Sony Vegas Pro 8 features many video editing and processing capabilities. These include: ProType titling, multi-camera work flow, 32-bit floating point video processing, digital signs, portrait-style video editing, and the Thought Equity Motion Footage Search function, which includes access to exclusive licensed stock footage content from Sony Pictures, National Geographic, and HBO.
Sony Vegas Pro 8 introduces multi-cam editing for the video editing software package. Multi-cam features allow for the recording, editing, and joining of video clips from two or more cameras. Sony Vegas Pro has eight steps in the multi-cam process: capturing video, video time-line layout. synchronization of video clips, clip tracking, track creation, track editing, clip preview, and clip merging into a final track.
Sony Vegas Pro 8 features an audio mixing console, tempo-based audio effects, audio routing enhancements, and it supports opening and creating FLAC files. Vegas Pro 8 also supports the use of DirectX, Acid, and ASIO audio plug-ins.
Sony Vegas Pro 8 allows for the editing of DV, HDV and XDCAM video formats. Sony Vegas Pro 8 does not require re-compression of video clips when creating long-GOP video formats. Vegas Pro 8 supports Sony AVCHD Read and Write, and can burn video to Blu-ray discs.
To ensure proper system operation, the Vegas Pro 8 software suite requires Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, or 7, a 2 GHz multi-core processor, and 400 MB of free hard-disk space. Vegas Pro 8 also requires 1 GB RAM, an OHCI-compatible i.LINK connector or IEEE-1394DV card, and a USB 2.0 connection, for importing video from AVCHD, XDCAM EX, NXCAM, and DVD camcorders. System requirements also include a Windows-compatible sound card, and a compatible CD-recordable drive, DVD-R, RW drive, BD-R, or RE drive for final video burning. Vegas Pro 8 also requires the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0, Apple QuickTime 7.1.6, and a working Internet connection for the use of some features.