Bill, I think you switched "Avid" and "Vegas" in your post.

I have to say, that for me Vegas is the easiest NLE I have used.
Points I like:
Can run on a stock standard computer.
Great audio features.
Easy to capture
Very easy to edit,colour correct,place titles.
Can change project settings with a click.
Great looking renders in all formats that I use, mpeg,avi,264,wmv etc...
I can put 2hrs of HD mt2 files on the timeline without a problem of the thing crashing.
I can insert, drag, pull, push anything on the timeline without fear of things going missing.
Vegas is rock solid, the best NLE I have used so far. I have been testing on PC... PPCS3, Avid and Vegas and Vegas wins hands down for me in Price,stabilty,features.
The one thing I like above everything is I can click,move,adjust things while the time line is playing.

Things that could be better.
Abilty to prerender sections and for Vegas to recall this at all times.
Preview is a problem only with HD and heavy CC. SD footage plays well.I use a Quad core system.

I use Vegas now for all my Editing projects.
Looking forward to the next version of Vegas.
Nick

Bill, I think you switched "Avid" and "Vegas" in your post.I am wrong. I'm actually getting more and more impressed w/ Vegas, BTW. Color correction in particular seems pretty darn nice, IMHO.

I like Vegas very much except for the titling. I find it incredibly flexible and fast with zillions of output options and the ability to put almost any format in the timeline, even mixed formats. I think its starting to catch on a bit and others aren't laughing quite as loud as they were a few years back (perhaps its nervous laughter).

Since Vegas upgrades scare me, I'm left with a choice of Vegas 8 for 500.00 or what, Avid Xpress Studio Toolkit 5.6 for 1000.00. Hmmm. I guess I should download the trial of Avid.

Why do Vegas upgrades scare you?

The way I understand it, the upgrade is the full software, it just needs to see the previous version on the system before it will install. It doesn't install over the old version but is a separate installation, and you can still run the old version. Please someone correct me if I am wrong.

I edit on Avid for my day job, and use both that and Vegas 6 at home, and find myself defaulting to Vegas these days. And this is what is making decided on an upgrade at work difficult. Do i upgrade Avid of switch to Vegas? (one person video production department).

When I began this thread in May, about 5 months ago, I have come full circle to appreciate Vegas more than ever.

If I had the extra money and time to spend, I would likely get a new mac and FCP. But I don't. I played with Avid, it's just not me.

And I still wish I could create the amazing DVD menus with the ease of my FCP friends. But Vegas is rock-solid and stable, and I'm getting the job done.

Vegas had me up and running very quickly when I started, and though I've had very some minor issues along the way, I can't imagine an NLE that runs better.

Thanks Bill, knowing that the full version is full, and not a partial upgrade is comforting, I don't like upgrades, partial installs ect. And thanks Jeff, for the update on the full circle you've come to. I've been having some quirks with my multicam, and it's frustrated me to the point I felt like changing software. I'm still chewing on it.

Personally I use quad cam with Ultimate S...I like it so much I've never even tried the built in multi-cam feature of Vegas (never heard much good about it). I suggest if you stay with Vegas trying out Ultimate S demo, it is SO worth it's price! Of course there are many that are crazy about Excalibur; however I can personally only speak for my experience, and that is with Ultimate S.

Thanks Jeff

Please take any Vegas issues to the Vegas forum. I really don't want to muck up the works
here on the Avid forum.

Cheers, David