PC for editing

[soundboy]

Forget the PC, Yes I am a PC user.... but Mac's are less stress, try and get a second hand G4 800mhz even a dual 450 will run Final Cut.

Remeber to get another HD, and make it fast. also bucket loads of RAM

One of my mates cuts TV's Shows and TVC's on his G4 667MHZ Laptop.

Yes a G5 would be nice they look so cool, but the G4 is now cheap...

[christoph]

Forget the PC, Yes I am a PC user.... but Mac's are less stress, try and get a second hand G4 800mhz even a dual 450 will run Final Cut.

i was editing on a 466mhz G4 using panther and FCP 4 just fine... 512MB RAM and 440GB HD space (that was 30+hours of footage ;)

in the end, both will do the job... i just happen to prefer the mac (and i want a G5 too ;)

++ christoph ++

[Pedro]

the best thing with any mac is, that you can totally aim on the work you want to do and not on operating system issues, crashes, gigahertzs and the harmonic sound of the power supply fan, the processor fan, the additional back panel fan and the front panel fan.
After switching to mac, it´s like vaccation for me, everythings simple and troublefree, fun again! And it is cheaper than always hunting behind the latest PC hardware-upgrades and trying to fix everything by yourself overnight.


Returning being seriously: the best processing speed for any video encoding process is to use two separate hard disc drives, f.e. an additional external firewire drive. On disk holds the original data, and to the other disk you write the converted data. For about € 30 you can get firewire adapters, that plug into the ide-socket of any ide-disk.
If you really need, you also can upgrade a mac. Besides iMac G3 models, they all use standard internal ide hard drives, standard internal optical drives and even the memory you can get at the PC discounter.
(With iMac G4 you only must be very careful in sealing the case correctly afterwards, as it is used as a cooling radiator for the processor. That thermal white paste is neccessary to replace after opening, and all back screws must be fixed firmly.)


Pedro

[tmoceri]

Ah, a subject I can reply to

T-Scan, since it sounds like you might stick with a PC (and I'll pass on the PC/MAC discussion) you should do yourself a favor and check out Sony Vegas Video 4.0 (formerly Sonic Foundry).

I possed the same question about 2 years ago and never looked back (except when crossing the street).

Truely a pleasure to edit on. Awesome audio capbailites, will take any kind of media right on the timeline (WMV, QT, MPEG, AVI, JPG, TIFF, WAV, PB&J), stable as a rock!

Download the demo and drop in the forum... do a search on the capabilities you are looking for.

http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/p ... sp?PID=808

Good luck!

-Tom

[T-Scan]

i've been considering Vegas 4.0. my main agenda is to load multiple 50 ft reels and pluck scenes, tie them together with music and recorded MD sounds, then burn to DVD. i know the mac is a great system but my knowlege is PC. definatly worth going to the shop for a mac demo and feel it out. i'm also not sure if mac software can capture at 6 fps?

[tmoceri]

Yep that's what I'm doing (well I did it form myself now I'm doing it for paying customers!).

For film transfer I use a WorkprinterXP and Dodcap. I do the pulldown in Dodcap but you can also do it in Vegas.

I then put all the capture files on the timeline, cut them up in the trimmer, re-arange, at multiple layers of audio (voice, music, effects), render out and burn to DVD.

If you do a search at the Vegas forum on "Workprinter" you will get alot of info (as well here).

You really should check out a MAC and the NLE software that way you'll have a good feel for what you need. For me the shear power of Vegas and my existing PC was a no-brainer.

-TOm

[MovieStuff]

When using a emac or imac with G4 and OSX, you can be shure that everything will work right out of the box, without messing around, changing configurations, upgrading etc.,

Yes, it will work right out of the box......eventually.

Honestly, I know so many people that have bought the new Macs and every one of them had to return them for some reason or another until they got one that worked like it was supposed to. When it did, it was great but I fear the old days of true "plug-n-play" are gone. Could be the nasty infusion of MicroSoft cash when Gates bailed out Apple some time back.

BTW: I used to use Macs all the time. I just don't see the difference anymore. I'm for whatever will do the job the cheapest, Mac or PC.

[seekaee]

Well, all I can`say`is if you want to use FCP or simply prefer OS X, then you should pick up a mac. Otherwise get a PC. For the price of a used G4 you can get a smoking Pen 4 3.0 gig Hrz and higher Winbox. the website below will give you a good idea what the going price is thease days;

http://www.pricewatch.com

[Actor]

Yes, it will work right out of the box......eventually.

Honestly, I know so many people that have bought the new Macs and every one of them had to return them for some reason or another until they got one that worked like it was supposed to. When it did, it was great but I fear the old days of true "plug-n-play" are gone. Could be the nasty infusion of MicroSoft cash when Gates bailed out Apple some time back.

BTW: I used to use Macs all the time. I just don't see the difference anymore. I'm for whatever will do the job the cheapest, Mac or PC.

Mine worked right out of the box for about 48 hours, then it crashed. After re-installing everything all seemed fine except iMovie did not see the camera. I call Apple Tech Support who says they cannot help because my RCA (i.e., Radio Shack) camcorder is not on Apple's list of supported cams. OK, borrow a Canon ZR40, which is on their list. The problem persists and Apple tells me to take it back to The Apple Store to check out the FireWire. It checks out. Problem persists. Bummer. iMovie was the only reason I got the Mac in the first place and it's the only program on the machine that does not work (except for Netscape which is why I switched to Safari).

So I lay out $170 to putchase AppleCare in order to keep them in the loop otherwise Apple washes its hands of me.

I take it to the Apple guru here at the University where I work. He completely wipes the disk and re-installs everything. No change.

Apple Tech Support continues to be as helpful as the tits on a boar hog.

I take it to another Apple guru. It works perfectly while it's in his house. When I get it home it does not work.

Then my wife gets me Final Cut Express for Christmas. FCE can't see the camera either. Again I borrow the "approved" Canon ZR40, plug it in and call AppleCare. They tell me the problem has to be FireWire related (Duh!) and switch me around to the proper nerd. He talks me through a diagnostic and announces that "you have a bad logic board."

The next week a guy comes to my house and installs a new logic board. He is not happy. Seems they thought the computer was at the University where I got my educational discount (I'm on University Staff). AppleCare does not include house calls. He mumbles something about my paying $650. So far I have not been billed.

Anyway, since the installation of the new logic board everything seems to be working. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[Super8rules]

I use both Macs and PCs here in my studio. Macs for media, PC for internet and business. I never mix the two.

I used to use PC for my editing and it was a COMPLETE nightmare. To many ingredients.

Exception errors galore. Never again. Forget someone taking the blame for their hardware not working. It's always someone elses problem.

So, I take the plunge and buy the new Blue and White G3 with FCP pre-installed from PROMAX. Right out of the box it worked flawlessly.

Then the iMac comes out and I am enticed by iMovie. So I spend more money and buy the Graphite DV special edition at COSTCO.

Again, everything works right out of the box. Within 20 minutes, I am editing. I start using iMovie more and more.

Right now, I would be hard pressed to use a PC for editing.

But Dell is selling preconfigured PC's with a very elementary editing system that seems to work okay. I think that is the most important factor. Get a system that is built by one company and preconfigured at their factory. That way no one can play the blame game. If you do decide to go with a PC, I would give Dell a try because they have in home service. A friend of mine bought a Dell and his motherboard wasn't working. A guy from Dell came out to his house the next day and replaced the whole shebang. If only Apple had this service for their loyal following... :roll:

[crimsonson]

Speaking from a personal and professional point of view.... [Mac Avid and FCP at work, PC Avid at home].

Mac is no more stable and safer than PC - period.
'Crash Different'

As long as you follow the recommended specs of the NLE company you will be fine - no matter which platform.

Vegas and Avid for example are extremely stable. In fact, 2 or 3 bugs in their respected community and it is big news.

While FCP 4 and FCP 4.01 where extremely buggy. Only with version FCP 4.1 that changed [...almost].

In regards to ease of use - yes Mac is easier for the simple fact that there is only 1 motherboard manufacturer. One chipset maker. One CPU. 2 video card makers with 2 or 3 models only. etc. etc.
These parts are very good parts nonetheless.


People touting Mac being more stable than PC is wrong. There is no evidence to support this. There are too many variables [the specific application the biggest] to say such generalization.


Something to keep in mind... OS and NLEs have complex interfaces. What is comfortable and makes sense to you might not to the next person.


Anyways, for DV editing most application will suffice - be it Premiere Pro, Avid DV/Pro, Vegas or FCP.

DV editing...
For PC I recommend Avid, Premiere Pro and then Vegas [in that order].
For Mac - Avid and then FCP [in that order].

For uncompress work I recommend FCP with AJA Io. I like the Avid Mojo if you do both DV and uncompress.


NAB is coming around [April]. This is the major trade show where hardware and software companies usually announce their big news. So if you can wait that long you might find something new or find current products cheaper.


good luck

[soundboy]

When using a emac or imac with G4 and OSX, you can be shure that everything will work right out of the box, without messing around, changing configurations, upgrading etc.,

.

I guy I work with has returned two G5's as they have had major faults...

[Pedro]

Hey, if a new-bought product, maybe computer, washing machine, stereo set or foto camera should not work perfectly as described in the instruction manual or other manufacturer publications, I only have one thing to do: return it to the seller and get a replace product.

At least here in Germany (and all Europe) this is a legal right, as well as the legal 2 years warranty for EVERYTHING you buy. And you have not to accept repair attempts of the seller or manufacturer, you have the legal right to return it totally or get a replace item or get a price reduction, depending on the type of fault. I know this, because I am working in a service department headquater.

So, if I got a Mac with any problem, the very first thing I would do is to return it to the seller and insist in a working replace product. Faults are always possible, with any product. My Canon i560 printer from Amazon did not print color. I got a free send-back ticket from them and a new replace item, no repair. Many custumers of high priced cars like BMW can tell the most strange stories, too!

A fire-wire hardware problem should be detectable very easy, connecting any fire-wire device like hard disks or external optical drives. They should be mounted imediately on the desktop. This test can easyly be done in the seller´s store, he certainly has such products. If not working - back to the seller, insisting on customers´rights!

If using PC, I agree to buy only pre-configured systems, where the manufacturer garantees not only for the hardware, but for the whole thing. The question is, what happens with such a warranty after performing user installation of additional applications or even installing additional hardware (PC is considered to be an open system).

Operating systems of Macs and PCs are totally differnt. Mac use basically a UNIX system with a windows user interface, called OSX.
UNIX is considered to be more stable than Windows based operating systems. Of course, the individual application can crash anyway, depending of how it is designed and programmed.

What Macs never show are those strange blue screens, error messages and codes that nobody can understand, silly questions If you really want to delete or replace this or that dll file.
Most Mac program installations keep in one folder and can be uninstalled simply by deleting that folder.

Here is where windows trouble starts: you install a windows application, and want to uninstall it afterwards. This is rather complicated, because most windows application are spread in the system on several places like cancer. Uninstall-applications don´t work always. You always keep with rests of the uninstalled program and with changed files, like comon used dll files etc. The system becomes more and more instable.

At Macs, you simply can delete any program in the program folder and ready. (Perhaps deleting another file of the application out of the libary folder).
You also can plug of the power cable during working without beeing punished next time when starting the machine.

Only my expieriences as a user
Pedro

[S8 Booster]

Second that.

R

[Actor]

Hey, if a new-bought product, maybe computer, washing machine, stereo set or foto camera should not work perfectly as described in the instruction manual or other manufacturer publications, I only have one thing to do: return it to the seller and get a replace product.

At least here in Germany (and all Europe) this is a legal right, as well as the legal 2 years warranty for EVERYTHING you buy. And you have not to accept repair attempts of the seller or manufacturer, you have the legal right to return it totally or get a replace item or get a price reduction, depending on the type of fault. I know this, because I am working in a service department headquater.

This is not the case here in the U.S. The warranty contract usually states that repair, replacement or refund is the seller's option, not the buyer's.

A fire-wire hardware problem should be detectable very easy, connecting any fire-wire device like hard disks or external optical drives. They should be mounted imediately on the desktop. This test can easyly be done in the seller´s store, he certainly has such products. If not working - back to the seller, insisting on customers´rights!

In my case this was done, in the store, and it worked. The damned thing would not get sick in the doctor's office. The problem was intermittent. The techs at the Apple Store insisted that they had allowed the system to "cook" long enough for any intermittent to show up. I don't believe this. Either they did not cook it long enough or they did not cook it at all.