Video editing question

[snidy1]

My system isn't that slow, but it takes a long time just for simple video editing. Is there some tips on optimizing a system for editing?

 

[pretzelb]

I couldn't see your system because your sig is messed up. Hard to tell what could be wrong without that information.

I do know that Intel CPUs are usually better than equal performing AMD CPUs. I think I read somewhere (maybe here) that it was partly because most software was written with Intel in mind.

AFAIK the big factor in video editing is the CPU. Unless you have a very small amount of RAM or a very slow hard drive the only thing to do is look at the CPU.

 

[snidy1]

Sorry, I have a P4 3.2 GHz, 1 gig of corsair Ram, and I'm using an external WD 160 GB HD using firewire, For video I have an ATI 9800 Xt.
I'm using Pinnacle Studio 9.

 

[snidy1]

Anyone have a link for me?

 

[KutterMax]

When you say "simple video editing" what exactly do you mean? ie. rendering the movie or just making cuts and splices.

First, I guess it depends on what app you are using. I use Pinnacle Studio 9 and I find it runs much faster on my machine with 1 gig of RAM versus my other machine with only 512mb. You have 1 gig, so you should be fine.

Second - hard drive speed is crucial as well. Do you have ample free space on your video editing hard drive? Is it defragged? Both are important.

Video editing is a pretty demanding task, but your machine should definitely be up for it.


HTH.

 

[pretzelb]

I agree that you appear to have the horsepower for video editing. The only part that is questionable is the external hard drive. I have yet to see an external drive that could match the speed of an internal drive - then again I haven't used a firewire drive before.

Can you try it without the firewire drive?

Also, what is it exactly that is slow to you? For example, are you taking a 30 minute show and cutting commercials and finding the process takes 10 minutes to complete?

 

[snidy1]

It's really slow when I add hollywood fx transitions, sometimes it takes 2 to 3 minutes to process it. I just bought a 250 gig internal HD that I'll try out.

 

[Rottie]

Originally posted by: snidy1
Anyone have a link for me?

you might want to check System Tweaks for tweaking your system for video editing. It is not much but it might helps.

 

[sbuckler]

Probably just another bug in pinnacle. They release some of the flakeyest software you'll ever come accross. I haven't gone to V9 yet as it took them well over a year to get the worst bugs ironed out of V8.

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: sbuckler
Probably just another bug in pinnacle. They release some of the flakeyest software you'll ever come accross. I haven't gone to V9 yet as it took them well over a year to get the worst bugs ironed out of V8.

I have not yet found a NLE that is not flaky. V8 may have been the worst, but V9 cleaned up lots of it. Of course, I rarely use Studio as I use Liquid Edition as my main.

OP, what is slow? I am not sure I am following you. Do you mean opening, adding an effect, converting to DVD, what?

 

[snidy1]

Originally posted by: gsellis

Originally posted by: sbuckler
Probably just another bug in pinnacle. They release some of the flakeyest software you'll ever come accross. I haven't gone to V9 yet as it took them well over a year to get the worst bugs ironed out of V8.

I have not yet found a NLE that is not flaky. V8 may have been the worst, but V9 cleaned up lots of it. Of course, I rarely use Studio as I use Liquid Edition as my main.

OP, what is slow? I am not sure I am following you. Do you mean opening, adding an effect, converting to DVD, what?

I mean adding effects

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: snidy1
I mean adding effects

Are you adding effects to the whole line? There are not that many effects in S8, which one? Or did you mean transitions like Hollywood FX? Some of the HFX can take a little time to render, but I don't use them very often to get a feel for how fast or slow they are. In Liquid, I can keep working while they render. I can even play the video with some framing while they render. Usually though, my render time is not more than 10-15 seconds.

Big renders are things like color correction and time warp. They added color correction in with S9 Plus this month.