Ulead MediaStudio Pro 8.0 - SCRUBBING

[Jerry Jones]

Hi Doc and others:

I have a question about the new MediaStudio Pro 8.0.

Has the scrubbing truly improved?

By "improved," I specifically am asking about whether one can now step through a PREVIEW of a transition, for example, FRAME-BY-FRAME and view the result on an external monitor... live... using the FIREWIRE out to the DV camcorder, which would be connected to the external monitor using typical analog cables.

Do you get what I mean?

In version 7.0 - which I am still using - I can't step through a transition frame by frame on the EXTERNAL MONITOR.

Instead, my work-around is to use the mouse and draw the blue horizontal line above that segment of the timeline and then I click the PREVIEW RANGE button to view the transition result.

I would prefer more control.

I see the product description for version 8.0 indicates that the display engine has been improved for better SCRUBBING.

Is this issue specifically addressed?

Thanks,

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

I forgot to add:

By "step-through," I wish to know whether one can use the keyboard's ARROW FORWARD and ARROW BACKWARD keys to advance backward and forward through the transition.

Thanks,

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Dr Mordrid]

With the undockable Preview/Source window and Layout Manager I'm finding it's not so necessary to preview to the TV these days.

Just doubleclick the P/S title bar or use a hotkey to switch to a custom layout with a full sized Preview/Source and go for it using the arrow keys. I have a ton of custom layouts for specific purposes; preview/source, effects manager, mixing etc. etc.

I'm only using the Y/C to check color corrections or title/action safety, and even then the new titler has a title safe boundary in its now rather large preview window.

Dr. Mordrid

[Jerry Jones]

Doc,

What about Premiere Pro?

You have it, right?

I remember about a year ago, there was a fellow on the DV MAGAZINE forum who insisted to me that the scrubbing in Premiere Pro was so much more "professional" than the scrubbing in MediaStudio Pro.

He seemed to suggest it was also better than the scrubbing in Final Cut Pro.

Can a person use a typical DV camcorder... with analog cables attached to an external TV... and do a frame-by-frame forward/backward preview of an effect using the ARROW FORWARD/BACKWARD keys? In Premiere Pro?

Or was this guy pulling my leg?

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

I just downloaded the Avid Free DV program again and - yes - you have a constant "live" preview through the DV camcorder through the analog cables out to the external TV monitor.

However, the program is too difficult to figure out... virtually incomprehensible.

In MediaStudio Pro 7.0, I can step through a transition frame-by-frame using the effects dialogue.

That works well enough.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Dr Mordrid]

PPro has nice scrubbing features, but a lot of the rest of the program is an incomprehensible mess in terms of UI consistancy and being a major resource hawg. I only use it under duress because of the RT.X100. I don't install it on other systems.

Dr. Mordrid

[Jerry Jones]

I hate software that is NEEDLESSLY complex.

Ulead makes software that doesn't require a Ph.D. and years of ongoing concentration just to figure out the interface.

In my effects dialogues, I can ARROW KEY FORWARD/BACKWARD with live preview to the external TV to my heart's content, in MediaStudio Pro 7.0.

So I'm satisfied with that.

I can't stand the Avid software.

What a mess.

I think the Apple software is the only other software that might attract me in the future.

But as long as Ulead is still going, I'll always be a Ulead fan.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Sciascia]

Been a while since I've been here, sure that I wasn't missed, left Matrox years ago and went ATi since that is about all I can afford.

Anyway, just thought I'd chime in on the AVID stuff, it isn't that bad to use believe it or not. I don't like it just because it was forced on us and the old systems that I had to use were Mac based, but the newer stuff is pretty good. Once you get the quirks down and really get into it, it works really well. I haven't tried the free version, but every AVID editor I have seen is pretty similar, just a few more features.

I don't like using it because I am used to Ulead, but our editors and broadcasters can't live without it and can whip out a product in on time flat. I guess that it all comes down to what you are used to. The stuff does work though.

[Elie]

I'll also chime in here since I strictly use Adobe products now, and yes scrubing in Premiere Pro 1/1.5 is extremely smooth with tons of options to navigate back and forth etc.

I guess it's a matter of taste and what you are used to, I am so comfortable in Premiere, I can whip a project out in no time, I know most of the shortcuts on the keyboard and the titler is very good.

When I was using Ulead over 5 years ago, it was good, but when I was forced to use Premiere, yes it was complex at the beginning, it tooks me a few weeks to really get used to it (at the time Premiere 6.0) I can never go back, since I get realtime output to NTSC via 1943/Svideo/Componenet/Composite

I wish Ulead would develope SDK's so that third party companies can build hardware to take advantage of it's abilities, I guess as a stand alone app it's ok.

Regards,
Elie

[Dr Mordrid]

I wish Ulead would develope SDK's so that third party companies can build hardware to take advantage of it's abilities, I guess as a stand alone app it's ok.

Regards,
Elie

AHEM....it's not Uleads fault that Adobe is using anti-competative practices re: hardware makers. That said;

http://www.ulead.com/download/sdk.htm

Ulead Video Editing Software Development Kits includes the following components:

Capture Plug-in

Ulead provides AVI (DV) and MPEG capture based on Video for Windows® (VFW) and DirectShow® technology by default. If a capture board is using the standard VFW driver or WDM mini driver, then it can work with Ulead video software directly without additional programming. Otherwise, this plug-in allows you to extend support for other capture boards.

Video Input-Output (VIO) Plug-in

Ulead provides video file import/export for AVI (DV), QuickTime® , RM and Windows® Media formats through VIO plug-in architecture by default. This SDK will extend other import/export file format support in Ulead video software.


VIO Driver Plug-in

This plug-in helps develop a VIO driver that allows for the use of third party MPEG codecs in Ulead video software.


Transition Effect Plug-in

Ulead provides over 100 transition effects in its video software. Use this SDK to add even more effects.
NOTE: This plug-in does not apply to DVD Workshop.


Video Filter Plug-in

Ulead provides over 50 filters in Ulead video software by default. Use this SDK to add more filters.
NOTE: This plug-in does not apply to DVD Workshop.


Audio Filter Plug-in

Ulead provides over ten filters in Ulead video software by default. Use this SDK to add more filters.
NOTE: This plug-in does not apply to DVD Workshop.

Hardware Encoder Plug-in

This write-only plug-in helps develop a VIO driver that allows for the use of MPEG hardware encoder in Ulead video software.

Dr. Mordrid

[Elie]

Thanks Doc for the info, so how come no one is jumping on this opportunity?

[Dr Mordrid]

The same way Windows gets into so many comptuers: Adobe gives them an offer they can't refuse....low cost bundling that only a huge conglomerate can compete with. Sad to say it's the Micro$oft of video software companies.

Dr. Mordrid

[Sciascia]

Actually I am curious about the shuttle transport. Are there any hotkeys that can be binded to get, say that nice +/- 0X-32X shuttle transport? Reason I ask is that I have a edit controller (contour Shuttle Pro) that is programmable, but right now I am stuck with telling it to use the old 'right arrow' at 60 times a second and it is not even close to the same thing.