Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

O.K. So I wrote a review for the last incarnation of this software package (version 9) and a lot of people found it very helpful. There was one BIG problem with Version 9 - it had bugs in the video rendering section, which were never fixed with the software updates. It appears that Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 has fixed the obvious encoding/rendering bugs which plagued Version 9. You can now safely encode video to all major formats used worldwide, creating your own custom templates if you wish. Version 10 now includes working templates for anyone who uploads HD or SD WIDESCREEN 16:9 Videos to YOUTUBE. The OLD version of Vegas Movie Studio only had a template for "old fashioned" 4:3 aspect ratio, which meant you had to create a custom template to make a 16:9 video. What does Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 Suite come with? *Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 - the video editing program. *DVD Architect Studio 5.0 - the DVD creation software. *Sound Forge Audio Studio 10 - an audio recording studio. Highlight Features for the above three programs: *Vegas Movie Studio has so many features from the Vegas Pro version, it's not funny. That's what I love the most about this software package - it's full of professional grade tools and effects. If you can think it, then Sony Vegas can do it. Many other retail video editors come no where near Sony Vegas, they are like toys in comparison, seriously. *Vegas can handle all the latest video formats (Input & Output files), especially HD (High Definition) video, which is becoming the standard now, provided your computer has plenty of RAM (2GB at least) and an independent video card driver with its own memory. *Easy compression of your videos, ready for upload to YouTube in Widescreen format. *Vegas comes with a large amount of NewBlue Transition effects and Video Effects, which you can tweek to your heart's delight. *Your ability to edit video on the timeline is amazing - however this will take time to master. I taught myself over the last year and a half using the Help Index, How To Animations and just pure patient experimentation. *The DVD Architect Studio works seamlessly with your Vegas projects, and is fairly easy to use. *Sound Forge Studio 10 has heaps of effects you can filter your audio recordings with, to create amazing sounds. *My favourite feature in Sound Forge is the "Recording your old vinyl or tape collection into Digital Format". This part of the program has been upgraded now and is much easier to use. One BIG tip: Click Options, Preferences, Audio and then change Audio Device to Windows Classic Wave Driver - this will make Vinyl to Digital Recording work without getting a headache. Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 is not for the novice who gets easily exasperated. If this is you, then stick with Windows Movie Maker. If you like to experiment, have patience in learning new things, and really enjoy using Professional Tools to create a Professional Look, then go with this software package. I have yet to come across a limitation with this software - "creatively speaking". I highly recommend existing users of older versions of this software, to make the upgrade due to the additions and fixes. The price of this package or the upgrade for existing users is unbelievable, compared to the Pro Version. If you are worried about whether this program will do what it says, then do the smart thing and DOWNLOAD the FREE TRIAL at Sony Creative Software website, where you can try it out for a whole 30 days! VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: There is something that people should be aware of. High Definition Video Cameras are advancing technologically faster than the everyday home computer can deal with. HD Video made with the Super High Quality setting selected on your camera, produces a massive file. So if you expect Vegas to edit large High Definition files properly, then you are going to need a fast computer with plenty of memory. Intel i5 and i7 CPU's are a good choice, or any of the AMD Phenom II range CPU's. If you are on an old computer, Vegas is not going to work. Rendering video, especially High Definition video, can suck every last brain cell out of your computer and ask it to travel beyond light speed, while pondering the creation of the Universe. So buy a new computer and retire your dinosaur, before attempting to become a Video Enthusiast - this will prevent experiencing a "Meltdown". FINAL NOTE: The vast majority of people who are leaving 1 star reviews, are blaming Vegas for problems that they do not understand properly. All of the issues raised, had/have easy solutions. An example is this: If you can't install Vegas at all, log in as The Administrator and change some settings in your Virus Protector program - then it will install no problemo. I guess some people are very impatient and give up too easily. So don't be scared off by the one stars - they just didn't find the right doctor. All the best with your creations. Dex :)