Sony Vegas movie HD platinum 11

I am running Sony Vegas movie studio HD platinum 11 program, on my Acer 5749 laptop i3 with 8GB DDR3 memory and a 750 hard drive. When I run images straight from my Canon G30 it will run smooth, however as soon as I try to ad tracks or edit the image the sound will not sink and the image will not run smooth. Is this the case of a computer up grade and if so what is the minimum I should be making a purchase of? I would appreciate any advice.

DK FYN said:

I am running Sony Vegas movie studio HD platinum 11 program, on my Acer 5749 laptop i3 with 8GB DDR3 memory and a 750 hard drive. When I run images straight from my Canon G30 it will run smooth, however as soon as I try to ad tracks or edit the image the sound will not sink and the image will not run smooth. Is this the case of a computer up grade and if so what is the minimum I should be making a purchase of? I would appreciate any advice.

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This may sound blunt but since you are using the Vegas app, has it ever occurred to you to check what's said in the tin? Or, if the software package doesn't mention the system requirements, have you ever tried a simple internet search?

That aside, yes, apparently it is a hardware issue and for a bit more ambitious editing you'd do better with a mightier machine.

Something like an i5 or i7 processor, minimum of 8GB (for light editing) but 16GB or more of memory is recommended, a graphics card that can handle heavy graphics like video, with 1GB or more of its own internal graphics memory, as in not integrated with the system memory.

A fast hard drive is nice to have, too, but you might be editing off an external drive, anyway, at some point, so the size of the internal hard drive is not such a critical issue. Just make sure your computer has connections for modern fast connections like USB3 or Thunderbolt.

Similar spec but on Acer 5750 with an i3 and works fine. Not fast but works ok. I would check something else.

DK FYN said:

I am running Sony Vegas movie studio HD platinum 11 program, on my Acer 5749 laptop i3 with 8GB DDR3 memory and a 750 hard drive. When I run images straight from my Canon G30 it will run smooth, however as soon as I try to ad tracks or edit the image the sound will not sink and the image will not run smooth. Is this the case of a computer up grade and if so what is the minimum I should be making a purchase of? I would appreciate any advice.

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Versions of Sony Movie Studio before version 12 are only 32 bit Windows applications. So they cannot take advantage of the full power of your CPU and operating system. All of the leading consumer video editors are now available in 64 bit versions, including the current Sony Vegas Movie Studio 13, and will thus be able to outperform your current software.

Check your version of Windows, as it is most likely a 64 bit version. And because of that, you really should be using an application that is also 64 bit. Click the Start button, right-click Computer, and then click Properties. Under System Type, it will say whether you have a 32 bit or 64 bit version of Windows installed.

You should also do a CONTROL-ALT-DELETE and choose to start the Windows Task Manager. Then look under performance. That will give you an idea of whether the computer needs more RAM resources or not. Normally 8 Gigs should be enough, but perhaps you have other programs installed that are eating up your available memory? You should review what processes are currently running on your PC, and eliminate any programs that are unnecessary and not being used.

There are also settings in your Movie Studio software under PREFERENCES that will affect the performance of the software. So go to OPTIONS, PREFERENCES, and then click on VIDEO, and review your settings there.

Here again, though, your older software is a detriment, as newer versions of Sony Movie Studio have new options in them to enhance video performance.

Finally, do also check what you have PREVIEW QUALITY set to in Movie Studio. This should be an option just above the video preview window that you can adjust. If you set it to the highest quality, then while your preview will look wonderful, your computer will have to do a lot more work. If you adjust it down to a lower setting, while your preview may not look as sharp, it will run smoother, as it is being previewed at a lower quality level. And this has NO EFFECT AT ALL on the quality of the video that you create when you actually RENDER the video.

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Thanks for your very kind reply with so much helpful information for a Video novice like me’

I have just paid for and downloaded the 64 bit version of Sony Vegas Movie Studio platinum 13, as you say so much more, I wish I had done it earlier.

I went in to the CPU operating system and when I am running Sony Vegas with my edited tracks the CPU is up to some 95 % and it still is not running smooth.

When I play a straight track with no edited un-sharp mask or colour adjustment all is looking very good.

I do not know how to look for and to stop any other programs installed that are eating up my CPU available memory, can you help?

DK FYN said:

Thanks for your very kind reply with so much helpful information for a Video novice like me’

I have just paid for and downloaded the 64 bit version of Sony Vegas Movie Studio platinum 13, as you say so much more, I wish I had done it earlier.

I went in to the CPU operating system and when I am running Sony Vegas with my edited tracks the CPU is up to some 95 % and it still is not running smooth.

When I play a straight track with no edited un-sharp mask or colour adjustment all is looking very good.

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do things like unsharp mask and color adjustment after all other editing like audio, cuts, fades, etc., has been done.

also try lowering the preview quality in the video playback window, like lancespring says.

DK FYN said:

I do not know how to look for and to stop any other programs installed that are eating up my CPU available memory, can you help?

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if you are at 95% cpu cycles(NOT MEMORY USEAGE), there won't be any huge improvements with an extra 5%.

if you are using a laptop, and it has a standard rotating hard drive, it's going to be a pretty slow hdd.

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dan

Hi, now that I have the Sony Vegas 13 64 bit, I think I need to go and take some freah images and see how things look then, and edit as you say. I am getting there with all your kind help that people are giving me as an retired person things are not that quick any more.

DK FYN said:

Hi, now that I have the Sony Vegas 13 64 bit, I think I need to go and take some freah images and see how things look then, and edit as you say. I am getting there with all your kind help that people are giving me as an retired person things are not that quick any more.

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'd like to apologise for the grumpier than necessary tone in my reply earlier. I noticed only later that you were talking about the Vegas 11 rather than the current version.

Anyway, The Sony Vegas 13 suite seems like a nice video editing suite for a relatively modern Windows machine, and together with the bundled software, you can accomplish a lot. Provided that the computer meets the system requirements provided at the bottom of the specifications page.

It probably also helps if you don't open any other application besides the Vegas when you start editing videos. In other words, when you start editing your videos, only open up Vegas and close all other programs you may have running, like web browsers, email and Twitter app, etc.

Good luck and happy video shooting!

Thanks for your reply, I do have closed all other programs when running Vegas 13 my latest upgrade now. I have also defragmentation my laptop, however when I try to insert a transition wipe it will not be smooth. A file that I recorded at Video: 00:00:12.480, 50.000 fps progressive, 1920x1080x12, AVC, then play back on settings Custom (1920x1080, 50.000 fps) Do you think this is OK? I know with all the info you have sent me I will get to the bottom of things.

Could it be that if I record at 25 FPS and not 50i that would make things smoother?

DK FYN said:

Thanks for your reply, I do have closed all other programs when running Vegas 13 my latest upgrade now. I have also defragmentation my laptop, however when I try to insert a transition wipe it will not be smooth.

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Without seeing your system and your software setup I cannot say anything for sure, but to me that sounds like a case of not enough memory, either system memory (you need at least 8GB or more) or graphics memory, or both. You may be able to add more system memory but the graphics card in laptop computers is not interchangeable.

DK FYN said:

A file that I recorded at Video: 00:00:12.480, 50.000 fps progressive, 1920x1080x12, AVC, then play back on settings Custom (1920x1080, 50.000 fps) Do you think this is OK?

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Probably, but I don't think the settings you mention are too relevant in this case, regarding the smooth editing.

DK FYN said:

Could it be that if I record at 25 FPS and not 50i that would make things smoother?

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Well, yes and no. You should record in either 25p or 50p rather than in 50i in most cases. I don't see much need for using the 50i option these days, for normal online or computer playback.

Nevertheless, the frame rate used during recording doesn't have much of an impact on the smoothness of the editing phase. If you get dropped frames and sort of jerky, hiccup-y playback when you add simple transitions and cut clips and so on, chances are your computer is not quite up to the task. That would be my main guess, anyway.

I am starting to think the same now with all the info that has been sent to me. I will see how I get on in the next few days, and if I have no success then I will have start to save up for a desktop.

DK FYN said:

I am starting to think the same now with all the info that has been sent to me. I will see how I get on in the next few days, and if I have no success then I will have start to save up for a desktop.

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Yes, a desktop 'mojo box' is often more versatile when it comes to upgrading single components but there are some pretty decent laptops, too, if you prefer the better portability.

One option could be a laptop marketed for the gamers, something like the Asus G771JM with a 17,3 inch high resolution screen, for example. It's designed for gaming, but that doesn't matter, because what works for gaming works for video editing too.

That is, a high resolution screen, a fast and capable graphics card, a fast enough processor and enough or at least user-uprgradeable system memory. On paper, that Asus ticks all the boxes, and it sells for around 900€ to 1100€. There are several other similar ones, though.

I'm a Mac guy so I don't own the Asus myself, but it ought to work nicely with the Vegas 13, at least with extra 8GB of memory, which is not that expensive. If I was a Win/PC guy or wanted to build an alternative Win/PC system, I think I'd get myself that Asus or something similar and the Vegas 13 suite. Budget permitting, of course.

Nice thought however I have just purchased a 24" monitor so you can see why I need to go for a desk top, and then keep my laptop for going around if need be. I have just started to wonder if my troubles are because I started with Vegas 11 and edited some of the footage and then started to try and use the same footage in Vegas 13, and I set up a miss match set up operation. I say that because tonight the new test footage that I am editing in 13 is now going better. In 13 when you start to load up it gives you the choice of to match the footage shot or not and by doing so I think I am getting the results that I am looking for. If you see me call for help over the next day or two don’t be surprised.

Click on your START button and then on COMPUTER, right click with your mouse on it and choose PROPERTIES.

On the screen that comes up, what does it say your Windows Experience Index number is??

Nexe, click on the Windows Experience Index link itself, and tell us the numbers for:


PROCESSOR

RAM

GRAPHICS

and HARD DRIVE.

This will give us a rough idea of your computer's horsepower.

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Good morning, thank you for takeing the time to help me get things up and running.

Is this the info?

PROCESSOR 5.6 Intel (R) Core TM i3 – 2330 M CPU 2.20GHZ – 2.20 GHZ

RAM 8GB 7.85 useable

GRAPHICS 64 Bit

and HARD DRIVE. 750 HDD

DK FYN said:

Good morning, thank you for takeing the time to help me get things up and running.

Is this the info?

PROCESSOR 5.6 Intel (R) Core TM i3 – 2330 M CPU 2.20GHZ – 2.20 GHZ

RAM 8GB 7.85 useable

GRAPHICS 64 Bit

and HARD DRIVE. 750 HDD

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No, I was looking for the Windows Experience Index rating for each of these items. Can you not find those numbers? You need to click on the link in order to be able to view the detailed breakdown of the Windows Experience Index numbers.

You have a 2011 era 2nd generation Intel i3 processor. It only has Intel Graphics 3000 built into it, which is not that great. And it only has two cores to work with, and can only run a max of 2 program threads simultaneously.

I'm afraid that your computer is a not at all a good candidate for rendering video. I suspect that you have some low Windows Experience numbers, if you can locate them.

The only thing that you can do is make sure that you have enough RAM set aside in your software for Preview under OPTIONS - PREFERENCES - VIDEO, and that you are using one of the lower quality preview options. Also under VIDEO PREFERENCES, see if you can select INTEL GRAPHICS 3000 under GPU Acceleration of Video Processing. If it shows up as being available, then select it.

Other than that, you would have to get a new computer in order to see any hardware improvement. There is really no practical way to enhance your current computer.

Even low end Intel i7 CPU's can run 8 program threads simultaneously, which is 4 times the number that your computer can. Having all of these additional virtual CPU's running really helps when crunching data for graphics. Your low number of CPU's and the poor graphics support is what is holding you back.

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Thank you for all your advice, it looks like a new desktop computer is on my list.

Thank you to all that have sent in advice.

I use he same program and it's fine - until I start to add effects (like WB/CC etc) onto the tracks then you can't scrrub thru or play without terrible results.

I got a free plug in for titles and it tells me my video isn't sufficient...i built this box for still editing so video wasn't an issue - I just use the video on the mobo, 2 22" monitors @ 1680x1050.

As for processor...i7-3770 3.4ghz runing at 3.9ghz w/ 16gb of ram...no slouch. Win 8.1 pro.

video is 'intel hd graphics'...useless info. don't know anymore than that.

So i'm guessing you need more/better video - as I do.