I'm new to vMix and I'm testing some basic functionality for the second day now. I can't say enough how impressed I am so far with the performance and functionality of this software.

Here is a short review of a first time user.

My test setup is average: Windows 7 with I5 2500, 8 meg ram and Nvidia GTS 450. The project and display settings are 720p50 and all video sources from disk are also 720p50. It makes most sense to keep it in this format throughout the project, to reduce load, keep the highest quality and be ready to feed broadcast switcher, recorder etc.

All my video is in Windows Media format. With 8-9 mbit/sec it looks great, although Quick time H264 is comparable for the same data rate, but unfortunately it does not work in vMix 64 bit version because Quick time application is only 32 bit and will probably remain so. Mpeg 2 does not work very well (audio tearing and high data rate), and AVI looks outdated too.

I can play 4 video overlays over background video with only about 50-55% CPU load. When I add color correction and geometrical transforms to all 4 overlay videos, the CPU load does not show almost any increase. This shows how good the vMix is using Cuda on the Nvidia card. On top of all that (5 videos with effects) I can add another PiP with border and the load does not go over 62%, and the quality on external screen is as good as it gets (720 streched over 1920x1200 display.

vMix almost reminds me to a hardware switcher. The output would stutter only if I'd save the project during high load, or if I'd open a source and adjust effects, which one normaly wouldn't do anyway during live program. Video functions in vMix are somehow limited, but usefull and well choosen. No rubbish here. Flash works fine and title functions, while not very deep, are well thought out and very practical to use too. It's perfectly resonable to expect that templates would be created before the show. I wouldn't want to mess with Flash or Expression studio while going live.

The big question for me is how vMix performs with Blackmagic video card for broadcast output. I have on order Intensity Pro (my Mutibridge extreme is not supported with vMix)and will be able to test the quality of vMix output soon.

If all is good, I wish vMix some day would be able to output fill and key separately using Blackmagic Decklink 3D Extreme, to integrate vMix into broadcast video. This would put vMix into another league.

I mentioned that Quick time video does not work in 64 bit vMix. However, 32 bit vMix is perfectly ok and in this short test I didn't find any differences in performance between 32 bit and 64 bit vMix, the processor load is virtualy the same.

That's for now, I'm going to see the Australian open final now.
Sorry for being too long.

Peter