Windows Vista - problems installing existing video software on Vista?

[ibzomie]

I'm building a new computer with an Intel dual core processor. I'm wondering whether to go ahead and install Vista, or stick with XP.

When I say 'video software', I mean such programs as Nero, TMPGEnc DVD Author and Video Encoder XPress, HJ Join, etc. All those programs, big or small, commercial or freeware, that help you join files, edit clips, and burn DVDs.

I've heard that there have been problems installing software on Vista. Are there such problems? If a program seems to work fine with XP, is that any kind of assurance that it will also work with Vista? Or will I have to buy all new software to go with Vista? And what those liitle free programs like HJ Join?

I know that Vista supposedly has stuff to do video work, but my experience with Windows in the past has been that it seems to try to do everything for everybody, and ends up doing none of it as well as separate software that has been specifically designed for a specific task.

[buttzilla]

I went to vista on the desktop and went back to xp because vista was buggy with some of the video programs i use. A lot of the stuff I use was developed for xp and not vista. And the ones that did install fine seemed to run slower during encoding and the likes. Actually it seems to me everything is slow to respond in vista. It still have a lot of bugs to work out. If everything you do works fine in xp then stick with it.

[redwudz]

Unless you have a need for some Vista features, I would stay with XP for a little longer. But here's a list of Vista compatible programs, including video:

http://www.iexbeta.com/wiki/index.php/Windows_Vista_Software_Compatibility_List

[JohnnyMalaria]

You can also consider dual-booting. Install XP first, then Vista (use separate partitions). (You can do it the other way around but it is a little more complicated.)

For our software, we recommend XP Pro SP2 or XP Pro x64, even though we have gone to great pains to make the software behave itself with Vista's foibles.

The primary reason: audio. The audio aspect of Vista is completely new and non-Vista savvy software can take a serious performance hit.

The secondary reason: useful little things like when you connect a DV camcorder to XP, you get a folder created that you can open and see the video. This isn't the case with Vista (nor, as it happens, 64-bit XP).

[yoda313]

I can confirm tmpgenc dvd author 2 works fine on vista (I have vista premium).

I have also used dvd decrypter, dvd shrink, and a few other tools on vista with no problems. I don't have any of the big name editors like nero or sony so I can't comment on those.

But yeah unless you're looking to be a high end gamer and want immediate access to directx 10 there isn't much of a reason to push to vista right now. I like it but there isn't much to "die for" in it. However I bought it on my hp so I wouldn't have to touch my existing emachine - that will stay as an xp machine for the rest of its functioning life