Need a new computer - i think.. Advice?

Ferret Lady

Ferret Lady

Well-known member
Hey guys.. I have 17" Powerbook... it has 1.67 GHz PowerPc G4 and I just upgraded it to 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, plus has a 500 gig external hard drive.. I just recently started running Final Cut Pro so that I could take advantage of multi-clip editing.

problem is, if i try to stream 4 tracks at one in a multi-clip sequence, i'm getting massive dropped frames. to the point that it's basically un-usable that way. i seem to be ok with 2 and even 3 for a few minutes at a time, but I would like to be able to use 4.

i do NOT know much about computers but I'm guessing its my processor that's lacking. 1.67 ghz doesnt sound like much and i think that's why my computer can't handle playing 4 video streams at once in FCP.

is there some way i can upgrade my processor? i really don't have a lot of money, and if i have to buy a new computer to do this, that's really gonna suck cuz i'll have to save up for it. i'm just looking for the cheapest way to make this ONE thing possible. viewing 4 clips simutaneously in a multi-clip sequence.

your advice is much appreciated, thanks in advance!
 
Yes, it's the processor and no, swapping it out is not feasible.

Did you adjust the settings in the RT drop down menu? They should all be on low but your system still might choke. Power PC processors are really starting to show their age.

Dual Core really shines with this kind of thing, so you should try to get a cheap refurb MacBook ($900) asap. You'll see a huge improvement in the ease with which FCP handles your footage.
 
thanks jared. i had a feeling it was the processor but wasnt sure... its sad to know i cant upgrade my powerbook tho.. but i guess it's time to move on to bigger and better things..

so basically any mac that has a dual core processor should do it? i saw this really good deal on craigslist (i think) for an imac with a 2.8gz intel core 2 duo processor , 4gb memory, 24" display, 320 GB HDD and double layer superdrive for $1999.... canadian... comes with tons of software too... is this a good deal?

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/sys/780560908.html
 
Jared Meyer said:
Did you adjust the settings in the RT drop down menu? They should all be on low but your system still might choke. Power PC processors are really starting to show their age.

.
Click to expand...

actually, that is a very good point. i remember adjusting the rt menu a long time ago with FCE but i just got FCP and havent made any adjustments aside from changing it to from safe rt to unlimited rt... if you could remind me the best settings that would be great but right now i'm gonna check it out and see what i can set on 'low' and see if it still chokes.. thanks man...
 
At first blush, no, it's not that great of a deal.

Check the refurb store on apple.com. There are 24" iMacs going for much less than $2000. As far as the software, I dunno...Is it exactly the software you need? Are all the discs included? Do you need the manuals? Are the programs registered? Will you be able to upgrade them? Too much of a hassle for me, but YMMV.

Also, if you are going to drop $2000 on a system you should definitely at least consider a Mac Pro which is infinitely more upgradable than an iMac and will last you much longer. If you already have a suitable display, this could be the way to go.

But even a MacBook would be great - a big step up from what you are editing on right now. Obviously you should get the best you can afford, but even the basic dual core 2.0 is pretty zippy. I've edited several projects on a 2.0 MacBook and aside from the 13" screen it was fantastic.
 
scratchpatchfilms said:
thanks jared. i had a feeling it was the processor but wasnt sure... its sad to know i cant upgrade my powerbook tho.. but i guess it's time to move on to bigger and better things..

so basically any mac that has a dual core processor should do it? i saw this really good deal on craigslist (i think) for an imac with a 2.8gz intel core 2 duo processor , 4gb memory, 24" display, 320 GB HDD and double layer superdrive for $1999.... canadian... comes with tons of software too... is this a good deal?

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/sys/780560908.html
Click to expand...

that sounds like a scam. the software alone would cost more than $1999. if it sounds too good to be true, it almost always is.
 
ugafan said:
that sounds like a scam. the software alone would cost more than $1999. if it sounds too good to be true, it almost always is.
Click to expand...

i know, with all that software it's a crazy price.. they say it's wholesale price. not sure how they got that... they seem to have a LOT of mac computers for wholesale prices... if it is a scam, what do you think i'd be getting? like the ad is misinformation or what?
 
Jared Meyer said:
At first blush, no, it's not that great of a deal.

Check the refurb store on apple.com. There are 24" iMacs going for much less than $2000. As far as the software, I dunno...Is it exactly the software you need? Are all the discs included? Do you need the manuals? Are the programs registered? Will you be able to upgrade them? Too much of a hassle for me, but YMMV.

Also, if you are going to drop $2000 on a system you should definitely at least consider a Mac Pro which is infinitely more upgradable than an iMac and will last you much longer. If you already have a suitable display, this could be the way to go.

But even a MacBook would be great - a big step up from what you are editing on right now. Obviously you should get the best you can afford, but even the basic dual core 2.0 is pretty zippy. I've edited several projects on a 2.0 MacBook and aside from the 13" screen it was fantastic.
Click to expand...

thanks for the tip. i just took a look at their refurb store and i like the looks of this one:

Refurbished iMac 24-inch 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
24-inch glossy widescreen display
2GB memory
500GB hard drive
8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB memory
Built-in iSight Camera
Learn More

• Save 14% off the original price
Original price: $2,199.00
Your price: $1,899.00
Estimated Ship:
Within 24 hours
Free Shipping

should suit my needs right?
 
Get as much RAM as you can (chose a 64bit system if you can, because a 32bit system maxes out at 4 gigs), make sure you chose a decent L2 Cache (eg 2MB, not a dinky 512K)
 
Anhar Miah said:
Get as much RAM as you can (chose a 64bit system if you can, because a 32bit system maxes out at 4 gigs), make sure you chose a decent L2 Cache (eg 2MB, not a dinky 512K)
Click to expand...
OSX Automatically installs 64bit if you have more than 4GB of ram ;-D
 
i'm thinking about buying a refurbished imac from the apple website. i've copy and pasted it's specs below. is this enough power for me to do multi-clip editing????

Model Refurbished Refurbished 24-inch iMac
Processor 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
L2 Cache 6MB Shared
System bus 1066MHz
Memory 2GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) of 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM; supports up to 4GB
Hard drive 500GB Serial ATA; 7200 rpm
Optical drive Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 4x double-layer burning (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Display 24-inch (viewable) glossy widescreen TFT active-matrix LCD, 1920 by 1200 pixels, millions of colors
Video Built-in iSight; mini-DVI output port with support for DVI, VGA, S-video, and composite video connections via adapter
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB GDDR3 Memory
FireWire One FireWire 400 and one FireWire 800 port; 7 watts each
USB Three USB 2.0 ports on computer; two USB 2.0 ports on keyboard
Audio Built-in stereo speakers with 24-watt digital amplifier, built-in microphone, optical digital audio output/headphone out, optical digital audio input/audio line in
Ethernet Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit)
Wireless Built-in AirPort Extreme (802.11n); built-in Bluetooth 2.1+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
Hardware accessories Apple Remote, Apple Keyboard, and Mighty Mouse
Other Built-in IR receiver
Size and weight
Height: 20.5 inches (52.0 cm)
Width: 22.4 inches (56.9 cm)
Depth: 8.1 inches (20.7 cm)
Wight: 25.4 pounds (11.5 kg)

i could upgrade it to 4gig ram too but i'd probably buy that from somewhere other than apple cuz its cheaper that way...
 
the iMac , especially that one , is a wicked bad ass machine for editing, ive found it serving me (in its 2.8ghz rendition), very well for editing DVCPRO HD footage with filters and all kinds of fun stuff without a problem AT ALL.

GO FOR IT
 
While this is veery good NOW, I wouldn't go for an imac, mainly due for certain hassles that are inherent to a closed architecture design. If a hard drive fails, its a PITA. Also, new and more powerful graphics cards might be on the wy, and that architecture is hardly upgradable. Also, with a Macpro, for example, you can upgrade your RAM much more, which, while not essential, does improve your workflow. DVCPRO HD works well in a G5. But if you migrate to Prores HQ, for example, you'll probably start to have problems (with multiple effects and streams...)

EDIT- SCratchpatch, What are you editing on your Powerbook? DVCPRO HD ? Strange. I can work with dvcpro HD (edit) with 3way color correction fine, without dropped frames. If HDV, I heard its not smooth, though...
 
i dunno exactly what dvcpro hd means spz sorry... i shoot in standard definition on my canon xh a1 if that helps... and i'm not talking about 3 way colour correction . i'm talking strictly about multi clip editing. when you have 4 video streams playing at the same time in the viewer and get to click on which one you want to appear in the canvas as it plays through.

i wish i could get a mac pro too but it's a bit too much money for me. i'm in the $2000 price range right now and really can't wait cuz i have a 4 camera shoot waiting to be edited..

i think i'm going to order that refurbished imac and then upgrade the ram... thanks guys, very much, for your help.
 
Nic Aragon said:
the iMac , especially that one , is a wicked bad ass machine for editing, ive found it serving me (in its 2.8ghz rendition), very well for editing DVCPRO HD footage with filters and all kinds of fun stuff without a problem AT ALL.

GO FOR IT
Click to expand...

what about multi clip editing? i can do all the other stuff fine already.
 
SO-DIMMS for those imacs are super cheap. a 4gb set shouldnt be more than 70 bucks.

i believe you will not have a problem doing multi-clip editing, though im not experienced with your exact setup.
 
Scratchpatch, that's very, very strange. You're saying your shooting SD, which means DV in the Canon XLH-a1. Your G4, theoretically, could edit multi-cam no problem! There's something wrong with your G4, mate!
 
SPZ said:
Scratchpatch, that's very, very strange. You're saying your shooting SD, which means DV in the Canon XLH-a1. Your G4, theoretically, could edit multi-cam no problem! There's something wrong with your G4, mate!
Click to expand...

i have a 1.67 GHZ PowerPc G4 processor.. but get terrible dropped frames when i try to mutli-clip. it'll play for like 5-10 seconds fine and then the video on the four screens stops and the audio keeps going.

i CAN multi clip a 3 angle multi clip.. it plays flawlessly, no stopping, no dropped frames..

my friend who's a mac ADDICT told me it's my processor. username emeek77 on Youtube. he knows his ****!!!!

don't tell me something is wrong with my powerbook.. this is my baby... take it back! :)

ps: of the 4 camera shoot i'm doing, two cameras were xh-a1's, one was an hvx200 and one was a dvx100. but they were ALL shooting in SD.
 
Ok, 4 cameras. Never attempted that. What speed is your internal HDD of the Powerbook? Is it 5400 RPM? You're running 4 streams of 25mbit/sec footage at the same time, running from the same HDD...

Have you tried using an external Firewire 800 drive with the footage and see if the project runs better? Try a Lacie Quadra, for example, and see if it works. (yes, terrible reputation, but I've used them for years, and still (knock on wood) had no problems whatsoever.)
 
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