Is this a overly-hyped upgrade, or do you like it so far?

As an animator I bring all my clips into Vegas as 720p non-compressed avi's so I do all my color corrections in my source application and it was clear to me that many of the anticipated benefits in this direction are going to go right past me.

I like working with Vegas a lot (in the past it's been Premiere and DPS Velocity for me) and was happy to pay $ 150 for a bit of the promised raised playback speed and a vastly improved titler; both important parts of my work.

As far as playback goes, nothing has changed. If someone had upgraded for me when I wasn't here, I think it would have taken me weeks before I noticed any change in anything whatsoever ... except for the Pro Type Titler, which I would call a Pro Hype Titler.

I have worked with several truly professional ones but this one doesn't come even close to any of those that I own. I can do much better even with Mirage's titler (my 2D animation source application), which is humbly called Simple Text, than I can do with this one, and I am not talking about any 3D features either; I actually dislike 3D graphics, period.

If I discover that I said any of this preternaturally, I'll be very happy to apologize; so please someone, prove me wrong, but I have spent the better portion of this afternoon exploring the new titler and in my opinion it's no great shakes.

Thanks Paul...

Paul, just followed your info to IMDB and to the PBS information page for "Still Life with Animated Dogs". Beautiful work. It is great to see such an unconventional use of the Vegas software. You are an inspiration. I wonder how many other animators are using Vegas this way?

Oh ****. The titler was the one thing I was really looking forward to.

I wonder how many other animators are using Vegas this way?I know of at least a dozen animators who have Vegas and half of those have bought Vegas on my recommendations on the Mirage Bauhaus forums. I know of several animation schools that have caught onto Vegas. Vegas fits the animation medium in an intuitive way because its timeline is much like most animation software timelines. The file management system also works well with most popular animation programs and is based very much on our habits of integrating several graphics applications into a contiguous workflow..

Thanks for looking at my work. That Still Life film happens to hold the PBS record for the most aired independent program in the network's history and I was informed about that three years ago while it's still being aired to this day.

Would be curious to know if the new Vegas is now able to remove pulldown from HV20 24p.

I find it a great upgrade at a fair price. Vegas Pro 8 is much quicker, so that right there makes me very happy. The titler is good and also very quick and easy to use. I will still use Boris G. for some projects, but the vegas titler is a nice addition.

I have been spending the day testing the trial version.

For those who want to do multi-cam work get Excalibur, Ultimate S or Infiniticam. The new built in one for Vegas 8 works but that is about all I can say for it. Reminds me of the old titler, it works but that was about all one could say for it as well. There is a free one from VASST that is better than the new built in one.

I noticed that when I use the new 32-bit floating point with SD 16x9 that when I looked at the video on the preview the colors were a lot better but when I rendered to 16x9 SD wide-screen Mpeg the colors looked weak and sort of blah. When I rendered the same video with settings of 8 bit the colors looked great when rendering to Mpeg. The oposite of what one would expect! Rendering to *.wmv the colors looked pretty much the same. Render times with *.mpg were approx 3 times longer and not very good results. Render times to *.wmv was approx 4 times longer and the results were about the same. There was no benefit to having the 32 bit on when rendering.

Great News!!! I loaded a 90 minute *.m2t file onto the time-line and the build peaks worked fine. No more crashes. Also there were no black frames. So those problems seems to be solved, at least on my system.

About the new titler. One of my original questions concerning it was will it allow for multiple fonts on the same line. It does.

On the right side there are these little things one can click on called, Curves, Collection, Effects and Gradients. I had a terrible time figuring out how to use those. The help was no good and I couldn’t find anything in the manual on them either. I found out they work by dragging what you want to the little time-line at the bottm of the titler. I won’t try to explain it all here.

There was an interesting help item on how to create a credit roll with the new titler. I will play with that later but finally (if this thing actually works) one can get super fancy with multiple fonts with their credit rolls. Note: One can paste text from a word processor but the fonts and other stuff will not be preserved. The only thing one should do with a good word processor is to setup for word wrap and to check for spelling errors. Copy and paste the text and then do the fancy stuff with the fonts and effects in Vegas.

From what I have seen I think they should rename it from ProType to ProsumerType. Not as amateur as the old one but not a real pro one either.

So to answer the OP’s question, I’d say from my first impressions and playing around with the trial version that Vegas 8 is somewhere in the middle. Some hype and some beef.

I can get a downloaded upgrade for $134.95. For HD I’d say there is enough beef for that price. For SD I’d say that unless the new titler is a must have then there just is’t quite enough there. Then again looking towards the future and HD and considering that if one waits after the end of October then one would have to pay $100 more for the upgrade. So even those who are working with SD only might just as well go ahead and upgrade and save the $100.

https://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/shopping/item.asp?pid=484&keycode=64060

Danny Fye
www.dannyfye.com
www.vidmus.com/scolvs

Apppreciate the feedback. It is sad to read the lukewarm endorsements after the huge expectations...

Apppreciate the feedback. It is sad to read the lukewarm endorsements after the huge expectations...But it comes with plenty of hope as well. The price isn't unreasonable and as many have already pointed out, things improve. I like the sentiment that we pay a small fee to become beta-testers and see nothing wrong with that. I just don't like hype in any form and wherever it appears in life -- what's the point of it?

If you grade and/or composit then the 32bit takes vegas from being completely useless (in a grading sense) to being entirely workable into a high-end workflow. Also if you have any plans to ingest 10bit then vegas can now work with it. These are black and white improvements, but only relevant to some of us obviously.

For those of us working in HD the support for Blu-ray authoring is a big deal, assuming it works well. That alone might be enough to persuade me to give Vegas a try after several years of using Edius, and it looks like my main other alternative is Adobe CS3. Or I could keep using Edius and buy the Roxio DVDit Pro HD authoring program, but I can get an old copy of Vegas plus the upgrade for less than what that costs.

Can someone tell me in more detail how the multicam feature in V8 works? What I saw of a plugin one for V7 didn't impress me compared to what I'm used to, which is to click on a camera clip while playing the timeline and immediately have that change show in the preview window. Is the built-in multicam for V8 like that?

After properly setting up my preview window, I've found a vast improvement in playback while editing, I'd get 10fps before now I'm getting 30fps...

Same project, same settings, Vegas 8 is running much faster

I'm just having trouble getting it to open my old Vegas 7 projects (well Vegas 7 had trouble opening them too, they're quite large with a lot of clips/subclips)

A clip that has heavy filters on it, plays back at 18fps in Vegas 8, and 11fps in Vegas 7... Non-edited HD is 25fps in Vegas 7, and 30fps in Vegas 8... light effects are still 30fps in Vegas 8... (Color correction... etc... some slow motion) Whereas they'd drop down to 20-25fps in Vegas 7

I'm happy, I'm only using the trial right now...

After properly setting up my preview window, I've found a vast improvement in playback while editing, I'd get 10fps before now I'm getting 30fps...

Same project, same settings, Vegas 8 is running much faster
============================================
Would you mind clarifying? What did you do differently to "properly set up your preview window", because in the next sentence you say "same project, same settings". I ask because I was hoping to improve my playback too, which is that my 720p clips play at the proper speed of 24fps with Best(Full) in my preview window, but just 19fps when I open my secondary display on my third monitor. Not bad performance for V 7 but I was hoping that in VP8 I would get 24fps playback in both instances.

I'm finding Vegas 8 to be much quicker while previewing and fine tuning my cuts on the timeline. It's much smarter the way it refreshes when zooming in and out of the timeline in icon mode. Completely stable so far.

Marc

I have 7 and downloaded 8 trial. I had heard people were having trouble with
Cineform files. I had absolutely no trouble. I loaded a 7 project, it worked fine, with the Cineform intermediate material I had in the project. It rendered a new Cineform intermediate file without issue.

I heard some bad things about the titler from first reviewers, and when I first looked at it, it seemed a bit weak. But on closer inspection, I see you can easily animate things using a time line and the new controls, and do all manner of motion with the titles. Looks like you can animate the gradiants too. I'm betting there is a lot more there than first reviewers realize, but I will do a bit more investigating there.

I noted the default layout of 8 came up different than the default layout of 7. Preview window, files and effects, etc, is at top with time line at bottom, like Premiere. I know I can rearrange 7 in same way, but I am curious if Vegas considered that change to impress Premiere users.

I general, seems to operate smoother, and I think it is worth the update. And I am sure we will be seeing some things from the experts around here that will reveals some special features.

Apppreciate the feedback. It is sad to read the lukewarm endorsements after the huge expectations...


As I remember it, this is pretty much the way it was with Vegas 7. There was a whole lot of excitement, speculations and hopes for features to be included whatever they were. When it was released and people saw that a number of the things they had hoped for were not there they then considered the upgrade as being ho-hum. Biggest hopes last time was for 10 bit and a new titler. For what it is worth, we got them this time.

My first impressions of Vegas 7 were ho-hum until I played around with it and discovered the new snapping tool. I can't edit without it now.

My post was a first impressions of Vegas Pro 8. I prayed about it and bought it right after I posted that message.

As I learn more about the benefits of VP8 I will soon discover that I do not want to go back to Vegas 7 just as I soon discovered I did not want to go back to Vegas 6. I started with Vegas 6 by the way.

I went to Vegas from Ulead's MSP8. It was like going from editing hell to editing heaven!!!

I'm happy!

Danny Fye
www.dannyfye.com
www.vidmus.com/scolvs

It might take some more experience with 8 to fully appreciate it...

As I remember it, this is pretty much the way it was with Vegas 7.

...and 4, and 5, and 6....

unavoidable given human anticipation and ease of disappointment. Appreciation/shakedown will take time

I just started editing with the multicam and it's very well implemented. While Excalibur is great and I will still use it on many projects and for many other tasks, the ability to switch in and out of multicam and the fluid response of Vegas while using it works very nicely. The "takes" function of Vegas remains one of my favorite features of this program.

Marc

VP8 now lets me open and edit my Panasonic AVCHD HE files...and the Canon HG10 AVCHD, although Sony doesn't admit to supporting any but their own AVCHD. I did check to see if installing VP8 would somehow make VP7 now accept these files...and it doesn't. Well, for this, the titler improvements, and 32 bit processing, it is a worthy upgrade.

Frankly, I'm not one to think that messing with something that already works is really that great of an idea anyway. I think Sony's got it right in that they seem to spend a fair amount of time trying to make their software faster, more compatable and stable 1st, then they attack features but they don't try to add more then they can handle. To resolve this, they continue to offer these upgrades at an extremely reasonable price ($150... cheap) to all existing users to continue on. If they upgrade once a year, I just can't see how $150/year for an editor as good as this can be a bad thing. The upgrade is almost worthy enough just to either have a second copy of Vegas or to support Sony Vegas alone..

Jon

To resolve this, they continue to offer these upgrades at an extremely reasonable price ($150... cheap) to all existing users to continue on. If they upgrade once a year, I just can't see how $150/year for an editor as good as this can be a bad thing.

And with the bundle they offer for Cinescore & 2 theme packs (despite its pretty crappy interface and very limited control over music creation) that is still a pretty good deal for software.

How does Vegas 8 install? Should I uninstall 7 first? Does 8 install in a different directory? Could not find an answer in the help file.

Thanks,
Robert

No need to uninstall v7 as v8 will install in a new directory.

I think accepted wisdom is to leave 7 installed for a while - nothing worse than finding an old project or plugin won't work with the latest version when you have a tight client deadline to meet! Wait until you're entirely happy with v8.

(I just realised that I still have 6 installed!)

Ian . . .

First thing I noticed was the new Pro8 shortcuts didn't have a unique icon.....just a generic windows icon.
Is that true for everyone, or did something go wrong on my install.

Other than that, it seems OK. I did have one auto-exit while I was fooling around with the new titler..

Bob T.

First thing I noticed was the new Pro8 shortcuts didn't have a unique icon.....just a generic windows icon.
Is that true for everyone, or did something go wrong on my install.

My icon is definitely NOT "generic". I'd say something went wrong if your icon is generic. It looks like a round circle with a camera lense in the middle.

My icon is definitely NOT "generic". I'd say something went wrong if your icon is generic. It looks like a round circle with a camera lense in the middle.

I knew that wasn't correct....
I'll try a re-install tonight...
Who knows, that may not be all that's wrong.

Thanks Ed,
Bob T.

Bob, are you sure your icon isn't the proper Vegas one? It's as Edward described it - I think it's supposed to be a front on view of a camera with a matte box. Actually it's a bit uninspiring really, which is why I ask the question - you could be forgiven for mistaking it for a stock Windows icon!

First thing I noticed was the new Pro8 shortcuts didn't have a unique icon.....just a generic windows icon.
Is that true for everyone, or did something go wrong on my install.

Other than that, it seems OK. I did have one auto-exit while I was fooling around with the new titler..

Bob T.

Bob:

Had a similar crash with the titler. Not sure what is going on there-- a bug of some kind. If you can recreate it, it should be reported to them.

Bob, are you sure your icon isn't the proper Vegas one? It's as Edward described it - I think it's supposed to be a front on view of a camera with a matte box. Actually it's a bit uninspiring really, which is why I ask the question - you could be forgiven for mistaking it for a stock Windows icon!

Thanks Ian, but I don't have those....just the generic windows deal.
I'll try the re-install before I worry to much about it.

Just a thought! The new Vegas icons are only 3% more exciting than the Adobe CS3 icons!!!

Just a thought! The new Vegas icons are only 3% more exciting than the Adobe CS3 icons!!!

I think its more like 15% more exciting...

I'll meet you half way in the spirit oF friendship ;-)

Just a thought! The new Vegas icons are only 3% more exciting than the Adobe CS3 icons!!!

Wow... those Icons are downright ugly for a "graphics/image" company... Generic Windows 95 icons can do better! ;)

Jon

Well....Hmmmm they are there now. Just needed a reboot I guess.
And yes, they are ugly. I much prefer the ones from V7.

OK then, time to start playin' around...

Bob T.