Here's one of many threads I see that discusses Vegas as a higher end alternative to ProShow Gold for slideshows. Perhaps Sony should consider a special version of Vegas that focuses on this segment - perhaps bundle Ultimate S and other enhancements to make slideshows super easy.

-jerry

This weekend I was archiving some old video projects and ran across a few things might be nice enhancements to a future version of Vegas:

1. I received a message that an audio plugin is no longer installed. Unfortunately, the plugin is only identified by its GUID, so I have no idea what plugin has been removed - how about referencing it by name?

2. Add an "Archive Project" function that would extend "Save As" to let you optionally include any or all other resources such as fonts, themes, presets, etc. that were used (similar to the way MS Word gives you the option of embedding fonts in a document). Perhaps this should be part of Media Manager.

-jerry

I don't know why 0% is not a default option for Velocity points, but it should be. I use that way more often than -100%

Mr BK . .how about a USER "configurable" right click MENU? I think I posited this as a potential GUI advantage sometime back. G

I would love a hotkey that I could hold down to temporarily disable auto ripple when I move events.

Nick

Layer / Track Sets

Much like Photoshop can take a bunch of layers and make them a "set." I think that would come in handy when you have 30 tracks, 10 of which are doing a specific task, and you want to shrink those 10 down to 1 (just visually on the timeline, not completely combined in the project).

Nick, not sure if this will help or if you've tried but I use ripple edits enough that I have one of my trackball mouse buttons set up to toggle "Ripple" on and off, makes life much easier.

As for wishes, have I mentioned MOTION TRACKING ?

- Ray

www.undergroundplanet.com

I think Acid calls this concept folder tracks and yes, it would great in Vegas.

1. Resample child track media to original resolution when using track motion on the parent track. Track motion should be improved to keep original quality of sources, kinda like pan/crop (sometimes parent track event pan/crop cannot be used when you have lots pan/crops going on child track events as well).

2. Enhance the network rendering services to allow recovery when one of your rendering servers chokes. The user options on the network rendering services are just too thin today. I want the ability to recover renders on the fly without starting over. Or at least automate it so the stich host will kick-off re-renders of missing or incomplete files.

3. Improved/updated MPEG2 Codec. The MC codec is looking aged.

4. Improved rendering performance to HDV intermediates when you have multiple source media types. (I calculated my current 22 minute project would take 12 days to render/print to HDV tape with dual opteron 252's and two network renderers, one is even dual core!).

5. The obvious must have for V7 is scene detection when capturing HDV... dah.

6. A render pause button for both desktop and network rendering. (as already requested by many).

7. A native 64-bit version of Vegas 7 should be a must have. 64 Windows Vista will be main stream by the end of this year.

8. Umm, you better start testing Vegas for Windows Vista compatibility. I ran into major troubles with Vegas on build 5270. Most of these appeared to not be caused by Vista beta code, rather incompatibilities with Vegas, new codecs/drivers and security restrictions. Example, the default Vegas install fails because Vista does not allow non-program files to be created in the Programs Files folder - So the Sony Setup folder fails to create among other things. (The work around to remove this restriction in Vista is an experts only elevated mmc.exe fix).

SONY WILL NEED TO RELEASE A NEW VERSION OF VEGAS 6 (or 7) when Vista becomes available!

For those of you who wish to participate, I have started a new thread to separate the long standing requests from the others.

John

Keep it stable and lean. Keep it open, and in fact open it up more (support for Pana's HVX will be a big must). Fix the things that have been broken for a while now and are retreaded complaints with every number and letter upgrade (credit roll, for example).

And... keep adding the little treats that surprise the editor with fun fixes to common problems and workflow drudgery -- there were plenty in 6, just keep them coming :D

- jim

4. Improved rendering performance to HDV intermediates when you have multiple source media types. (I calculated my current 22 minute project would take 12 days to render/print to HDV tape with dual opteron 252's and two network renderers, one is even dual core!).

Why would you want to use HDV intermediates? If ever there was a format that should NOT be used for intermediates, this is it.

Let the Apple FCP users drink their KoolAid. Native HDV editing is a really bad idea that leads to a reduction in quality caused by multiple rerendering that is especially harmful in the HDV codec. Qualifies for the Darwin Awards.

Easiest would probably be to switch to the Cineform codec, and your 12 days of rendering might shrink to hours instead. And with this you should also get noticeably better quality in your final output format.

Uncompressed 4:2:2 is nice too if you've got the super-fast RAID setup for it.

Just for point of clarification:
Apple's engineering dept doesn't recommend editing native HDV, they recommend their very costly-to-design Apple Intermediary Code. (AIC)
Apple's marketing department recommends editing native HDV.

As far as the rest of Peter's intermediate request, only the HDV should be turned into an intermediary, no other media type should be.

Spot,

Thanks for the clarification, good to know that they haven't muzzled their engineers completely!

I'm wondering if it doesn't also make sense to use a 4:2:2 intermediate codec for NTSC 4:1:1 DV footage to get the best output quality, regardless of whether the final out is DVD or WMV9.

I have just had a very firm request for some documentary DV25 footage I shot years ago to be shown in a theater to a large audience.

I'd like it to look its very best (because artistically it is very nice and worth some extra effort), so I'm going to test various kinds of 4:2:2 chroma smoothing and uprezzing, looks like going to HD-WMV played from a computer will give the best result (better than uprezzing from DVD player).

Any tips for this is most welcome. I did read some old posts on this here, if anybody has additional experience I'll be thrilled.

Peter Said: "SONY WILL NEED TO RELEASE A NEW VERSION OF VEGAS 6 (or 7) when Vista becomes available!"

This is one of the best reasons to NOT want Vegas tied to third-party hardware.

Steve

This is one of the best reasons to NOT want Vegas tied to third-party hardware.

Unless the 3rd party hardware is just supporting standards such as OpenGL and the newer shaders.

In those cases you can be sure that they will get Vista support before Vegas gets it, because those manufacturers have vastly greater sales volume than Sony Media Software.

Of course it is entirely possible that Vegas 7 won't have this kind of render support, but then I wouldn't expect Vegas last beyond 2007, perhaps not even beyond the end of 2006.

It looks like 2006 will be the year of GL support in NLEs. Expect Apple to make this their big showcase FCP feature at NAB, and Premiere Pro to announce it also this spring/summer.

It is clear that the codec developers need to get involved in this, but Sony could accelerate this development in order to eliminate the #1 reason why many pro outfits have felt they had to reject Vegas in spite of its many attractions: unbelievably slow rendering.

You've seen it in this forum thousands of times, and in many other places as well.

If vegas could render as fast as it prerenders, then rendering itself this wouldnt be an issue.. in fact it would be faster then the "realtime" cards.. wihch at this time for DV, it actually IS faster..

rendering and realtime previewing is probably the biggest factor concerning sales.. believe me, im the guy who sells this stuff and to be honest, its rendering thats killing the sales.. not its effects, not its interface, not its workflow, not its lack of titler..

like i keep saying firewire can thurst 400mbp for HDV this is more than adequate for several streams.. but its not happening.. unless ur working with intermediate formats which si what u shoudl be doing anyway..

what Vegas needs is a piece of hardware, or a USB device which manages these larger streams of data.. whether they be in intermediate formats or native HDV, or even DVCProHD..

This will NEVER happen..
who knows how long Vegas has to live.. some comments on its lifespan have been made.. but who can say.. only April will say. and thats not far from now..

not everyone wil be using HDV for thier HD work and not everyone wants to keep upgrading their units just for that lil extra boost..
Not everyone wants to jump ship either.. in fact most of the users are coming to vegas..
How long this migration goes for, who knows..
Either way, much needs to be done.. even if it means taking a page out of apples books and creating proprietary codecs for editing MXF/HDV etc etc. for good realtime rendering times and playback..

i mean hell, FCP really isnt al that exciting when u consider what Vegas can do compared to the nuts and bolts of what FCP can do.. They just dont compare.

FCP IS good, but its only good due to the file structure of their codecs and the streaming of these said files on the timeline.
I mean explain to me how a DVCProHD stream can be laid across 4 timelines and played back without dropping a frame.. now this is ALL DONE IN SOFTWARE.. ther eis NO HARDWARE acceleration..
A mac G5 dual 2.4, with 4gb of ram did this wihtout dropping a beat..
Now tell me why Vegas, with a Dual DUAL CORE system and 8gb ram cant..

If Apple can do it, i dont see why Vegas cant.
Im not abotuto buy an Apple.. lol if i have to jump ship, id go to premiere, as its architecture at least allows me to bolt things into it as i need..

and believe me, if sony put some more development into their own codecs (like apple....), the dividends WILL pay off.... even if these codecs are for editing only... hell thats all we need..

If vegas could capture as native Cineform even... now u need to go out and buy all this other gear to get that function, but if Prem Pro can capture to native cineform, i dont see why Vegas cant..

thers alot that can be done with this software... believe me its actually THE most powerful editing suite on the market, when u consider WHAT it can do against what the other NLEs on the market cant..

If all NLEs had the same render time issues as Vegas, there would be no doubt that vegas would be at the top of everyones list.s

When u consider what u can DO with the program, the audio POWER and felxibility you have, i have NEVER seen an NLE which manages surround sound in the way vegas does. No seriosuly, the power within this beast is incredible and until one starts to manipulate EVERYTHING vegas has to offer, thenone should not comment on its shortcomings.. becuase in actuality the shortcomings are minimal
Moving on.. The video manipulation anf filter structure.. i mean cmon, hwich other NLE lets u build filters on different levels from clip to track to master??
The CLEAN filters, frame accurate trimming on the bloody timline.. the native deinterlacing and progressive scan support, the limitless project structure, the media managaer, using a second LCD to display HD work in full resolution with what u see is what u get results, the SPEED in which one can literally cut tens of hours on this thing so friggin fast its not funny.. This time saving in the actual editin phase makes up for the slow rendering.. THis is where these proprietary codeces come into play..

No sreiouly.. Vegas is a rock solid performer, no doubt about that, and if u havent learnt to live with its shortcmings, then maybe you should be jumping ship and stop complaining.

Yes things could be improved, but Sony themselves have a suggestion box for that.
and to be honest id rather send a message directly to them using this box which gives them an idea, as oppsed to them spending countless hours here fishing for ideas.. their time could be put to better use..

Motion tracking, motion tracking, and did I mention motion tracking. for the love of God, I ask for this every damn version. I don't give a rats *** about HDV, give me motion tracking. Even pinnacle puts it in their crappy NLE software.

Of course Vegas 7 is already done. Whether it is in beta testing is the question. Or, the real question is what do you want in Vegas 8.

Have a nice day.

sn

I agree. It is VERY likely that Vegas 7 is "frozen" and approaching final testable versions, if not already in Beta.

What you SHOULD be doing is making a wish/request list (not a gripe fest) of things you would like for version 8 and submitting it to SUGGESTIONS.

Oh, one suggestion. The SUGGESTION procedure is REALLY dumb, yea, I know, but use it anyway.

> "If Apple can do it, i dont see why Vegas cant."

Padre, I understand the DVCProHd shortcomings are because Panasonic has not yet co-operated with Sony as it has with Apple. It's their codec, don't blame Vegas.

but u see, DVCPro50 has been out for almost a decade now Vegas has been out for what 6 7 years? bought by sony about 2 yrs ago and still no DVCpro25 support..

this is what i mean.. whenther or not its a Sony vs Pana thing, i dont htink that comes to the fore, i think more than anything, (as i mentioned in anohter forum) Pana should offer their codecs to the developers..
Dont get me wrong, even if they dont give the native codecs, im sure Mainconcept or some other group would make a conversion tool, but if Pana want to sell cameras, theyd make it as easy to edit the format as possible and keep user "comfortable"
But like i said, if Pana dont do it, i dont see why Sony cant jstu go over their heads.. believe me, there are ALOT fo DVX100 users looking to upgrade, and teh fact that vegas is one of the few NLEs with true 24p support would either make or break Pana or Sony as the user WONT be able to have his fave NLE and HXV too so it will come to a choice. HVX and jump ship, or Vegas and another HD capable camera..
What i mean twith "if apple can do it" i mean that their managment of media does ALOT to boost the performance of teh system. I dont see SOny YUV formats boosting performance the way some of tehse quicktime shells do.. i dont know maybe im missing something??

Me, im sticking with my NLE as i spend much more time here than out in the field.... im willing to stick with M2t if i really have to... i dont like it, but if i got no choice what am i left with??

"Me, im sticking with my NLE as i spend much more time here than out in the field"

I feel the same. I know it sounds silly but Id rather stick with my NLE over specific gear any day. You can always find something that lets you accomplish what you need to even if its not possible in Vegas.

As an Avid user also, I am a hair away from dumping it altogether. I was totally ok with the specific qualified hardware requirements in the beginning because I didnt know nay better but anymore, simple features in Avid dont work all because I have an ATI card in the box instead of Nvidia.

I thinks thats why I love Vegas so much. You can throw the absolute cheapest hardware in a box and Vegas just runs. Plus, editing with Vegas just feels right. Though I wish we had two windows (one for source and one for output that would come in handy for color matching.)