Thursday, August 14, 2014

Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 Suite

Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 Suite
  • Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 Production Suite enables HD video
  • And audio production with tools for professional-level sound design, video effects and transitions, and more
  • Edit video in nearly any format including high-definition HDV and AVCHD;
  • Work simultaneously with standard-definition and high-definition video and the same project
  • And Blu-ray Discs using beautifully designed themes or custom menus and graphics
  • Use the included tutorial DVD or the exclusive Sony "Show Me How" interactive tutorials to help you get started fast

O.K.

So I wrote a review for the last incarnation of this software package (version 9) and a lot of people found it very helpful.

There was one BIG problem with Version 9 it had bugs in the video rendering section, which were never fixed with the software updates. It appears that Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 has fixed the obvious encoding/rendering bugs which plagued Version 9.

You can now safely encode video to all major formats used worldwide, creating your own custom templates if you wish.

Version 10 now includes working templates for anyone who uploads HD or SD WIDESCREEN 16:9 Videos to YOUTUBE. The OLD version of Vegas Movie Studio only had a template for "old fashioned" 4:3 aspect ratio, which meant you had to create a custom template to make a 16:9 video.

What does Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 Suite come with?

*Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 the video editing program.

*DVD Architect Studio 5.0 the DVD creation software.

*Sound Forge Audio Studio 10 an audio recording studio.

Highlight Features for the above three programs:

*Vegas Movie Studio has so many features from the Vegas Pro version, it's not funny. That's what I love the most about this software package it's full of professional grade tools and effects. If you can think it, then Sony Vegas can do it. Many other retail video editors come no where near Sony Vegas, they are like toys in comparison, seriously.

*Vegas can handle all the latest video formats (Input & Output files), especially HD (High Definition) video, which is becoming the standard now, provided your computer has plenty of RAM (2GB at least) and an independent video card driver with its own memory.

*Easy compression of your videos, ready for upload to YouTube in Widescreen format.

*Vegas comes with a large amount of NewBlue Transition effects and Video Effects, which you can tweek to your heart's delight.

*Your ability to edit video on the timeline is amazing however this will take time to master. I taught myself over the last year and a half using the Help Index, How To Animations and just pure patient experimentation.

*The DVD Architect Studio works seamlessly with your Vegas projects, and is fairly easy to use.

*Sound Forge Studio 10 has heaps of effects you can filter your audio recordings with, to create amazing sounds.

*My favourite feature in Sound Forge is the "Recording your old vinyl or tape collection into Digital Format". This part of the program has been upgraded now and is much easier to use. One BIG tip: Click Options, Preferences, Audio and then change Audio Device to Windows Classic Wave Driver this will make Vinyl to Digital Recording work without getting a headache.

Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 is not for the novice who gets easily exasperated. If this is you, then stick with Windows Movie Maker.

If you like to experiment, have patience in learning new things, and really enjoy using Professional Tools to create a Professional Look, then go with this software package. I have yet to come across a limitation with this software "creatively speaking".

I highly recommend existing users of older versions of this software, to make the upgrade due to the additions and fixes.

The price of this package or the upgrade for existing users is unbelievable, compared to the Pro Version.

If you are worried about whether this program will do what it says, then do the smart thing and DOWNLOAD the FREE TRIAL at Sony Creative Software website, where you can try it out for a whole 30 days!

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:

There is something that people should be aware of. High Definition Video Cameras are advancing technologically faster than the everyday home computer can deal with. HD Video made with the Super High Quality setting selected on your camera, produces a massive file. So if you expect Vegas to edit large High Definition files properly, then you are going to need a fast computer with plenty of memory. Intel i5 and i7 CPU's are a good choice, or any of the AMD Phenom II range CPU's.

If you are on an old computer, Vegas is not going to work. Rendering video, especially High Definition video, can suck every last brain cell out of your computer and ask it to travel beyond light speed, while pondering the creation of the Universe.

So buy a new computer and retire your dinosaur, before attempting to become a Video Enthusiast this will prevent experiencing a "Meltdown".

FINAL NOTE:

The vast majority of people who are leaving 1 star reviews, are blaming Vegas for problems that they do not understand properly. All of the issues raised, had/have easy solutions. An example is this: If you can't install Vegas at all, log in as The Administrator and change some settings in your Virus Protector program then it will install no problemo. I guess some people are very impatient and give up too easily. So don't be scared off by the one stars they just didn't find the right doctor.

All the best with your creations.

Dex :)

Buy Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 Suite Now

I have tried out Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 Production Suite and decided to purchase it. I compared it to Magix Movie Edit Pro Plus 16, Pinnacle 14, Corel Videostudio Pro X2/X3, and Cyberlink Power Director 8 and it comes down to one major factor. Vegas actually runs without crashing. I own Videostudio Pro X2, reformatted my PC to start fresh and tried to reinstall VS Pro X2, as I had done a couple times previously, and this time it would not install. I called tech support, which graciously tried to help without charging me they even called me back to see if the their idea worked which, unfortunately, it had not. I downloaded VS Pro X3 as I could upgrade for a lower price than buying new. It worked fine a for a day but then started crashing non-stop to the point where I couldn't use it without crashing.

I tried Power Director 8 which in some respects has a really good interface (not in all respects though there are too many tabbed options and the graphics on the tabs don't make it obvious what they're for so you have to hover over then to see what they're for). However, it started getting choppy in the program and also started to crash.

I then decided to give Sony Vegas a try. I had tried them before purchasing VS Pro X2 but it was not intuitive software and VS Pro X2 seemed the better choice. So far, I have experienced good performance the bestin fact, from Vegas Movie Studio HD. I spent some time on the phone asking questions, watched their useful Show Me How tutorials and read the Help file in the program. I now like it the best. It is a really powerful program that, on the surface, may seem complicated, but after you spend a little time with it, it becomes more intuitive than some of the others I tried.

Not ready to just buy the 3rd program I tried, I then tried Magix Movie Edit, which worked decently in the software. However, the video it created seemed to be choppy where none of the others were, when I was able to create a video before they started crashing. I also tried Pinnacle 14, all 1.9 GB of it's download. I found it, surprisingly, not as intuitive, and fairly sluggish, though stable to the small extent I used it. The import function is a pain in Pinnacle. The explorer view available in Vegas is the best in my opinion.

Summary:

Corel Videostudio Pro X3:

older version, Pro X2, stopped working for me and wouldn't reinstall

Pro X3, while decent interface, I can't do anything in it, after I created 1 video. It now crashes before I can do anything

Cyberlink PowerDirector 8:

Crashes

Choppy video while editing

Limited Soundtracks included, you have to purchase more if you want them. Videostudio and Sony includes lots of options (though I wasn't able to test the ones included with Vegas as the trial does not include them but there are supposed to be 400 in the full version of the software)

Magix Movie Edit Pro 16 Plus:

Ok interface

more stable than VS Pro X3 and PowerDirector 8, but resulting video is choppy during playback, not acceptable for the final output

Pinnacle 14:

huge program, sluggish

import feature is a pain

Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum Suite:

so far, very stable

very full featured, powerful software

can be intimidating at first; use the Show me How tutorials, the online tutorials, Quick Start Guide download from their website, internal Help these quickly made me more comfortable in the program

did I mention stable

Includes DVD Architest and SoundForge Audio Studio with Vocal Erase Plug-in haven't tried but could be really useful

My recommendation is Sony Vegas. The pre-sales help call that I made was very useful. He really took the time to help answer all my questions.

Read Best Reviews of Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 Suite Here

Software has a small learning curve but it's simpler to learn than Final Cut Express. I have used Acid 3.0 for years and some of the interface/tools & commands are pretty similar. Comes with DVD Architect & Sound Forge 10. Haven't fully dived into but so far I created a 2 minute video that looks pretty good. The best thing is so far it reads multiple files. A producer gave me files he transferred from his Sony HD Cam to my hard drive using Final Cut Pro. No other software would open these files; not even AVS4YOU. Kept saying I needed a APCN Codec, well SVP 10 must have it because it worked and audio/video is great. Definitely worth the $94!

Kg

Want Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 Suite Discount?

I finally decided to learn how to video edit. A stripped down version of Cyberlink came with my new HP, but I didn't care for their upgrade options (too confusing), so I went with Sony Vegas. After tinkering with it for a couple of hours and watching online and included tutorials, I managed to put together a great six minute video (if I say so myself) of a family weekend, complete with fade in/out, four video tracks, pictures, videos, two audio tracks, credit roll, pan/crop, and other effects. I learned how to import media, put it on the timeline, edit, and output to a mpeg4 HD. Now I can't wait for the next reason to create another video! It's so much better than a boring photo album. I thought maybe that it was going to be overkill, but it is good for an amateur like myself. It's so new that I can't find books written yet, but there is a online manual so I probably don't need another software book lying around.

Following an adequate experience with its predecessor, 9.0, the lure of a built-in stabilizer and a secondary color corrector attracted me to this version of Vegas Movie Studio. The initial experience was good, so I decided to transfer my 9.0 files over to HD 10.

The first really bad aspect of this product, as with all previous versions, is the lack of documentation. The only third-party printed reference book lacks an index and is almost as superficial as the slim "quick start" guides that come with the installation disc. I am not a novice, but my overwhelming notion about this software is that it is loaded with features that few will ever even suspect are there, because they are either unexplained or, under "show me how" and "help," still very inadequately explained. That is too bad.

After a month working with HD 10 I can truly say I had not had such trouble with error messages and program crashes since Macintosh 800K. While rendering a 2-minute clip, 3/4 of the way it will give me an error message and specifies the reason for the error could not be determined.

During the past two days I have experienced yet another really annoying quirk. It reminds me what we used to say at Cray Research in the days when it was the only supercomputer builder in the world: If the customer finds it first, it's a bug; if we find it first, it's a feature. One of the conceptually great features of this version of Vegas is that windows can be tiered like vertical shades that can be pulled out as needed. This is great until it starts to do things unexpectedly, actions that no help menu addresses and can only be stopped by uninstalling and installing the program again )at which point it will not recognize its own project files, and you have lost all work that has not been rendered). Suddenly and inexplicably, the windows, in this case the Media FX window, will stop appearing on the left side of the screen, where the user can easily adjust effects while looking at them in the preview window, but rather where the preview window usually sits, covering it and making it impossible to gauge the effect of changes as performed with the FX sliders. An attempt to remove the window will bring in the audio mixer panels, but the preview window will not come on again until its tab is clicked on. Then you can't see what you did with the FX until you click the FX again. Being able to see the impact of changes as they occur on the preview window was one of the best features of Vegas. It would be nice if it were left where the user puts it.

The secondary color corrector is great--if the user can figure out how to use it and through guesswork come to do something. The help menu explains everything except how the droppers come into play. This is not meant for novice users, definitely, and two of my less experienced colleagues who have used it are still wondering exactly how to work it.

The formats for rendering do not remain in place, as they did in 9. If the user sets rendering for an NTSC DV widescreen 24p in one session, next time it may have reset to something completely different. I had taken it for granted that the format setting would remain the same once I set it to something: I have had to re-render six different files over the past two days after noticing that the previous format changed.

If your user status is novice to mid-level, I would not recommend you use this software. If you are impatient or work on deadlines, I do not recommend this program. If you are not able to waste two days of work trying to figure out why something is happening with the software and how to work around it rather than with it, do not use this software. If you do not like manufacturers who do not provide free updates for their faulty software as it becomes available, but rather expect you to buy the next version hoping it works better, do not use this software.

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