Here is some insite into Sony for NAB - I just got various mags today, most with "previews" of NAB. I found some if this interesting -
A side bar called "In Japan with Sony"
"While the catch phrase Ride the HD Wave covers the company's current marketing focus, Kozo Kaminago, president of Sony Broadcast & Professional, presented a portrait further down the road to 2010. He envisions a 'super broadcast world' where common access to high speed networks proliferate for consumer and professional alike. Running from 30mbs to 100mbs, these links allow HD-resolution content to move everywhere over a ubiquitous value network.' "
It goes on to talk about "Anycast" and XDCAM. Most of it is focusing on networking - "Segawa noted that Sony's XDCAM system will now be compatable with Avid's native MPEG IMX and DVCAM NLE's." Than it goes on to mention the "push into the NLE market with the 'reborn' Xpri (it now runs on a laptop as well as on high speed networks)". No mention of Vegas.
Than in the show preview - under editing...
"At NAB, expect crowds to develop around booths whose companies offer ever more capable lower cost edting software. Just a few of these 'pro' software only apps include Apple Final Cut Pro (FCP), Avid Xpress Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Sony Vegas." It goes on to talk about all the HD systems that companies will be previewing. Than it gets to hardware - lots of FCP hardware it seems. Seems Pinnacle is gearing up for network editing including a set up with Liquid Edition and Chrome that will interface directly with Sony's XDCAM. Than after a bit it slips back into the XPRI sytems. "Sony says a field based PDW-510 or PDW-530 camcorder in 25mbs DVCAM mode can fire low-res, frame accurate MPEG-4 proxy images over a high speed IP network to it at sppeds of up to 50 times realtime." Than the last comment under "Editing" may, or may not, apply to Vegas - "Sony and Avid will also announce metadata compatibility via MXF with Media Composer."
Another mag starts off talking about Sony being confidant that Betacam SP users will switch over to XDCAM. Also says that Sony is working on a lower cost version "aimed at the corporate market, and is rumored to be developing an HD version." Now in the run down of, supposedly, all the items being hyped - under "Nonlinear-Editing Systems" - you read all the usual people - Premiere Pro, Avid FCP and so on. Guess what is under Sony? XPRI Metastation and XPRI Mobile. Nothing else.
And yet another magazine goes through NAB and barely mentions anything Sony related in the editing section. But hey (!!!) it does mention Vegas - "At NAB, there is going to be a lot of talk about the 'democratization' of film/video editing and post produtcion. Software-only applications such as Apple FCP and Avid Xpress Pro, as well as Adobe Premiere Pro (and After Effects), Pinnacle Systems Liquid Edition and Sony Vegas probably best represent this low cost trend in post." And a bit later, in talking about Cineform it mentions that their plug-ins for HD work with NLE's "including Sony Digital Media (Vegas software), Adobe Systems, Applied Magic, and others." Next line we all sort of know will happen anyway - "Adobe Premiere Pro and Sony Vegas will surely be demonstrating HD on one or more of the above formats." Goes on to talk baout the other HD/HDV NLE's being introduced. Mentions that the Sony booth's theme will be "Ride the HD Wave". The topic turns to "high end products" because of "Creative film editing" as it would relate to offline. Suprise - no mention of Vegas here. Mention of Avid, Quantel and BBC Technology. Also mention of Pinnacle's Liquid Editing for Workgroups and, what else, FCP. At least Sony's Xpri system only gets one brief mention - and it is only about interface: "...or the USB-based hardware controllers found on a Sony XPRI." All things considered Vegas was all over this piece. LOL!!
So here is a question that I don't expect to get any answer to. Why have a product like Vegas and not tell anyone about it? Lots of anti-ci-pa-tion (RHPS flashback - sorry) here in these forums but everywhere else Vegas is hardly a blip on the NAB radar screen it seems. And it is not all that much of a surprise because Sony pulled the press about it. The media can't write about what they don't know about right? Or maybe it was internal pressure from Sony HQ that Xpri needs the big push as it is Sony's big push into the world of NLE's, and hey, it is able to run on many different Windows based laptops!!! That is a good thing for us NLE users isn't it? (Irony intended)
On the other hand - no wonder Vegas is going to network rendering - Network editing seems to be the really big push overall, not only from what Kaminago says but from what the other company's are doing as well. That and HD.
Oh well - either way I am looking forward to seeing Vegas 5 either way. I just thought I would share the lack of Vegas mentions and maybe feed the flames of speculation more. Ain't I a stinker?
A side bar called "In Japan with Sony"
"While the catch phrase Ride the HD Wave covers the company's current marketing focus, Kozo Kaminago, president of Sony Broadcast & Professional, presented a portrait further down the road to 2010. He envisions a 'super broadcast world' where common access to high speed networks proliferate for consumer and professional alike. Running from 30mbs to 100mbs, these links allow HD-resolution content to move everywhere over a ubiquitous value network.' "
It goes on to talk about "Anycast" and XDCAM. Most of it is focusing on networking - "Segawa noted that Sony's XDCAM system will now be compatable with Avid's native MPEG IMX and DVCAM NLE's." Than it goes on to mention the "push into the NLE market with the 'reborn' Xpri (it now runs on a laptop as well as on high speed networks)". No mention of Vegas.
Than in the show preview - under editing...
"At NAB, expect crowds to develop around booths whose companies offer ever more capable lower cost edting software. Just a few of these 'pro' software only apps include Apple Final Cut Pro (FCP), Avid Xpress Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Sony Vegas." It goes on to talk about all the HD systems that companies will be previewing. Than it gets to hardware - lots of FCP hardware it seems. Seems Pinnacle is gearing up for network editing including a set up with Liquid Edition and Chrome that will interface directly with Sony's XDCAM. Than after a bit it slips back into the XPRI sytems. "Sony says a field based PDW-510 or PDW-530 camcorder in 25mbs DVCAM mode can fire low-res, frame accurate MPEG-4 proxy images over a high speed IP network to it at sppeds of up to 50 times realtime." Than the last comment under "Editing" may, or may not, apply to Vegas - "Sony and Avid will also announce metadata compatibility via MXF with Media Composer."
Another mag starts off talking about Sony being confidant that Betacam SP users will switch over to XDCAM. Also says that Sony is working on a lower cost version "aimed at the corporate market, and is rumored to be developing an HD version." Now in the run down of, supposedly, all the items being hyped - under "Nonlinear-Editing Systems" - you read all the usual people - Premiere Pro, Avid FCP and so on. Guess what is under Sony? XPRI Metastation and XPRI Mobile. Nothing else.
And yet another magazine goes through NAB and barely mentions anything Sony related in the editing section. But hey (!!!) it does mention Vegas - "At NAB, there is going to be a lot of talk about the 'democratization' of film/video editing and post produtcion. Software-only applications such as Apple FCP and Avid Xpress Pro, as well as Adobe Premiere Pro (and After Effects), Pinnacle Systems Liquid Edition and Sony Vegas probably best represent this low cost trend in post." And a bit later, in talking about Cineform it mentions that their plug-ins for HD work with NLE's "including Sony Digital Media (Vegas software), Adobe Systems, Applied Magic, and others." Next line we all sort of know will happen anyway - "Adobe Premiere Pro and Sony Vegas will surely be demonstrating HD on one or more of the above formats." Goes on to talk baout the other HD/HDV NLE's being introduced. Mentions that the Sony booth's theme will be "Ride the HD Wave". The topic turns to "high end products" because of "Creative film editing" as it would relate to offline. Suprise - no mention of Vegas here. Mention of Avid, Quantel and BBC Technology. Also mention of Pinnacle's Liquid Editing for Workgroups and, what else, FCP. At least Sony's Xpri system only gets one brief mention - and it is only about interface: "...or the USB-based hardware controllers found on a Sony XPRI." All things considered Vegas was all over this piece. LOL!!
So here is a question that I don't expect to get any answer to. Why have a product like Vegas and not tell anyone about it? Lots of anti-ci-pa-tion (RHPS flashback - sorry) here in these forums but everywhere else Vegas is hardly a blip on the NAB radar screen it seems. And it is not all that much of a surprise because Sony pulled the press about it. The media can't write about what they don't know about right? Or maybe it was internal pressure from Sony HQ that Xpri needs the big push as it is Sony's big push into the world of NLE's, and hey, it is able to run on many different Windows based laptops!!! That is a good thing for us NLE users isn't it? (Irony intended)
On the other hand - no wonder Vegas is going to network rendering - Network editing seems to be the really big push overall, not only from what Kaminago says but from what the other company's are doing as well. That and HD.
Oh well - either way I am looking forward to seeing Vegas 5 either way. I just thought I would share the lack of Vegas mentions and maybe feed the flames of speculation more. Ain't I a stinker?