HMC150 which Apple Mac to buy for editing.

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FieldDog1

Member
Ok well I just ordered an HMC150 online and cant wait for it to get here but now its time for me to get a computer for editing. My friends and I are making a post apocolptic movie with ALOT of post processing espcially when it comes to colors.
I need to get a Mac that can handle AVCHD flawlessly when it comes to rendering effects and jumping around around the clip. I really dont care about the initial transfer times but I just need a clean workflow when it comes to trying out effects.

Soooo I have about a $1900 budget but would like to spend less. And it must be Mac because I love final cut. So will a dual core Imac handle the avchd flawlessly, or do I have to get the $1900 i5 quad core to run smoothly. Any help or experience with macs and the hmc150 will be greatly appreciated.
 
I'm going to recommend getting the quad-core for your setup. My editor just bought one, and a friend of mine who works with apple says there really isn't too much of a reason to buy a tower at this point if you don't mind not being able to attach a few peripherals.

If you are doing a TON of post effects, you will save TIME by getting a faster machine.
 
I have 6 macs of varying ages and CPU power. Here's how I see it (slowest first):

MacMini (Intel) 1.8Ghz 2GB Ram - Integrated Graphics - You are not supposed to be able to even install FCP7 on this machine - but a little tweaking of files and it handles things acceptably. Log & Transfer is slow - a 5 min clip will take 8+ mins to transcode. Editing requires ProRes 422 Proxy to be smooth from the internal HDD, or can handle ProRes 422 (LT) using an external firewire drive. This is not a recommended solution for doing big edits.

MacBook Pro - 2.4Ghz / 2GB ram - This transfers and transcodes at less than real time. A 5 minute clip will take 7-8 mins to transcode. In terms of editing you need to be using a firewire HDD to sustain fast enough transfer speeds for ProRes 422(LT) - then of course you can recapture and render at full HQ once the final edit it completed. It works well, but I wouldn't want it as my main machine.

iMac (Intel) 3.06Ghz Core-2-Duo. - 4GB RAM - Works well as an editing machine, can handle a couple of streams of ProRes 422 but you need to be using 422 (LT) or 422 (Proxy) if you want to handle multiple streams at the same time - in real time. Rendering is OK, but don't expect too much in terms of real time effects. You need to render anything like noise reduction before attempting to play.

MacPro - 8 core 2.8Ghz Xeon 16GB Ram - This only has the base graphics card in it - so I'm assuming upgrading the graphics card can make it go faster. Even so, I use this for almost all my capture & editing. Transcoding is faster than real time by quite a long way. Using internal SATA HDDs in a raid it can happily render from multiple ProRes 422 streams. However, you still need to render things like noise reduction or other non-real time effects.

All in all, you need to look at the best machine you can buy - but don't skimp on RAM or HDD space. Make sure you budget for lots of external HDD space if it's an iMac, and the same again for backup storage.
 
As to "handling AVCHD flawlessly," please note that AVCHD needs to be transcoded to one of the different varieties of pro res, or to AIC.

FCP does not facilitate AVCHD native editing.

That being said, the focus should be on which Intel Mac handles editing pro res the best, and my recommendation is a MacPro due to its capability to be expanded.
 
I own a Macbook Pro w/2GB and a Mac Pro with dual quad cores and 10GB of RAM. I only use the M Pro for editing. I bought the MPro early in January (last month) used on Craig's list for $2300.00 from a laid off IT worker who got it last spring when he was much more flush. My point is that for $1900, you are going to probably need to do some searching for a used late model MPro. But they are out there. Be patient, if you can. The other point to make is to buy as much as you can afford, as the technology ages so fast. Spending a little more, like I did, on getting this configuration will allow me to edit for the next, what, four years on this machine? Buying something just because you have $1900, will likely mean you will need to spend another $2300 sooner than later. it's just the way of the "technology elevator". Start at the top floor with the highest prices, dump out on the bottom for next to nothing. Walk to the top and start again.

By the way, I had the guy bring the MP to the local Apple store, where I hooked it up to a monitor, (I set up an appt in advance), and then did the Paypal transfer to him right there on the spot. That way, no cash to get ripped off, and it's all in a heavily trafficked public place. I don't trust anyone these days when it comes to cash sales.
 
As David said, if you're editing in FInal Cut, AVCHD will have little to do with your editing process. It's simply your acquisition format, that you'll then transcode to Pro Res.

I'd recommend a mac pro tower...they're more future proof (in the sense that you can add hard hard drives, swap RAM easily). Plus, I like editing with two monitors...so a MacPro allows that.
 
Mac Pro is the way to go. They usually get updated around this time of year though, so it might be worth waiting for the next version. I got my 2.8 8 core 2 years ago and despite being only 1 up from the base model at the time, it is still a very fast machine. Being able to add internal drives and driving 2 monitors is also a huge advantage over an iMac.
 
Again, a MacPro makes much more sense for editing an acquisition codec that needs to be transcoded into ProRes.
 
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