Vegas Pro 20 has a free trial. There have been several stability improvements, and more updates are on the way.

My system is wimpy compared to yours, an i5 with onboard graphics.

As far as AI and GPU-assisted plugins, use the Studio version of your Nvidia drivers.

I recently upgraded my desktop to 12 cores, 32GB RAM, and a 4090 with 24GB RAM.

This is your chance to retain me as a customer and convince me that either there is a fix for my Vegas, or convince me that Vegas Pro 20 will work differently and that you have addressed these specific problems.

I upgraded to 40 series GPU at same time I switched to VP20 build 402/403. It is unstable and crashes as is the meme with Vegas crashing all the time, but nothing out of the usual, to be expected basically for anyone that's used Vegas for a while.

Annoyingly with VP20 before builds 402/403 I was having least amount of crashes ever. Possible reasons for the crashing is that build 402/403 is a dud, there is a fault with how Vegas upgrades to the new build causing the crashes, the 40 series GPU is not fully compatible with Vegas so it's the GPU causing the crashing.

You can try the trial version of VP20 b403(Latest) and see if it improves stability over VP19. Make sure to come back to let us know

Vegas Pro 20 has a free trial. There have been several stability improvements, and more updates are on the way.

My system is wimpy compared to yours, an i5 with onboard graphics.

As far as AI and GPU-assisted plugins, use the Studio version of your Nvidia drivers.

Yeah, because I'm a developer for Deforum Stable Diffusion, I have updated Studio drivers. I guess I'll have to use the trial and find out.

But, even with disabled GPU features, it crashes...

I recently upgraded my desktop to 12 cores, 32GB RAM, and a 4090 with 24GB RAM.

This is your chance to retain me as a customer and convince me that either there is a fix for my Vegas, or convince me that Vegas Pro 20 will work differently and that you have addressed these specific problems.

I upgraded to 40 series GPU at same time I switched to VP20 build 402/403. It is unstable and crashes as is the meme with Vegas crashing all the time, but nothing out of the usual, to be expected basically for anyone that's used Vegas for a while.

Annoyingly with VP20 before builds 402/403 I was having least amount of crashes ever. Possible reasons for the crashing is that build 402/403 is a dud, there is a fault with how Vegas upgrades to the new build causing the crashes, the 40 series GPU is not fully compatible with Vegas so it's the GPU causing the crashing.

You can try the trial version of VP20 b403(Latest) and see if it improves stability over VP19. Make sure to come back to let us know

This would all make sense to me if I hadn't had all of the same issues with both laptops, with my desktop using a 3060 12GB, and with the 4090 24GB. This is why I am dubious about any claims that it could be system-dependent. I see the same bugs on all platforms.

I use it a lot still, but I have to know what to stay away from, and limit myself to the tools that actually work right.

Text/titling doesn't necessarily crash, but it is extremely slow, esp if using any shadow, to the point where it seems like a bug to me. Basically, you can feel the interface getting weird... the instant you see a red preview it's usually already crashed. If it isn't you should save and close... because it is corrupted and will crash.

I've been very dubious about the AI engine, so if they've updated that, I guess I'll have to just try it.

Of course, if you want to crash, just set quality for preview to Good... stay below that and it crashes less... it obviously has rendering issues, and GPU acceleration does me no good, personally. I mean, you don't even really see a difference if you disable all the GPU stuff in the special boot menu.

Thanks for the response... I guess I'll try it.

It would be nice to know about the media you are using and what Vegas finds when it detects your GPU (find this here: C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\VEGAS Pro\20.0\gpu_video_x64.log). or C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\VEGAS Pro\19.0\gpu_video_x64.log

 

You can try the trial version of VP20 b403(Latest) and see if it improves stability over VP19. Make sure to come back to let us know

This would all make sense to me if I hadn't had all of the same issues with both laptops, with my desktop using a 3060 12GB, and with the 4090 24GB. This is why I am dubious about any claims that it could be system-dependent. I see the same bugs on all platforms.

For complex projects I get the feeling crashing never went away, and the old advice is still given, about cutting large projects into multiple smaller projects and sticking the videos together. For basic projects though I can attest that VP20b216 was the most stable VegasPro i"ve ever used. Doing very simple edits that involved a few clips and some OBS recordings with pan/crop would always randomly crash but on VP19 builds past b550, and especially VP20b216 crashes were so unheard off, when they did happen it came as a surprise rather then expected, would have had less than 10 crashes using it on a daily basis.

Due to Vp20b216 being so stable for me (rtx 3080 GPU then) I never upgraded to VP20b370, but it was also considered stable by many. When I moved to VP20b403 that's when old crashing Vegas returned filling me with nostalgia and memories of thousands of Vegas crashes before. It was just like the old days, and it still is. I never tried the 3080 though, only 4080 and 4090. That's why I wonder if it is the 40 series GPU's responsible, but really have no idea.

I use it a lot still, but I have to know what to stay away from, and limit myself to the tools that actually work right.

Text/titling doesn't necessarily crash, but it is extremely slow, esp if using any shadow, to the point where it seems like a bug to me. Basically, you can feel the interface getting weird... the instant you see a red preview it's usually already crashed. If it isn't you should save and close... because it is corrupted and will crash.

Vegas;s problem is as if it's 'pipes' carrying data are very small and get overloaded very easily, and unfortunately this is even true when it's exchanging data with the GPU, It reminds me of the Nvidia rtx4060ti debacle with it's main problem being it's very small slow memory bus. It doesn't matter how fast the CPU and GPU(raster) is, it's the Vegas version of the slow memory bus that is the main problem in many aspects including 32bit float processing, masking, feathering, titles, high resolution photos, color grading module, high resolution/high frame rate video etc.

I've been very dubious about the AI engine, so if they've updated that, I guess I'll have to just try it.

There's another bug with AI falling back to use CPU instead of GPU. If you experience that, and you know you have the AI models installed for VP20b403 try turning GPU processing off in prefs/video, restart, turn GPU processing on, restart.

I mean, you don't even really see a difference if you disable all the GPU stuff in the special boot menu.

GPU processing makes a noticeable difference with speed and less CPU resources required , but Vegas's slow render engine reduces how fast Vegas can communicate with the GPU. I will never turn off my GPU in Vegas even though it's most likely the reason for the stability problems though I often have GPU decoding of H.264 turned off, as Vegas timeline lags less playing over edit points and transitions .

It would be nice to know about the media you are using and what Vegas finds when it detects your GPU (find this here: C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\VEGAS Pro\20.0\gpu_video_x64.log). or C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\VEGAS Pro\19.0\gpu_video_x64.log

Maybe you missed the part where I said I had the same issues on two different laptops with different GPUs, my desktop with a 3060 12GB, then upgraded desktop CPU and RAM and now have 4090 24GB. Seems pointless to see which GPU it's detecting. I presume that part was fine.

 

You can try the trial version of VP20 b403(Latest) and see if it improves stability over VP19. Make sure to come back to let us know

This would all make sense to me if I hadn't had all of the same issues with both laptops, with my desktop using a 3060 12GB, and with the 4090 24GB. This is why I am dubious about any claims that it could be system-dependent. I see the same bugs on all platforms.

For complex projects I get the feeling crashing never went away, and the old advice is still given, about cutting large projects into multiple smaller projects and sticking the videos together. For basic projects though I can attest that VP20b216 was the most stable VegasPro i"ve ever used. Doing very simple edits that involved a few clips and some OBS recordings with pan/crop would always randomly crash but on VP19 builds past b550, and especially VP20b216 crashes were so unheard off, when they did happen it came as a surprise rather then expected, would have had less than 10 crashes using it on a daily basis.

Due to Vp20b216 being so stable for me (rtx 3080 GPU then) I never upgraded to VP20b370, but it was also considered stable by many. When I moved to VP20b403 that's when old crashing Vegas returned filling me with nostalgia and memories of thousands of Vegas crashes before. It was just like the old days, and it still is. I never tried the 3080 though, only 4080 and 4090. That's why I wonder if it is the 40 series GPU's responsible, but really have no idea.

I use it a lot still, but I have to know what to stay away from, and limit myself to the tools that actually work right.

Text/titling doesn't necessarily crash, but it is extremely slow, esp if using any shadow, to the point where it seems like a bug to me. Basically, you can feel the interface getting weird... the instant you see a red preview it's usually already crashed. If it isn't you should save and close... because it is corrupted and will crash.

Vegas;s problem is as if it's 'pipes' carrying data are very small and get overloaded very easily, and unfortunately this is even true when it's exchanging data with the GPU, It reminds me of the Nvidia rtx4060ti debacle with it's main problem being it's very small slow memory bus. It doesn't matter how fast the CPU and GPU(raster) is, it's the Vegas version of the slow memory bus that is the main problem in many aspects including 32bit float processing, masking, feathering, titles, high resolution photos, color grading module, high resolution/high frame rate video etc.

I've been very dubious about the AI engine, so if they've updated that, I guess I'll have to just try it.

There's another bug with AI falling back to use CPU instead of GPU. If you experience that, and you know you have the AI models installed for VP20b403 try turning GPU processing off in prefs/video, restart, turn GPU processing on, restart.

I mean, you don't even really see a difference if you disable all the GPU stuff in the special boot menu.

GPU processing makes a noticeable difference with speed and less CPU resources required , but Vegas's slow render engine reduces how fast Vegas can communicate with the GPU. I will never turn off my GPU in Vegas even though it's most likely the reason for the stability problems though I often have GPU decoding of H.264 turned off, as Vegas timeline lags less playing over edit points and transitions .

Yeah, I just turned those off to test. I didn't notice much difference. Thanks for your feedback, I'll definitely keep those version numbers in mind... Still deciding...

@Forest-Walz

Well, you can check my signature, and I don't have the kind of issues you are having with my machines. Plus, I started out using Movie Studio HD, after not ever being able to really figure out how to use Premiere Elements back then. Most of the issues I had with the various versions of VEGAS Pro/VEGAS Movie Studio (both during Sony's tenure, and now MAGIX), was not because of the NLE per say, but more of not using the correct type of input media.

Yes, there have been some problems at times, but usually due to the Third Party "extra" software, and all were typically corrected/fixed or some type of "work-around if you will", that helped.

Of course, I pretty much only use these two builds for editing, and even have a Third ThreadRipper system I strictly use for Office work, which it is definitely capable of editing video if needed.

I also list the various cameras I use, and no matter what "setting" the camera may be set for to record, everything gets Transcoded to ProRes 422 or ProRes 422 HQ. Less trouble, Less Hagling, far fewer Headaches.

Happy Editing!

There are plenty of people here who will attest that Vegas on their machine as they use it is stable. I assume they're not all being dishonest--but I also assume they have very specific workflows with very Vegas-friendly codecs and they don't tend to try new things.

My experience is somewhat different. I have never used any app, from paid to freeware (and I've probably used thousands), that crashes with such frequency and ferocity, in so many different ways, across so many different versions.

So, without disputing the experience of those for whom "Vegas works," I think it would be perfectly reasonable to switch to something like Resolve, which is better in many ways, and be done with it.

If you're going to stick around, I think you need to make peace with the idea that Vegas will probably forever remain an aging app patched within an inch of its life unless the developer abandons it or the IP is somehow purchased by a company with a great deal more resources.

They do make incremental improvements here, but usually at the cost of introducing new issues. Ultimately, you have to decide what you can live with. Maybe I'm just old and cranky, but I hate the idea of giving up the ease and speed of Vegas's timeline editing and adapting to Resolve's way of doing things.

Which is a long way of saying, you'll have more of the same with VP20.

I initially found working with VP20 B403 very problematic on my all AMD computer. Specs in signature.

Then last week, I had a project to get out. I had over 200 assets in the Project Media consisting of music, images, 4K 50P video and other "stuff". The project was 4 1/2 minutes long. I used NBFX Titler Pro 7 and TotatlFX, BorisFX, Vegasaur, velocity envelopes, lots of pan/crop "Ken Burns", etc.

I worked over 7 hours without a break for me or Vegas. I do my own incremental saves as I move along. Not one, and let me repeat this, not one single crash. I myself was amazed. Just a week before, I couldn't do anything simple without a crash. Now? Banging right along and I am more than a happy Vegas camper.

Just a side note, I am running a graphics driver from May of last year. It works. Anything more current, NBFX Titler Pro 7, BorisFX Title Studio, and Ignite Pro 5 just don't work. And I have the same results in Resolve Studio, so it's not just a Vegas thing.

@ALO Speak for yourself !.... Assume all you want. But don't be spouting about who is being honest or dishonest in having stable versions of Vegas and not trying new things.... How presumptuous of you !

@Steve_Rhoden, I would never say "I assume they're not all being dishonest--but I also assume they have very specific workflows with very Vegas-friendly codecs and they don't tend to try new things.". It's pure speculation with no basis or facts to back this up. It's insulting to those that say what they've experienced, and call into question their credibility. Wow. He should just stick to what he personally is experiencing instead of "assuming" the reliability of what others are experiencing.

I do work almost exclusively with Panasonic footage mostly in 4K 4:2:2 10bit, but will edit 4:2:0 8bit and 1080HD. My plugins used are Continuum Complete 2023, Sapphire units, Ignite Pro 5, NBFX TotalFX, and specific Vegas plugins like Vegasaur and Happy Otter Scripts.

On the same system I can make the same version of VEGAS extremely unstable or quite stable (which was surprising to me). Just editing a Zoom file where I had forgotten to "optimize for editing" in Zoom all went well at first. I added the stream a second time beneath and it ended up completely wrecking the stability with crashes every few minutes. I just rendered it out and continued editing with no more crashes or issues. This is on my desktop that I built for VEGAS (Intel iGPU, most settings kept on defaults).

VP20 is, right now, chock full of issues.

This is entirely understandable, given VP's age and development life cycle (including multiple owners), and the fact that it is (I believe) currently built/dependent on an old, unsupported version of C++.

If you've found a way to use Vegas without encountering those issues in your own workflows, I envy you.

I do think anyone who claims they never encounter stability issues or broken features within Vegas is likely being a little selective about what they're reporting, but you're right--that is a speculation.

I have not found way to use VEGAS to make it more stable, since I don't bother trying to figure out how to side step bugs. If it crashes, and it has, I've done the bug report with details and my email address.. For me, VEGAS is working quite well. I can speculate about other people with issues until the cows come home, doubting if they are telling the truth, calling them in effect, liars publicly. Writing saying that people are dishonest in reporting their personal experience. I am not the thought police and would never question someone's words publicly.

So, where do that leave us. You with your 'claimed' issues, and me with Vegas working. I'd find something more stable and just move on if I had a ton of issues. Life is too short to be stressing endlessly and complaining with no hope of getting things fixed, according to 'some' users.... BTW I have Resolve Studio, which has crashed too. Heck, there is also media composer and premiere... or VPX...

I think you're right. Life is too short. It is time for me to move on.

I do think anyone who claims they never encounter stability issues or broken features within Vegas is likely being a little selective about what they're reporting, but you're right--that is a speculation.

I think anyone who claims they never encounter stability issues with any NLE app is being a lot selective about what they are reporting, and that isn't speculation. It's an observation based on error reports in those apps' respective forums.

It's not about AI function, i don't use / installed it at all,
and still have frequent crashing in V19 with Sony TD30 or ZVE10 or A5100 files.

Sometimes even without any fx or 3rd party plugins, just such a simple task as trimming..
For no reason Vegas hangs, i have to kill the process and start again, work fine for 10 minutes again.

Sony X-AVC S should really be rock solid in VEGAS. I don't see issues with it here and my 3 Sonys.

(I do find stability problems for other media and other functions of VEGAS including AI and certain Fx)

It's not stable on two of our totally different (intel and amd) systems :(

Using VP 20 on Intel- and AMD-Systems (see signature), Media of Sony cam (X-AVC), old Digital 8 or Hi8 , typical length 90-180 min, with effects , titles, BCC, New Blue, Mercalli ; mostly stable , seldom crashes.

Not absolute proof for a general claim that Vegas is stable, but at least an indication that one should rather refrain from gross generalizations.