Sony Releases Update To Vegas 6 (6.0d)
 

Link: http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/dow...p2.asp?DID=579

Anyone know what the reason for this update is? Any fixes?

Nevermind. Reading is fundamental. :)

Notable Fixes/Changes in Version 6.0d

Support for VR-mode DVD Handycam® camcorder discs has been improved. When importing video from Sony DVD Handycam discs in VR or Video mode, each chapter is now imported as a separate file.
The MainConcept AVC/AAC codec has been added to Vegas. You can use this plug-in to import H.264 video in your projects and to render H.264 video (including support for HD frame sizes, two-pass encoding, main and baseline profiles, export to all common frame rates— including NTSC, PAL, and 24p— and Apple iPod® video format).

Please continue to use the Sony AVC/AAC encoder to create video for the PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable).

Video quality has been improved for the Sony AVC/AAC encoder and rendering templates have been refined.
A problem has been fixed that could cause problems when reading AVI files with MP3-encoded audio.
A bug has been fixed that could cause Vegas to hang in some low-memory situations.
A bug has been fixed that could cause Vegas to crash after copying and pasting Bézier mask keyframes between events.
A bug has been fixed that could cause Vegas to crash when pressing Alt+Shift+4 to toggle external monitor preview when the Video Preview window is not visible.
A problem has been fixed that could cause nested projects to display the incorrect length.
Audio/video synchronization has been improved when reading certain QuickTime files.
High-definition Windows Media Video rendering templates now use the Windows Media Audio 9 codec for improved device compatibility.
A problem has been fixed that could cause a hang when burning a disc-at-once CD with the Plextor 716 SATA drive.
A display issue with Waves GTR plug-ins has been fixed.
A problem has been fixed that could occur when editing audio event properties on systems that use decimal separators other than a period.
A problem has been fixed that could occur when typing nondelimited timecode in the Vegas external video capture application in PAL format.
Various improvements have been made to the Media Manager.
A problem that could cause XFX audio effects to run in demo mode has been fixed.
Fixed a problem that could occur when running the Batch Render script without Quick Time installed.
Resolved an issue with recapture of media from an AAF import.
A bug has been fixed that occurred when setting the Timecode InPoint value of a media source during AAF export.
A bug has been fixed that could cause Vegas to crash when adding some MPEG-2 files to the timeline and converting YUV 4:2:0 color to RGB.
Last-used render templates are now preserved for each rendering format.
Issues with certain VST plug-ins that related to presets and settings have been fixed.
A problem with the ripple function sometimes creating very small event overlaps has been fixed.
Scripting: a problem has been fixed that could prevent RenderArgs flags (such as IncludeMarkers) from changing the render settings.

If you use nested projects (i.e., veg files) or Ultimate S2 Lower Thirds (which are nested vegs) then you need this update. If fixes a very nasty problem with the length of the veg file not being calculated correctly.

~jr

Is this new upgrade to 6d highly recommended for vegas 6c users??

I would like to know this question also.

Recommended Upgrade?
 

I've checked around and seen no specific recommendations regarding an upgrade for 6.0c users other than to address the issues that are listed in the release notes (also listed earlier in this thread). I have loaded the update and will advise of any anomalies.

As a software developer myself, I would say that any general release that fixes bugs is highly recommended. You will not get support from any software company unless you are running the latest release of their software. That’s why they fix the bugs. The only time you wouldn’t update is when you see a patch from someone like Microsoft that explicitly states, “only apply this if you are having this problem”. I use a lot of nested projects in Vegas so it was a mandatory update for me since the project lengths weren’t always calculated correctly.

Vegas 6.0d actually adds additional functionality for FREE. You get the MainConcept MPEG4 encoder which supports HD with templates for iPod video. They improved PSP video quality and the Media Manager also loads faster which is a welcome improvement. One of the nicest improvements is that the renderer now remembers the last used template for each format instead of showing you the Default Template all the time as you switch between formats (like MPEG and AC3). This alone was worth the update for me.

I know sometimes people have a “wait and see” attitude with software updates because they may do more harm than good. As a general rule, you should never update software in the middle of a project unless it fixes something that is keeping you from completing the project. I have been running Vegas 6.0d for a while with no ill effects and several users over on the Sony forums have said it was the smoothest update yet. You have to judge for yourself but I needed the nested veg fix and it works great! You can always set a Windows restore point and back it off if needed.

~jr

I've been trying to download the new update for a few days. I have a nice internet connect and things generally move very quickly. But last night, I started the download and it said that it was moving at 1.2 kbs. This morning I came back in and 59 mgs had been downloaded. Is there a mirror site? I suppose I could just leave one computer downloading for a couple of days, but really!!

Milt

Looks like a lot of people are downloading it. No wonder, the Mainconcept H.264 encoder is awesome...

Does 6D makes rendering time any faster??

So I just figured out that there are 2 mpeg4 encoders and you are saying the MAIN CONCEPT one is better than the SONY one?

Hmmmm.....do you use the default setting or would it be better to do the 2 pass setting? This looks pretty good.
Milt

Not better, just different. With the inclusion of the MC MP4 codec compressing for the iPod just got really easy, with excellent results. The Sony is still the codec of choice for PSP distribution. I've not done anything outside of these two targets - IMHO it's too early to distribute MP4 on players embedded in web pages.

2 pass will take twice as long to render and will yield minor improvements, especially in fast motion or other challenging material. I always use it for short stuff (up to 15 minutes?), almost never use it for long programs (1+ hours). This is not just for MP4, but is also available for several other compression codecs.

Regarding the defaults, I tested at one-half the default data rates for video and audio for iPod and results were great (see thread on the vegas-dv forum).

I just re-installed vegas 6d directly from their website. I input the same serial number that I had with the original vegas 6b that I had. I noticed that under the properties and to whom it is license under the serial number is different. Should I go by the different serial number or should I stick to the one I originally had??

Thanks

Use the original one.