Premiere pro user, looking for reason to consider Vegas? at DVinfo.net

Matthew de Jongh · February 11th, 2004, 09:13 PM

Hello

i am currently using premiere pro quite happily, i am unhappy with my editing hardware card...canopus raptor rt2

someone suggested i try vegas, can someone give me 10 reasons why they think vegas is a better solution than premeire pro?

my computer is total overkill so i thought that might be a plus towards using a software based system vs. a hardware card like canopus or matrox rtx-100

i am using a dual xeon 3.04 with 3 gig of ram and a raid5 with (4) 250 gig sata drives.

i am looking for fast reliable render times of fairly basic projects...i am currently editing a 20+ hour footage documentary down to 1-1.5 hours and i'll be doing a few more of the same.

not looking to do a lot of flashy effects.

my camera is a panasonic dvx-100a and true 24p would be nice!

matthew

George Brackett III · February 12th, 2004, 05:03 AM

If fast render times are that important to you, forget Vegas. And it doesn't support hardware rendering, either. Other than that, there is no comparison to Premiere- and I've been using Premiere for years. Vegas does so much more...so much easier. Download the demo and give it a whirl...you'll be hooked. As far as rendering- the new 64 bit cpu's will definitely help in this department

Rob Lohman · February 12th, 2004, 05:36 AM

One other thing. I'm not sure whether PPro is acutally using it
to its advantage, but I don't think dual CPU will be of much use
with Vegas, unless you want to edit in another instance while
you are rendering in another.

Try out the demo is very good advice. There is an excellent quick
reference PDF in this thread to get you started. I think the
basic appeal for Vegas is it's simplicity and how it works. That
either works for you or doesn't (a bit like Premiere either works
or doesn't).

The audio tools in Vegas are way better then Premiere's. Color
correction is there as well, but I saw that PPro has this as well
(don't know how good).

I think Vegas is also using a better DV codec than PPro does.

Just try out the demo @ http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com

Matthew de Jongh · February 12th, 2004, 07:26 AM

well i downloaded the demo and nowhere do they give you the demo serial number...

i downloaded it again to make sure i didn't miss something, they don't show it on the screen after you register and they don't email it to you.

what am i missing??

matthew

Tor Salomonsen · February 12th, 2004, 07:35 AM

The serial number is for when you've bought the thing. The demo - if I remember correctly - you can just go on using. Won't it open?

Matthew de Jongh · February 12th, 2004, 07:41 AM

no. if it would just open i would have been playing with it for two days now! :)

it asks for the serial number.

i clearly downloaded it from the link that said demo...

matthew

Tor Salomonsen · February 12th, 2004, 07:57 AM

The demo was always the full program without the serial number. But my memory is from the Sonic Foundry days. I have not heard that Sony has changed that practise, though. Let's see if anyone else has info on this matter ...

Edward Troxel · February 12th, 2004, 09:27 AM

When you start the demo, it will give you two options - one is "Run in demo mode" and the other is to enter the serial number. Just click on the other option. The main limitations of the demo are: Can't Save, 2 minute limit on preview, no MPEG or AC3.

Marcia Janine Galles · February 12th, 2004, 09:34 AM

Matthew, just FYI... I've cut on eveything from an old Moviola, to the old Lightworks system, to high end Avids and Final Cut Pro, and apart from actual 35mm (which in my book, while it's defintely dead, is the ultimate cool) nothing has been as much fun to cut with as Vegas. It makes me crazy at times as it does a lot of things very differently from what I'm used to (the fact that it wasn't designed around and by film demands is obvious). And it doesn't do some things I wish it did that I'm hoping for in the next version, but overall I am absolutely astonished at what Vegas is able to pull off, and how easily I can do most things. Cutting with it is a dream. On top of that, I've yet to have any of the glitchy software/hardware issues that were a constant irritation in even high end editing bays. And my home setup is far less impressive than yours. So, I'm sold on Vegas, very happily so.

Edward Troxel · February 12th, 2004, 09:37 AM

I'm not sure I can give you a "top ten" but I can list a few things.

1) Render time: If you are NOT doing a lot of flashy effects, Vegas will render reasonably fast. If you put a "bug" in the corner of the video, then every frame will need rendering which will slow down the process. For all unchanged segments, the original file will simply be copied. I have a 1 hour weekly program that simply gets a few titles added and will render in 50 minutes on a PIII 750MHz. On my 2.8GHz laptop, that can be reduced to around 15 minutes.

2) Scripting: No other NLE has it (of which I am aware) and it helps simplify the editing process tremendously. Many repetitive tasks can be reduced to a simple mouse click or keypress.

3) Powerful Compositing tools.
4) Great Codec
5) Very logical to use - once you "get it", it all makes sense. Every track is indentical (something Premiere Pro has changed to). Transitions are made by simply overlapping clips. Don't need to change between a bunch of different "tools".
6) Flexibility in adding effects (clip level, track level, media level, project level)
7) 24p native. HD can also be edited (but not captured or printed)
8) Terrific forums with TONS of answers available.

Matthew de Jongh · February 12th, 2004, 01:00 PM

ok, i'm gonna say it one more time :)

i downloaded what was labeled as the demo/trial from sony, it absolutely asks for a serial number, there is no option to just say "demo" and have it run.

it sounds great and i'm anxious to play with it but without the ability to enter something to get past the serial number prompt i'm outta luck.

matthew

Edward Troxel · February 12th, 2004, 01:15 PM

The very first screen that pops up when you run the program has two radio buttons and a text box. The text box is where you enter the serial number AFTER you have purchased it. The radio button just above the text box says something to the effect of "enter serial number". The second radio button is above that and says something to the effect of "run in demo mode".

Using either of these links should get you there.

http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.co...p2.asp?DID=435

http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.co...p2.asp?DID=447

Matthew de Jongh · February 12th, 2004, 01:30 PM

i'll have to download it again because the version i have definitely doesn't have that step.

i've downloaded it 3 times now, but i'll try the link you gave, that might be a different link. the one i have been using clearly says it is to download a demo/trial version.

matthew

Edward Troxel · February 12th, 2004, 01:57 PM

Then try the 447 link which is the "download update" link. The 435 link is the "download demo" link. Technically, they should both be the same.

Matthew de Jongh · February 12th, 2004, 02:14 PM

thank you!

i finally got an installer that does ask me if i want a demo!

it looks great so far!

i am impressed, especially with a few features i have already found that i wish premiere had, the timecode feature especially, for editing purposes i have been really wanting the ability to drop in a timecode on the bottom of the footage so i can burn a dvd-rw and screen my project and take notes of small things i want to change when i see it on a big screen.

it was very intuitive and i have already done a bunch with it in the just first 15 minutes.

i am playing with it on a fairly moderate laptop and it seems plenty fast.

can't wait to get back home next week and try it out on my big system.

also anxious to play with 24p and 24pa footage from my dvx-100a

matthew

February 11th, 2004, 09:13 PM	#1
Matthew de Jongh Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: sounthern maine Posts: 344	Premiere pro user, looking for reason to consider Vegas? Hello i am currently using premiere pro quite happily, i am unhappy with my editing hardware card...canopus raptor rt2 someone suggested i try vegas, can someone give me 10 reasons why they think vegas is a better solution than premeire pro? my computer is total overkill so i thought that might be a plus towards using a software based system vs. a hardware card like canopus or matrox rtx-100 i am using a dual xeon 3.04 with 3 gig of ram and a raid5 with (4) 250 gig sata drives. i am looking for fast reliable render times of fairly basic projects...i am currently editing a 20+ hour footage documentary down to 1-1.5 hours and i'll be doing a few more of the same. not looking to do a lot of flashy effects. my camera is a panasonic dvx-100a and true 24p would be nice! matthew

February 12th, 2004, 05:03 AM	#2
George Brackett III Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Waterville, NY USA Posts: 83	If fast render times are that important to you, forget Vegas. And it doesn't support hardware rendering, either. Other than that, there is no comparison to Premiere- and I've been using Premiere for years. Vegas does so much more...so much easier. Download the demo and give it a whirl...you'll be hooked. As far as rendering- the new 64 bit cpu's will definitely help in this department __________________ If the quality of mercy is not strained, then how do they get the lumps out?

February 12th, 2004, 05:36 AM	#3
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	One other thing. I'm not sure whether PPro is acutally using it to its advantage, but I don't think dual CPU will be of much use with Vegas, unless you want to edit in another instance while you are rendering in another. Try out the demo is very good advice. There is an excellent quick reference PDF in this thread to get you started. I think the basic appeal for Vegas is it's simplicity and how it works. That either works for you or doesn't (a bit like Premiere either works or doesn't). The audio tools in Vegas are way better then Premiere's. Color correction is there as well, but I saw that PPro has this as well (don't know how good). I think Vegas is also using a better DV codec than PPro does. Just try out the demo @ http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

February 12th, 2004, 07:26 AM	#4
Matthew de Jongh Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: sounthern maine Posts: 344	well i downloaded the demo and nowhere do they give you the demo serial number... i downloaded it again to make sure i didn't miss something, they don't show it on the screen after you register and they don't email it to you. what am i missing?? matthew

February 12th, 2004, 07:35 AM	#5
Tor Salomonsen Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 265	The serial number is for when you've bought the thing. The demo - if I remember correctly - you can just go on using. Won't it open?

February 12th, 2004, 07:41 AM	#6
Matthew de Jongh Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: sounthern maine Posts: 344	no. if it would just open i would have been playing with it for two days now! :) it asks for the serial number. i clearly downloaded it from the link that said demo... matthew

February 12th, 2004, 07:57 AM	#7
Tor Salomonsen Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 265	The demo was always the full program without the serial number. But my memory is from the Sonic Foundry days. I have not heard that Sony has changed that practise, though. Let's see if anyone else has info on this matter ...

February 12th, 2004, 09:27 AM	#8
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	When you start the demo, it will give you two options - one is "Run in demo mode" and the other is to enter the serial number. Just click on the other option. The main limitations of the demo are: Can't Save, 2 minute limit on preview, no MPEG or AC3.

February 12th, 2004, 09:34 AM	#9
Marcia Janine Galles Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: Camarillo, CA Posts: 340	Matthew, just FYI... I've cut on eveything from an old Moviola, to the old Lightworks system, to high end Avids and Final Cut Pro, and apart from actual 35mm (which in my book, while it's defintely dead, is the ultimate cool) nothing has been as much fun to cut with as Vegas. It makes me crazy at times as it does a lot of things very differently from what I'm used to (the fact that it wasn't designed around and by film demands is obvious). And it doesn't do some things I wish it did that I'm hoping for in the next version, but overall I am absolutely astonished at what Vegas is able to pull off, and how easily I can do most things. Cutting with it is a dream. On top of that, I've yet to have any of the glitchy software/hardware issues that were a constant irritation in even high end editing bays. And my home setup is far less impressive than yours. So, I'm sold on Vegas, very happily so.

February 12th, 2004, 09:37 AM	#10
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	I'm not sure I can give you a "top ten" but I can list a few things. 1) Render time: If you are NOT doing a lot of flashy effects, Vegas will render reasonably fast. If you put a "bug" in the corner of the video, then every frame will need rendering which will slow down the process. For all unchanged segments, the original file will simply be copied. I have a 1 hour weekly program that simply gets a few titles added and will render in 50 minutes on a PIII 750MHz. On my 2.8GHz laptop, that can be reduced to around 15 minutes. 2) Scripting: No other NLE has it (of which I am aware) and it helps simplify the editing process tremendously. Many repetitive tasks can be reduced to a simple mouse click or keypress. 3) Powerful Compositing tools. 4) Great Codec 5) Very logical to use - once you "get it", it all makes sense. Every track is indentical (something Premiere Pro has changed to). Transitions are made by simply overlapping clips. Don't need to change between a bunch of different "tools". 6) Flexibility in adding effects (clip level, track level, media level, project level) 7) 24p native. HD can also be edited (but not captured or printed) 8) Terrific forums with TONS of answers available.

February 12th, 2004, 01:00 PM	#11
Matthew de Jongh Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: sounthern maine Posts: 344	ok, i'm gonna say it one more time :) i downloaded what was labeled as the demo/trial from sony, it absolutely asks for a serial number, there is no option to just say "demo" and have it run. it sounds great and i'm anxious to play with it but without the ability to enter something to get past the serial number prompt i'm outta luck. matthew

February 12th, 2004, 01:15 PM	#12
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	The very first screen that pops up when you run the program has two radio buttons and a text box. The text box is where you enter the serial number AFTER you have purchased it. The radio button just above the text box says something to the effect of "enter serial number". The second radio button is above that and says something to the effect of "run in demo mode". Using either of these links should get you there. http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.co...p2.asp?DID=435 http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.co...p2.asp?DID=447

February 12th, 2004, 01:30 PM	#13
Matthew de Jongh Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: sounthern maine Posts: 344	i'll have to download it again because the version i have definitely doesn't have that step. i've downloaded it 3 times now, but i'll try the link you gave, that might be a different link. the one i have been using clearly says it is to download a demo/trial version. matthew

February 12th, 2004, 01:57 PM	#14
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	Then try the 447 link which is the "download update" link. The 435 link is the "download demo" link. Technically, they should both be the same.

February 12th, 2004, 02:14 PM	#15
Matthew de Jongh Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: sounthern maine Posts: 344	thank you! i finally got an installer that does ask me if i want a demo! it looks great so far! i am impressed, especially with a few features i have already found that i wish premiere had, the timecode feature especially, for editing purposes i have been really wanting the ability to drop in a timecode on the bottom of the footage so i can burn a dvd-rw and screen my project and take notes of small things i want to change when i see it on a big screen. it was very intuitive and i have already done a bunch with it in the just first 15 minutes. i am playing with it on a fairly moderate laptop and it seems plenty fast. can't wait to get back home next week and try it out on my big system. also anxious to play with 24p and 24pa footage from my dvx-100a matthew