NewTek Speed Edit Revisited at DVinfo.net

Eric Lagerlof · May 10th, 2008, 01:27 PM

I've seen some earlier threads about Speed Edit and was wondering if there are any new thoughts/users etc, about it. I'm trying to use HDV footage in an SD project, scaling it down for wide shots and up to 100% for close ups. Shooting theatrical performances with one FX-1, so this is kind of fake 2 camera thing. Doing this on a Macbook(not pro), with an Intel Core2 duo chip and a wimpy on-board graphics card? Will iSpeed Edit still do realtime?

I have PPro and FCP, both don't like to use mixed formats and will not cut real-time. Even Aspect won't help. Two 'resolution-independent' packages were suggested, Edius-which I'm trying now as a trial download, and Speed Edit, which has no trial, and which NewTek seems to want to keep in utter obscurity. OTOH, Speed Edit looks extremely cool, and since I've been doing video since cameras had tubes, and NewTeks Toaster really did usher in and revolutinize computer based video, I'd really like to find out more about it. Luis, you still happy with Speed Edit?

William Boehm · May 12th, 2008, 03:00 PM

marcel someren uses speed edit and really likes the setup...marcel?

Robert M Wright · May 12th, 2008, 04:35 PM

I'd be real interested to try SpeedEDIT, but there's no way I'm going to spend several hundred dollars for any software that I can't try first. I'm sure NewTek could increase their sales dramatically by offering a trial version.

Luis de la Cerda · May 21st, 2008, 04:21 PM

I use it as my main editor here on 2 edit stations. I'm happy. You need a fast computer though. I'd recommend at least a quad core with a decent graphics card. Would you like me to post some tests scaling hdv material to different sizes?

Eric Lagerlof · May 21st, 2008, 09:12 PM

First Luis, let me say that I saw your name while researching SE on these forums, so I'm glad you picked up on my inquiries. Your posts' enthusiasm has certainly fired up my enthusiasm. My main conern is panning and zooming up to its original size, a 1440 image in a 720,, i.e. standard def, frame.

I'm facing a weird situation here. I'm shooting/editing a theatrical schools' summer performances in order to pay my granddaughters bills at the same school. So I have no real budget for this and little extra money.

All this to say I'm hoping that SE can edit and rescale 1 track of HDV on a macbook with an integrated graphics chip, because I'm not sure I can afford to get another computer. I know it's below specs' but then I tried Edius, which is also below specs and it did fine, except that it's toolset doesn't allow for keyframeable pan & scan.

A 'local' reseller will allow me to install SE on my laptop, so I'm going to give that a try.

Luis de la Cerda · May 21st, 2008, 09:50 PM

Eric,

Glad to be of service to the community. :) So, if a reseller will let you test drive it on the macbook it's definitely worth a try. I've a third seat for working at home when I have to in a macbook pro and it works perfectly, so processor wise you should be set. My only concern with your system would be the integrated graphics that come with it, but it might just work out ok for standard def. A few suggestions: Keep the preview window small. If your playback stutters a lot, try going into preferences and reduce the display quality to medium or low. Contrary to what you might think, it doesn't affect the actual quality of the preview window much if at all. It only uses different techniques to deliver the preview image. The only downside of using medium vs. high is no brightness and contrast controls for the preview window, and the downside of low vs medium is not perfect audio/video sync during playback, so if you edit using low quality you must learn to trust the waveforms in the timeline and if in doubt, you can always test render segments and play those in window media player to be sure. Just so you know what to expect from a properly configured speededit session, you should be able to scale, pan, tilt, rotate and color correct in real time a couple of layers.

Now, concerning scaling. How much you can zoom into the hdv image in an SD project before it becomes ugly is totally a subjective issue and depends on many factors, including the quality of your camera, lens, lighting, focus accuracy, etc... and may vary from shot to shot. In my personal opinion, hdv is useable up to around 75-80% of it's actual size before you start feeling a bit too soft. HD tends not to be as sharp as SD when you get down to the pixel level in most situations, but a little downscaling makes it look just as good. To fill the SD frame you need a mere 44% of the original size when working at 16:9, so that means you'l be able to digitally zoom around 2X and pan around without noticing any image degradation. I do it a lot. :)

So, anyway, I wish you good luck with your test and hope you like what speededit has to offer.

Luis.

Eric Lagerlof · May 21st, 2008, 11:45 PM

Luis, thanks for the tips. If nescessary I'll try sizing the preview window first, audio/video timing for these shows, which are music/dance heavy, is vital and one of the main reasons I'm looking for a realtime system.

As to the hdv sizing, the sd output does cover some flaws. I generally have to focus at a stage midpoint, too many characters, both upstage & downstage at the same time, to pull anything resembling true critical focus. And my FX-1 always looks like its got this subtle pixel motion happening, even viewed straight out of the camera.

OTOH, the school's getting me for around 5-10% of my normal rate and parents often just want to see they're little ones having a good time. So, even going up to 110%, and being a wee soft, no one complains. Still, I like sending out good product...

May 10th, 2008, 01:27 PM	#1
Eric Lagerlof Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Pacifica, CA Posts: 348	NewTek Speed Edit Revisited I've seen some earlier threads about Speed Edit and was wondering if there are any new thoughts/users etc, about it. I'm trying to use HDV footage in an SD project, scaling it down for wide shots and up to 100% for close ups. Shooting theatrical performances with one FX-1, so this is kind of fake 2 camera thing. Doing this on a Macbook(not pro), with an Intel Core2 duo chip and a wimpy on-board graphics card? Will iSpeed Edit still do realtime? I have PPro and FCP, both don't like to use mixed formats and will not cut real-time. Even Aspect won't help. Two 'resolution-independent' packages were suggested, Edius-which I'm trying now as a trial download, and Speed Edit, which has no trial, and which NewTek seems to want to keep in utter obscurity. OTOH, Speed Edit looks extremely cool, and since I've been doing video since cameras had tubes, and NewTeks Toaster really did usher in and revolutinize computer based video, I'd really like to find out more about it. Luis, you still happy with Speed Edit?

May 12th, 2008, 03:00 PM	#2
William Boehm Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bothell, Washington Posts: 195	marcel someren uses speed edit and really likes the setup...marcel?

May 12th, 2008, 04:35 PM	#3
Robert M Wright Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Minnesota (USA) Posts: 2,171	I'd be real interested to try SpeedEDIT, but there's no way I'm going to spend several hundred dollars for any software that I can't try first. I'm sure NewTek could increase their sales dramatically by offering a trial version.

May 21st, 2008, 04:21 PM	#4
Luis de la Cerda Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mexico City Posts: 181	I use it as my main editor here on 2 edit stations. I'm happy. You need a fast computer though. I'd recommend at least a quad core with a decent graphics card. Would you like me to post some tests scaling hdv material to different sizes?

May 21st, 2008, 09:12 PM	#5
Eric Lagerlof Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Pacifica, CA Posts: 348	First Luis, let me say that I saw your name while researching SE on these forums, so I'm glad you picked up on my inquiries. Your posts' enthusiasm has certainly fired up my enthusiasm. My main conern is panning and zooming up to its original size, a 1440 image in a 720,, i.e. standard def, frame. I'm facing a weird situation here. I'm shooting/editing a theatrical schools' summer performances in order to pay my granddaughters bills at the same school. So I have no real budget for this and little extra money. All this to say I'm hoping that SE can edit and rescale 1 track of HDV on a macbook with an integrated graphics chip, because I'm not sure I can afford to get another computer. I know it's below specs' but then I tried Edius, which is also below specs and it did fine, except that it's toolset doesn't allow for keyframeable pan & scan. A 'local' reseller will allow me to install SE on my laptop, so I'm going to give that a try.

May 21st, 2008, 09:50 PM	#6
Luis de la Cerda Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mexico City Posts: 181	Eric, Glad to be of service to the community. :) So, if a reseller will let you test drive it on the macbook it's definitely worth a try. I've a third seat for working at home when I have to in a macbook pro and it works perfectly, so processor wise you should be set. My only concern with your system would be the integrated graphics that come with it, but it might just work out ok for standard def. A few suggestions: Keep the preview window small. If your playback stutters a lot, try going into preferences and reduce the display quality to medium or low. Contrary to what you might think, it doesn't affect the actual quality of the preview window much if at all. It only uses different techniques to deliver the preview image. The only downside of using medium vs. high is no brightness and contrast controls for the preview window, and the downside of low vs medium is not perfect audio/video sync during playback, so if you edit using low quality you must learn to trust the waveforms in the timeline and if in doubt, you can always test render segments and play those in window media player to be sure. Just so you know what to expect from a properly configured speededit session, you should be able to scale, pan, tilt, rotate and color correct in real time a couple of layers. Now, concerning scaling. How much you can zoom into the hdv image in an SD project before it becomes ugly is totally a subjective issue and depends on many factors, including the quality of your camera, lens, lighting, focus accuracy, etc... and may vary from shot to shot. In my personal opinion, hdv is useable up to around 75-80% of it's actual size before you start feeling a bit too soft. HD tends not to be as sharp as SD when you get down to the pixel level in most situations, but a little downscaling makes it look just as good. To fill the SD frame you need a mere 44% of the original size when working at 16:9, so that means you'l be able to digitally zoom around 2X and pan around without noticing any image degradation. I do it a lot. :) So, anyway, I wish you good luck with your test and hope you like what speededit has to offer. Luis.

May 21st, 2008, 11:45 PM	#7
Eric Lagerlof Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Pacifica, CA Posts: 348	Luis, thanks for the tips. If nescessary I'll try sizing the preview window first, audio/video timing for these shows, which are music/dance heavy, is vital and one of the main reasons I'm looking for a realtime system. As to the hdv sizing, the sd output does cover some flaws. I generally have to focus at a stage midpoint, too many characters, both upstage & downstage at the same time, to pull anything resembling true critical focus. And my FX-1 always looks like its got this subtle pixel motion happening, even viewed straight out of the camera. OTOH, the school's getting me for around 5-10% of my normal rate and parents often just want to see they're little ones having a good time. So, even going up to 110%, and being a wee soft, no one complains. Still, I like sending out good product...