Sony Announces New Upgrades and Version of Award-Winning Vegas Pro Software

Innovative NLE Software Provides Enhanced Workflows, Improved Format Support and New Cost-Effective Configurations

MIDDLETON, Wis. – September 28, 2012 – Sony Creative Software, a leading global provider of professional editing and authoring applications, today announced the latest upgrade to its Vegas™ editing technology. Vegas™ Pro 12 adds dozens of substantial feature enhancements, performance improvements, and workflow innovations to the award-winning NLE, significantly expanding the creative toolkit for editors and content creators at every level of the post-production market.   Combining a familiar track-based editing interface with a fluid, interactive approach to media production, Vegas Pro 12 is the perfect choice for a new generation of creative professionals looking for a no-compromise, cost-effective and straightforward way to express their artistic vision without the complexities and learning curve typically associated with other solutions.  

Workflow improvements in Vegas Pro 12 include Project Interchange with popular editing platforms including Adobe® Premiere® Pro CS6, Avid® Pro Tools® 10 and Apple® Final Cut Pro® 7; Expanded Edit Mode, for fine-tuning the timing of a project using an interactive “A-B roll” paradigm; Color Match, for quickly matching the color characteristics of different video clips; and Smart Proxy editing, which automatically and dynamically replaces clips on the timeline with high-quality, edit-friendly HD proxies.  On the format front, Vegas Pro 12 can now ingest Panasonic P2 DVCPRO and AVC-Intra content, and encode to all flavors of the HDCAM SR™ mastering format including the 220 Mb/s SR Lite and the 880 Mb/s SR 444.  In addition, there are new Masking Tools in Vegas Pro 12, including  Effects Masking for quickly obscuring a face or logo.  Updates to the Project Media and Explorer windows dramatically improve the ability to find and organize content, thanks to a redesigned Thumbnail View along with optimized Media Tagging capabilities and automated Smart Bin search tools.

To meet the needs of the broadest range of customers, Vegas Pro 12 will be available in two configurations.   The Vegas Pro 12 collection follows previous versions by including the Vegas Pro 12 editing application along with DVD Architect™ Pro 5.2 and Dolby® Digital Professional Encoder, for DVD and Blu-ray Disc™ authoring.  Vegas Pro 12 Edit is a new, lower cost package featuring all of the editing capabilities of Vegas Pro 12, without DVD Architect and the Dolby Encoder software. “Broadcasters, indie filmmakers and video professionals worldwide have embraced Vegas Pro not only for its forward-thinking approach to content creation, but also for its undeniable value proposition,” said Dave Chaimson, vice president of global marketing for Sony Creative Software.  “Vegas Pro 12 Edit continues that tradition and sets the new price-performance standard for professional content creation software, with its rich feature set and unmatched return on investment.”

For Sony PMW-F3, F23, F35 and F65 shooters looking to maintain the full dynamic range of their images in post, Vegas Pro 12 uses OpenColorIO technology from Sony Pictures Imageworks and the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES) color space standard to build a comprehensive S-log workflow solution. Vegas Pro 12 editors can apply the appropriate LUT (Look-up Table) to the S-log source material from a list of built-in templates during the post-production process.  The finished project can be encoded to a wide range of formats using the ACES color space standard as well as other popular non-ACES standards.

“Many cinematographers are acquiring in S-log to maximize the dynamic range and tonal reproduction of their images, but up until now their post-production options have been limited,” said Chaimson.  “Vegas Pro 12 opens the door for content creators to enjoy the benefits and flexibility of an integrated, end-to-end S-log production pipeline with minimal effort and no additional plug-ins to purchase.”

NEW FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

• Project Interchange: Export a wide range of project files from Vegas Pro 12.  The built-in software can convert the native .veg file to AAF for Avid Pro Tools 10, XML for Apple Final Cut Pro 7, Final Cut Pro X and DaVinci Resolve 8, and .prproj for Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 and After Effects® CS6.  Project import is also available from those platforms, with the exception of Final Cut Pro X. 
• Expanded Edit Mode: The timeline can be temporarily split into “A-B roll” tracks at the edit point, with the adjacent clips appearing in a “2-up” monitor view.  The sequence can be trimmed while playing, creating a precise, interactive editing experience.
• Color Match: Match colors between clips in the highly versatile and powerful L*a*b* color space.  The Color Match plug-in offers the ability to match the color characteristics from one clip to another.   
• Smart Proxy Workflow:  When full frame rate playback is difficult to achieve, Smart Proxy files can be used in their place, and the media will automatically and dynamically switch from the original to the edit-friendly proxy based on the Preview playback settings.  To ensure optimum quality, original media files will be used for the final render.
• Shape Masking Tools:  The new rectangle/square and oval/circle Masking Tools make it easy to mask portions of the media by drawing the desired shape over the appropriate areas. 
• FX Masking: By masking an effect rather than the image itself, it is easy to quickly blur or pixelate an area of a video clip to hide a logo, license plate, or a person’s face.
• Project Media Tagging: Quickly categorize clips or regions of clips with customizable Media Tags.  As each clip is tagged, it is automatically organized into appropriately named Media Bins.  “Quick Search” enables instant filtering of media based on a single text field, while the “Search Media” dialog facilitates more complex searches and creates Smart Bins that update as new media is added to the project.
• Panasonic P2 Support: Ingest P2 media using the Vegas Pro Device Explorer, and edit DVCPRO 25/50/100 and AVC-Intra 50/100 MXF files natively. 
• HDCAM SR (SStP) Mastering:  Encode to all flavors of the HDCAM SR mastering format, including the 220 Mb/s SR Lite and the 880 Mb/s SR 444.  HDCAM SR is a very high-quality recording and mastering format based on MPEG-4 SStP (Simple Studio Profile).  A full range of format templates are included, and the rendered MXF files are compatible with HDCAM SR camcorders, VTRs, and SR Memory solid state recording devices.
• Comprehensive S-log Workflow:  Vegas Pro 12 is an end-to-end S-log solution, with the ability to apply the appropriate LUT (Look-up Table) during the editing process based on the display device and the creative goals of the production team.  The edited project can be encoded to a wide range of formats, using ACES-defined color space standards developed by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences technology committee, as well as other popular non-ACES standards.  
• LAB Adjust Video FX Plug-in and L*a*b* Color Space Histogram: Manipulate colors in the very powerful L*a*b* color space. Using the same technology as the new Color Match plug-in, the LAB Adjust tool takes advantage of the perceptually uniform L*a*b* color standard to provide dramatic and precise control over the color characteristics of  the content.

• More information on Vegas Pro 12 and the entire line of Sony Creative Software products can be found at www.sonycreativesoftware.com.
• Print quality product and screen shots can be found here
• Vegas Pro 12 Edit information sheet can be found here
• Vegas Pro 12 information sheet can be found here

Price and Availability
Vegas Pro 12 and Vegas Pro 12 Edit will be available for purchase at retailers worldwide. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for Vegas Pro 12 software is $699 AU$ (inc GST) and Vegas Pro 12 Edit is $339 AU$ (inc GST). Upgrades from previous versions of Vegas Pro to Vegas Pro 12 are also available.  To locate your nearest Australian or New Zealand reseller please visit the Australian Sony Creative Software master distributors website at www.newmagic.com.au/where2buy

About Sony Creative Software
Sony Creative Software inspires artistic expression with its award-winning line of products for digital video, audio, and music production, as well as industry leading technology for DVD production and Blu-ray Disc™ authoring. Sound Forge™ Pro, ACID™ Pro, and Vegas™ Pro software have defined digital content creation for a generation of creative professionals. These signature product lines continue to advance media production by providing powerful, accessible tools. Today, there is a Sony Creative Software application for every level of expertise, including a full line of consumer software based on the company's professional applications. In addition, Sony Creative Software distributes the revolutionary SpectraLayers™ Advanced Audio Spectrum Editor application (WIN/MAC), the extensive Sony® Sound Series collection of royalty free loops and samples, the Sony Pictures Sound Effects Series, and the Production Music line of royalty free production music. Further, the company provides the industry leading tools for enterprise level Blu-ray Disc™ authoring: Blu-print® and the DoStudio™ line of authoring applications, Dualstream 3D™ MVC encoder, and Z Depth™ 3D subtitle editing application. The company's customers span the globe and include professionals in the film, television, video game, and recording industries, as well as educators, students, and independent artists and producers. For more information about professional and consumer products, visit www.sonycreativesoftware.com.

About New Magic Australia Pty Ltd (Australian and New Zealand Sony Creative Software master distributor)
New Magic Australia Pty Ltd is a recognised leader in the distribution and marketing of multimedia hardware and software, representing a carefully selected range of innovative, leading manufacturers and catering for both the professional and consumer markets. New Magic Australia established in 1993 is the Australian distributor of Blackmagic Design, Convergent Design, NewTek LightWave 3D, Hauppauge Computer Works Inc, Rotolight, Cubix, Matrox Video Products and Sony Creative Software products. www.newmagic.com.au

 

© 2012 Sony Creative Software Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Sony, make.believe and the Sony and make.believe logos, ACID, Vegas, Sound Forge, DVD Architect, Blu-code, Blu-print, Dualstream, DoStudio, and Z Depth are trademarks of Sony. All other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.