Avid Xpress 4.0.1

The point of this email is two-fold.
First, it is typical in that if anyone has suggestions or advice it is more than welcome.
Second, it is an alert to current and potential future users of this Avid Xpress 4.0.1 software.

EFFECTS:
1. Granted, this isn't Media Composer, but the Effect Editor is horrible. It's like pulling teeth to put two effects on one piece of video (and seemingly impossible to do more than that!).
2. Key frames are a major problem. They just don't stick. Also, often times after you add a key frame, it stops letting you manipulate the effect, therefore rendering the keyframe tool useless. In addition, when you try to set a key frame on the first or last frame of a piece of video it is about 50% successful. Not that if you try it again a couple times it will work, it's that sometimes with your video it just won't you manipulate the first and last frames of a segment. I often end up having to cut off the first or last frame or both. Obviously, this can and does throw off the timing in your piece.

COMPRESSION:
1. Granted, this isn't Media Composer, but the best compression settings Xpress offers is 2:1. When I lay something off to beta, it comes out noisier, busier and worst of all the blacks aren't true blacks and will often contain purple blotches. I've had other editors, computer techs and engineers at my company check out my system and the collective conclusion is that it's a problem with the software and nothing else.
2. There are virually no in-depth compression options.



Luckily, I work at a company that comprehends the challenges that I deal with in using a system this archaic. Unfortunately though, with the economy plus the fact that I've only been on board 3 months+ getting a new system is not a high priority.

Worst of all, there is no service for this version of Avid anymore. Also, I've looked high and low on the web for other people with the "purple in the black" problem and found nothing.

Again, if anyone has any suggestions, that'd be great.

And if you just want to let loose and vent on your Avid system (or respective editing software) that'd be admired as well.

Thanks.