Sony Vegas 6 +DVD review

Last year Vegas 5 introduced a range of fun editing tools that beefed up its capabilities for video compositing. Vegas 6 takes a more sober tone to be taken seriously as a professional editing platform.

Top billing on Sony's list of new features is comprehensive high-definition video (HDV) support. Vegas was already capable of working with HDV, but version 6 adds the ability to capture directly from Sony and JVC HDV cameras via FireWire. We weren't able to test this, but Vegas handled HD file import, editing and export without problems. The only caveat is the inevitable extra processor load that HD video incurs. At least Vegas's preview quality settings allow the user to find their preferred balance of quality, resolution and frame rate while editing.

Vegas 6 also adds support for Blackmagic DeckLink cards, which provide SDI connections commonly used in professional editing environments for uncompressed digital video transfers. This allows Vegas to be used with professional video cameras and integrate with larger editing suites. Support for AAF files gives compatibility with Avid.

Despite such high aspirations, enthusiasts and business users haven't been forgotten. External monitor previews extend to dual computer monitor setups: one shows Vegas's interface and the other a full-screen preview. This is ideal for working with HD progressive scan video, but those working with interlaced DV footage can use it too, thanks to its new de-interlace option.

Other new features make Vegas faster to use than ever. The moving of objects on the timeline is accompanied by a time readout in seconds and frames, which comes in particularly useful when setting transition lengths. A Synchronise function provides a simple fix for when video and audio sync is lost. Nested sequencing is something Adobe Premiere users have enjoyed for some time, but now you can import Vegas project (.veg) files directly on to the timeline and treat them like any other clip. This is perfect for bringing together different parts of a large project without having to render them first.

VST audio plug-ins are now supported and effects can be applied per audio clip rather than per track. This ties up the loose ends from the last version, giving you an unbeatable set of audio tools. The Media Manager, which first appeared in Sony Acid Pro 5, turns up here to keep tabs on your library of video, audio and image files, although you'll have to invest some time into adding tags to files before it's particularly useful.

Vegas 6 is available by itself for £300 including VAT, but the +DVD Production Suite also includes a surround Dolby Digital encoder, a couple of useful effects plug-ins and DVD Architect, now at version 3. Like Vegas, this has been improved for professional use and includes support for dual-layer discs and DLT tape drives. Flags can be set for Context Scrambling System (CSS) and Macrovision encryption at a duplication facility, but Vegas can't perform CSS encryption itself.

Playlists are supported, but using a DVD player's Previous and Next chapter controls can upset their playback. However, the ability to lock certain remote control buttons provides a workaround. Multiple video angles are supported, and menu themes can be created from specially formatted Photoshop .psd files.

DVD Architect 3 has received a serious injection of power, and its ease of use confirms it as our favourite DVD-authoring package. Existing users who don't need HDV and SDI may not be able to justify the upgrade price of $294 (around £154) for +DVD; they're high prices to pay for workflow improvements, although DVD Architect's new features are more tangible. But for new users, Vegas's sublime interface and lower price give it the edge over Adobe's Premiere.