Don't be too quick to jump to the wrong conclusion. Yes I too feel V8 isn't as stable as previous versions however;

I started out years ago trying to use Avid's free Express DV. Damn thing wouldn't even talk to my D8 camera, what a POS I thought.

So I went to a 'borrowed' copy of PPro. Finally got my first project done although it did crash pretty regularly. Really didn't like the absense of audio tools so I went to V4. All was goodness and light.

Over the years I've been running a number of other apps on that same machine and they too have odd, frustrating crashes.

Bought myself a system built by one of the top integrators in the country, cost a bundle but here's the thing. None of those apps that crash on my first machine crash on it.

Conclusion. All along Vegas has been running just fine on dodgy hardware. Not a surprise to me really, I've seen the same thing on minicomputers I used to work on. A machine with a dodgy bit of RAM would run for years until they loaded new code that used that bit of RAM and then all hell would break loose.

And getting back to that Avid software. Now that I understand more about this game, I understand why Avid are particular about what you try to use their software with. Even their free software can do a trick that Vegas couldn't but unless the hardware is qualified it isn't reliable.

And sure, there's a lot to like about CS3 but it's a monster and you do need rock solid hardware and plenty of it to give the monster room to breathe.

Bob.

I have been using Vegas since v4 and used each version since then. Vegas 8 has been stable for me in 8 bit mode. I constantly get crashes in 32 bit mode on rendering. I did open up a support ticket with Sony and uploaded some project files. Sony was able to re-create the issue so hopefully a fix will make it into 8.0b. If this bug can be fixed, then I will be happy.

My projects nowadays involve a lot more compositing than they used to, mostly due to the increase in experience I have acquired over the years, hence why a working 32 bit would be great. I have alleviated the problem slightly by off-loading a lot of the motion graphics design to After Effects. As such, I can still work in 8 bit mode for the moment without a huge quality loss.

I hear you farss. My first serious corporate "micro" computer was an Apple II, and my first serious corporate LAN was running Banyan Vines. Prior to that our local environment consisted of System 36s, AS400s, and an assortment of Pertec, Harris, Burroughs, and Unisys equipment. As far as true distributed computing goes, I've been involved from the beginning at the machine code level up through the executive ranks. And...

There is never a good excuse for "buggy" software, especially software that in a previously life had been for the most part "bug free". I have found three unacceptable NEW problems with Vegas 8.0A which did not exist in 6.0d, and they are so visible that I can't believe they slipped through the cracks. And that is what I have a problem with. I didn't only buy Vegas, but the backend development team as well. And if I think another team somewhere is more qualified and commited, that is where I will go. That may or may NOT be Adobe. We'll see.

But Sony needs to get their act together on several fronts for me to embrace them as I once did a decade ago. They have become 2nd rate in so many markets. All I know is, long term, Adobe seems to be coming together, and Sony seems to be falling apart.

Any argumentative input would be appreciated.

"Any argumentative input would be appreciated. "

None from me at all.
System 36, wow, that brings back some memories. I'm typing this on a keyboard that's pretty much an IBM keyboard from that era. Nothing since comes close or is remotely as robust.

Bob.

>>>Any argumentative input would be appreciated.<<<

Version 8 hasn't crashed once, captures Canon 24pf footage fine, no black frames anywhere, can get low, very low, latency when recording mutitrack audio at 96/24 without hickups.

Maybe I'm just a lucky bastard, but I have seen absolutely none of the problems others are reporting ( like a couple of examples above ).

deusx,

The more you ask the software to do for you within the framework of what the company proclaims it can do, the more likely you are to uncover some issues. It is still one of the best out there, but its usability, performance and stability ratings are falling while their competitors' are rising.

Happy holidays!

I got 6 and 8 still running 6 until version c or d of 8 comes out. I wish they would just take their time and get it right on the first shot.

There are still problems with Vegas 8a and I do get crashes every now and then, but it's a vastly different animal than version 6 or 7, particularly in the HDV world. There are things you can do with 8 that simply can not be done in previous versions... and there are bigger changes to come with things like the alignment with the increased memory management from Vista64, and the Vegas64 thing.....

The problems in version 8 I think are to be expected when such dramatic changes are incorporated, and I'm pretty confident they'll get it all working properly.