There's no demo or screenshots on the Sonic web site for this product? It's feature list looks like a SoFo product, but without a demo how can one be sure?

If you really want to get into editing and you have the money get Vegas, no question. If you are serious about editing, you will outgrow Screenblast. If you just need a editing tool to make your personal videos look better, make some DVDs and don't want to spend a lot, get Screenblast. They are both excellent in their respective niches. Vegas's niche just happens to be a fully professional DV and audio editor.

Screenblast is indeed made by Sonic Foundry. It was a licensed version of Sofo's VideoFactory, I believe, that Sony repackaged even before Sony bought Sofo.

Assuming price is not a problem. If I get Vegas 4, what will I be missing?

I am not a pro by any means, in fact, I have not made any movies yet. I do not intend to be a pro either. All I want is to create good family videos and slideshows, with as little time spent as possible but with great quality. If Vegas can achieve these goals without great difficulty then I will get Vegas, if ScreenBlast is much easier then I will get Screenblast.

Assuming price is not a problem. If I get Vegas 4, what will I be missing?

I am not a pro by any means, in fact, I have not made any movies yet. I do not intend to be a pro either. All I want is to create good family videos and slideshows, with as little time spent as possible but with great quality. If Vegas can achieve these goals without great difficulty then I will get Vegas, if ScreenBlast is much easier then I will get Screenblast.

Wolverine,
Having come from Video Factory myself, recommend you get ScreenBlast as it will do most everything you will want to do. If you outgrow it, upgrade then. However, I started the same way a little over a year ago and here I am, using Vegas 4 and looking at adding DVD-A too. This hobby is infectious.
Aloha,
Randy

http://www.sonicfoundry.com/Products/showproduct.asp?PID=808&FeatureID=6901

Wolverine, go here and see what Vegas 4 has that Vegas 3 doesn't. Now consider that Vegas 3 is far more powerful than Screenblast. If some of those features appeal to you, get Vegas. If that list of features seems like gibberish, which is likely if you are new to editing, then get Screenblast.

The interface between Screenblast and Vegas is pretty the same. Vegas just has more tools and more power. Screenblast is limited to how many tracks a project can have. You should download the demo of Vegas and see how much you like it.

Simple answer is that VV has a lot more options as to what you can do. Screenblast Movie Studio 3 is sort of a "le" version of VV now. The "plus" side of SMS is that it comes with DVD authoring 'built in'.

I know there has been a lot said about SMS 3 and how it is not a cheaper version of VV but I just read this 2 days ago and thought it spoke volumes:

>>>What sets [Screenblast Movie Studio] apart from other products is a membership to the Screenblast website, which features Hollywood-quality film clips, ready made templates and backgrounds, and audio selections.

[Andrew] Schender [Senior VP and GM of Screenblast] says that Sony decided to introduce the combination of software and content in 2001 when "we saw traction in the NLE consumer market." It brought the first retail software to market in October 2002; the new version of Movie Studio adds DVD authoring with Sonic Foundry's Vegas engine at is core, as well as Windows Media 9 and Macromedia Flash SWF file support.<<<

You can download a demo from SoFo but from what I hear on the Video Factory/Screenblast thread people are not getting their demo codes sent to them.

I would recommend Screenblast for two reasons. First, there are wizards for format type and common tasks, plus the built-in tutorials will make your initial experience easier. You also won't have to understand the technology as well (it takes awhile to get up to speed) since you can just follow on-screen instructions.

In addition, about 70% (it used to be higher) of what I do in Vegas, I can do in VideoFactory/Screenblast. In fact, some items that Screenblasts includes weren't even in VideoFactory (chromakey, DVD capability, etc.). Plus, Screenblasts allows you to export to flash, a common Web format--and Vegas won't even allow that. When I first used VideoFactory 1.0, the 2.0 of VideoFactory (the previous equivalent to Screenblast) included the latest features, before they showed up in Vegas 3.0 quite awhile later--Vegas 4.0 ended that approach.

The second reason to get Screenblast, is the upgrade path should be cheaper than to buy Vegas. I found it cheaper to buy Videofactory (when I made the transition before 3.0) and then upgrade to Vegas, rather than to buy Vegas outright. I think the software cost about $80 street, and the upgrade used to be $150, so I could get into Vegas for about $220, which is cheaper than the Vegas street price--plus you have another app that you can install on the kid's machine (like I did mine).

Like most folks here, I started editing as a fun project, and it has since turned into an obsession. My obsession has since grossed about $10k so far this year in paid projects (not a full income like my day job), but enough to pay for my hobby (new GL2 camera, updates, upgraded system, etc.). See www.TheVideomaker.com.

I hope this helps.

That is scary!! Serously part of the reason I am also looking at ScreenBlaster is because it included DVD authorizing software. While for Vegas to get DVD Achive it will cost $200 additional $s.

Given your experience, which one do you prefer to work with now, Vegas 4 or Screenblaster?

That is very helpful. As you said, I really do not know the meaning of most of the features. But I guess I will learn!

I have been trying the Vegas demo for a few days and still do not have a hang on creating slideshows. The transitions were too fast and I have not figured out how to slow it down.

Another problem is that Vegas can not work with avi files from my Canon A70 digital camera. I assume Screenblaster will have the same problem.

Interesting.

>>>What sets [Screenblast Movie Studio] apart from other products is a membership to the Screenblast website, which features Hollywood-quality film clips, ready made templates and backgrounds, and audio selections.

Does this mean Vegas 4 do not have similar film clips?

>>>>as well as Windows Media 9 and Macromedia Flash SWF file support.<<<

Does this mean Vegas 4 does not support Windows Media 9 and Macromedia Flash SWF file ?