Hi all!

With Studio version 14, we have released our third version of Studio with 3^rd party video/audio effects plug-ins bundled. We received excellent feedback on the Studio Ultimate packages we put together so far, therefore we consider new bundles for upcoming releases as well. In order to select the best plug-ins for our customers we would like to learn more about Studio plug-ins from you:

a)     Which Studio plug-ins do you use in general?

b)    From the Studio Ultimate/Ultimate Collection (11*/12**/14***) plug-ins, which are/were the ones you preferred?

c)     Which software products do you use to complement Studio with features currently not part of it?

d)    If none, what workflows or features would you like to have added to Studio? 

 To give you just a few examples for tasks, which I'm talking about: morphing, stabilizing, dynamic timewarps, styling effects, map/itinerary illustration, motion tracking or ad removal. So, please let me know what software you're working with and what tasks you're covering with it.

Your feedback will be thoroughly evaluated and taken into consideration for upcoming releases!

Thank you very much in advance! - Uwe Pfizenmaier

* = Studio Ultimate 11:

1.     ProDAD VitaScene

2.     StageTools MovingPicture

3.     Bias SoundSoap Pinnacle Edition

** = Studio Ultimate 12:

1.     Boris Graffiti

2.     RedGiant Magic Bullet Looks

3.     ProDAD VitaScene

*** = Studio Ultimate/Ultimate Collection 14:

1.     RedGiant Knoll Light Factory

2.     RedGiant ToonIt

3.     RedGiant Magic Bullet Looks

4.     RedGiant Particular

5.     RedGiant Shine

6.     RedGiant 3D Stroke

You asked...

• #1 - and not on your list - is SmartSound for music
• I would use Bias SoundSoap often - if it worked - but it does not work properly as a Studio plug-in --- This has been extensively documented in this forum
• Stabilization - That is a popular one, but it was broken in S10 and remained broken in S11 and S12 (or was it S11 when if first broke?).  Like SoundSoap, that was exhaustively duplicated and documented in this forum.  I think it maybe works in S14.
• MovingPicture has one nice feature - you don't lose resolution when you zoom in - but it's overkill more most things.  I would rather have the 2D Pan-and-zoom plugin fixed (improved) so it took advantage of the higher-resolution original picture when it zoomed.  It seems like it works on the "TV resolution" copy of the image, so you can't zoom effectively.

This reminds me of a previous poll about titles and transitions.  I'm sure that it looks cool on the box to advertise a zillion cute transitions, but WHAT WE REALLY WANT is a more robust system that doesn't crash, RELIABLE MENU AUTHORING, and can always produce HI-QUALITY OUTPUT to each format you support.

Do you have any of these plug-ins available?

• A reliability plug-in
• A "shouldn't need workarounds to make the advertised features work" plug-in
• An "effectively uses all the cores of a multi-core system" plug-in, and that includes 4 cores with hyperthreading (8 pseudo cores... available today... what of the future?)
• And lastly a "more audio and video tracks" plug-in

Thanks for asking.  I hope I at least partially stayed on topic.

justaviking:

You asked...

• #1 - and not on your list - is SmartSound for music
• I would use Bias SoundSoap often - if it worked - but it does not work properly as a Studio plug-in --- This has been extensively documented in this forum
• Stabilization - That is a popular one, but it was broken in S10 and remained broken in S11 and S12 (or was it S11 when if first broke?).  Like SoundSoap, that was exhaustively duplicated and documented in this forum.  I think it maybe works in S14.
• MovingPicture has one nice feature - you don't lose resolution when you zoom in - but it's overkill more most things.  I would rather have the 2D Pan-and-zoom plugin fixed (improved) so it took advantage of the higher-resolution original picture when it zoomed.  It seems like it works on the "TV resolution" copy of the image, so you can't zoom effectively.

This reminds me of a previous poll about titles and transitions.  I'm sure that it looks cool on the box to advertise a zillion cute transitions, but WHAT WE REALLY WANT is a more robust system that doesn't crash, RELIABLE MENU AUTHORING, and can always produce HI-QUALITY OUTPUT to each format you support.

 

Do you have any of these plug-ins available?

• A reliability plug-in
• A "shouldn't need workarounds to make the advertised features work" plug-in
• An "effectively uses all the cores of a multi-core system" plug-in, and that includes 4 cores with hyperthreading (8 pseudo cores... available today... what of the future?)
• And lastly a "more audio and video tracks" plug-in

Thanks for asking.  I hope I at least partially stayed on topic.

My sentiments exactly.

Good morning

I remember taking part in a similar exercise with Pinnacle several years ago. I can't recall any summary of the survey and judging by the current crop of dissatisfied punters, I expect taking part in this one will be an equal waste of time.

Justaviking sums it up for me.

Regards - Keith

Nevertheless, I think we should take this survey in the positive spirit in which it is intended.

Smartsound, please.

Jonathan

How about a get what is advertised plugin?  Studio 14 is advertised that you get $1800 worth of plugins but in reality you get only a fraction of the functionality of the full product that is valued at the $1800.

Terry

Hello folks.

I would point out that the same survey was made in the French forum, which has generated the same type of reactions.

Users grievances seem to be worldwide.

I'm new to Pinnacle Studio. 

Sound is my beef. Tiny waveform. Tiny handles. Tiny clipping display.  Need vertically bigger sound tracks. 

I am cutting and pasting into Audacity. I would pay big bucks for a user-friendly sound editing plug in. 

To be honest, I currently don't use any of the 3rd party plugins that have been included with my previous versions. A few would have been nice if they had ever worked properly. The post from justaviking is an exact copy of my thoughts. To pinpoint one idea, it would be a great service to us to spend more time on the core program, instead of adding lots more cutesy stuff.   

UPfizenmaier:

   If none, what workflows or features would you like to have added to Studio? 

I would love to see a feature added back in, one that has been intentionally taken out of the current version. I would like to see the CAPTURE DURATION feature be put back in the next version. I do understand that the importer feature was written brand new for S14, and I do understand that the capture duration feature was intentionally omitted because of time constraints, but what I won't understand will be if the next version doesn't have this feature.

I progressed into S14 with no knowledge of this omission, and never in a million years would I have thought that this would have been taken out. I'm a proud owner of nine copies of Studio, please don't make S14 be my last.   

Well, my needs are rather simple, but these are the features/plugins I use or would like have available for use:

1. SmartSounds/Score-Fitter - I probably use Smartsounds a little more since I have already purchased some libraries. Score-Fitter is okay, but I understand Smartsounds won't work with Studio 14. I am currently using Studio 12 and have the 14 upgrade but probably won't install it until a definative answer is available as to whether or not a plugin will be available.

2. I use 99.9% of the time exactly two transitions: fade to black and cross-fade. Rarely do I use anything else, but sometimes there is a special case for using one of the others.

3. Pan & Zoom - an absolute necessity.

4. Sometimes I use the speed plugin.

5. Picture-in-Picture is one I use a lot. What I'd really like, since we have only two video tracks available, is a version of picture-in-picture that allows for up to 5 UNIQUE pictures at a time to be used (instead of just one). Maybe there is something available but I haven't discovered it yet. All I have found is a plugin that allows multiple images of the SAME picture to be used, although I haven't figured out why anyone would even need such a thing. Currently I use picture-in-picture and render the clip to an AVI. Then I use the AVI in a new project to add another image with picture-in-picture. And on and on. This is VERY time consuming. A good reason for me to need it is when I created a video for our high school class reunion and I wanted to display everyone's senior class picture. The problem was we had 850 in our class and it would have taken all night to sequentially show each picture, so I used the above work-around to display three at a time with thier names as sub-titles on each one. One can only imagine how long THAT took. It was real hard to sync the picture display to the underlying music. I did it as a "labor of love" for our classmates, but can say that no client would ever be able to afford a video done in this way! A plugin to handle multiple unique images would really solve the problem. If something like this is already available please someone tell me.

6. Sometimes I use the Black & White plug-in to make old black & white pictures to at least look consistent. Sometimes I'll use some other filter with a Sepia tone applied to the pictures.

Occassionally I use other plugins, etc. as tools, but that's about all I use most of the time. Hope it helps you with your survey.

Larry

 A plug-in to a lite version of Avid's Symphony or M-Audio would add to cross-sales and enhance Studio's background music generation.  The "lite" version would be an extension of Scorefitter, allowing the user to conjure assorted percussion or instrumental backgrounds, derived from a library of MID files and open to any public domain MID files.  It would also allow one to change the pitch, tempo, or instruments.  The sound tracks could be edited dynamically, without having to convert files or exit Studio.  Presently, Symphony allows a composer to view an accompanying video, why not let a Studio user compose and pre-hear an accompanying score?

A plug-in to IMPORT Dolby 5-channel sound would be great.  Studio12 and 14 CANNOT do this.  They downmix to 2 channels.  The "Dolby 5.1 support" is mythical.  One can conjure special effects, but not really recreate the native 5-channels of the Sony or Panasonic consumer camcorders or the various dedicated 5-channel sound recorders.

 Sound Soap never worked properly, but would have been a very good tool.  The problem with SS was reported on several occasions, but without any Pinnacle response other than to discontinue the plug-in.

Some of the advanced plug-ins are not easy to use without hyper-threading, unless done as a sub-project.  Boris or Stage Tools might launch, but hang, if used in the context of a large project, in part due to less than optimum use of CPU / GPU.

The FX features I use most are not even third party: 2d editor advanced, PAZ, chroma, PIP, color balance, lighting.

The user manual and Knowledge Base need to offer some guidance to where one can find information or tutorial assistance for such tools as Stage Tools.

Here goes:

I've been using Studio since V8, which either says a lot or a little. As they say, there is no fool like an old fool. I keep hoping though that everything said will actually be true. I am a lttle bitter I guess because I am a veteran of V10. Oh, well...the Red Sox did win a world series after almost a century. I don't have that much time for Studio though.

Actually 14 Ultimate Collection seems to be operating fairly well, but as far as the plug-ins go I am having problems with the Red Giant items...in particular the Toonit. Quite frankly I'm not all that impressed with most of the Red Giant stuff.

I am really, really, really disappointed that you could not work out something with SmartSound. I have their SonicFire Pro 5, but it is such a pain to use it the way it has to be used now to match with Studio. I am using it because I built up quite a library. I am generally the kind of guy who likes to get a general script going , add the music and then ( particularly with stills) match to the beat.I'm sorry...Scorefitter just seems a little lame.

Thankfully Adorage still works with 14, as does Heroglyph. I use them both. If standard transitions/titles/effects can be used, I will use them but  plug-in's like these (and Hollywood FX) allow you to customize any project to fit your client.

As long as I am giving feedback, I would like to know where that alleged button is that allows you to expand the preview window.(it is in the tutorial) It seems to be missing off of mine. I can full screen, but cannot expand the preview window.

As long as I am giving feedback, I would like to know where that alleged button is that allows you to expand the preview window.(it is in the tutorial) It seems to be missing off of mine. I can full screen, but cannot expand the preview window.

I use pan and zoom a lot. 

Fade to black, dissolve, and numberous other effects but what I really want is to be able to show 2 video tracks at the same time, dissolved over each other, eg, walking along the beach and holding hands in the other one, or similar, lol.

Maybe there is a way of doing this and I missed it?  That's the trouble with being self-taught.

I use Boris Graffiti a lot (although some days it just doesnt save and I have to redo wach clip over and over) I have never used ProDAD Vistascene, and with Sudio 14 I have used RedGiant Knoll Light Factory/ToonIt/Magic bullet looks.  Love it!

I'd love to see morphing as I do a lot of 21st dvd's and you could see the kids faces change.  A the mo I just use dissolve using the eyes as points.  A pan and zoom slide that slides from left to right please? *Imagine a box being tipped fron a 45 angle to flat standing?

I'd also like to see ONE DISC that I can cleanly install in my soon-to-be-bought laptop, without having to reload Studio 8/9/10/11/12 before I reload Studio 14. PLEASE?

The mere thought of doing all of that, AND entering my registration numbers, blah blah makes me pale.

An audio cleaning plug-in that works.

A plug-in that would allow drawing or sketching over existing video, pictures, or over a blank background.

Pinnacle should have their own plug-in for more audio and video tracks or incorporate it into the ulimate version. The montage themes are nice but do not take the place of badly needed extra tracks.

Partical effects generator unless RedGiant particular is supposed to do that.

Pinnacle needs to be a 64 bit program and take advantage of multicore systems.

oldman1:

Didn't know that Greg, although my monitor is HP w2338h..Hi res...unless I have the settings on it wrong

Under view ensure you have small thumbnails selected - the adjustable slider should then appear - from memory I think studio will need a restart after changing the thumbnail size. Studio appears to be able to recognise available real estate, so monitor size, as Greg says, is important, but thumbnail size selected appears to be also taken into consideration when it accesses whether you have sufficent real estate to allow you the adjustable slider

Edited: On my system large thumbnails is greyed out - I run on the small thumbnails. If Large thumbnails is not greyed out and large is current selection you may be able to select medium and get the slider to appear.

Thank you for your request. I use Pinnacle 12 Ultimate and I am looking forward to swich to the 14 Ultimate Collection.

I use pinnacle to build my private videos of holidays as well as to mix music concerts of my friends. I have found very usefull the Magic Bullet - Looks Builder SE feature. Interesting also Boris Graffiti for creating the titles, even if when I execute them it seems me they are a too slow (even in the play, after the rendering - I have an Intel Core 2 Quad with Vista Home Edition and 6GB RAM; 512MB VRAM on a ASUS EN9600GT video controller). Vitascene is an excellent tool.

a)     Which Studio plug-ins do you use in general?

s10, s11 & s12 - Prodad Heroglyph for most titling and video wall effects etc

The Germans are even less interested. 

The French, on the other hand, like to have some fun. 

oldman1:

Is it just me or do I sense a lack of interest here? The poll has been up for 2 weeks and only 20 replies ?

*hands up, I replied.  Do I get a star?  lol