Vegas Pro 8.0a and DV Arch 4.5a Released today

jrazz wrote on 10/17/2007, 4:10 PM

WOOHOOO!
Bluray to DVD!

2.0 What’s New
Notable fixes/changes in version 8.0a
Added the ability to burn Blu-ray video to DVD recordable discs (added 8 Mbps MPEG-2 and AVC rendering templates).
Added support for the Matrox uncompressed codecs with optional alpha channel (for SD, use 720x480 or 720x576; for HD, use 1280x720 or 1920x1080).
Added support for reading QuickTime files using the BitJazz SheerVideo codec.
Added a General tab to the Event Properties and Media Properties dialogs. You can use this tab to view information about a media file.
Added default volume names to burned Blu-ray Discs.
Improvements and bug fixes for reading HDV and AVCHD formats, including support for additional consumer AVCHD camcorder files.
Fixed a problem that could cause video and audio glitches when using MXF files that do not contain Length metadata (such as clips captured from E-VTR decks).
Fixed a bug in the AAF import to support certain Automatic Duck AAF files.
Bug fixes for no-recompress long-GOP rendering (smart rendering).
Fixed an issue with rendered output that could occur when multicamera editing mode is enabled.
Fixed a crash that could occur when closing Vegas Pro if certain third-party MJPEG codecs are installed.
Fixed a crash that could occur when selecting an ACID project file in the Vegas Pro Explorer window.
Fixed a crash related to reverse playback in projects with multiple busses.
Fixed a bug that prevented media rotation from invalidating prerendered video.
Fixed an issue with renaming files from the Vegas Pro Explorer when the Hide extension for known file types check box was selected in the Windows Vista Folder Options dialog.
Fixed a problem that could cause problems when previewing FLAC files from the Media Manager.
Fixed an issue reading certain H.264 HD QuickTime files.
Fixed a bug that prevented subclips from being created from media that required an audio proxy.
Fixed a crash that could occur in the ProType titler after changing the style of automated text.
Fixed crash that could occur in the ProType titler when navigating to child element.
Fixed a problem that could cause green or pink areas and/or banding in certain Sony AVC renders.
Fixed an issue with post-fader metering when using 5.1 surround master bus plug-ins.
Corrected the master bus insert FX chain to default to post-fader gain for new projects.
Fixed an issue that prevented the Chorus plug-in from following tempo settings.
Corrected field order of MPEG-2 Blu-ray rendering templates.
Fix an issue conforming XDCAM HD projects from non-FAM drive letters.
Fixed the name of the Cut away section setting in the Method drop-down list in the Cooke Cutter plug-in.
Fixed a crash that could occur when accessing optical drive functions if your Windows user account is a member of a large number of groups.
Fixed a crash that could occur when opening a new project while an Audio Plug-In property page was open.
Fixed an issue playing back subclips or reversed events with FLAC-format audio.
Fixed an issue with the locations of rendered markers in MPEG-2 Transport Stream files.
Fixed an issue that could cause Event Media Markers from MPEG-2 Transport Stream files to all be displayed at frame 0.
Scripting changes have been posted to the Vegas scripting forum.

JJKizak wrote on 10/17/2007, 4:33 PM

Wow!
JJK

jrazz wrote on 10/17/2007, 4:33 PM

The veg files have a new icon too. Looks nice.

j razz

jrazz wrote on 10/17/2007, 4:33 PM

The veg files have a new icon too. Looks nice.

j razz

john-beale wrote on 10/17/2007, 4:37 PM

> Added the ability to burn Blu-ray video to DVD recordable discs (added 8 Mbps
MPEG-2 and AVC rendering templates).

So, for those of us a few steps back on the technology curve... what does this mean? Is there any use for Blu-ray video on DVD-R discs? Is that a "standard" format in the sense that there are consumer-affordable set-top players that can read this type of disc?

I've been shooting HDV for several years now but I am still awaiting a way to generate high-def DVDs that I can burn myself, and don't need a standalone PC to play back. Is this the answer?

John_Cline wrote on 10/17/2007, 4:44 PM

You'll still need a BluRay player to view these discs. Currently, the least expensive player, the Sony BDP-300, can be found for just a little over $400.

The only advantage to being able to burn BluRay on DVD media is if your project is under 4.7gig you don't have to use an $11 BluRay blank disc. Of course, when burning BluRay discs out of Vegas, there will be no menus. I'm going to have to experiment with this a bit and see how many BluRay players will even recognize BluRay format on DVD media.

xberk wrote on 10/17/2007, 4:45 PM

>>I've been shooting HDV for several years now but I am still awaiting a way to generate high-def DVDs that I can burn myself, and don't need a standalone PC to play back. Is this the answer?
------------------------------------------------------
See this thread for a discussion of HiDef-DVD possibles..

xberk wrote on 10/17/2007, 4:55 PM

Added a General tab to the Event Properties and Media Properties dialogs. You can use this tab to view information about a media file.

This is cool. This information was available in explorer but not in event properties.
Very helpful to me.

Download and upload went flawlessly for VP8.0a. ..

jrazz wrote on 10/17/2007, 5:00 PM

Well, I just tested out the smart render and it works. No artifacts at scene splits or fades. I notice now (I didn't notice this before) that it will now encode while compressing the end of an event and the beginning of an event that are butted up against eachother.

Of note: I used 3 events. 2 overlapped and 1 butted against the other.

Nero showtime would play the encode all the way through. Media Player Classic would not make it past the first event. It would go right up to where the fade in to the next event was to begin and the scrubber would return to the beginning and it would pause. I would be curious to know what is going on with this. I can also add that it does encode with compression the fade and apparently something is happening on the parts that it recompresses vs the parts that it does not that made for this issue.

j razz

TheHappyFriar wrote on 10/17/2007, 7:47 PM

32-bit 3d alpha track motion still doesn't work. must be a bigger issue then I thought. :)

Xander wrote on 10/17/2007, 8:22 PM

My project still crashes on render in 32bit mode, i.e. almost instantly upon pressing the Render As...m2t button. 8bit mode still has no problems. 32bit mode bug fixes must be targeted for v8.0b.

StormMarc wrote on 10/17/2007, 9:37 PM

I crash whenever trying 32bit mode as well. I'm using Neo files.

Marc

MRe wrote on 10/18/2007, 1:55 AM

Fixed an issue with post-fader metering when using 5.1 surround master bus plug-ins.
Sigh. Thought that this would've fixed my problem of LFE level not showing on BUS even when surround master shows it ok.

Minor bug, not affecting anything, but I've paid for all functioning meters... Need to update my support req.

NickHope wrote on 10/18/2007, 5:29 AM

HDV smart rendering is rock solid so far for me. Also an HDV file on my timeline that was crashing 7.0e is no problem for 8.0a.

And all with a couple of weeks to go before the upgrade offer deadline. I'm happy.

Wolfgang S. wrote on 10/18/2007, 5:30 AM

"So, for those of us a few steps back on the technology curve... what does this mean? Is there any use for Blu-ray video on DVD-R discs? Is that a "standard" format in the sense that there are consumer-affordable set-top players that can read this type of disc?"

Yes, that is a great feature, since you are able to burn videos of significant length to a 4.3 GB DVD or DL-DVD, if you use AVC. And Blu Ray Player are able to read that more likely then BD-R, at the moment. And there is no difference between the quality of such discs, compared to BD-R disc, if you use similar data rates. For mpeg2-HD the data rate had to be reduced, otherwise Blu Ray players will fail to playback such disks in a correct way.

Wolfgang S. wrote on 10/18/2007, 5:31 AM

"Well, I just tested out the smart render and it works. No artifacts at scene splits or fades"

"HDV smart rendering is rock solid so far for me. Also an HDV file on my timeline that was crashing 7.0e is no problem for 8.0a."

That is great, at the end we got it.

NickHope wrote on 10/18/2007, 5:59 AM

I'm noticing something weird but really fantastic in 8.0a...

Smart rendering is turning "Sony" HDV m2t files into "MainConcept" HDV m2t files but there is no performance hit in the playback of the rendered files. Looks like they've dramatically improved the playback performance of the MainConcept MPEG-2 codec for HDV m2t files. I'm getting 25fps Best (Full) previews on my archived HDV files, all of which are handled by the MainConcept mcplug.dll codec. This is really wonderful.

p.s. If you don't know the background of this codec issue see this thread:

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=554622&Replies=19

blink3times wrote on 10/18/2007, 6:10 AM

HDV smart rendering is rock solid so far for me. Also an HDV file on my timeline that was crashing 7.0e is no problem for 8.0a.

Yup! Works for me too. No crashing so far... it's even working with HDVsplit again...and no recompression works great! There is a real noticable difference (on the plus side) with no recompress.

The scene splitting on vegas capture however does not seem to be fixed (for me anyway). I am still scene splitting about 3 frames late. But that's okay... as long as HDVsplit is working again with no crashing, it's not a problem

It still seems to be much slower in the "best" quality render setting. V7's "best" setting is about the same speed as V8's "good" setting. Don't know if that's good or bad, but V8's best setting really slows down pretty good.... but then with NO RECOMPRESS... you can probably leave it set at "good" anyway since only transitions/effects are being rendered.

A good step in the right direction..... thanks Sony!

smithvideo wrote on 10/18/2007, 7:10 AM

Just for kicks, I opened a project in V Pro 8.0a that I had almost finished editing in Vegas 7. Opened right up and the thing that really impressed me was preview playback in that particular V7 project was a little jumpy for some reason, but upon opening it in VPro 8.0a, it played back flawlessly. Probably would have been the same in VPro8 before the update, but either way, I'm sure glad I upgraded.

NickHope wrote on 10/18/2007, 7:55 AM

Any black frames yet then folks? Been cutting HDV in 8.0a for a few hours now and haven't seen one yet.

bruceo wrote on 10/18/2007, 9:29 AM

I had significant black frame issues on numerous computers with V7e. After 4-5 long form projects since V8 I have not noticed a black frame.

john-beale wrote on 10/18/2007, 12:31 PM

Sony Support just replied to my .m2t clip crashing bug in 7e with the below info:
---------
Thanks for replying. I can confirm the error that you are seeing in Vegas 7.0e. We will not be releasing any further updates to version 7 of the program.

However, the issue has been resolved in Vegas Pro 8.0a. If you have not already done so, please download a trial of Vegas Pro 8 and try importing the clip. You will find that the error has been resolved.
---------

John_Cline wrote on 10/18/2007, 1:02 PM

This latest version of Vegas has followed the tradition of all the versions before: Sony releases a new version of Vegas that's about 95% solid. After it gets released into the "wild", issues come up which couldn't necessarily be caught in beta testing, bug reports get submitted, our friends in Madison get busy dealing with these issues and about a month later, the first update vesion gets released and it's back up to the 99.9% solid application that we all know and love. Version 8.0a is the best Vegas yet.

Now, back to work...

John

bruceo wrote on 10/18/2007, 1:11 PM

Jbeale. If you are primarily working in HDV V8a is a must 7e is toooo problematic