Video-Editing Build...

[TBSN]

I wasn't sure where to post this, so I though I'd do it here. I am preparing to get a computer, and before I do that I need to decide what exactly it will be used for so that I can make the right decisions when getting parts, software, etc. This first question is the biggie:

Mac or Windows?
I am not a die-hard fan of either. I use both, and I actually like both of the operating systems. One of the best video-editing softwares, Final Cut, is a Mac-only program I believe. The reason I would rather go with a Windows machine is because (1) I would be able to build it myself, (2) I would be able to do things on a PC that I can't do on a Mac, I.E. play games (so shoot me). So, does anyone know if there is a Windows-compatable Video-editing app that isn't totally left in the dust by Final Cut? I know Adobe Premier has been a pretty weak program in the past, compared to Final Cut, but I don't really know how it stands today. Also, Avid is a well-respected program that works on PC...

Basically what I'm trying to find out is whether or not it's feasible to create a professional video-editing rig on a PC, or should I just get a Mac and call it a day? One of the reasons I want to stay away from a Mac is that it will cost me an arm and leg (or two), and, while I'll have a great system, I think I could save a lot of money if I built my own system.

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom...
Brady

P.S.: if this post should be in another section, please move it there (if so, sorry!)

 

[imported_Salamander]

Have you tried Vegas?

 

[TBSN]

No, actually I don't know much about that software. I researched it a bit and it seems pretty competent. It's a difficult decision for me, (mac vs. pc), because so much editing nowadays is dominated by FCP, so compatability can sometimes become a problem. Thanks for the info though, Salamander.

In terms of the actual hardware though, assuming I'm building a PC, what are the most important aspects of the computer that I should spend my cash on? What I mean is, does editing take a lot of CPU power, does adding more RAM help a lot, and does the video-card need to have anything special, or should I go with something like an 8800? Thanks

 

[Nothinman]

You could always buy a Mac and dualboot Windows for games, provided that Final Cut runs on the new Intel Macs.

 

[drag]

Video card is probably the least important as long as you have a decent one.

CPU, memory, and disk speed are the most important aspects to look at.

The OS choice is dictated almost completely by what applications you plan on using.

 

[jkresh]

Avid is a solid competitor to final cut (at least it was last time I looked (which was a couple of years ago)). Also you can buy a mac (the macpro's are pretty good machines and fairly inexpensive for dual processor xeon workstations) and install xp or vista on it for gaiming or other software.

 

[subgenius]

In terms of video editing software, I've heard that FCP and Premiere Pro are essentially the same. One video production company that I work with told me that they like Premiere because it allows them to shoot HD, capture and edit in SD, and then capture the HD footage without having to recreate the project. According to them, FCP doesn't have that capability at this time. There's also Avid Xpress Pro, which is available on both Mac and PC's. I've only used Premiere Pro, and I'm happy with it.

With regards to hardware, I would look at Matrox because they specialize in graphics cards for video editing. They aren't cheap though....I built my own PC a few years ago specifically for video editing, and one thing I would recommend is putting your money into the parts that you're less likely to upgrade later, ie the processor, the motherboard, and the case. RAM, video cards, hard drives and even the monitor are fairly easy to upgrade/swap out/transfer to a new system.

As for Macs, I love the OS, but you'll end up saving yourself the cost of the video editing software by building your own PC.

 

[Rottie]

you might want to look at price of any video editing programs between Windows and OS X or any programs you already own will factor with your decision to build/buy a computer.

 

[Countryman]

Originally posted by: subgenius
With regards to hardware, I would look at Matrox because they specialize in graphics cards for video editing. They aren't cheap though....I built my own PC a few years ago specifically for video editing, and one thing I would recommend is putting your money into the parts that you're less likely to upgrade later, ie the processor, the motherboard, and the case. RAM, video cards, hard drives and even the monitor are fairly easy to upgrade/swap out/transfer to a new system.

Think long and hard before buying Matrox components... A few years ago, I bought a Matrox RT2500 video editing card and the ?support? has been abysmal. Have a look at Matrox?s own support Forum and you will find that most questions are answered by other members. Matrox staff rarely respond. The current view is that you are better off without a dedicated hardware solution for Premiere Pro and either XP or Vista as the hardware slows down the software application. All you need is a Firewire connection which is on most motherboards these days. The Adobe site recommends a 7800 or equivalent but check yourself under ?hardware requirements? for the latest.

 

[SimMike2]

Pick your editing program very carefully, especially if you are relatively new to video editing. All the good programs can be very different in how you go about editing. Once you learn a certain way of editing, it might be hard to switch to another system. So you want to pick a system that is popular, especially with professionals.

I think as long as you have proper driver support, the hardware isn't as important as the editing software. This is because most modern computers are powerful enough to handle the demands of video editing without that much effort. What you will want is a powerful dual core processor, probably an Intel Core 2 Duo, and plenty of ram. Processor speed will be king when it comes to video encoding and converting.

I would recommend Adobe Premiere for Windows. This will have good support and is popular enough that it will be improved and updated into the foreseeable future.

 

[TBSN]

Thanks a lot for the info guys.
I don't think that I'm going to go with any dedicated hardware components at this time. What I'm really thinking about most is the software I need to choose. I think that, from what I've heard so far that Premier is a really solid program and on par with the mac FCP. I've used both and I think they are similar enough that I could probably learn to use FCP as well if I needed to use another machine besides my own.

As far as compatability goes, i don't think any NLE is really easily compatable with any other, right? That's just something I'll have to work around I guess.

As for the build itself, I'm probably going to get an E6400 and possibly a P5B-D (or maybe the P5N32-Eplus) and overclock the CPU... If I were to consider a 'modest' raid setup, do you think that I should just use the controller on the mobo of should I get a PCI raid card? Does it matter?

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[TBSN]

maybe this topic should be in a different section...

 

[dlerious]

Check out www.videohelp.com , there'd some pretty good info on video editing in the forums.

 

[TMoney468]

www.doom9.org also has some great guides and a great forum

 

[TBSN]

ok thanx