A few questions about Sony Vegas

[moniia]

I need advice about Sony Vegas Movie Studio (SVMS). *Not* Sony Vegas Pro. Already had a trial a few months ago, but my requirements and conditions changed a bit.

My general purpose is to take source videos in raw avi and mp4 formats from cameras (both PAL and NTSC), correct them (see below), add some effects (which are in SVMS, already checked) and produce video which will be viewed online or directly from computer.

Does Sony Vegas Movie Studio have the following:

• Can painlessly import mp4 files as source footage
• Lens correction filter. One of my video recorders has VERY wide angle and I need first to correct the "barrel" shape and second, correct vertical perspective.
• Something similar to telecine filter. Is SVMS the kind of software that has such kind of filters? I mean, filters which correct the quality of the video itself. (I've read about this filter here and tried to use VirtualDub, but wasn't able to install the filter)

and last, is the Sony Vegas Pro (profesional) to Sony Movie Studio (consumer) the same as Adobe Premiere Pro (professional) to Premiere Elements (consumer)?

[DB83]

SVMS can import mp4 files. But dince mp4 is a container rather than a format it does depend on the codecs of the video and audio within the container.

The is a 'distort' filter. I would suggest you upload a small example with the footage you want to correct just to check its suitability.

I do not understand your need for telecine correction. Video sources should not require that. Maybe you confuse telecine with interlacing. Again, a sample would help.

Sort of. A real pro would not use SVMS

[sanlyn]

A better article about analyzing the frame and field structure of videos is here: http://neuron2.net/faq.html

AFAIK, SONY Vegas can't inverse telecine. Its deinterlacing isn't very talented: you can use yadif in VirtualDub's bob/deinterlace feature, but better to use Avisynth and QTGMC for deinterlace and TIVTC for inverse telecine. It should not be absolutely necessary to deinterlace for tv playback. and in many cases telecine doesn't have to be removed. If there are various/serious interlace or telecine artifacts in the video, QTGMC or TIVTC can repair many problems. Keep in mind that interlaced/telecined video displays differently on computers than on TV.

I'd agree with DB83: Vegas and similar NLE's don't have the thorough cleanup and repair features you find in Avisynth or even in VirtualDub.

Correcting lens geometry effects is another matter. We'd need a sample of the video to give a better reply.