Vegas Pro

Sony Vegas
Sony Vegas is a professional non-linear editing system (NLE) originally published by Sonic Foundry, now owned and run by Sony Creative Software. Originally developed as an audio editor, it eventually developed into an NLE for video and audio from version 2.0. Vegas features real-time multitrack video and audio editing on unlimited tracks, resolution-independent video sequencing, complex effects and compositing tools, 24-bit/192 kHz audio support, VST and DirectX plug-in effect support, and Dolby Digital surround sound mixing. It's designed for Microsoft Windows XP, Vista and 7. In April 2007, Sony along with AMD jointly demonstrated a 64-bit version of Vegas running on 64-bit Vista.

The consumer level Sony Vegas Movie Studio version (formerly titled VideoFactory and Screenblast) shares the same interface and underlying code base as the professional Vegas version, but does not include professional features such as advanced compositing tools and 24p editing support, nor does it contain the capability to burn DVDs or Blu-Ray Discs (without accompanying software DVD Architect Studio). In previous releases, the video editing portion of the professional suite could be purchased separately from Sony's DVD and Blu-ray Disc authoring software, DVD Architect Pro (previously called DVD Architect; DVD Architect Studio is the consumer version), then a package called 'Vegas + DVD' became available while Vegas 7 was out. Since the release of Vegas Pro 8.0, both DVD Architect Studio Pro 4.5, Vegas Pro 8.0, as well as Boris FX LTD and Magic Bullet Movie Looks HD are all bundled together and may not be purchased individually.

Features
Vegas does not require any specialized hardware to run properly, allowing it to operate on almost any standard Windows computer across a broad range of hardware.

In areas of compositing and motion graphics Vegas provides a broad tool set including 3D track motion compositing with control over z-depth, and spatial arrangement of visual planes including plane intersection. Unfortunately keyframing of simple 2D motion lacks bezier adjustments and multiple keyframed smooth motion is marred by slowdowns or hesitations at each keyframe.

Much of the visual effects processing in Vegas follows an audio-like paradigm. Effects can be applied at any stage of the visual signal flow — event level, track level and output level effects, much like reverb, delay and flange audio effects are applied in a digital audio system, like Pro Tools, Cubase or Sonar. Master output effects can also be controlled and manipulated over time by the use of Master Bus track automation envelopes.

With version 8.0, Vegas now reads MJPEG AVIs (usually from "video" setting on digital still cameras). (With prior versions of the software, installing an MJPEG codec sometimes fixed the problem.) Third-party codecs are supported but it can be difficult to see which codec is being used to play back an AVI. Some of Vegas's codecs are 'native' or built-in.

Vegas features integration with 24p DV. It is also one of the few NLEs which can convert other formats to 24p (or any format to any other format) without any kind of a plugin or third-party application support and is the only pro NLE that allows for multiple instances of the application to be opened simultaneously. Clips and sequences can be copied and pasted between instances of Vegas with ease. Moreover, one instance can be rendering a sequence in the background while the user continues to edit in a different instance of Vegas in the foreground. It also comes with a green screen feature where you can merge pictures into each other.

Vegas Pro 8.0
Released on September 10, 2007, the Vegas Pro collection combines Vegas Pro 8.0, DVD Architect Pro 4.5, and Dolby Digital AC-3 encoding software to offer an integrated environment for all phases of professional video, audio, DVD, and broadcast production. These tools let the user edit and process DV, AVCHD, HDV, SD/HD-SDI, and all XDCAM formats in real time, fine-tune audio with precision, and author surround sound, dual-layer DVDs.
 * Vegas was the first NLE that allowed users to put a variety of formats on the timeline and just edit them. Other NLEs would require the user to render or "conform" these down to a single format. Vegas Video 1.0 had this in 2000. Final Cut Pro got this feature in 2007 with FCP 6.
 * Native 24p editing was first made possible in Vegas; more than a year in advance of the competition. In 2003 when the 4.0b update was released, Vegas users got HD editing support and 24p support for free.
 * Vegas was the first NLE with "serious" audio tools, such as integrated 5.1 surround mixing, 24-bit/192 kHz audio support, and ASIO driver support.

Vegas started life as an audio-only tool with particular focus on rescaling and resampling audio, making it arguably a leader in its category with substantially more sophisticated audio tools than any other NLE.

Vegas was among the first NLEs to embrace HDV support both as native TS files and through lossless transcoding tools such as Cineform Connect HD.

Vegas Pro 9.0
On May 11, 2009, Sony Creative Software released Sony Vegas Pro 9.0 with greater support for digital cinema including: The latest release of Sony Vegas Pro 9.0 is Vegas Pro 9.0e (Released on 13 May 2010), which includes features such as a new white balance video FX.
 * support for 4K resolution
 * native support for pro camcorder formats like Red and XDCAM EX

Also Sony Creative Software recently purchased the Velvetmatter Radiance suite of video FX and these are included in Vegas 9.

Awards
Vegas has won awards for major broadcasters using it, including Nightline with Ted Koppel. Several film festival winners have used Vegas to cut their features. The 2009 hit film Paranormal Activity was edited in Sony Vegas.

Vegas has been used by engineers and artists as diverse as the 5.1 surround mix for Yes, as well as recordings by Shania Twain, Rod Stewart, and Quiet Riot and music video/live recordings for Sheryl Crow. Vegas is also popular for documentary video production and mobile news reporting because of its ability to run on moderately powered computer systems.

Sony Vegas Movie Studio
Sony Vegas Movie Studio is a consumer-based nonlinear video editing software designed for the PC. It is a scaled-down version of Sony Vegas. Vegas Movie Studio was formerly called "Sonic Foundry VideoFactory" and then "Sony Screenblast Movie Studio," still using the same Vegas interface and underlying code base as it currently does. Since Version 6, there have been two versions: Vegas Movie Studio+DVD and Vegas Movie Studio+DVD Platinum Edition, which adds AVCHD/HDV and 5.1 Surround capabilities.

Video features
Unlike its professional counterpart, Vegas Movie Studio can only edit with four video tracks and four audio tracks (originally it was set with two video tracks, a title overlay track and three audio tracks). It can edit in the 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios, and it's one of the very few consumer editors that can also edit 24p video (after a manual frame rate setup). It also does not have the same advanced compositing tools as Vegas does, and does not have project nesting or masking.

The Platinum Edition of Vegas Movie Studio has powerful color correction tools similar to the version on Vegas, including a three-wheel color corrector. It also adds HDV and AVCHD-editing capabilities, but does not support SD or HD-SDI formats.

Like Vegas, the Movie Studio versions can also perform DV batch capture, a feature usually found only in high-end video editors. Version 6 also added the ability to capture from Sony Handycam DVD camcorders. However, it cannot capture analog video without the use of a FireWire video converter.

Vegas Movie Studio features significantly more effects and transitions than the full version of Vegas does. However, if the user upgrades to the full version of Vegas, then the user still gets to keep those same effects.

Vegas Movie Studio supports a wide variety of file formats and codecs and can use "Video for Windows" codecs to support even more.

Audio features
Vegas Movie Studio has 13 different audio effects, and the Platinum version adds even more, in addition to 5.1 Surround sound mixing and editing. The software is also compatible with Sony's ACID Music Studio software, and an even more cut-down version called ACID Xpress ships with the 1001 Sound Effects CD included.

Other features
With version 7, Vegas Movie Studio Platinum Edition adds the ability to export to iPod and Sony PSP, a feature that was originally only available in the full version of Vegas and is becoming increasingly common in consumer-level video editors. Both versions also ship with a cut-down version of Sony's DVD Architect software, called DVD Architect Studio, replacing the Sonic MyDVD program bundled with the software when it was titled as Screenblast Movie Studio.

Sony has added "Show Me How" tutorials for users new to the software or digital video editing. Both versions also ship with Sony's 1001 Sound Effects CD (in contrast to Vegas's Limited Edition Sony Pictures Sound Effects CD), which also includes ACID XPress, an even more scaled-down version of their ACID music creation software. Similarly, the product also ships with sample video clips and music loops to enhance the users' home video projects.

Version 9 has also added direct upload to YouTube, an increasingly common feature in many consumer-oriented editing programs.

Version 10 added GPU rendering, and allowed movie studio users to benefit from Sony Vegas Pro 9's improved audio stretching and pitch shifting capabilities. It also allowed for a maximum of 20 Tracks (10 video, 10 audio).