Can anyone quantify (ballpark) how much more demanding on a computer dvcprohd 1080 is than mini-dv? For instance, how much longer to render? How much slower will a given computer be at other tasks? I'm used to working with mini-dv on a dual 2.0 G5, which works okay, and also on a 1.25 emac (Which is a real struggle. It's not really up to the task). I'm leaning toward a dual-core 2.3 but I need it to perform with HD at least as well as the dual 2.0 does with mini-dv, and I'm not sure if it will. Thanks, and forgive my ignorance. I'm not a computer wiz.
Ideal G5 Setup for use with HVX and DVXProHD
- Thread starter silentr
- Start date
Zack Birlew
Veteran
Get the fastest speed you can get if you need it right now, anything else is a waste. If you can wait, be 100% honest and sure about that before you dismiss it, I'd recommend waiting for the Intel switch in June.
tomtv
Member
i agree on the wait for intel switch. we won't know how that will come out until we have the 2 to compare. this quad core thing is interesting and i wonder why it is coming out at a time when they are going to intel? bill gates must be behind it!
on the dell 24's - i have one - and a 23 from apple. i did have to return the first one to dell and they were great about it. not one problem they even shipped before i returned the bad one. when i make them one large desktop and take some dvcpro hd footage at full rez and split drag it across both screens it is virtually the same. i really only did this set up so i could use the dell for monitoring video straight out of my soon to come hvx and for other video uses. i still use my apple 23 for my edit sections and the dell for my bins and such during regular editing.
on hard drives i agree with the guys on the sata thing. this will be a nice path
the ram, see ramjet - never had a problem with them adn the prices and service is good.
stick with the 7800 card the other is not worth the money for you app.
good luck
on the dell 24's - i have one - and a 23 from apple. i did have to return the first one to dell and they were great about it. not one problem they even shipped before i returned the bad one. when i make them one large desktop and take some dvcpro hd footage at full rez and split drag it across both screens it is virtually the same. i really only did this set up so i could use the dell for monitoring video straight out of my soon to come hvx and for other video uses. i still use my apple 23 for my edit sections and the dell for my bins and such during regular editing.
on hard drives i agree with the guys on the sata thing. this will be a nice path
the ram, see ramjet - never had a problem with them adn the prices and service is good.
stick with the 7800 card the other is not worth the money for you app.
good luck
Thanks for the advice. The dual 2.0 is at work, not mine, but I need to do some of the editing for work at home. I've been struggling along on the emac but obviously it's not enough. So that's the work end. On the personal front, I'll be getting an HVX when they come out, and plan to do lots with it next year, so I need a computer for that. I won't be getting truly hardcore until summer, but I need something at least adequate in the meantime.
Jack_Felis said:
You're going to be waiting for a while. The intel switch of the PowerMac's isn't due to take place until 2007. The boxes coming out in June will more than likely be MacMini's and PowerBooks.
If you need a system now, then don't wait for something coming out in the future... that's just ignorant. That's like saying... oh gee I really need an HVX for that shoot tomorrow, but I think I'll wait till they have a D5 version six years from now.
Do you honestly think they'd release a Quad Core PowerMac a mere couple of months before releasing an Intel based one??? No, of course not. The current PowerMac is the most powerful thing you can get right now, and if you need the power, then go for it; you'd be ignorant to wait.
Grrrrrrrrrr.... come on people.
If you're not wanting to go balls to the wall on a system right now, I can understand that, but waiting on vaporware is not logical.
For those who don't want to spend a fortune on a new system, I highly recommend the new 20" iMac G5. They're dramatically faster than the previous generation even though it's only been bumped in clock speed by .1Ghz. The new Bus & PCI-E architecture really open the performance up on the iMac - not to mention the inclusion of the X600 card from ATI. The iMac G5 is more than capable for editing DVCPRO-HD material, plus it'll run Motion and the rest of the FCP suite. It's obviously not as fast as the PowerMacs, but it'll certainly get the job done until you decide to go with a PowerMac.
This comes from experience by the way. I have some PowerMac based FCP setups (a Quad on the way) and I also have an iMacG5 setup. The iMac was just going to be a logging machine, but it handles DVCPRO-HD so well that it's now used as a full-time edit system for those projects that aren't demanding a meeeeellion layers in Motion, etc!
Don't feel you need to blow your wad on a Quad G5 right now. There are some great options on the Mac that will get you where you need to be until you can more comfortably purchase a more bad ass system. The PowerBook works well, the iMac works well, the low-end PowerMac works great; hell the MacMini is fantastic as an el'cheapo DV cutting station. There are obviously PC options out there as well, but since this is a Mac centric thread (as is my mind), I'm keeping the suggestions Mac based.
If you decide to go with an iMac or even a PowerBook; make sure you MAX out the Ram on them (preferably from a 3rd party dealer so you can save a few bucks). Grab yourself a couple USB2 or FireWire drives, and go to town. You may wish to use USB2.0 drives if you're going to be feeding the DVCPRO-HD footage in via FireWire - just so everything's on its own bus (probably not a critical issue, but it may help things along). Also, if you have a SAN or NAS system, the iMac and PowerBook both have GigE connections and work great in a networked editing environment.
Remember that with the P2 system, you're not "capturing" footage with your NLE, so ingest speed isn't a critical issue. So long as the disk you're storing your footage on is capable of sustaining between 8 and 15MBps, you should be golden for editing in a DVCPRO-HD environment. Of course this all depends on your needs and workflow, style, etc... but it is a relatively cheap option.
For those who don't want to spend a fortune on a new system, I highly recommend the new 20" iMac G5. They're dramatically faster than the previous generation even though it's only been bumped in clock speed by .1Ghz. The new Bus & PCI-E architecture really open the performance up on the iMac - not to mention the inclusion of the X600 card from ATI. The iMac G5 is more than capable for editing DVCPRO-HD material, plus it'll run Motion and the rest of the FCP suite. It's obviously not as fast as the PowerMacs, but it'll certainly get the job done until you decide to go with a PowerMac.
This comes from experience by the way. I have some PowerMac based FCP setups (a Quad on the way) and I also have an iMacG5 setup. The iMac was just going to be a logging machine, but it handles DVCPRO-HD so well that it's now used as a full-time edit system for those projects that aren't demanding a meeeeellion layers in Motion, etc!
Don't feel you need to blow your wad on a Quad G5 right now. There are some great options on the Mac that will get you where you need to be until you can more comfortably purchase a more bad ass system. The PowerBook works well, the iMac works well, the low-end PowerMac works great; hell the MacMini is fantastic as an el'cheapo DV cutting station. There are obviously PC options out there as well, but since this is a Mac centric thread (as is my mind), I'm keeping the suggestions Mac based.
If you decide to go with an iMac or even a PowerBook; make sure you MAX out the Ram on them (preferably from a 3rd party dealer so you can save a few bucks). Grab yourself a couple USB2 or FireWire drives, and go to town. You may wish to use USB2.0 drives if you're going to be feeding the DVCPRO-HD footage in via FireWire - just so everything's on its own bus (probably not a critical issue, but it may help things along). Also, if you have a SAN or NAS system, the iMac and PowerBook both have GigE connections and work great in a networked editing environment.
Remember that with the P2 system, you're not "capturing" footage with your NLE, so ingest speed isn't a critical issue. So long as the disk you're storing your footage on is capable of sustaining between 8 and 15MBps, you should be golden for editing in a DVCPRO-HD environment. Of course this all depends on your needs and workflow, style, etc... but it is a relatively cheap option.
Just a couple of thoughts...
Apple most likely won't release Intel based PowerMac's until late 2006 or early 2007. They are waiting on Intel's next gen chips. Intel has been having some problems lately, so who knows when they will be released. The consumer line will most likely get the switch first (running on new centrino chips), this forces developers to get their software ported as quickly as possible. Since consumers drive software sales. Adobe, Microsoft et al won't miss taking advantage of consumers wanting to upgrade to new software. No matter how much they gripe about re-writing code.
This Quad G5 is a monster machine. With all PCI express slots, it insures that it will last a long time. I plan on purchasing one soon. Use it until 2nd gen Intel Power Mac's are out. It should last me that long and will insure any kinks with porting software and hardware issues with OSX x86 are worked out. It also makes a kick butt server down the line. I plan on using it as a file server and possibly a mini render farm if Apple allows Mac Intel boxes to talk to older G5 boxes *crosses fingers*
About LCD displays. I may go with Dell. Just missed the deal where the 24" model was only about $740. That is a great deal. There are arguments going back and forth as to whether the Dell is as good as the ACD and vice versa. One thing I have found on some message boards is that the 23" ACD is not as well built as the 30" or 20" models. In terms of contrast and colors. Dell quality assurance is no where near Apple's, but if there is a defect with the LCD, Dell will exhcange it, no questions asked.
Apple most likely won't release Intel based PowerMac's until late 2006 or early 2007. They are waiting on Intel's next gen chips. Intel has been having some problems lately, so who knows when they will be released. The consumer line will most likely get the switch first (running on new centrino chips), this forces developers to get their software ported as quickly as possible. Since consumers drive software sales. Adobe, Microsoft et al won't miss taking advantage of consumers wanting to upgrade to new software. No matter how much they gripe about re-writing code.
This Quad G5 is a monster machine. With all PCI express slots, it insures that it will last a long time. I plan on purchasing one soon. Use it until 2nd gen Intel Power Mac's are out. It should last me that long and will insure any kinks with porting software and hardware issues with OSX x86 are worked out. It also makes a kick butt server down the line. I plan on using it as a file server and possibly a mini render farm if Apple allows Mac Intel boxes to talk to older G5 boxes *crosses fingers*
About LCD displays. I may go with Dell. Just missed the deal where the 24" model was only about $740. That is a great deal. There are arguments going back and forth as to whether the Dell is as good as the ACD and vice versa. One thing I have found on some message boards is that the 23" ACD is not as well built as the 30" or 20" models. In terms of contrast and colors. Dell quality assurance is no where near Apple's, but if there is a defect with the LCD, Dell will exhcange it, no questions asked.
dougspice
Veteran
I have heard of a few people having dead pixel problems with the Dell monitors, but they were replaced with no other issues. A far more serious problem I have heard is that the ACD 23s sometimes have serious purple color cast and fringing problems, a problem the 20" and 30" do not suffer. Of course this was something I heard about (but often!) when they originally came out - the new aluminum enclosure ones, that is - so hopefully Apple has fixed it by now. But that's why I have a 20" and not a 23" sitting in front of me right now. I have Dell 20s at work with no problems whatsoever.
In any case I can hardly see the argument for the Apple 23s. When Dell is running a deal, they cost just over HALF what Apple is charging, and you are not losing any resolution (don't know where that idea comes from) or color. If I had it to do over again I would have the Dell instead of the Apple in front of me, and a nice savings in my pocket. And if Samsung ever put something comparable in the market...
All right. Enough about LCDs. Buy what you wanna buy.
In any case I can hardly see the argument for the Apple 23s. When Dell is running a deal, they cost just over HALF what Apple is charging, and you are not losing any resolution (don't know where that idea comes from) or color. If I had it to do over again I would have the Dell instead of the Apple in front of me, and a nice savings in my pocket. And if Samsung ever put something comparable in the market...
All right. Enough about LCDs. Buy what you wanna buy.