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Average user rating:
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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4.0 stars
"Everything you need to to do great home video"
Pros: Similar interface in all products, Easy to move between applications, Classroom in a book and other books offer superb learning, The new interfaces are convenient to use
Cons: Like any good tool, it takes time to learn and become familiar with what it can do, No scene dectection for HDV, Software conflicts require you to run in clean boot
Summary: I started with the Premiere 6.5 suite some 5 years ago, moved to CS2, and now use CS3 on a Core 2 Quad machine with Vista.
I do video editing as a hobby and I like that Adobe has a lot of learning resources. Help within the programs is comprehensive and clear, and the suite comes with a video workshop disc. I always like the way Classroom in a book allows me to learn a program and use it effectively. Instead of stumbling around and using maybe only 20% of the features in a program with few training materials, I find myself trying stuff I never would have figured out on my own. The same goes for the Studio techniques books. I find that everytime I work through a book, even after 6 years, I end up trying new ideas in my current project, and it's a WOW moment. I will often remember a chapter during a project and go back to it to use the technique.
The beauty of the Suite is that the tools and interfaces are similar, and everything works together, so I have only one learning curve, say in Photoshop, and lo and behold the same text, shape and other tools show up in Premiere, Encore, Illustrator and After Effects. It's great to have an idea, create something in Photoshop or Illustrator, and then move it into the video.
The biggest hassle with getting different brands of software, or free software, is learning how to use them. It takes a long time to become comfortable and creative with software, and it is easy to give up and use only the same limited processes that you have become used to. With the Adobe suite I use more tools and techniques because they build on one another. I enjoy getting a new book and exploring new ideas. It's creative and it's fun.
There are some minor hassles. I have a high end Core 2 Quad with Vista, and still there are software conflicts that require a clean boot. For example, Encore will not preview a project, Premiere will have blackouts when exporting HDV back to tape, and recently I get sound drop outs on the Premiere timeline (even in clean boot-it will be interesting to see how that is resolved). Clean boot is something that is not fully explained by Adobe on their website, as they fail to point out that you need to leave Flexnet licensing service turned on in order to run the suite. And it's a hassle to move from clean boot to a normal start to use services like burning a DVD.
A plus is that calling Adobe support has always been a positive experience, as their techs are competent and helpful.
There is no HDV scene detection for capturing HDV from tape, even though I understand that it's in Premiere Elements, the $90 version. I got HDV Split for scene detection from the net, and it is so simple that I don't understand why Adobe didn't build it in? This is not logical.
To summarize, CS3 production premium has changed the interfaces and tool use to be more intuitive, and the suite works like a dream.
Where to buy
Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium:
$751.50 - $1,155.00
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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$1,100.00 | Yes |
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$809.39 | Yes |
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$751.50 | Yes |
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Software.cc
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$936.82 | No |
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SaveInTheUSA.com
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$780.00 | Yes |
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