Ulead vs6 vs Adobe Premier vs ?

[skygod]

I have just gotten into the dv game and was looking for a little guidance on where to focus my efforts in learning to use dv editing software. I built up a new system around an av7333 w/raid m/b. I have a fast processor and lots of room to work with. Ulead video studio 6 came with the 8500dv video card, so I have been trying to work with it. How does this software compare to say adobe primier? Should I continue learning to use vs6 or switch to some other software? There seems to be so much software out there, I just want to head down the right road and it is a little bit confusing. Thanks in advance. Brian

[BJ_M]

start using vegas video and you will not bother to much with ulead or premiere

[Rickyblaze]

I have recently upgraded to the videostudio6 and have had great success with it in making a slide with attached home video of family events all played with the music of choice. My wife is finally coming to terms with the money I have invested to archive our family's pictures and video. I have found the VS6 to be fairly easy to use and has a pretty good end product that I am proud to share with my family and friends.

[GenkaNT]

Ok. I will start from the beggining.
1. I was introduced to video world with Adobe Premier 4.1. At that moment this prog was one of not many professonal video editing s/w, that did not require any special hardware. Although, it was very limited with options, there were alot of plug-Ins and add-ons to it that would make it a complete package.

2. Unfortunately, until recently, Adobe did not pay too much attention to outside world of technology. The breakthrough came with version 6.0. and then, a dream came through, Adobe prmier 6.5 with MPEG encoder build-in. Now it makes a complete video editing and DVD creation package.

3. I am not too familiar with vegas video, and will not comment on it, but I know a lot of professional videograffers, and when I ask them which soft would I use to put all my home video onto DVD-r, all of them, almost together said:
a. Adobe Premier v. 5 - 6.5 (for PC) or Final Cut Pro and iDVD and DVDStudio Pro(for Mac)
b. Bunch of plug-Ins for video effects
c. A DVD creation soft, something like DVDMaestro, Sonic Scenarist.
(Sonic Reel DVD, or Dazzle DVD Complete)

I tried using Ulead Products and find them very limited on otions. There is only so much you can do if you want to create a masterpiece with motion menus for your DVD, or Picture-in-Picture scene, or Color path through and so on. Also, AP fully integrades with other Adobe products, like Photoshop, After effects and so on, you can actually modify a still background directly from Premier Timeline by choosing "Edit original". Visit www.doom9.org for instructions on how to create DVD menus with Adobe Photoshop.

I am Currently using:
Adobe Premier 6.5 with Hollywood FX and Boris Red as Plug-Ins
Adobe Photoshop 7 for my still menus, backgrounds and animations.
DVD Maestro for a complete DVD set(dvd complient file structure)
Nero Burning Rom(Latest) as my burning soft.

My DVDs with my home video on them as good as Hollywood Quality Professional DVDs.

P.S. I have Di8 Sony Camcoder and a $35 firewire card. Sometimes I use Dazzle DVD Complete for DVD-VCD-CD Cover Creator.

[grinner]

Avid XpressDV is a great intro tool. All the things you need to get started and should you decide you like it so much you want to be an editor for a living, you already know the interface your bound to be working on. Making a hop Xpress, Media Composer, Symphony or even DS will be much easier.

have fun

grin
http://my.cybersoup.com/grinner

[BJ_M]

i'm sorry but i find avid expressDv to be really limited .. first it is extremly limited in the type of tracks it can import. it is EXTREMLY limited on number of tracks in a project .. has poor real time preview .. the interface is clunky unless you have used avid systems before (and even then its clunky) .. its final render on anything but DV output is very limited and some cases poor quality ..

adobe premiere IS a good program .. 6.5 is great , a lot of people use it because they were taught on it or it was on a mac system at thier school or it came as part of a package or they got it some other means for free .. but again for work requiring a lot of different type of material to be mixed it has its limitations ... i would certainly tell someone to try it and in many many cases they woudl really like it and be happy 100% with it .. ..

I work with hardware editors (velocity HD and DS|HD) but have been using vegas for a long time also and find it to be a really good program with a lot more capibilities out of the box than premiere .. so do a lot of other pro video people ..

heres one goood review http://www.digitalvideoediting.com/2001/12_dec/reviews/cw_vegasvid3.htm

[grinner]

All good points. Your right, XDV is very limiting. This is why I suggested it as an introductory tool. The power pac offers much more bells and whistles and DS will be familaiar to the user when/if the time is right to get serious.

grin

[BJ_M]

you are right on that grinner -- AVID is really entrenched into the editing market .. good and bad ... rather like protools .. doesnt mater really what else is avaiable when clients ask for editing to be done on AVID (a lot of the times - on a MAC) ...

THOUGH its so FREAKING expensive for what you get .. look at ebay prices for used old avid anything and they are way out of whack ...

we have DS|HD more for compatability reasons and client demand but better work is done in compositing and color and effects on shake and/or fusion and speed in dps hardware.
still a LOT of work is done on SGI equipment at the higher end of the scale also ..

[grinner]

waddaya think of 844/X's new intro 844/Xi for 25k?
Media 100's knight in shining armor.

grin

[BJ_M]

media 100 needs a few knights or they are not long for this world -- from being a major force to being a service your exsisting customeers.. due to the fact of being about 2 years behind everyone else .. i think they suffered money wise trying to support both mac and nt also ..

a full xi setup i see is going to be more than 25,000 (always the way) .. for that much - i would stay with my dps , which after years of targa 2000/3000 headaches, dps deliverys rock solid stability and great support (being part of letch is a great benifit) .
media 100 support really depends on your dealer i recall which can be hit or miss. media 100 used ot have a great product .. i have not much experiance w/ it but everyone used to like it pretty well.

i am not an huge avid fan (as you may tell) after being stuck on the wrong end of some of their hardware changes and non support of the new vs. old buss and few other points..

Availability and Pricing 
844/Xi will be available in December 2002 with prices starting at $24,995 for Media 100 software and hardware. Complete system configurations will start at about $40,000 and will be available exclusively through authorized 844/X value-added resellers. 

844/Xe is available now with prices starting at $44,995 for Media 100 software and hardware. Complete 844/Xe system configurations start at about $60,000 and are also available exclusively through authorized 844/X value-added resellers.