This review of the recently launched MSP6 will be posted in several installments, as your reviewer undertakes projects in different system configurations and collates experiences.

As a reviewer, I will be approaching the topic from the perspective of a Premiere user – who has experienced Premiere’s susceptibility to instability – and is looking at their options. I will also be looking from the perspective of an OHCI (Firewire/1394 equipped PC) user who previously was limited to Video Studio or similar entry level software, or the widely used workaround involving Adaptec’s DVSoft CODEC. I have also undertaken projects using Raptor Edit.

No attempt is made to repeat Ulead’s widely distributed descriptive material. Not all modules will be covered – the reviewer has not methodically sought to try each function and report on it. Rather, it is purely a DV in, edit, DV out review, using tools which this workflow calls into play. Comments from users with other workflows (e.g. making VCDs) will be incorporated as we go.

But we start with OHCI users, like ADS Pyro owners who started receiving MSP6.0VE in early February, 2000.

The big new thing
The BIG news with MSP6 is native capture in OHCI platforms for a full-feature editor.

Our review will start with the PYRO upgrade. Firstly, with MSP6.0VE then looking at the full version.

The first thing one notices about this environment is that it is rapidly evolving. Because the OHCI environment brings together extensive components of the operating system (Windows), drivers for particular chipsets, and editing software – any company selling product is highly dependent on others to get their part right for the whole package to flow.

This review will not attempt to review the technical details, but suffice to say that Windows components like DirectX, Windows Media Player, Microsoft DV CODEC, OpenDML, 1394 drivers all play a part in today’s editing software, MSP6 in particular. The quality of the Microsoft code is beyond the direct control of the software house, or bundled product vendor – but can be critical to the successful operation of the product. Of course, there are third party software modules as well, such as the Ligos MPEG utilities.

It’s no surprise then to find update patches coming with the installation disks, and finding further updates on the Web site It is very much a fact of life for video editors at this leading edge, that no small amount of time needs to be spent online -- gathering patches and updates, and interacting in global forums to keep abreast of the issues which have been encountered – together with the workarounds or solutions that have been found.

Finally, the usefulness of MSP6 to non-OHCI DV capture card systems is constrained by the availability of “plugins” to suit the card. Some like Canopus have provided plugins, and Raptor users have access to this upgrade. This will form part of our review. Others, like FAST DVMaster, do not have plugins at the time of writing and MSP6 does not work effectively (or at all) with them. If one of the default Windows set of CODECs is used as the basis for capture and editing, MSP6 can be used with most analogue capture cards.

What's Next? Install and See

Video Editor
Installation
MSP6 with the Raptor
Troubleshooting
What Next?