Need some help deciding for my HVX200 editing needs...

[hardwiredsoul]

Hello all, I need some help deciding what to do. I'm currently in the market for a new laptop for modile editing needs and live monitor for stationary shots. The problem is, I'm having a hard time deciding. I'm not too worried about cost, as both are pretty much the same.. Here are the two I'm going back and forth between...

Sony Vaio VGN-AR790U/B
- 2.5ghz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
- 4gb of Memory
- 400 gb Hardrive
- Blu-Ray Disc drive with BD-burning
- Nvidia GeForce 8600M graphics card

or

Mac Book Pro
- 2.5ghz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
- 4gb of Memory
- 300 gb Harddrive
- NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics card

Now, the software isn't and issue. I currently have Adobe Production Suite....but I am proficient in Final Cut Stuiod as well, and my company has already stated that they are willing to buy Final Cut Studio 2 for me if I go the mac route. So help me decide...

Oh yeah, this will be for diect capture and editing of my HVX200 through firewire.

[David Jimerson]

Well, currently, OnLocation is by far the leading (set of) tool(s) for live capture.

I'd say that especially if the VAIO has a PCMCIA slot, the deal should be sealed.

[Deaniweenie]

Not a Macbook Pro but a little insight into my experience with FCP S2.

I bought a Panasonic HVX200 to do a promo in HD. I shot in DVCPro 1080i and ended up with 700GB of footage.

I could only afford an iMac and went for an Intel 24" 2.8Ghz, 4GB Ram, 1TB drive. I backed up the footage to a 1TB Lacie Big Disk but edited from the iMac internal drive.

I would have preferred a Mac Pro, maxed out with all the gadgets and it would have maybe rendered the footage quicker and so speeded up the edit, but... the iMac worked flawlessly, handling the HD footage with ease. It has never crashed under the weight of the HD files and although rendering takes a little longer that with SD, it's perfectly acceptable.

The whole edit was painless, ingesting the P2 footage is a breeze using Log and Transfer and I never felt that the iMac was under any strain from the huge files.

The iMac is still relatively portable and I have taken it out to clients on a number of occasions for them to preview the edits.

Fantastic!

I edit with both FCP and Premiere CS3 and much prefer FCP. There seems to be far more latitude when adjusting pictures (colour correcting etc.) in FCP and the whole system handles DVCPro HD footage much better than Premiere. Bare in mind that this is only my experience and others may well recommend alternative applications. having said that, I work with a number of editors who use Macbooks and even G4 powerbooks for editing DVCPro HD footage and say that the computers work just fine.

Happy Shopping!

[Deaniweenie]

Additional.

I have used an Intel Macbook Pro to edit some DVCPro HD footage using FCP and I don't think there is much difference in performance with my iMac.

I capture using Log and Transfer over firewire direct from my camera and although it takes a little longer than other methods it works great. However, while transferring, your camera is tied up so there won't be any filming at that time. Recently on a shoot I borrowed an Apple G4 powerbook which has a card slot and this helped immensely as while the cards were downloading I could get on with more filming. One advantage of downloading from the camera is that if a clip spans two cards FCP stitches the clip back together. A small thing but very helpful.

[manglerBMX]

macbook pro + duel systems adapter is my workflow. the duel adapter + express 34 slot have almost double the speed of powerbook's pcmcia slot. but i have had two adapters die on me, although duel replaces them very quickly.

my macbook pro is my main machine for editing and motion graphics/3d, all in HD and it works pretty damn good.

[John Froton]

I recommend the Sony Vaio because of Adobe OnLocation + Encore to Blu-ray capabilities.

Having OnLo convert your laptop into a waveform/ vectorscope/ monitor with direct capture to external drives is very useful and the Blu-ray authoring would be a nice feature as well.

[David Saraceno]

I would never purchase a laptop as an editing station solely based on the availability of PC Cardbus II slot.

If you are proficient in FCP, and your company will purchase FCS2, then why reinvent your skills?

Buy a duel adapter and use it. Keep your system clean when you using it.

And remember that there will be a Mac version of OnLocation. It was demoed at a trade show months ago.

[Deaniweenie]

I have a question to add to this thread.

All I ever hear is that it is not possible to produce a low cost reader/adapter/gadget to connect P2 cards to a computer (mac). Even the oracle that is Barry Green says there isn't a cheap solution to this problem and came up with the idea of using a budget PC laptop with a card slot.

But here people a suggesting that a $118.0 Duel Express 34 slot adapter does the trick. Is this true, does it really work?

[hardwiredsoul]

I currently (on my PC/Vista desktop at home) use Premiere Pro in my home workflow. I'm equally good with both Premiere and Final Cut, thats what I meant to say. OnLocation is definatly a nice program....however, ScopeBox on Mac is equally as nice. (I've used both)

[Deaniweenie]

I could be wrong but I'm not sure that Premiere (I have CS3) can handle DVCPro HD without extra hardware or software translators. The format comes straight into Final Cut Pro and is editable immediately. But on my machine Premiere won't open a DVCPro HD project, the preset is greyed out.

Weenie

[jrmiller_entertainment]

you must be using a trial version because CS3 works great with dvcpro HD

[manglerBMX]

But here people a suggesting that a $118.0 Duel Express 34 slot adapter does the trick. Is this true, does it really work?

i've been using the duel adapter for well over a year now. the earlier models i guess had an issue with them, not to mention software bugs with it working with OS X. but i've been using the same one for a good 6 months now(the 1st two lasted way less than that).

pretty much all P2 users of macbook pros use duel adapters.

[David Jimerson]

I could be wrong but I'm not sure that Premiere (I have CS3) can handle DVCPro HD without extra hardware or software translators. The format comes straight into Final Cut Pro and is editable immediately. But on my machine Premiere won't open a DVCPro HD project, the preset is greyed out.

Weenie

Premiere Pro CS3 is one of the two best-integrated NLEs to work with P2. (Edius Broadcast)

Of course, you must be running at least version 3.1.

[David Jimerson]

I currently (on my PC/Vista desktop at home) use Premiere Pro in my home workflow. I'm equally good with both Premiere and Final Cut, thats what I meant to say. OnLocation is definatly a nice program....however, ScopeBox on Mac is equally as nice. (I've used both)

If it's a complete toss-up between the two, where neither the money nor the software is an issue, I'm not sure anyone can really help you make the decision.

[hardwiredsoul]

I want to thank you guys for you suggestions and advice. I'm going with the Vaio. I figure I might as well keep with what I use at home.... That gives me two powerful PCs (my desktop at home is a beast of a machine) to work together with. The PCMCIA slot will be very handy. I actually picked it up a few hours ago.

I'm about ready to start loading it up....

[Arc-en-ciel]

Hi

I'm looking to buy a tablet PC to fix on my JIB and use it with OnLocation.
I have made a test today to see if it will work. The test was made on my studio PC.
I have record with my HVX200 a short video on the P2 card and on OnLocation at the same time. I put both files in a HD CS3 project.
Only the P2 file was realtime. The file from OnLocation was not. I have a Matrox RTX2 install in that PC but was not using it for the test.
Is there somebody who have use OnLocation for recording HD and use it in CS3 project?

Thanks

[si0101]

ok i have a quandry about machine to edit. im going to go the mac route with fcs2, and am going to purchase an hvx200a or hpx170 (cant decide whether wanna take the risk of no dv capability). anyway, i am of course trying to limit spending to an extent. i would like to go the whole hog and get an 8 core mac, but then im looking at just over $3000 when all is said and done. would getting a high spec quad core g5 be enough? that could probably save me almost $1500 on a machine! thanks in advance.....