MS8 vs VS9

[Xebec]

What's the difference between the Video Editor in MediaStudio 8 and Video Studio 9?

I had the impression MS was a more powerful version of VS. Is that accurate? Or, is VS9 actually better than the video editor in MS8?

And, if so, do they play well together?

[Devil]

VS and MSP are totally different products. VS is a simple, easy-to-use editor designed for people with little experience in video editing or who have no great aspirations regarding their productions. It is minimalist in features and consequently low-cost. MSP is a fully-featured, versatile, editing suite with hundreds of features that VS cannot start to understand. It is used by many professional videographers, as well as by amateurs who wish their productions to look as professional as possible. It has 2 disadvantages, compared to VS: it is ~4 times more costly and it takes quite a bit of learning to use it to full effect.

VS is transportable (with some limitations) to MSP, but not vice versa (try putting 100 l into a 10 l can!).

[Amalthia]

What's the difference between the Video Editor in MediaStudio 8 and Video Studio 9?

I had the impression MS was a more powerful version of VS. Is that accurate? Or, is VS9 actually better than the video editor in MS8?

And, if so, do they play well together?

One of the differences is that the production library loads at start up with MSPRO8 which can cause your program to take over an hour to load depending on how many clips you have saved. VS9 has a limit on the amount of libraries you can create but they don't load startup....

also MSPRO8 has non-linear editing, which means you can lock your clips into place later in the timeline even if you don't have any other clips on the time line.

I think having some basic understanding of UVS9 will help if you start using MSPro8, not sure if they play that well together.

There are a few other differences as Devil pointed out...so I tried to add some he didn't mention.

[Terry Stetler]

I've used big media bins without long startups. Hmmm.....

Procedure:

I only use the Production Library for things I constantly re-use like intros, masks or canned title images. Other than that the Project Tray gets the nod.

When loading a large number of clips for a given project I don't store them in the Production Library but in a custom folder in the Project tray where they belong.

To create these right-click over Project Tray/Media Bin and create a named folder for that project. Next create sub-folders for images, audio files and video clips as required, loading your sources into each as you go.

From now on this folder and its contents will be tied to the current project file. It will only be shown once that project file is loaded into MSPro8, and it will appear VERY quickly after its loaded. If it doesn't then click to the Production Library tab and back to the Project Tray again to force a redraw.

I've created such project folders with hundreds of files in them and never had a problem with 'em showing up fast when they're loaded into the Project Tray by a project file.

When you're done and start a new project the Project Tray contents associated with the previous project file go bye-bye.

[Amalthia]

I've used big media bins without long startups. Hmmm.....

Procedure:

To create these right-click over Project Tray/Media Bin and create a named folder for that project. Next create sub-folders for images, audio files and video clips as required, loading your sources into each as you go.

I've tried this with the same result as the production library. But then again i'm trying to store literally thousands of clips.

I've created such project folders with hundreds of files in them and never had a problem with 'em showing up fast when they're loaded into the Project Tray by a project file.

I'll give the media bin another try because at this point I'm desperate to get this program to work without spending 2 hours waiting for it to load

But again with hundreds of clips I've never had any problems either. it's when you have over 3000 clips that loading becomes a real issue and some of my projects do generate a lot of clips.

Have you ever had troubles loading your project files with over 5,000 clips in them?

[Devil]

One of the differences is that the production library loads at start up with MSPRO8 which can cause your program to take over an hour to load depending on how many clips you have saved.

I think this an unproductive statement. This is a problem unique to yourself and I've gone over it with you more than once. You try to use MSP8 in a way that was never intended and you seem to refuse to listen to anyone trying to help you.

No one else that I know has ever complained about your problem and I've never seen anything like it.

[Terry Stetler]

One thing I don't see from him are detailed system specs in his profile. That little blurb in his post is a start, but not really enough. Detailed info is critical as it can give an indication as to if he's suffering from DLL-itis.

By default WinNT/2K/XP will keep DLL's from previously run programs in memory even after that program closes, and some of these can be very large.

As a result MSP and other large programs can end up hitting the swapfile heavily when they are first run, slowing them drastically. In MSPro's case having the PL/PT paged would make this even worse.

Preventing this DLL nonsense requires a registry modification I plan on posting in a "how to:" in the next day or two. Applying it here sped our systems up more than a little, especially when using large programs like MSPro, After Effects etc.

Then there are the ever present system config issues we're constantly going over related to dedicated dualboots etc. God knows what other installed software in a general use system will do to MSPro performance

[Amalthia]

One of the differences is that the production library loads at start up with MSPRO8 which can cause your program to take over an hour to load depending on how many clips you have saved.

I think this an unproductive statement. This is a problem unique to yourself and I've gone over it with you more than once. You try to use MSP8 in a way that was never intended and you seem to refuse to listen to anyone trying to help you.

No one else that I know has ever complained about your problem and I've never seen anything like it.

Just because I'm the only one mentioning this problem doesn't mean it doesn't exist. A lot of people just move on to other programs when there's a problem this big in the program. I just want to make sure whoever is reading the forum knows that hte production library loads at startup and the more that's in it the slower the start up goes.

This problem is not unique to me. I've tested this program on various computers and all of them show the same results when you use the split by scene option in the production library and manage to get over 2000 clips into the library. if the program wasn't meant to be used this way then why even let people split by scene directly into the production library??? Why not write into the help files something to the effect that this won't work and let people know the alternate solution. I think the programers forgot that not everyone is doing the same thing with the video editing program.

And again, why is it that VS9 allows people to split by scene into a library and the program loads just fine. I think the programers need to be aware that people are going to try splitting movies into that production library and that it will appear as though the program crashed when they go to reload to work on their project.

The reason I keep posting is that I want people to be aware and in case anyone else shows up on the forum wondering what the hell happened to their program they'll see my posts and read through all the stuff I've already tried to do to work around it.

And if someone asks about the differences between VS9 and MSPRO8 I think this is an important difference. The libraries on VS9 do not load at startup, MSPRO8 libraries do. People need to be aware that they can't expect to have over 1000 scenes in their production library and project tray and have the program load just as fast as it does the first time.

[Amalthia]

One thing I don't see from him are detailed system specs in his profile. That little blurb in his post is a start, but not really enough. Detailed info is critical as it can give an indication as to if he's suffering from DLL-itis.

what information do you need to know to find out if I do need to increase my virtual memory? I've learned not to mess with these settings unless you really know what you're doing and I'm not that skilled of a computer user.

I've kept my settings at the default for XP with service pack two. I don't have a dual boot system, but again I've never needed it with UVS9.

[Devil]

Just because I'm the only one mentioning this problem doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

For the nth time, Amalthia, the Production Library was never intended to place thousands of clips. NEVER. It was intended to place clips that you use regularly in a plurality of projects. For most users, that is usually a matter of half-a-dozen clips, at the most. I have two (an NTSC and a PAL logo/copyright notice). This is the whyfore of it. For me, it is inconceivable that you would use 2000 clips in all your projects. After all, if they lasted an average 5 s each, that would take nearly 2 hours, which would leave little time for what is unique. To me, this is an unconceivable situation.

The Project Tray is where you are supposed to place the clips you actually use in a single project and only those. As I said before, I rarely use the Project Tray, my personal preference being to go straight from directory to timeline (saves a lot of time). I put all the split clips in a directory, click the left icon on the Timeline toolbar, Ctrl-A, and, lo and behold, everything I need for the project is on my timeline and ready for editing. If there are items I need from a different directory, then I repeat the process.

IOW, if you need to store a large plurality of clips, do so at a directory level, not in Production Library. You will then find that MSP loads in about 20 seconds.

[Amalthia]

IOW, if you need to store a large plurality of clips, do so at a directory level, not in Production Library. You will then find that MSP loads in about 20 seconds.

where is this directory level? because I really do want to store a large number of clips. If there is an alternate location to store them not in the Production library or Project Tray or the Smart triming? I'm more than willing to try that option.

I know it's not the way you'd make a music video but I did try splitting on a timeline once and it took forever to delete all the scenes I wasn't going to use and if you use scenes from more than one episode it gets crowded on that timeline fast.

I happen to like browsing and having the clips already split and I have 40 episodes of stuff to go through in order to make music videos and I like to make more than one music video with the same show.

[Amalthia]

For the nth time, Amalthia, the Production Library was never intended to place thousands of clips. NEVER. It was intended to place clips that you use regularly in a plurality of projects.

I'd like to see this in writing in the program help files or a tutorial or on the website. Or better yet, an email from a Ulead staff member, telling me I'm using the program not as it's intended.

As it is, I have yet to find anything that suggests that I'm using the Production Library improperly.

[Terry Stetler]

I'd like to see this in writing in the program help files or a tutorial or on the website. Or better yet, an email from a Ulead staff member, telling me I'm using the program not as it's intended.

Page 36 of the MSPro8 manual clearly states;

When you start a project, the Production Library tab already contains all of the transitions, filters, and other special effects that come with Video Editor. Whereas the Project Tray tab is your organizer - it is ready to be filled with the various clips that you will use in your current project.

Placing clips into the Production Library

To share clips among different projects, import them to the Media Library folder of the Production Library tab. To use clips only in a particular project, import them to the Media Pool folder of the Project Tray tab.

To import media files into the Production Library:

1. Click either the Import Video File, Import Audio File, Import Image File,
or Import Project File button from the toolbar.

2. Browse for and select your file. Click Open to import the file.

'nuff said save for that Ulead changed the "Media Pool" to "Media Bin".

To use the Project Tray just Right-Click on the Project Tray/Media Bin folder and from the context menu you can create all the folders & subfolders you need for your project. While you have that context menu open check the other options for useful functions.

When the project file is saved the custom folder definitions are saved with it. Open MSPro without that project file loaded and those new folders and their contents will not be present. Keeps things neat & tidy.

Media Bins are now standard fare in video editors because they let you organize projects so well.

[Amalthia]

Right-Click on the Project Tray/Media Library folder and from the context menu you can create all the folders & subfolders you need for your project. While you have that context menu open check the other options for useful functions.

When the project file is saved the custom folder definitions are saved with it. Open MSPro without that project file loaded and those new folders and their contents will not be present. Keeps things neat & tidy.

Thanks for replying back so quickly. I'll give this a try. I know Devil is saying I'm using the Production library incorrectly and maybe I am but I didn't see anything in the help/tutorial about how to store large quanties of scenes and clips and it's very easy to assume that the function of the Production Library is to store your clips for various projects.

If that's not the Production Library's function then the Ulead team needs to state that somewhere for regular users, and then they need to tell people the alternate way to store large quanties of clips.

[Terry Stetler]

Re-read my post as it has edits. The info on using the Project Tray/Media Bin is on pg. 36 of the manual, so I don't know how much more Ulead could do.