it can be very jarring, which is why unanticipated sound effects can be so dramatic. That is the way our heads work in everyday life. You can glance here and there for different views, but what you are hearing stays continuous. Anyway, the fact that Vegas is so strong with audio is a big plus for me.

As a post script, this morning I took advantage of the $99 offer that ends today to get ACID Pro 4.0, so that I can make my own custom music tracks for my videos. Based on Sonic Foundry's good track record in producing Vegas Video 3.0c, I have faith that they will fix any important bugs that still exist in ACID 4.0a. And the $99 offer is hard to refuse.

-- Burton --