I am filming promotional videos & documentaries, and have Final cut express 4 and Vegas movie studio 9 platinum pro.

I am only new to editing, I have used Vegas and found it easy to use, I have just bought a macbook pro and Final cut express 4.

My footage is in Hd 16:9 1080, filmed with a sony FX1, I also have footage from HD handycams that i would like to intergrate.

Vegas seems to be quite flexible in terms of the above and has better sound options?

I am wondering if any one can shed some light on the pro's and con's of these two programs?

And which is better?

Thanks for any feedback.

Vegas - pc only.
fcp - mac only.

If that matters to you. Running vegas thru boot camp works ok for most people.

If you are doing bread and butter work I would encourage you to go for the full versions of either program. Important tools like colour correction are often left out of budget versions.

Vegas is very tolerant of mixed media on time line and does indeed have very good sound tools.

I cant comment on fcp as macs give me a nasty little rash

I would never reccomend any laptop for editing. L tops are hugely compromised on speed and storage compared to same priced d top. Editing needs power so only go for a lap top if you have no other options.

And sitting in a coffee shop editing on a mac is not cool.... lols.

Thanks for your reply Mark.

This is my first go at putting something together so its not something i am relying on, at this stage, but if it looks like it has potential i will definetly upgrade to a d top and full version software.

Unfortunately i need the mobility of a laptop for my other business uses and will come in handy for the locations i will be filming in, remote Northern Australia, no coffee shops here. I have a 1TB external for storage at this stage.

Can I ask what it is you don't like about macs? Only if you want to answer that one.

The portability of the laptop will help on location as I am filming alot from a helicopter on cattle stations.

I am willing to forgo speed as long as i don't loose too much quality.

If anyone else has some comments on final cut it would be appreciated.

I do have similar very good projects in the pipe line that are very original, different and exciting, to follow if this one comes together well and a decent d top will be on my list.

Filiming in remote auz - sounds cool.

The Mac thing - hmmm - just prejudice really - macs are fine computers, even as good as PCs - it's just the company ethic that I hate - lols.

I have Vegas running on two laptops, one single core the other a dual.
Vegas does not require that much power to work (excluding full preview)
It is the rendering that requires the muscle, you can edit on the laptop and transfer to home PC when back in the office.

__________________
www.svsweddings.co.uk Sony Vegas Portal

It's horses for courses. I edit on FCP and like it. Before that I edited on Premiere and liked that too. It really does depend on what you like.

Macs tend to be very stable but if you don't bugger about with your PC it can also be stable. I would recommend going for a Mac but then I also recommend driving a Land Rover.

Neither is "better" they're just different.

It all depends on your editing technique and preferences. I've always used Adobe Premiere and i wouldn't like a move to another program, for example Final Cut Pro. nless i liked the interface or i found it simular or easyer to use than premiere. If you've used and know your way around Vegas then i recommend sticking with it but it doesn't mean you cant try FCP. You might prefer it.

Afterall, one's not better than the opther one, It's people opinions. Some people fine Windows Movie Maker the best while others mite say Avide is the best. Some people might say penuts are better than Mushrooms. It's all down to the user and their preference.

I agree on the last post, premiere is good but in my opinion Final Cut Express is better as it's more stable because it runs on a mac.

I have edited on a PC, running premiere elements & premiere pro I have also usev Vegas but i always return to my humble 24" dual core intel imac

Editing on the mac with FCE is a breeze, we film on Sony HC1's & FX1's edit in 1080i HD export to DVD with IDVD and then backupthe edited fotage back to a DV tape for master storage, IT JUST WORKS.....

MACS ARE NOT MORE STABLE.

And nor am I when I keep hearing it from maccolytes.

The explanation for this irritating untruism? Simple - PC owners are often overclocking teenagers who want to play crisis - PC owners are often like Ricers, they fiddle, they push limits, thier pcs are unreliable.
Mac owners rarely fiddle. Mac owners are likely not to speak about problems cos after all they got the computer cos they tht it never crashed...

That and the fact aht wndows is forever blighted by the very poor windows ME.

I really dont think it is helpful to regurgitate as fact what is little more then PR bullshit.

Furhter reading -

Ask Apple Matters: OS X Crashes After-all - AppleMatters
Mac OS X 10.5.6 Users Report Crashes, Blue Screens -- InformationWeek
Os x crashes when empty ttrash
OS X 10.4.2 (Tiger) Kernel Crashes with VPC 7.0.2
Weird OS X crash - everything freezes, music from iTunes keeps playing Are about everything
Mac OS X crashes: Radeon not guilty ? The Register
Boinc 6.2.18 - Mac OSX crashes - GUI Problem?
MacBook Pro - OS X crashes...a lot. Tell it's not serious...please. - Mac-Forums.com
OS X stability - Mac - Apple
ATPM 12.08 - Paradigm: Mac OS X’s Increasing Stability
Mac OS X 10.5.6 Stability - MacTech Forums

I am bored now - but you get my drift....

Why does this always degenerate into a Mac Vs PC rant?

All I would say is... try a Mac for a while, then decide which one you really want.

There are just as many Mac-haters as there are Mac-lovers and both sides ignore the facts if they don't agree with their predjudices. I've used both and you'll have to pry my Mac away from my cold, dead fingers.

I'm not a spotty teenager who fiddled with his PC yet, when you work for a while with a Mac, you realise just how pleasant the experience is. As for moving from one software to another, FCP is very similar to Premiere Pro and I found changing from one to t'other relatively pain-free.

So, Mark's had his rant, I've had mine, result is a 1-1 draw, can we concentrate on giving advice now?