Post House in a Box
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My bottom line for this collection is that it is great. Everything you need in one bundle. The applications have easy connectivity with one another allowing you to send data back and forth between them.
As happy as I am with this collection, after the high wore off, I began to ponder the bigger picture...[an error occurred while processing this directive]What is the biggest drawback to this collection? The fact that most of the software in the collection is PC only and that this collection is only sold as a PC bundle. This is where the line in the sand has been drawn. Apple V Adobe, Mac V PC, my system is better than your system, switch or be switched… a mere $500 separates the two contenders for your post consideration. Which is better? That is up for you to decide. I will say that it is unfortunate that Adobe is going the PC only route for most of their software. I think at this stage in the game, Adobe would benefit greatly by having these apps available on both platforms. Only time and marketing will tell if this is a good decision.
Besides the obvious platform/application battle brewing, what is the major impact here? This well priced collection means that nearly anyone has access to the same tools the pros use for postproduction work. Little Johnny, who is borrowing his dad’s mini DV camera, can gather his friends together and make is own Star Wars Fan Film for less than the cost of his first used car. Bob Wishful can actually complete his first independent film by working in his home, rather than spend thousands sitting in a post house. Joe Unemployed, who used to work for XYZ Studios, can now freelance to make up for lost income. With the increasing power of laptops, Joe can install the entire Adobe collection on his portable, and with an external FireWire drive, go to the client’s location and work away. And let’s not forget the schools, universities, and businesses who can now affordably teach postproduction thanks to the tremendous drop in application prices.
And it is not just Adobe who is making this possible. Apple, Avid, Pinnacle Systems, Sonic Foundry, and the rest, are all coming up with sales and offers to get you to use their software. In the case of Apple and Avid, they are giving away their most basic editing systems. If you pay close attention, you will actually see that they are targeting younger and younger audiences. This isn’t a dumb move, as I alluded too earlier, if a company can get a young auteur hooked on their application at a young age, they will be more willing to stick with that app as they get older.
No matter what kind of great marketing strategies NLE/Post companies are employing to sell their product, the clear winner of this battle is going to be the consumer. Adobe’s Video Collection Pro is a clear indication that the battle is only beginning. The power, affordability, and compatibility between the applications clearly demonstrates that Adobe understands that we want to create, and have given us the tools to do so.
When not working deep in the labs of the DMN Central Division testing the latest and greatest software/hardware products Stephen Schleicher can be found at the local university teaching a few courses on video and web production. He can be reached at schleicher@mindspring.com. You can also visit him on the web at www.mindspring.com/~schleicherSource: Digital Media Online, Inc.
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