Is Vegas+DVD prosumer? at DVinfo.net

Seth Peterson · July 22nd, 2003, 12:13 AM

Would vegas + DVD be considered prosumer? Let me know what ya think.

Thanks

Seth Peterson

Tor Salomonsen · July 22nd, 2003, 12:53 AM

My experience is with Vegas. I have DVDA too, but have not started using it for real yet. However, based on my own experience and reports from others, Vegas is professional, DVDA is consumer, so the package I guess is prosumer (or should that be con-fessional?)...

Don Bloom · July 22nd, 2003, 04:54 AM

Consumer, prosumer,professional???
What determines what a software package is.
For several years I used a low level NLE (after getting out of lineal editing) and still was able to produce very good work, maintain a high standard and make a very nice living. When the machine died, I got a much more powerful NLE after trying most of the ones out there and decided on a particular one that fit my needs and had a learning curve that wouldn't set me back to far time wise.

I can't speak for DVDA as I don't use it but I can speak for Vegas and I will say that it is every bit as "professional" as any other NLE out there.

IF you are looking to become a 'Hollywood' editor and market yourself as such then perhaps the NLE that starts with "A" would be a better choice, but other than that I think Vegas works just fine and frankly none of my clients, be they brides and grooms or Fortune 500's really care what NLE I use to edit the work on. All they want is the product to look like either the sample or the story boards (when they use them)
Don B

Glen Elliott · July 22nd, 2003, 07:07 AM

Depends on your classification of Prosumer- and/or Consumer and Professional for that matter. Consumer is what it's definitly not. Consumer editing programs have limited capabilities while keeping the workflow very simple and easy to use for beginners. Granted Vegas has a nice smooth workflow but it's not for beginners. Also it's a very very powerfull NLE. Way moreso than Premiere and other NLEs in it's price range.
As far as it being professional I'm not sure- I'm not clear on what defines an NLE as professinal other than being named Avid or FCP. I'll stack Vegas against FCP anyday!

So the answer to your question- yes it's prosumer....at the very least.

Edward Troxel · July 22nd, 2003, 07:27 AM

What do you consider FCP? What do you consider Premier? What do you consider Avid Express? If you consider them prosumer, then, yes, Vegas would also be prosumer.

Personally, I consider Vegas to be a professional level product. DVD Architect, on the other hand, still needs some work. I would currently rate it at the low end of the prosumer level.

Glen Elliott · July 22nd, 2003, 07:51 AM

What are the short-commings of DvdA? I currently use DVDit but am planning on making my workflow Vegas only and start using DvdA. The only thing I heard it lacks are complex end of play settings. Is this true, are or there more features I'll be missing once I move from DVDit to Architect. I sure hope not because DVDit seems pretty archaic.

Doug Quance · July 22nd, 2003, 07:58 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Edward Troxel : Personally, I consider Vegas to be a professional level product. DVD Architect, on the other hand, still needs some work. I would currently rate it at the low end of the prosumer level. -->>>

Edward:

I already have DVDit LE(and don't use it much, as of yet) as well as Vegas 3... and I'm getting ready to upgrade to Vegas 4. Would you recommend the DVDA upgrade... or, since I can already do DVD's, would you recommend just picking up the Vegas upgrade?

It's another $200 for DVDA, and I'm having a hard time justifying it.

Glen Elliott · July 22nd, 2003, 08:01 AM

I'm sure it does have some benefits beings it's close knit with the vegas program itself. You can export markers as chapter points etc. Also DvdA can do animated menus and buttons...though some just think it's useless fluff.

Also from what I heard working in the Vegas+DVD workflow will alow you to create true progressive-scan DVDs with your 24p footage, which is nice beings I shoot with a DVX100.

Edward Troxel · July 22nd, 2003, 09:39 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Doug Quance : I already have DVDit LE(and don't use it much, as of yet) as well as Vegas 3... and I'm getting ready to upgrade to Vegas 4. Would you recommend the DVDA upgrade... or, since I can already do DVD's, would you recommend just picking up the Vegas upgrade?

It's another $200 for DVDA, and I'm having a hard time justifying it. -->>>

YES, I recommend it - for several reasons (note: I used to use DVDit PE):
1) the DVDA purchase includes the 5.1 AC-3 encoder - sold separately for MORE than $200 (you WANT AC-3 so your audio will be compressed and you can fit more video on a DVD). To get AC-3 encoding with DVDit, you need PE and then it is only stereo.)

2) Moton Backgrounds

3) Motion Buttons

4) Much more stable

The main advantage of DVDit is end actions.

Joe Carney · July 22nd, 2003, 11:18 AM

Here are some of the weakness' with DVDA
1. No support for creating subtitles.
2. No secondary audio track (directors comments....)
In the USA it's becomming increasingly common to add spanish subtitles to english speaking movies.
On the other hand, because of Vegas' excellent audio, you could easily dub a non english soundtrack and make a seperate version.

If you need DTS, you will spend A LOT of money to move up to an application that supports it.

Whether it's prosumer, consumer or pro depends on you what you want to go into your DVD. The 5.1 AC3 support is worth the price of the upgrade alone.

I would also like to see DTS support as an option in the near future, even if it costs to get it.

Doug Quance · July 22nd, 2003, 11:26 AM

Thanks, Edward!

I'll go ahead and get the DVDA with the upgrade to Vegas 4.

BTW, I just ordered Excalibur (as well as Vegas Video Editing training DVD's) and from what I can see... you've got a winner in Excalibur! Lots of useful features that any Vegas editor could make good use of.

For those of you that haven't seen Excalibur in action - take a quick look. I am certain you will be impressed!

http://www.vegastoolsandtraining.com/

Thanks again, Edward!

Edward Troxel · July 22nd, 2003, 11:38 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Joe Carney : Here are some of the weakness' with DVDA
1. No support for creating subtitles.
2. No secondary audio track (directors comments....) -->>>

While true, these are also features that very few $200 authoring programs include.

Imran Zaidi · July 22nd, 2003, 12:12 PM

I just watched that demo video for Excalibur. I'd never heard of this before and all I have to say is... oh my god! What timesavers!

Edward Troxel · July 22nd, 2003, 12:24 PM

Wait till you see the neat tools in the next one I'm working on! :-)

Imran Zaidi · July 22nd, 2003, 01:04 PM

oooh, is there an upgrade path, or is it a whole different set of tools?

July 22nd, 2003, 12:13 AM	#1
Seth Peterson Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 57	Is Vegas+DVD prosumer? Would vegas + DVD be considered prosumer? Let me know what ya think. Thanks Seth Peterson

July 22nd, 2003, 07:58 AM	#7
Doug Quance Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 138	<<<-- Originally posted by Edward Troxel : Personally, I consider Vegas to be a professional level product. DVD Architect, on the other hand, still needs some work. I would currently rate it at the low end of the prosumer level. -->>> Edward: I already have DVDit LE(and don't use it much, as of yet) as well as Vegas 3... and I'm getting ready to upgrade to Vegas 4. Would you recommend the DVDA upgrade... or, since I can already do DVD's, would you recommend just picking up the Vegas upgrade? It's another $200 for DVDA, and I'm having a hard time justifying it. __________________ If you're not the lead dog... the scenery never changes

July 22nd, 2003, 11:26 AM	#11
Doug Quance Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 138	Thanks, Edward! I'll go ahead and get the DVDA with the upgrade to Vegas 4. BTW, I just ordered Excalibur (as well as Vegas Video Editing training DVD's) and from what I can see... you've got a winner in Excalibur! Lots of useful features that any Vegas editor could make good use of. For those of you that haven't seen Excalibur in action - take a quick look. I am certain you will be impressed! http://www.vegastoolsandtraining.com/ Thanks again, Edward! __________________ If you're not the lead dog... the scenery never changes

July 22nd, 2003, 12:53 AM	#2
Tor Salomonsen Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 265	My experience is with Vegas. I have DVDA too, but have not started using it for real yet. However, based on my own experience and reports from others, Vegas is professional, DVDA is consumer, so the package I guess is prosumer (or should that be con-fessional?)...

July 22nd, 2003, 04:54 AM	#3
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Consumer, prosumer,professional??? What determines what a software package is. For several years I used a low level NLE (after getting out of lineal editing) and still was able to produce very good work, maintain a high standard and make a very nice living. When the machine died, I got a much more powerful NLE after trying most of the ones out there and decided on a particular one that fit my needs and had a learning curve that wouldn't set me back to far time wise. I can't speak for DVDA as I don't use it but I can speak for Vegas and I will say that it is every bit as "professional" as any other NLE out there. IF you are looking to become a 'Hollywood' editor and market yourself as such then perhaps the NLE that starts with "A" would be a better choice, but other than that I think Vegas works just fine and frankly none of my clients, be they brides and grooms or Fortune 500's really care what NLE I use to edit the work on. All they want is the product to look like either the sample or the story boards (when they use them) Don B

July 22nd, 2003, 07:07 AM	#4
Glen Elliott Wrangler Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 2,898	Depends on your classification of Prosumer- and/or Consumer and Professional for that matter. Consumer is what it's definitly not. Consumer editing programs have limited capabilities while keeping the workflow very simple and easy to use for beginners. Granted Vegas has a nice smooth workflow but it's not for beginners. Also it's a very very powerfull NLE. Way moreso than Premiere and other NLEs in it's price range. As far as it being professional I'm not sure- I'm not clear on what defines an NLE as professinal other than being named Avid or FCP. I'll stack Vegas against FCP anyday! So the answer to your question- yes it's prosumer....at the very least.

July 22nd, 2003, 07:27 AM	#5
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	What do you consider FCP? What do you consider Premier? What do you consider Avid Express? If you consider them prosumer, then, yes, Vegas would also be prosumer. Personally, I consider Vegas to be a professional level product. DVD Architect, on the other hand, still needs some work. I would currently rate it at the low end of the prosumer level.

July 22nd, 2003, 07:51 AM	#6
Glen Elliott Wrangler Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 2,898	What are the short-commings of DvdA? I currently use DVDit but am planning on making my workflow Vegas only and start using DvdA. The only thing I heard it lacks are complex end of play settings. Is this true, are or there more features I'll be missing once I move from DVDit to Architect. I sure hope not because DVDit seems pretty archaic.

July 22nd, 2003, 08:01 AM	#8
Glen Elliott Wrangler Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 2,898	I'm sure it does have some benefits beings it's close knit with the vegas program itself. You can export markers as chapter points etc. Also DvdA can do animated menus and buttons...though some just think it's useless fluff. Also from what I heard working in the Vegas+DVD workflow will alow you to create true progressive-scan DVDs with your 24p footage, which is nice beings I shoot with a DVX100.

July 22nd, 2003, 09:39 AM	#9
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	<<<-- Originally posted by Doug Quance : I already have DVDit LE(and don't use it much, as of yet) as well as Vegas 3... and I'm getting ready to upgrade to Vegas 4. Would you recommend the DVDA upgrade... or, since I can already do DVD's, would you recommend just picking up the Vegas upgrade? It's another $200 for DVDA, and I'm having a hard time justifying it. -->>> YES, I recommend it - for several reasons (note: I used to use DVDit PE): 1) the DVDA purchase includes the 5.1 AC-3 encoder - sold separately for MORE than $200 (you WANT AC-3 so your audio will be compressed and you can fit more video on a DVD). To get AC-3 encoding with DVDit, you need PE and then it is only stereo.) 2) Moton Backgrounds 3) Motion Buttons 4) Much more stable The main advantage of DVDit is end actions.

July 22nd, 2003, 11:18 AM	#10
Joe Carney Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Centreville Va Posts: 1,828	Here are some of the weakness' with DVDA 1. No support for creating subtitles. 2. No secondary audio track (directors comments....) In the USA it's becomming increasingly common to add spanish subtitles to english speaking movies. On the other hand, because of Vegas' excellent audio, you could easily dub a non english soundtrack and make a seperate version. If you need DTS, you will spend A LOT of money to move up to an application that supports it. Whether it's prosumer, consumer or pro depends on you what you want to go into your DVD. The 5.1 AC3 support is worth the price of the upgrade alone. I would also like to see DTS support as an option in the near future, even if it costs to get it.

July 22nd, 2003, 11:38 AM	#12
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	<<<-- Originally posted by Joe Carney : Here are some of the weakness' with DVDA 1. No support for creating subtitles. 2. No secondary audio track (directors comments....) -->>> While true, these are also features that very few $200 authoring programs include.

July 22nd, 2003, 12:12 PM	#13
Imran Zaidi Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,315	I just watched that demo video for Excalibur. I'd never heard of this before and all I have to say is... oh my god! What timesavers!

July 22nd, 2003, 12:24 PM	#14
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	Wait till you see the neat tools in the next one I'm working on! :-)

July 22nd, 2003, 01:04 PM	#15
Imran Zaidi Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,315	oooh, is there an upgrade path, or is it a whole different set of tools?