Vegas or FCP...Which is best value?

R

raneparish

Active member
HELP!

I'm trying to decide which way to go... Vegas or FCP 4? PC's are so cheap right now and the G4 I have is only 733mhz which is too slow for FCP 4. Anyone have experience with both programs?


thanks-Rane
 
Re: Vegas or FCP...Which is best value?

In the past I've used Mac and PC.

PC and Vegas is what I use, it was affordable and I have a super fast computer...well, not when you compare it to the guys here!

And Vegas will let you get into editing, color correcting, hell anything FCP will do...BUT I have a lot of friends in colleges, NYU and film schools and such, Who all use Macs, they say they're better for this type of computer work...but Mac + FCP will cost a lot more...A LOT!

So if you're paying off student loans like I am...PC and Vegas...
If you like Mac's and don't mind spending the money...Mac and FCP...

My three cents...
 
Re: Vegas or FCP...Which is best value?

From a sheer dollar-to-beneift ratio, Vegas *vaporizes* FCP. If cost -- of hardware, of software -- is your biggest concern, then the choice is pretty obvious.

But if it's not, and you can afford FCP, you should thoroughly explore both before you make the choice. You may find that you can't stand Vegas and you love FCP, in which case, the money savings won't matter much.

Vegas is every bit as capable as FCP and has certain advantages over it, like Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, rendering to Windows Media (unless FCP can do that now), etc.. FCP has some higher-end professional features which Vegas doesn't have (yet), but unless you're sharing projects, they don't come into play much.

So, ounce for ounce, *I* think Vegas is a better purchase than FCP, but like I said, if you hate it, then it's not a good choice for you.
 
Re: Vegas or FCP...Which is best value?

If you've already got a G4 and it runs at 733...you can work in Final Cut Express 2. For a student, you can get a copy for $150. It's not as jazzed up as FCP or vegas, but it's a cheap option that you can use right now with your existing hardware (also a good way to try out FCP, as the interface is nearly identical).
 
Re: Vegas or FCP...Which is best value?

They're both great programs, but I prefer Vegas for the amazing audio features and the fact it runs great on even older PC's. However, both are the cream of NLE's and if you're a longtime Mac user, you may not want to dive into the mess that is Windows XP.
 
Re: Vegas or FCP...Which is best value?

BTW: I've used both for a good amount of time at this point. I'll not state which I prefer from a personal standpoint because I believe that for most users, they're equally capable.
 
Re: Vegas or FCP...Which is best value?

Thanks for the advice...now I need to amend my question.
a) I use the G4 for music (Logic) and since the version of logic I have won't work properly with OS 10, which FCP 4 requires, I either have to buy Logic 6 or 7...($800+) or buy Vegas 5 ($459 on special at B&H) and a PC. I have to spend money no matter what....geeeze :'( If i buy a PC, what's the basic requirements for Vegas to run smoothly?

b) Do Vegas projects tranfer as well to film as ones from FCP?

 Thanks again for helping me...this site rocks!!!

                           -Rane
 
Re: Vegas or FCP...Which is best value?

you could get a $500 PC from Dell and be able to run vegas well. You might want to add more ram, and a 1394 card, but other than that your set. OF corse if you want to spend more money on a PC than that, you certainly can do it, and Vegas scales extremely well, so you will see the benefits, but vegas is not picky at all.
 
Re: Vegas or FCP...Which is best value?

Rane,

How is it that your G4 is too slow? The requirements for FCP HD are a 350MHz processor or above.You certainly fall within those specs. Are you simply lacking RAM? That would be cheaper than buying a whole new system.

I currently run FCP HD, DVD Studio Pro, and AE on an 867MHz G4 with 640MB of RAM with no problems.
 
Re: Vegas or FCP...Which is best value?

Good point, John.

You can pick up the entire Apple Production suite for around $499 as a student, as well.
 
Re: Vegas or FCP...Which is best value?

Iusedboth. I happen to love Vegas, the interfacejust made sense, and the Audio is increadible. If you go to Journeyed.com and youre a student you can get VEGAS5.0 plus DVD architect2 for 269.00. pick upa 500 dell like mentioed aboe and you have a kick ass system for less than 900$
 
Re: Vegas or FCP...Which is best value?

If you plan on working as an editor in the production world, then you should have experience with FCP. It's becoming a standard out there.
If you are only going to be doing your own projects then only you matter. Go for what works for you and your wallet.
 
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