Sony Vegas Movie Studio

Infobox_Software
name = Vegas Movie Studio



caption =
developer = Sony Creative Software
latest_release_version = 9.0a
latest_release_date = August, 2008
operating_system = Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista
genre = Digital video editor
license = Proprietary
website = [http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/products/vegasfamily.asp Sony Creative Software]

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.

Features

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 quick 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 CV 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.