For me, two features alone make it a good thing - Native XD Cam EX handling, and "includes support for still images greater than one gigapixel in resolution"
I've paid. This for me was a no-brainer. Still image size increase, XDCAM EX compatibility, maybe they fixed 32bit, Velvetmatter FX now added, multi-channel audio add from trimmer. Are you kidding? $240 is cheap and Sony has been very gracious with their updates. I'm a believer. Remember when everyone just a few months ago were singing about the end of Vegas?
With the exception of Nick Hope, it looks like a lot of people got what they asked for...
I'm going to wait another day or two before I purchase the upgrade to see if Sony sends out their typical upgrade discount e-mail.
In the meantime, here's a few more significant new features:
New! 4K support for frame sizes up to 4096x4096
New! Support for capturing directly to XDCAM-compatible MXF files from supported SDK sources
New! Automatic source media adjustment for working with mismatched media
New! Enhanced 32-bit floating point video levels mode designed to work like 8-bit mode but with the precision needed for 10-bit and higher sources and render formats
New! Gradient wipe transition
New! Glint, Rays, Defocus, Starburst, Soft Contrast, and Fill Light video effects
New! Place and edit audio without quantizing to frame boundaries, while still quantizing video edits
New! Multichannel audio adds from Trimmer Window
New! Includes native 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Vegas Pro software
New! Enhanced user interface with layout presets
New! Impressive lighting effects including Glint, Rays, and Fill Light
New! Darker color palette UI for optimized viewing
New! Audio Mixing and Color Correction default layouts
New! Browse XDCAM EX and AVCHD contents in Device Explorer
New! Native XDCAM EX reading and import
New! Support for gigapixel size pictures
New! Read and save DPX, OpenEXR, and Microsoft HD Photo formats
New! Open and edit RED ONE™ files on the timeline
New! Device Explorer for AVCHD and XDCAM EX devices
Disappointed there's no improvements for accelerateion - CUDA! Doesn't say it has improved support for AVCHD?
Why do they preorder? Surely it's available today - seems a bit lame to wait several weeks from something that should be available now.
How long will the special stay available and what's the savings vs the regular price for an upgrade normally? Doesn't seem to have much that I want - may wait for some more details from users experience - Pro 8 has lots of Bugs - hopefully 9 has fixed.
Not complaining at all. If you use a RED or an XDCAM EX camera then it's a great upgrade and extremely good value. Likewise if you use lots of effects, which I don't.
Is there something else I missed? If 10-bit now finally works reliably that's great, but I'm not sure I need it.
I upgraded to Vegas Pro 8 a month ago at the special price that used to be the intro upgrade price of new releases - around $150.
Since there is no special upgrade price for me (even though it's been only a month), and this intro price is $100 more than it used to be with nothing I am really interested in (not even an update to the Vegas 2.0 Credit Roll Generator), I guess I'll stick with Vegas Pro 8.
I hope this thread doesn't turn into a bunch of bitching about what isn't included in the new release. Any two of the new features I listed above will get me to upgrade.
Unlike v8.0c and v8.1, I suspect that the new 32bit and 64bit versions will have come from the same code base and have identical features. I am curious if they have dealt with the 32bit plugins and codecs not being available in the 64bit version. This limitation wasn't really a deal breaker for me, but I am curious nonetheless.
I'm particularly struck by the combination of 4k support, native RED ONE file support and the enhanced 32-bit floating point mode, this should certainly get the attention of the higher-end users. Vegas Pro just got a lot more pro.
", I suspect that the new 32bit and 64bit versions will have come from the same code base and have identical features."
Interesting. I was going to ask if we will still be permitted to run both versions at the same time, but what you suggest makes sense and there may not be a need. I just hope they have worked out 32 bit integration in the 64 bit version. That's pretty much the only reason I'm on the 32 bit version.... I have a lot of dollars invested in 32bit plugins.
'Unlike v8.0c and v8.1, I suspect that the new 32bit and 64bit versions will have come from the same code base and have identical features."
That would be great - I'd like to have full 1920x1080 AVCHD capability in the 64 bit version - if it works bug free that's worth the upgrade price to me.
"New! Includes native 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Vegas Pro software
Does this mean an unified exe-file that works either in 32 or 64 bit format - depending of your OS? Or does it mean two different installs?
I hope that those that "knew but could not talk" - now can talk more freely ??? :)
All in all - nice to see some progress after all this waiting. Keeping my fingers crossed that the major old problems are fixed. Only that alone would make an upgrade worth the spending... Ok - I have also ordered :)
I like the support for Gigapixel images. Means my Canon 5D images should be a breeze to handle in projects, even the panoramas. This might also mean the Vegas memory issues have been fixed. I also hope that enhanced 32-bit means 32-bit that actually works.