Macbook + FCP performance with EX1 footage

R

richmondfloyd

Active member
Hi,

I have a macbook pro 2.2GHz with 4GB of ram. Does anyone know if this will be a problem when editing 25Mbps or 35Mbps XDCAM footage from the EX1? i.e. FCP being sluggish?

Thanks
 
No problem, however you should never work on the same drive as you FCP installation, this really reduces preformance. You should always work towards a fast disk and this beeing said. Laptops usaly dont feature the fastest internal harddrives. My primary editing station is the MacBook Pro 2,53 with 4gb ram with a FW800 1TB external drive and im happy since this makes me mobile. For longer productions I recommend the MacPro with all the candy you could afford tucked into the machine =)
 
It will be no problem, like Chris said. The MBP with 4 gigs of RAM and a FW800 drive will do you good. Very easy.
 
That's a great set-up for editing almost anything with FCP 6. I always recommend at least 4GB of RAM, because that will help keep things running smooth. With any computer, always have a second internal or external hard drive (firewire 400 or 800, NOT USB 2, which doesn't have a constant speed) for your captured footage. If that footage sits on your start-up drive, it will destroy the drive that contains the OS, etc.

Also, I know of an editor who cut a feature film, nearly 2 hours, with a MacBook 2.16GHz, a 1TB Fantom Drive (FW 400) and 2GB of RAM. Other than compression slow-downs, he said it wasn't too bad. But 4GB of RAM would help out greatly.

David
 
I have a 2.5 GHz MBP 17", and over thirty LaCie Quadra drives (FW800) which have been at the core of my EX1 shoot/edit workflow for the last year.

Apart from an initial glitch caused by a DivX/Xvid conflict, the system hasn't missed a beat in 12 months. Currently symultaneously editing a 20 minute project with 250 GB of rushes plus a separate short form project with 224 GB of rushes, side by side. All 35 mbps 720p25.

The whole edit setup and camera gear sans tripod fits into aircraft carry-on, and I frequently edit on-site. That includes use of Magic Bullet Looks, Colorista, DVmatte Pro, etc.

The trick has been to stick with 720p. I've done a few 1080p projects and again the system held up just fine - but the rendering (lots and lots of chromakey) was a bit more of a chore. But I'll work around that for the sheer compactness, convenience, security and slickness of editing FCP on a MBP.

BTW, another trick when editing 'with client' is to make liberal use of the F-12 Cinema Display - Main setting, so you view your edit full-screen.
 
720p is a great format, no matter how you slice it. Scripps TV stations shoot in that format with JVC Pro HD cameras and delivering in 1080i, which is close to 720p resolution, due to the interlacing.

That's the great thing about EX1 and EX3, along with Panasonic's P2 line: the option to shoot 720p, 1080i, and 1080p.

David
 
Like I said.. it works flawless. of couse you can reduce rendering times by having a faster computer like the MP. If you can afford it i recommend the MBP 17" with 2.93ghz and 8gb of ram.. its the sickest field station on the market right now I would say =) Im working on a 1080p snowboardflick project for 2009/2010 and my main station will be the MBP with a render farm of 15 iMacs to do the "sum-up" and 3D rendering in the end. My plan however is to do all editing with the MBP.

(I work as an Apple Video Solution Expert so my views might be abit "colored" but still...)
 
8GB is probably the perfect amount of RAM for any computer, laptop or desktop, Avid, Final Cut Pro, Premiere, Vegas, etc. I'd say 4GB minimum, but I've seen people get away with 2GB. But the rendering times will be slow, and that may be a deciding factor if an editor can't deliver fast.

David
 
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