Is Vegas Pro 9 i7 compatible? at DVinfo.net

Oliver Horn · January 1st, 2010, 05:06 PM

Is Vegas Pro 9 i7 fully compatible? I've scoured around and can't seem to get a straight answer. More specifically I'm wondering whether Vegas can use all the cores (4/8 dependent on Hyperthreading as far as I can tell). I have a decent enough Core 2 Duo E8400 GHz and 4 GB RAM on Win 7 (32 bit at the moment) but I find XDCAM EX footage from my EX1 won't run in highest quality in the preview pane (and faster rendering is always nice :) It seems reasonable enough in Draft (32 bit floating Video levels) if a little jerky. Is it really worth the spend (£1400 ish) or will there be such a small difference as to make no odds difference?
Any thoughts welcome,
Regards, Oliver.

Bruce Phung · January 1st, 2010, 05:48 PM

My i7 920 Windows 7 64 bit work fine for me. I have Pro 8 32 bit and Pro 9 64 bit install in the same system. No problem what so ever. Vegas uses all 8 cores when rendering.

Duane Adam · January 2nd, 2010, 11:06 AM

i7 860 here. Vegas 9 32 bit works great, 64 bit has the red photo issue which appears to be a Vegas problem.

Oliver Horn · January 2nd, 2010, 11:35 AM

Thanks guys. Good to know Vegas will take full advantage of multi-core i7. Now will it work that much faster to be worth upgrading (a million $ question I know)?
Regards,
Oliver.

Sunny Dhinsey · March 31st, 2010, 04:14 AM

Sorry if this topic has been covered before, I am heading in to upgrade my editing system and have looked at the Dell XPS 8100 and would like some guidance with regards to suitability.

I primarily want a system that can run Vegas Pro 9 64bit and will mainly be editing Canon 5D AVC video, some HDV and with a view to edit Red Code once the Scarlet releases.

My main query is whether a system with the below specs would be able to hand lag-free editing of the above file formats. Whilst render time is clearly important, the main thing is a smooth editing flow and playback from the timeline.

Would I need more RAM/Higher processor?

PROCESSOR StudioXPS 8100 - Intel Core i7 Processor 860 (2.80GHz, 8MB)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64bit- English
MEMORY 8192MB (4x2GB) 1333MHz DDR3 Dual Channel Memory
HARD DRIVE 2TB Dual Hard Drive Raid 0 "Stripe" (2x1TB - 7200rpm)
GRAPHICS CARD 1GB ATI Radeon™ HD 5770 Graphics Card

Although not stated, I think it has a 350w power supply and a P55 Motherboard

Many thanks in advance!

Sunny

Mike Kujbida · March 31st, 2010, 04:39 AM

Sunny, the specs look OK with the exception of the power supply.
350 w. is hopelessly underpowered and will end up causing you grief.
Try to at least double it if at all possible and both you and your computer will be MUCH happier.

Sunny Dhinsey · March 31st, 2010, 04:46 AM

Thanks Mike, I don't think Dell give the option of a better power supply, but am assuming I can replace this myself with a 750w or something nearby? How easy would it be to replace?

I'll be looking to add more RAM etc in due course too

Mike Kujbida · March 31st, 2010, 04:50 AM

Sunny, if this was a home-built machine, it would be fairly easy to do.
Since it's a Dell though, all bets are off as they doesn't make it easy to swap parts on your own.
Also, odds are that doing so would immediately void your warranty.
You may want to see if there's a reputable PC builder in your area and have them do it for you (build you one, that is).

Sunny Dhinsey · March 31st, 2010, 04:52 AM

Hi Mike, thanks for your response,

I guess it may be a good idea to take these specs down to my local builder and see what they can do for me,

Many thanks!

Perrone Ford · March 31st, 2010, 05:26 AM

The codec that is used to compress the video in these cameras was never designed for editing. You will save yourself an inordinate amount of frustration by transcoding this footage into a proper editing format. If you plan to do this in Vegas, I cannot recommend Cineform highly enough. It's a "best fit" for editing in Vegas. I don't personally use it (though I have in the past), but you should just plan on spending the $129 or whatever it costs to purchase Cineform NeoScene.

This topic is discussed daily on this forum and many others. Read the discussions, absorb what they are saying, and I wish you all the best with your new machine.

Sunny Dhinsey · March 31st, 2010, 05:42 AM

Thank you for your analysis Perrone,

I was well aware of the codec background for AVCHD and of the Cineform process. I also explained I will be looking to edit Red Code Raw when the Scarlet camera is released. My main query was regarding whether the machine would be suitable - not what I need to do to codecs and file formats. I am well aware of the process, but thank you for your time all the same :)

Sunny

Perrone Ford · March 31st, 2010, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunny Dhinsey

Thank you for your analysis Perrone,

I was well aware of the codec background for AVCHD and of the Cineform process. I also explained I will be looking to edit Red Code Raw when the Scarlet camera is released. My main query was regarding whether the machine would be suitable - not what I need to do to codecs and file formats. I am well aware of the process, but thank you for your time all the same :)

Sunny

REDCode is a heck of a lot easier to edit than H.264. REDCode is wavelet compression... just like Cineform. Hence, my recommendation.

So to more directly answer your question, it is my opinion from my own direct experience with 5D and 7D files that your machine will NOT be suitable for editing these files. Perhaps a single stream. But not multiple streams, and certainly not with effects applied.

The machine will be just fine for HDV, REDCode, and most other formats. Certainly any intra-frame editing formats.

Willard Hill · March 31st, 2010, 09:36 AM

The XPS-8100 is a 350 W Power Supply for certain: You can find this under the Tech Specs tab. It is located close the bottom of the list.

Studio XPS 8100 Desktop Details | Dell

On the positive side, while I fully agree that it would be best to have a larger power supply I did edit for over two years with a Dell Precision 380 Workstation that as I recall had a 375 Watt power supply and I never had a problem with that aspect of it. It was pretty much a rock solid editing computer. The only significant problem was when one of the memory modules failed.

To get better render speeds I upgraded to an XPS 9000 i7 core with Windows 7 64bit, which has a 475 W supply. It renders much faster and edits m2t files flawlessly, but gives the red frame problem with cineform and it will not edit native Mov. files from the Canon 7D, nor play them back smoothly.

Randall Leong · March 31st, 2010, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunny Dhinsey

Am assuming you mean that this system won't be able to hand Canon 5D video?

The Canon 5D video is AVCHD, which is extremely tough to handle to begin with. What's more, the recorded bitrate of the 5D files is too high for Vegas' AVC encoders and decoders to handle at all. Vegas only supports AVCHD video up to 17 Mbps - but the 5D records at an average of more than 20 Mbps. As a result, transcoding the 5D video to another codec such as Cineform is required if you want to edit 5D video in Vegas.

In other words, your system is already marginal for AVCHD editing due to an underpowered power supply unit - but Vegas by itself is incapable of handling AVCHD video with a bitrate as high as what the 5D produces. And that's not to mention that Vegas' AVC encoders, especially the Sony AVC encoder, has had stability issues (it crashes in the middile of a render on some systems).

Brian Luce · March 31st, 2010, 03:01 PM

With regard to editing h264 natively, I can't for the life of me figure out why everyone isn't falling all over themselves about this: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/what-hap...lr-plugin.html

So far, it seems to have taken the misery out of h264. It's easier and cheaper than Cineform.

Btw, I run an i7 with Vegas 9c and it works well enough, though it has trouble dealing with CPU intensive tasks like, you know, importing JPEGs.

January 1st, 2010, 05:06 PM	#1
Oliver Horn Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Cambridge, UK Posts: 57	Is Vegas Pro 9 i7 compatible? Is Vegas Pro 9 i7 fully compatible? I've scoured around and can't seem to get a straight answer. More specifically I'm wondering whether Vegas can use all the cores (4/8 dependent on Hyperthreading as far as I can tell). I have a decent enough Core 2 Duo E8400 GHz and 4 GB RAM on Win 7 (32 bit at the moment) but I find XDCAM EX footage from my EX1 won't run in highest quality in the preview pane (and faster rendering is always nice :) It seems reasonable enough in Draft (32 bit floating Video levels) if a little jerky. Is it really worth the spend (£1400 ish) or will there be such a small difference as to make no odds difference? Any thoughts welcome, Regards, Oliver.

March 31st, 2010, 04:14 AM	#5
Sunny Dhinsey Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: London, England Posts: 127	Good enough for Canon 5D/Red Code Editing? Sorry if this topic has been covered before, I am heading in to upgrade my editing system and have looked at the Dell XPS 8100 and would like some guidance with regards to suitability. I primarily want a system that can run Vegas Pro 9 64bit and will mainly be editing Canon 5D AVC video, some HDV and with a view to edit Red Code once the Scarlet releases. My main query is whether a system with the below specs would be able to hand lag-free editing of the above file formats. Whilst render time is clearly important, the main thing is a smooth editing flow and playback from the timeline. Would I need more RAM/Higher processor? PROCESSOR StudioXPS 8100 - Intel Core i7 Processor 860 (2.80GHz, 8MB) OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64bit- English MEMORY 8192MB (4x2GB) 1333MHz DDR3 Dual Channel Memory HARD DRIVE 2TB Dual Hard Drive Raid 0 "Stripe" (2x1TB - 7200rpm) GRAPHICS CARD 1GB ATI Radeon™ HD 5770 Graphics Card Although not stated, I think it has a 350w power supply and a P55 Motherboard Many thanks in advance! Sunny __________________ Sunny Dhinsey Director - www.filmlore.tv

March 31st, 2010, 04:46 AM	#7
Sunny Dhinsey Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: London, England Posts: 127	Thanks Mike, I don't think Dell give the option of a better power supply, but am assuming I can replace this myself with a 750w or something nearby? How easy would it be to replace? I'll be looking to add more RAM etc in due course too __________________ Sunny Dhinsey Director - www.filmlore.tv

March 31st, 2010, 04:52 AM	#9
Sunny Dhinsey Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: London, England Posts: 127	Hi Mike, thanks for your response, I guess it may be a good idea to take these specs down to my local builder and see what they can do for me, Many thanks! __________________ Sunny Dhinsey Director - www.filmlore.tv

March 31st, 2010, 05:26 AM	#10
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	The codec that is used to compress the video in these cameras was never designed for editing. You will save yourself an inordinate amount of frustration by transcoding this footage into a proper editing format. If you plan to do this in Vegas, I cannot recommend Cineform highly enough. It's a "best fit" for editing in Vegas. I don't personally use it (though I have in the past), but you should just plan on spending the $129 or whatever it costs to purchase Cineform NeoScene. This topic is discussed daily on this forum and many others. Read the discussions, absorb what they are saying, and I wish you all the best with your new machine. __________________ DVX100, PMW-EX1, Canon 550D, FigRig, Dell Octocore, Avid MC4/5, MB Looks, RedCineX, Matrox MX02 mini, GTech RAID, Edirol R-4, Senn. G2 Evo, Countryman, Moles and Lowels.

January 1st, 2010, 05:48 PM	#2
Bruce Phung Major Player Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Rochester,NY USA Posts: 285	My i7 920 Windows 7 64 bit work fine for me. I have Pro 8 32 bit and Pro 9 64 bit install in the same system. No problem what so ever. Vegas uses all 8 cores when rendering.

January 2nd, 2010, 11:06 AM	#3
Duane Adam Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Gilroy, CA Posts: 398	i7 860 here. Vegas 9 32 bit works great, 64 bit has the red photo issue which appears to be a Vegas problem.

January 2nd, 2010, 11:35 AM	#4
Oliver Horn Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Cambridge, UK Posts: 57	Thanks guys. Good to know Vegas will take full advantage of multi-core i7. Now will it work that much faster to be worth upgrading (a million $ question I know)? Regards, Oliver.

March 31st, 2010, 04:39 AM	#6
Mike Kujbida Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Windsor, ON Canada Posts: 2,770	Sunny, the specs look OK with the exception of the power supply. 350 w. is hopelessly underpowered and will end up causing you grief. Try to at least double it if at all possible and both you and your computer will be MUCH happier.

March 31st, 2010, 04:50 AM	#8
Mike Kujbida Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Windsor, ON Canada Posts: 2,770	Sunny, if this was a home-built machine, it would be fairly easy to do. Since it's a Dell though, all bets are off as they doesn't make it easy to swap parts on your own. Also, odds are that doing so would immediately void your warranty. You may want to see if there's a reputable PC builder in your area and have them do it for you (build you one, that is).

March 31st, 2010, 05:42 AM	#11
Sunny Dhinsey Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: London, England Posts: 127	Thank you for your analysis Perrone, I was well aware of the codec background for AVCHD and of the Cineform process. I also explained I will be looking to edit Red Code Raw when the Scarlet camera is released. My main query was regarding whether the machine would be suitable - not what I need to do to codecs and file formats. I am well aware of the process, but thank you for your time all the same :) Sunny __________________ Sunny Dhinsey Director - www.filmlore.tv

March 31st, 2010, 09:36 AM	#13
Willard Hill Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 191	The XPS-8100 is a 350 W Power Supply for certain: You can find this under the Tech Specs tab. It is located close the bottom of the list. Studio XPS 8100 Desktop Details \| Dell On the positive side, while I fully agree that it would be best to have a larger power supply I did edit for over two years with a Dell Precision 380 Workstation that as I recall had a 375 Watt power supply and I never had a problem with that aspect of it. It was pretty much a rock solid editing computer. The only significant problem was when one of the memory modules failed. To get better render speeds I upgraded to an XPS 9000 i7 core with Windows 7 64bit, which has a 475 W supply. It renders much faster and edits m2t files flawlessly, but gives the red frame problem with cineform and it will not edit native Mov. files from the Canon 7D, nor play them back smoothly. __________________ Willard http://pawildlifephotographer.blogspot.com/

March 31st, 2010, 03:01 PM	#15
Brian Luce Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,290	With regard to editing h264 natively, I can't for the life of me figure out why everyone isn't falling all over themselves about this: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/what-hap...lr-plugin.html So far, it seems to have taken the misery out of h264. It's easier and cheaper than Cineform. Btw, I run an i7 with Vegas 9c and it works well enough, though it has trouble dealing with CPU intensive tasks like, you know, importing JPEGs.