Archive notice: This article was originally published on September 15, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Sony Creative Software announced updates to its Vegas Pro 8.0c and Vegas Pro 8.1 nonlinear editing (NLE) software. Vegas Pro 8.0c makes it easy to migrate from other NLE systems to Vegas Pro, allowing users to work with an enhanced source/preview mode by customizing the trimmer window, while benefiting from support for new video cameras commonly used in broadcasting and the new PDW-1500 XDCAM deck.
With its 64-bit editor, Vegas Pro 8.1 gives users greater performance and flexibility when working with complex, memory-intensive 3D projects and high-definition (HD) content. Sony is the first supplier in the market to make this editor available.
“Many broadcast-production professionals have been eagerly awaiting an efficient and economical solution for HD and 3D production,” says Dave Chaimson, Vice President of Global Marketing at Sony Creative Software. “These two updates give our customers comprehensive technological improvements for increasingly complex and time-critical broadcast productions. Demand for Vegas Pro in the international broadcast market is growing rapidly because the combination of a familiar workflow and 64-bit support for greater bandwidth provides an unrivaled solution that other applications lack.”
Vegas Pro 8.0c
Vegas Pro 8.0c now provides comprehensive support for the new PDW-1500 XDCAM deck and the latest Sony video-camera formats, including XDCAM HD 4:2:2. Vegas Pro adapts intuitively to the user’s system, ensuring optimal use of all hardware features. The new smart-rendering feature supports most new import formats, allowing news broadcasters to prepare content for transmission quickly. Updated trimmer tools optimize editing in the broadcast workflow, while the new fit-to-fill function enables producers to place content in the storyline with frame-accurate timing through edit automation. Vegas Pro 8.0c also now supports the 24p format for all users working with content at film frame rates.
Vegas Pro 8.0c – Key Features
• Enhanced trimmer tools, optimized source/preview workflow, fit-to-fill functions, and insert/overwrite video editing and playback
• XDCAM HD 4:2:2 50 MByte/s
• XDCAM EX rendering
• HVR-Z7 24p – high-performance recording and editing
• HVR-Z7 CF card import module
• Optimized AVC encoding and decoding
Vegas Pro 8.1
Vegas Pro 8.1 was designed to take full advantage of the 64-bit operating system, enabling users to work with complex and memory-intensive projects. The 64-bit Vegas Pro 8.1 program is a standalone application and does not require Vegas Pro 8.0 to be installed on the system. However, Vegas Pro 8.1 is designed to be backward compatible with the 32-bit Vegas Pro application, allowing users to create projects on one platform and open them on the other. This combines the performance advantages of the 64-bit version with the continued broad hardware and codec support of the 32-bit system.
Benefits of Vegas Pro 8.1
· Vegas Pro 8.1 was developed to make optimal use of 64-bit system performance and offers:
o Access to large amounts of memory unavailable in 32-bit systems
o Scalability for multicore processors
o Shorter overall processing and rendering times
o Vegas Pro 8.1 gives existing users access to more memory, providing the following benefits:
o Working with complex, memory-intensive 3D projects
o More efficient work with nested Vegas Pro projects
o Running multiple instances of Vegas Pro software
o Opening more
§ Codecs
§ Filters and effects
§ Cached frames for dynamic preview in memory
· Provides both faster rendering times and optimized overall system performance
Four factors must work together for optimal 64-bit performance. The PC, the operating system and the programs running on it must all be designed for 64-bit operation. Relevant third-party applications must also be 64-bit compatible.
Sony Creative Software was one of the first developers to begin porting for 64-bit computing, working directly with AMD, which developed the 64-bit extensions for the Windows operating system. Extensive testing with partners including Microsoft, Dell, Intel and AMD ensures that Vegas Pro 8.1 is ready for immediate installation and production use.
“AMD congratulates Sony Creative Software, the first leading software developer to bring a 64-bit NLE to market with Vegas Pro 8.1,” says Charlie Boswell, Director of Digital Media and Entertainment at AMD. “Having worked closely with the Sony Creative team and used Vegas Pro to produce DVD and broadcast content, I can say with confidence that the 64-bit Vegas Pro 8.1 application represents a decisive milestone toward our shared goal. Users can now create content and work at the ‘speed of thought,’ with their own creativity as the only limit.”
Product Demonstrations at the IBC 2008 Trade Show
Vegas Pro 8.0c and Vegas Pro 8.1 will be demonstrated at the Sony Creative Software stand in Hall 9, stand A31, during IBC 2008 in Amsterdam from September 12 to 16.
Pricing and Availability
Vegas Pro 8.0c and Vegas Pro 8.1 professional software are now available as free downloadable updates for Vegas Pro 8.0 users from the Sony Creative Software website at http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com. Localized versions of Vegas Pro 8.0c in German, French, Spanish and Japanese are also now available. The manufacturer’s recommended retail price for Vegas Pro 8.0 software is €649.00 including European VAT.
About Sony Creative Software
Sony Creative Software inspires artistic expression with its award-winning range of products for digital video, music, DVD, Blu-ray and audio production. A subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the company also develops applications that improve the usability of Sony hardware devices. Sony Creative Software customers include experienced professionals in film, television, video games and music, as well as students, educators, amateurs and enthusiasts around the world. More information is available at http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com.
Vegas is a trademark or registered trademark of Sony Creative Software Inc. in the United States and other countries.
Related links:
- Sony Creative Software
