WinXP, Vegas Movie Studio 10 Platinum, Internal (secret) menu to get 8 threads
 

This message is for reference. I'm posting it because I've never come across this topic, after browsing MANY threads about properly setting up Vegas, and from many people on i7 CPU's.

I'm on
i7 Quad w HyperThreading
Windows XP
Sony Vegas Movie Studio 10, Platinum Edition

Under Options>Preferences>Video
It only allowed me to use 4 core maximum to render my projects.

There is a secret / registry menu accessible by SHIFT + clicking on Preferences. This gets you to:
Options>Preferences>Internal

I was able to scroll all the way to the bottom and change the Max threads allowed to 8. This apparently messes with a REGISTRY edit, so please be careful, make an image of your C:\, etc. The exact value for me was at the bottom of the list:
Field Name: Max For Maximum Video Render Threads
I changed it to 8

Went back into Options>Preferences>Video and change Max Rendering Threads to 8, and the difference in rendering is SUBSTANTIAL:

With Vegas at 4 Threads, Windows Task Manager (WTM) is showing all 8 threads at 80%.
With Vegas (hacked) at 8 Threads, Windows Task Manager (WTM) is showing all 8 threads at 99%.

I was able to scroll all the way to the bottom and change the Max threads allowed to 8, go back into preferences and change the number to 8, and the difference in rendering is SUBSTANTIAL:

With Vegas at 4 Threads, Windows Task Manager (WTM) is showing all 8 threads at 80%.
With Vegas (hacked) at 8 Threads, Windows Task Manager (WTM) is showing all 8 threads at 99%.


Kind of sad that I only just discovered this, after 3 years on my rig. Something new every day, I guess. And perhaps it answers the question of why my threads in WTM were never ever at 100%. Glad I can use the remaining 20% of my expensive chip. And you can, TOO! Just order now.