The end of Media Studio??

[jpad]

I installed virtual PC 2007 on my desktop and loaded XP as the os. Mediapro works fine. Virtual PC is free from microsoft

[sjj1805]

There is a small problem though. Only selected versions of Vista will run "Virtual PC"
Windows Vista Enterprise
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Ultimate

You can run it from these other operating systems:
Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition
Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me)
Windows 2000 Professional
Windows XP Home Edition
Windows XP Professional

However a recent visit to Pc World Superstore tends to show that the majority of computers sold now have Vista Home User Basic installed and "Virtual PC" does not run on it. (I tried on a relatives new laptop)

Looking at the system requirements page
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/produc ... rview.mspx

Tends to suggest that anyone using the Virtual PC method will also require
512 MB RAM for Vista PLUS a further 128MB RAM for XP
Total = 640 MB RAM - and that's only for the computer to switch on.
The moment you start to do anything - even some simple background process like an anti-virus program, your RAM requirement starts to shoot up.

I am not saying don't go for that option, just be aware that
1. Only selected versions of Vista support the system.
2. You might need to install more RAM.

Separate physical hard drives each with their own independent installation of an operating system will not only reduce the amount of RAM being used, it will also enable you to use any operating system capable of running on your computer including
Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition
Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me)
Windows 2000 Professional
Windows XP Home Edition
Windows XP Professional
Windows Vista Enterprise
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Ultimate
Windows 3.11
DOS
Linux
BEOS
Zeta
RiscOS
FreeBSD

Plus others!!

[Ilene]

Based on this thread - and my own concern in looking at the Ulead site, would you not suggest upgrading anymore from VS11+ to Media Studio Pro? I'd hate to jump into a new product that has a limited life span. It really appears as if Corel is not promoting it, since Video Studio holds the prominent position on the Ulead Web site....and there have been no improvements for several years.
I have been editing with VS for several years and have really maxed it out...as my creativity is starting to exceed the capabilities of the software. The primary feature I'm looking for is more control over transitions, and the ability to put transitions on the overlay tracks. I do a lot with photos and I'd like to create a more 3D look by having them come in or transition in from different backgrounds. I'm thinking of going to Avid Liquid or Adobe Premiere - but Media Studio would probably be an easier transition since I'm so used to the Ulead format. Any suggestions?
FYI - I tried the DEMO version of Vegas and hated it...I found it to be way too confusing.

thanks - Ilene

[Devil]

I see no reason why you should not upgrade to MSP, provided that you have not downgraded to Vista. It may not be the newest kid on the block, but he was one of the taller ones and the others are only just beginning to catch up with him. Even without any further upgrades, as I fear may possibly be the case, it is still able to hold its own and will still be usable for the next few years. I'm certainly not changing in the foreseeable future.

[jpal]

VMWare does support hosts which include Vista Home basic and Home Premium edition, as well has having specific guest support for a variety of flavours of Linux. Of course you pay for the privilege, but you get what you pay for. btw, even if a guest is not specifically listed, it may well run, just not have the specific integration support.

The benefit, speed and viability of running virtual machines depends critically on the specification of your machine, and if it is lower spec. then I agree completely that a dual boot option will be preferrable. For the kind of work people on this forum are doing, I guess 1+ cores and 2G RAM would be good just for the guest!

Regards John Baker

[Ilene]

Hi Devil - thanks for your response. I'm going to download the demo and confirm that I can do the effects that I'm looking to achieve...ie the transitions on the overlay track. I had the demo a year ago but wasn't ready to upgrade. Now that I see the limitations of VS I think I'm ready.
As long as this forum continues - it's always been better support than ulead anyway!
Ilene

[troppo]

John:
I can happily recommend VMware's Fusion. It runs without incident, which is more than I can say for Parallels, which was crash-tastic to say the least.
I have even run a 3d game, Neverwinter Nights, and it loaded and ran, but the frame rate was s l o w.
Still, it's awesome the way I can use the unity mode, and run XP apps seamlessly right on my OSX desktop. There are a few minor glitches here and there, but nothing debilitating.
The only annoying thing is my Macbook Pro seems to get a alot hotter when running XP, whether natively or in Fusion.
But I love to see classic MS apps like minesweeper sitting on my OSX desktop, gives me a perverse thrill. I'm such a nerd...

[jpal]

Great to know that Fusion works so well. I've got to a situation where I can carry on running on XP for a few years (on XP64) having rebuilt my machine, but it's good to know that there is a viable option for my apps when MS attempt to force me onto Vista. I'm hoping that the corporates will be dragging their heels there to keep the heat off.

I know what you mean about the nerd thrill. I've just set up a scene with one OS on each one of my 4 monitors - XP64 (host), XP32, Server 2003 and OpenSuse. I also LOVE the idea of liberation from the tyranny of the OS.

[jpal]

I saw a snippet that said that the licencing conditions for Vista Home etc. did not allow for them to run in a virtual machine. Please check your licencing if you insist on running these.

[etech6355]

I think many people make this more complicated then it has to be.
It's all built into windows when you always boot from the CD/DVD and tell windows to perform a separate new installation. Most important is your boot.ini file which points to the OS Drive & partition to load.
Some of my setups are very similar to neonBob's.

I just prep the partitions ahead of time and re-install new versions on each partition. Some are FAT32 & some are NTFS. Each one is isolated from the other. You don't want to install a new copy of XP or Vista on another partition from within windows. Best to boot from the install CD/DVD, otherwise the new OS will lock files in your original OS partition (your user directory).
But these OS's are totally isolated. One can also install to another drive of course.
Most boot managers except for Linux GRUB are horrible & raise hell when removed, if you want to remove GRUB the windows just run the windows utility to restore the MBR on the drive.

[Peta]

Following the advice from Steve Jones on the VS forum Board I have downloaded the MSP8 trial to get at some of the effects I need along the lines of Ilene's post.

I am definitely NOT a nerd - I'm dangerous in how little I really know - but I seem to muddle through with tutorial help and advice from forums such as these and I have to confirm with others comments that Steve, Ken Berry, Vidoman etc have done an excellent job for many years - thank you guys!

Now I am concerned about forking out nearly $400 (my business is still new and money tight) to upgrade permanently to MSP8 if it will no longer be supported by Corel.

Are there any tutorials along the lines of those available on VS10+ ??? I need to get up to speed very quickly with MSP8 to complete the project I have on during the month trial!!

Thanks in advance

Peta

[Ron P.]

Hi Peta,

Are there any tutorials along the lines of those available on VS10+ ??? I need to get up to speed very quickly with MSP8 to complete the project I have on during the month trial!!

This is by far the best tutorials for MSP or VS, Charlie Hill's Getting Results with MSP.

[Devil]

You may be able to halve the outlay by buying something (e.g., an IEEE-1394 card) with VS bundled for, say, $30. This may put you on the upgrade route for MSP. Check beforehand, though.

[sj1805]

Another possibility is to regularly check the computer magazine shelves.
Last year at least one computer magazine gave a copy of MediaStudio Pro 7 VE away. This is a fully functioning - non expiring copy of Version 7 but has some limitations compared to the full product.

It also qualifies as a software product that entitles you to an upgrade discount to MSP 8.

[Peta]

Thank you guys for the suggestions. I have bought a copy of Charlie Hill's manual and thank you for the suggestion vidoman - I am working through it and it is excellent - humourous too!

I will keep my eyes open for some bundled offers too.

Again, appreciate the assistance.

Peta