Update to V5 vs update to V4 - comparison

cheroxy wrote on 11/8/2003, 9:43 AM

I have seen multiple posts on this and other forums as to what people want in the next version of vegas. A few of those requests seem too important to be passed up by the programmers.

Was the situation similar "back in the day" with vegas video 3? Was adding things like the color correction tools a hot topic in the forum? Or, were people requesting things clear back then like having the video clip length change with velocity envelopes? Knowing how it was with the last update might give us an idea of what to expect with the next. Although, and hopefully, Sony might want to "step up" and have Vegas stay/increase as a dominant force in the professional market.

I imagine that the forums weren't as popular before Vegas 4 and therefore there weren't as many posts about requests for features in the next version. I hope that a lot of what we want in V5 will be there! I assume that Sony wants to be in direct competition with FCP and Adobe. I guess only time will tell.

Comments

Spot|DSE wrote on 11/8/2003, 10:50 AM

I'm quite certain that Sony isn't interested in being in competition w/Adobe. Sony is interested in continuing to be innovative.
Upgrades from V2 to V3, and from V3 to V4 were huge. I'm quite certain that the upgrade from V4 to V5 will be equally huge if not even moreso. No, I don't have inside knowledge I can hint at, disclose, or even aware of. But I do have a 12 year history with many of the folks at Sony, formerly SOFO.
Vegas has made a tremendous leap since version 2.0 (version 1 was audio-only) and will continue to do so, rest assured.
Don't count on seeing clip length change with Velocity filters though. Doing so would be counter productive in *most* situations, because not only does it run counter to how high end apps do this, but it's also non-sensible in the editing state. (I've got my length of time defined for this event, don't play with my timeslices sort of thought)
The engineers have ALWAYS listened to what users have had to say, clear back to when I first got the Vegas forum on the WWUG, now known as the DMN, going back to before there was even a Vegas Video, and now Vegas app. Engineers spend a lot of time in these forums and in those forums, and interact closely with users. Real world users, both soccer dads and broadcast editors. That's GOT to be tough.

craftech wrote on 11/9/2003, 9:49 AM

My guess is that there will be large improvements in the audio capabilities since Sony/SF has a long running thread in the Vegas Audio forum asking them what they would like to see in Vegas 5. They currently do not have such a thread in this forum.

John

BillyBoy wrote on 11/9/2003, 10:38 AM

SPOT said: "I'm quite certain that Sony isn't interested in being in competition w/Adobe."

Sorry buddy, I think they are. While the purchase price of the SoFo line ($19 million) was pocket change to a giant corporation like Sony, I don't think they bought it just because they already had their foot in the door with licensing rights to Vegas' little brother Video Factory which they were selling under their band for sometime before the SoFo deal.

I think Sony grabbed the whole SoFo line to get the developement team which they now have. Most of us have the highest respect for the original SoFo software engineers and what they did with Vegas and other SoFo products. However I always got the impression they were working on a shoestring budget. Now that they ar working for Sony, that has very deep pockets I think they will challenge Adobe and everyone else. How far down the road, who knows. I suspect version 5 of Vegas is going to be every bit as much an improvement over 4 as 4 was over 3. If not to go after the big boys more agressively, then why?

cheroxy wrote on 11/9/2003, 1:16 PM

I may have to politely disagree about not wanting to change clip length with a velocity envelope. If I trim a clip to show a person bouncing a ball once and then decide to show it in slow motion, I add the envelope. Without the clip length change and a velocity change to 50% I only get half of the bounce. I have to then drag/extend the clip back to the end of the bounce.
Furthermore, If after watching the entire bounce I feel it is a little too fast or too slow I need to change it. I then have to redrag the clip to the proper length. This can be frustrating when doing things like a blooper tape and wanting to replay things in slo-mo.

Now, I say may have to disagree because I could be going about this wrong. If there is a better way to what I desire, anybody feel free to let me know. A faster, simpler way to the same high quality is always my goal.
thanks

stormstereo wrote on 11/9/2003, 2:04 PM

craftech wrote on 11/9/2003, 3:15 PM

Well craftech, there's been several threads about peoples wishes for Vegas 5. I've sent a lot of product suggestions for the next version from under the support menu. Everyone should let Sony know what they want in the next upgrade/version/build. If they read it in a forum thread they might not take note.
==========================

The original poster wanted to know what we thought Vegas 5 might have. My reasoning that they were going to improve the audio portion was because Sony/SF posted the question THEMSELVES in the audio forum and I didn't see Sony/SF post that question here on the video forum. Requests by Vegas users are not what I based the statement (suggestion) upon. By all means we should all post away about our desires for the next version, but I see no way of making an educated guess about what will be in it because there aren't any subtle hints or clues from Sony/SF. I considered the question they posted on the audio forum a subtle hint and passed it along to the original poster.

I certainly admit that I could be way off base.

John

stormstereo wrote on 11/10/2003, 1:46 AM

Ok, I see what you mean. Didn't know 'bout the Sony post. And I got the "thought" & "might" mixed up with "want" & "wish".
Best/Tommy

PeterWright wrote on 11/10/2003, 4:01 AM

cheroxy, if all you want to do is slow down or speed up an event uniformly, Ctrl / drag the edge - done, including changing length.

The velocity envelope is for graduated changes or "ramps", including the ability to reverse. Doing a gradual slow down, maybe followed by a short pause in motion, then speeding up backwards before pausing and coming forwards at breakneck speed - how long should that event be? Very hard to be automatic, but easy to do manually.

farss wrote on 11/10/2003, 4:19 AM

Peter,
you're right on the money with this on. Why does this keep coming up?
Whenerver I've had cause to do a speed change I go one step further, I render out to a new clip and bring it back in, how else can you get a good idea of how it's going to look. At times this takes a bit of fiddling to get it just right but this isn't as simple as a dissolve.

wcoxe1 wrote on 11/11/2003, 3:15 PM

Things I'd like to see in V5? A better and much easier to use Noise reduction included in the basic V5 package.

I get the feeling that there may be soon more than one Vegas, at different levels and price points. ALL of them should, by now, contain a much refined and easier to use Noice Reduction.

Don't like the idea of different levels and price points, but that is the feeling I am getting. Perhaps by introducing a new "package with a new name." I think it a good way to alienate many of the users.

jaegersing wrote on 11/12/2003, 1:30 AM

I suppose it keeps coming up because some people feel the present way is not very good? Personally, I find that it is difficult to make precise speed changes synchronised to one part of an event, and then adjust the speed of another part without screwing up the sync of the first part.

All right, I accept that part of the problem could be me, and that there are workarounds that we can use to get the job done. I certainly don't curse Sony/SoFo for their Vegas implementation of a feature that other NLEs don't even offer, but I think it is quite valid for users to "wish" for improvements in this area. And after all, if Sony DO manage to improve the speed change user interface it will benefit everybody, even those who currently say it is too difficult.

Richard Hunter

craftech wrote on 11/23/2003, 3:41 AM

The audio wishlist is up to 150 posts as of now:

http://www.mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=214828&Replies=150&Page=1

Arecent comment in that thread by a Sony Rep:

"Rest assured, the Vegas audio team is paying very close attention to this list. I read about twice a week, and would not be surprised if others on the team read it even more frequently."

John