Well, is it? I'm not convinced with theoretical speeds... USB 2.0 is utterly no-no, so is 3.0 a *good* option for editing on external drives? Surely been discussed b4 so link to any threads, but I would appreciate a good final answer on this, need to pick up a laptop THIS week. Cheerio
Is USB 3.0 good enough for editing?
- Thread starter ICD Films
- Start date
Batutta
Major Contributor
I've edited using USB 2.0 just fine, with HD material. I don't do it on a consistent basis but don't have problems when I do. Capturing to USB 2.0 is more problematic, especially long clips. Speed isn't really the issue. It's they way USB transmits information. From what I understand it uses your computer's CPU as a controller, while firewire does not.
Jester2138
Well-known member
They're not really theoretical since you will actually get those speeds or very close assuming the rest of your hardware is up to spec. As to your question, yes USB 3.0 will be better for video editing than Firewire 800 or eSATA.
Well, I don't know where you get the idea USB 2.0 is "utterly no-no." I've edited plenty with it.
Chris Adler
Veteran
You didn't mention WHAT you're editing.
I have edited RED 4K Redcode footage at 1/8 quality on my Dual Core 2.3Ghz desktop with a 7200 RPM USB 2 drive and 4G of ram and have near-realtime performance. Codec and editing package make a big difference. Premiere's new Mercury Playback engine helps a lot as well.
I have edited RED 4K Redcode footage at 1/8 quality on my Dual Core 2.3Ghz desktop with a 7200 RPM USB 2 drive and 4G of ram and have near-realtime performance. Codec and editing package make a big difference. Premiere's new Mercury Playback engine helps a lot as well.
Then you also know REDCODE is unique. I work with uncompressed 4K (timelapses). I've tried USB2 a clp times since the HDV era and whatever floats your boat, to me it's utterly useless for editing (not to even mention, rendering times... it's slow enough as it is already). Anyway, found a nice laptop, though no 3.0 at least one e-sata. Oh yeah, compromises.
Marlon Ladd
Veteran
I'm editing my feature (HD) on a usb 2.0 and I don't have any problems at all.
USB won't be your bottleneck for rendering times. (Unless, perhaps, you're rendering to the same HDD that your footage is on, and you just shouldn't be doing that.)
That's not what I've been told by the guy working at Adobe when I asked him about this, but okay. Maybe 2.0 works fine with Final Cut/Avid, i dunno. I'm a Premiere guy.