oldest mac that can actually cut with final cut 5.1?

R

robfilms

Veteran
i'm wondering how far back in the mac food chain of g4 and g5 machines can fcp 5.1 actually work. i don't mean function but rather to actually work efficiently with realistic rendering times. this is, of course, assuming that osx 10.4.8 is used.

a g4 with less than 1.0ghz and 1mb ram?

so it would cut on an older powerbook? how about an emac?

which bottom-end g5 would work?

would these machines work with sd footage? (dvx100a) how about hdv footage? (xha1) how about dvcprohd footage (hvx200)?

thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts

be well

rob
 
For DV and DVCPRO HD I've been playing around with a 667 mhz G4 TI-book for years. 1 GB of RAM and external firewire drives for media does wonders.

For HDV I guess this system will puke. Never tried HDV.

My day-to day editing station is a 1st gen dual 2ghz with 6 GB of ram and BlackMagic videocard + external RAID. Works nice up to uncompressed HD for Shake and FCS.


I replaced the GPU with the (then) top of the line, to accellerate Motion. Does wonders with pre-renders in Shake (some) and the new gpu based FX in FCP.

I must say though, that my MBP is faster than the G5 for some tasks.


Gunleik
 
it also depends on the version of FCP you are using. the earlier you go in machines will probably require you to go backwards in software as well.
 
BrianMurphy-

That is why in the original post I ask about using Final Cut 5.1.

BenB-

The Apple tech references sometimes doesn't make clear what effienctly works on what machine. That is why I was looking to real-world users to offer their expereince as to what older machine could, indeed, run FCS 5.1.

Gunleik-

On your dual G5, have u ever cut HDV? What was that experience like under FCS 5.1? I ask because I'm toying with the idea of using the new Canon XH-A1 on an upcoming project.

Thanks in advance to all who have shared their expereinces.

Be well

Rob
 
If you do HDV, you'll want to use the Apple Intermediate Codec to capture and edit. Saves you a ton of headaches that native HDV editing comes with. No image quality loss at all.

Apple's tech specs are pretty clear and solid. It's all right there, clear and plain. Not sure what's not clear about them.
http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/specs.html
 
before HDV I believe the iMac 400 DV were the least of those you could edit on and that's what I started on but you need the G4s for 5.1 unless you have processor upgrade. I have a G4 I plan to install FCP 5.1 on and a MacBoook. FCP is running on about two gigs on it and it runs pretty well. I plan to get all 500 gig drives one day for each bay.

It will probably be awhile before I trade in the old workhorse. I'm sure in the next few years Mac will start making G5/Intell Mac Only Software. I even think it's safe to assume the next FCP will probably be the last that will run on a G4. But I look at it like this, I totally skipped FCP HD with no problems and I'm now moving into the new 5.1 so this should be good.

My big problem is I don't own an HD monitor so I'll probably never see my HD stuff in full res. Actually now that I think about it that's so not the case. My best friend owns an HDTV that he plays his XBox games on.

-Nate
 
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