Help me build a Video Editing System!!!

A

allahkaram

Well-known member
I'm working for a small independent company. Mostly, we film documentaries and talk shows. We are using HDV cameras. I'm looking for an entire Video editing system including a computer, broadcast monitor, I/O card, and the whole 9 yards. Our budget is $7,000. Help please!
 
Thanks but I meant more on the hardware side. Like how much memory, processor, what kind of raid systems, and that kind of a thing. I will be using Mac Pro.
 
I'd run about 8GB of ram, the 8-core processor, 1TB and 640GB internal drives.. One for system one for media. I am liking the G-Raid system a lot! I like 2 monitors, so I'd get dual Apple 24 inches and then a I/O box and a good Panasonic or JVC CRT broadcast monitor for color correcting.
 
allahkaram said:
Thanks but I meant more on the hardware side. Like how much memory, processor, what kind of raid systems, and that kind of a thing. I will be using Mac Pro.
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Right but the Mercury Playback engine on the new CS5 takes advantage of hardrware like never before. There's no comparison.
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I AGREE

So if I were building a system from scratch, that's where I'd start.
In fact, I'll be scrapping my current hardware and doing just that.
And you can run premiere in FCP emulation mode.
 
andythefilmer said:
Iso I'd get dual Apple 24 inches and then a I/O box and a good Panasonic or JVC CRT broadcast monitor for color correcting.
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Ive been working dual screen for a long time and TBH I cant stand it. Looking left to one monitor, right to the crt, up for the plasma.

Ive spent awhile researching this and ended up with the following in the new edit suite (when it all arrives)

30" Cinema Display
65" Panasonic pf12 plasma - client monitor
Mac Pro 8 core @ 2.66GHZ / 16gb Ram
Internal
640gb HDD - Mac OS and apps
750gb HDD - Win 7
2 x 1.5 GB HDD
Caldigit HDElement @ 6TB
Euphonix MC color - now supported by RED CINE-X
Euphonux MC Transport

Will be adding CS5 as soon as its out (already has FCP)

Plus existing 17" JVC CRT, reference monitors, decklink HD extreme 3 etc

If you were to leave out the plasma and the euphonix stuff youd be set.

TO add to what JDS said, Im getting CS5 for new PS and AE, which has some kick ass new tools. I prefer to cut in FCP however, but sheesh apple needs to pull their finger out big time.
 
I like what he said ^ but lose the mac and get the new 12 core i7 on a pc with a sweet cuda video card for cheaper. If your going to be working with broadcast editors / pro tools audio guys on a consistent basis look at the new Avid 5 but CS5 does look really good, few post houses will have it but it looks SWEET!
 
JonathanLB said:
No, thinking about getting a PC for editing is a joke, this guy has the right idea, stick with a real computer not a virus-laden awful-OS wielding POS. Come on, you want your clients to take you seriously here ;)

.
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This is just wrong on so many levels Jonathon, and does a disservice to the OP... This is just your opinion and preference not a fact. I won't even get drawn into the tired old PC vs Mac debate. They both have their pluses and minuses. I happen to use both. Mostly I use a PC with Edius 5 (realtime editing) and CS4, but also have a slew of other PC based apps for excellent results. I have a rock solid super fast i7 Win 7 PC that only gets connected to the internet for updates. Never use your editing computer for web surfing. No internet.. no viruses. BTW my clients take my work very seriously and care about the final results... not if it was produced on a Mac or PC. I have produced many broadcast projects on a PC and never had any compalints.

To the OP: which either way you decide to go, make sure you have lots of Ram and storage space. You can never have to much of either. I would get a Motherboard that will accommodate at a minimum 8 Gb of Ram and have plenty of media storage space. hard drives are cheap. Go for at least 4 TB and put them in a raid configuration for best HD performance. A very good graphics card is a must, don't scrimp here, get the best you can afford and a min of 1GB memory. Do your homework and you can get a lot of bang for your $7000 especially if you decide to go for a PC.
 
Tommy K said:
This is just wrong on so many levels Jonathon, and does a disservice to the OP... This is just your opinion and preference not a fact. I won't even get drawn into the tired old PC vs Mac debate. They both have their pluses and minuses. I happen to use both. Mostly I use a PC with Edius 5 (realtime editing) and CS4, but also have a slew of other PC based apps for excellent results. I have a rock solid super fast i7 Win 7 PC that only gets connected to the internet for updates. Never use your editing computer for web surfing. No internet.. no viruses. BTW my clients take my work very seriously and care about the final results... not if it was produced on a Mac or PC. I have produced many broadcast projects on a PC and never had any compalints.

To the OP: which either way you decide to go, make sure you have lots of Ram and storage space. You can never have to much of either. I would get a Motherboard that will accommodate at a minimum 8 Gb of Ram and have plenty of media storage space. hard drives are cheap. Go for at least 4 TB and put them in a raid configuration for best HD performance. A very good graphics card is a must, don't scrimp here, get the best you can afford and a min of 1GB memory. Do your homework and you can get a lot of bang for your $7000 especially if you decide to go for a PC.
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I personally think Macs are better just because of the simpler OS, but yes, PC's have benefits that Macs do not. I am a long time FCP user, and I love macs, but for the price of a base Mac Pro, you could get a much faster and better PC... There is just something about Macs that you just love though!
 
"There is just something about Macs that you just love though!"

They WORK, you don't have to switch to a PC just to use the 'net, virus free, etc. I switched about 10 years ago and never looked back.

I will admit that XP was pretty stable (still have a PC in my wifes office) But 95 and 98 were useless for editing and Vista is also problematic.
 
Yea, they are all good! PC or Mac. Most studio editors use PC's running Avid (not talking about little indies).

Either way, you do get more bang for your buck on a pc and now we have 12 core systems.
 
andythefilmer said:
I'd run about 8GB of ram, the 8-core processor, 1TB and 640GB internal drives.. One for system one for media. I am liking the G-Raid system a lot! I like 2 monitors, so I'd get dual Apple 24 inches and then a I/O box and a good Panasonic or JVC CRT broadcast monitor for color correcting.
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Got it! We got 8 core, 8GB RAM, 640 internal and 2TB lacie raid Drive running through eSata. I'm using iMac 27" as my primary monitor so far.
 
I use both platforms all the time - depends on where the tools are that I need for the job. My portable editing system in a Mac, my main editing and finishing system in a PC.

Michael
 
Regarding the Mac vs. PC debate: The mentally challenged users might argue one platform over another, but the truth is that it doesn't matter anymore. Unless you're cutting on FCP the choice between Mac or PC is personal preference.

Regarding the original post: Given the limitations of the budget, Adobe's Production Premium bundle will deliver the most bang for the buck. It will run on either platform. I would move the broadcast monitor to the next budget cycle. There's not enough money in the budget to cover a powerful computer, software and a decent quality monitor.
 
Noel Evans said:
Ive been working dual screen for a long time and TBH I cant stand it. Looking left to one monitor, right to the crt, up for the plasma.

Ive spent awhile researching this and ended up with the following in the new edit suite (when it all arrives)

30" Cinema Display
65" Panasonic pf12 plasma - client monitor
Mac Pro 8 core @ 2.66GHZ / 16gb Ram
Internal
640gb HDD - Mac OS and apps
750gb HDD - Win 7
2 x 1.5 GB HDD
Caldigit HDElement @ 6TB
Euphonix MC color - now supported by RED CINE-X
Euphonux MC Transport

Will be adding CS5 as soon as its out (already has FCP)

Plus existing 17" JVC CRT, reference monitors, decklink HD extreme 3 etc

If you were to leave out the plasma and the euphonix stuff youd be set.

TO add to what JDS said, Im getting CS5 for new PS and AE, which has some kick ass new tools. I prefer to cut in FCP however, but sheesh apple needs to pull their finger out big time.
Click to expand...

Can you give us some prices for the above system?

I'm also looking to build a new edit suite for HD editing. I'm a long-time Premiere Pro/PC user, but thinking about switching to Mac with CS5. I'm starting to work with a lot of freelancers, and they all have Macs.

Thanks.

Peter
 
Peter, I could but the issue is I am in Australia so the prices will most probably vary considerably.

Ill just say... not cheap. Ive got everything in place and m extremely pleased with what it offers. The euphonix surfaces have changed me forever.
 
3 GHz Dual Quad Core Mac Pro
7 or 8GB ram
Final Cut Studio
ATY RadeonX1900 video card
2 - Samsung SyncMaster XL2370

End

Of

Story

Spend the dough and you'll never have to worry about a thing. Ever.

It never ceases to amaze me how many problems I see people have with PC's. I deal with post houses all the time and even though I can sit here and crunch multiple layers at 1080, export/import almost anything, they seem to be far more limited in what they can do (ie, there is no DVCPRO HD codec for PC's).

.
 
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