If you have an older version of Sony Vegas, is Sony Vegas Pro 11 worth the upgrade?
If you are contemplating getting Adobe Premiere or Apple Final Cut, is Sony Vegas Pro 11 a better choice?
Well, I have used Sony Vegas Pro since version 4 and I can safely say the Sony Vegas Pro 11 is not just an upgrade, it is an evolution!
Download the new Sony Vegas Pro 11 and try it for yourself… or just read on.
The number ONE evolutionary feature is the GPU Accelerated Performance.
GPU Accelerated Performance means faster rendering, especially for high-definition videos. If you have edited videos before, you know that no matter how fast you can split, trim and assemble your video, in the end you have to wait a dreadfully long time for the video editing software to compile your edits into one piece, aka render time.
What are the other new features on Sony Vegas Pro 11? Stereoscopic 3D editing, NewBlue Titler Pro, superior audio control and more, which I am not really concerned about.
I have gathered nuggets of reviews from other Sony Vegas Pro 11 users which I found are more interesting.
The GOOD
Faster Render Speed
Most reviews confirm that the render speed is indeed notably faster.
“These tests were designed to highlight speed improvements, so we also opened an old project created in version 10, and saw a 46% improvement in render speed. Basic decoding performance was up, too, with version 11 previewing six simultaneous AVCHD streams at 1080p whereas version 10 could only manage four.”
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/software/371086/sony-vegas-pro-11#ixzz1djj7YzDe
“I configured another test for 29.97fps and used an AVCHD 24Mb/sec clip with some generated media, Bump Map, and Chroma Key composites in slow motion. Without GPU Assist I got less than 3 fps. With GPU Assist I scored a full 29.97.”
http://www.eventdv.net/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=78309
Sync Links vs Apple Final Cut Pro X’s magnetic timeline
Here’s one for those considering Apple Final Cut Pro X.
“A new Sync Links feature provides a useful addition to the Group command and ripple editing options, creating a one-way link between two objects. For example, a titles object that’s linked to a video clip can be moved independently on the timeline, but when the video clip is moved, the titles object will follow it and stay synchronised. This is a similar concept to Apple Final Cut Pro X’s magnetic timeline, but Sync Links is much more controllable and predictable. The only downside is links must be made manually and individually.”
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/software/371086/sony-vegas-pro-11/2#ixzz1djkrU5iL
No Transcode No Re-wrap
This feature alone is enough to convince me not to use Final Cut Pro. For those using Apple Final Cut Pro will know how cumbersome it is to encode every other video format to QuickTime before you can even start editing.
“Vegas Pro 11 improves on its “no transcode, no re-wrap” heritage by adding native format support for stereoscopic 3D MVC and MPO files from Sony camcorders and DSLRs. By eliminating the transcode and re-wrap process required by other applications, Vegas Pro 11 users can save valuable production time, minimise storage requirements, and preserve the pristine quality of the original source material.”
http://3droundabout.com/2011/10/5232/sony-launches-vegas-pro-11-editing-software-with-new-titler-pro-3d-titles-tool.html
The BAD
4 Individual Titling Effect Tools
The Sony Vegas Pro 11 now come with 4 titling tools. Each have its own strengths and weaknesses. We now have a wide choice to create effects on our once boring texts. What’s so bad about that? Why don’t they combine all the tools and effects into one? Text effects made with one tool cannot be modified with another tool and that’s a little inconvenient.
That’s the only bad thing I and the others are talking about.
The OTHER THINGS
A Walkthrough of Some New Features
This video shows you how to download the new Sony Vegas Pro 11 as well as a brief review, explanation of some new features and a little comparison between Sony Vegas Pro 11 and Sony Vegas Pro 10.
Found this video on http://www.aquul.com/blog/sony-vegas-pro-11-released-new-features-basics-comparison-and-review/
The next video is 20 minutes long and shows you how to work in Sony Vegas Pro 11.
Music Producers Love It Too
Sony Vegas Pro is not just a video editing tool, it is an industry-standard audio editing tool! No other video editing software can beat that. Did you know Sony Vegas started off as an audio editing software? I know because I have used it since it turned into a video editing software. It is a good thing the audio features continue to be improved when Sony acquired it. Here’s a review by a Music Producer with a deeper look into the audio feature we Video Editors seldom or never look into.
“In Sony Vegas Pro 11 there is a lot of feature power to discover under the hood. It has a great sounding audio engine with pitch-shifting capability too. Once you are aware of what lies where, then the workflow really ‘revs’ up.”
http://soundwrx.net/digitalmusicreviewsblog/?page_id=1764
CONCLUSION
If you own an older version of Sony Vegas, it is time to upgrade to Sony Vegas Pro 11.
If you are still deciding the best video editing software to use, give Sony Vegas Pro 11 a try. Download the trial version.
If you are getting a new PC or laptop soon, be sure the it comes with the graphic card specified by Sony Vegas. (To take full advantage of the GPU-acceleration in Vegas Pro 11, you will need a supported display card with at least 512 MB of GPU memory. NVIDIA: Requires a CUDA-enabled GPU and driver 270.xx or later with a GeForce GTX 4xx Series or higher GPU. AMD/ATI: Requires an OpenCL-enabled GPU and Catalyst driver 11.7 or later with a Radeon HD 57xx or higher GPU.)
I like the following statement which I have been telling people all along.
“The gap between Vegas Pro and Premiere Pro is smaller than ever, though, and Sony’s editor is the better choice for those who don’t produce complex animated graphics.”
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/software/371086/sony-vegas-pro-11/2#ixzz1djllk3SS
Adrian Lee
http://VideoLane.com
Making Web Videos for Learning and Marketing
PS:
Sign for your free online videography course…
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PPS:
Sign up for Video Editing Course on Sony Vegas Pro 11 – Singapore
http://videolane.com/courses/video-editing/
PPPS:
Download Sony Vegas Pro 11 now with this link…
http://videolane.com/sony-vegas-pro


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Here’s an unbiased review of all major video editing platforms… http://www.target-audience.com/?p=43
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Vegas 11 has a lot of hidden costs.
If you use Cineform, you will have to upgrade to the latest version. Vegas 11 does not support the codec used under versions 5.0 and earlier. Add at least $49 to the cost.
Also, your graphics card may actually deliver worst rendering and preview performance with 11 than earlier versions. I have 1 gb on an EVAGA 560 and the previews are horrendously slow to the point of being unusable.
The program crashes when more than a couple of .mov files are on the timeline.
The bugs are numerous and Sony is unhelpful in resolving them.
To me, it is not worth the money and will cost you a lot more than the purchase price for a card upgrade and Cineform upgrade.
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One thing I don’t see in your review of Vegas Pro 11…….
I am now unable to burn HD to a normal dvd, like I can do at will with version 9. I have an inquiry in to tech support for 24 hours now, no answer yet, but I think they removed the ability to burn “blu ray” onto a normal dvd. It asks me to put in a blu ray disc now.
This ruins the version 11 for me as I mainly make amateur vacation videos about 1 gig in size and don’t want to buy 25 gig discs for this!