PC vs. MAC

If you're an FCP user, look at Premiere -- it's very similar.

If you want the best bang for the buck, nothing beats EDIUS Neo for AVC-HD editing. But if you want something that supports bigger formats like AVC-Intra or DVCPRO-HD, Neo isn't what you'd want, you'd need the full-fledged EDIUS 5, or Premiere Pro CS4.1.
 
used premiere once, at the time the ram broke on the computer i was using only a day or two before i installed it, so the computer kept restarting randomly, so the boss bought a macbook pro, which i was very happy using (to get back on final cut). I've used vegas a lot also, but if EDIUS Neo is what will be good to edit the GH1 footage then that will be what I learn and use (assuming it doesn't cost as much as the computer that runs it!)
 
I use Edius 5 regularly and love it. My brother needed something to edit together his family videos etc. and I suggested he tried the demo of Edius Neo. He picked it up pretty quickly and is using it with no problems. It is very similar to the full blown Edius. So I do suggest anyone who is thinking about it tries the demo and see what you think.
 
anthonybsd said:
:)

I'll have to use that quote sometime.
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I must be a bit thick this morning, I don't get it. Does the OP mean that Macs are finally using binary code or ?? I usually get metaphor and subtle digs but did not get this one.

It seems that with the editing crowd, the bad economy is resulting in a uptick of public opinion swaying toward low cost PCs. I have to say, even as a die hard Mac head, I understand the sentiment. Everytime I go to configure a new Mac Pro to replace my aging G5, even with the educational discount (wife is a teacher), the new Mac Pros seem a lot more expensive than when I bought my G5. It is a LOT of money for a well equipped new Mac Pro. If I could actually reliably run OSX and FCP on a good PC, I would consider it. As long as I didn't have to deal with Windows.

D
 
There are actually a lot of good comparison articles out there and from what I can tell they have all destroyed the myth about Mac's being overpriced. With a comparable PC the price is around the same yet sometimes even more expensive strictly on a hardware basis. I spent several weeks researching what will be the best to work with and after the dust settled I am going for Mac. It's got a quality factor that keeps me interested. You can resell a macbook pro for a considerable amount compared to trying to resell something like an HP laptop. My first computer was an Apple IIGS - after that I have always been a PC user... until now.
 
puredrifting said:
I must be a bit thick this morning, I don't get it. Does the OP mean that Macs are finally using binary code or ?? I usually get metaphor and subtle digs but did not get this one.
D
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It's a pun on the switch to Intel platform. Of course they used 1s and 0s before (everything that has a concept of 'binary executable' does, no?, hehe). It's just that somehow with that statement there's an implication or a sentiment if you will that before they were alien PowerPC 1s and 0s and hence weird alien-voodo kind. Whereas, now it uses standard PC hardware. Anyhow I liked it :)


puredrifting said:
If I could actually reliably run OSX and FCP on a good PC, I would consider it. As long as I didn't have to deal with Windows.
D
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Even though I use OS X for 90% of my day to day interaction with computers I wouldn't dream of running an HD media center DVR on it. Someday, maybe, but not there yet. Hence I have no hating for Windows or PCs as such. After some tuning and not much OC-ing Vista is very stable (my macbook crashes at least once every 2 weeks for that matter, but it's an insane workhorse!). Not sure about Vista 64 though - I could never get CoreAVC codec to work right on it, so I'm only seeing 3.5 Gigs of RAM on Vista 32 :(

Anyhow to the topic at hand: if you are within the realm of one program (like aforementioned Premiere) I don't see how even a diehard Machead like me wouldn't have a pleasurable experience on Windows(or any other platform for that matter).
 
I'm using new Vegas 9.0 - is truly far superior then 8.0 version (speed wise and BEST QUALITY playback is amazing). Edius 5 is awesome too, but crashes too much on my machine, maybe need re-install clean Windows XP again & tweak it.
So I will be looking at full feature cut. I don't work with full 1080, to save hard drives life I edit proxy 700x500 etc.
I have Quad E6600 2.4 GHZ, 3 GB RAM, 6 TB space, converting GH-1 footage to Quicktime Animation later for post & vfx.
I wonder how much speed gain I would get with I7 processor.
 
If you don't mind transcoding. I've edited 1080p24 Prores HQ on a 2.4 white macbook without a problem. Even done it on a 5400rpm bus powered firewire drive. I have a macbook pro unibody 2.53 now but miss the form factor of the 13" macbook.

FWIW if I didn't need the express card port for esata and my matrox MXO2, I would sell my macbook pro and buy one of the new unibody macbooks with firewire. The $1500 one is an amazing tool for FCP users - especially with the SD card for your GH1

Also - it's a myth that integrated graphics hurts final cut performance. Certainly affects other programs, but if all you want to do is edit, no problem whatsoever even on a white macbook.
 
ryansheffer said:
Also - it's a myth that integrated graphics hurts final cut performance. Certainly affects other programs, but if all you want to do is edit, no problem whatsoever even on a white macbook.
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I presume you are talking about "new new" white macbook with Nvidia 9400M card? FCP won't even install on older Intel integrated macbooks.

http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/specs/
"An AGP or PCI Express Quartz Extreme graphics card (Final Cut Studio is not compatible with integrated Intel graphics processors)"
 
So can someone link me to this quad core HP laptop? Has it not come out yet? Honestly, I just can't go back to pc's. I might consider running OSX on one though, but it doesn't sound reliable yet... is it?
 
Entity said:
So can someone link me to this quad core HP laptop? Has it not come out yet? Honestly, I just can't go back to pc's. I might consider running OSX on one though, but it doesn't sound reliable yet... is it?
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I run leopard and it's just as reliable as the real thing. Drivers can be an issue, but it's because the device I was using never released drivers for mac.

Also, if you're dual booting between Windows and OS? the time on your Windows will be off.
 
AVCHD workflow in FCP 6 (transcoding to Pro Res) has been working just fine on my several year old White Macbook...if you want a Mac get a mac you won't have any problems. Also when Final Cut Studio 3 comes out they're increasing AVCHD support (rumor but my boss tells me it's confirmed at apple, he talked to some engineers on the phone about forward compatability of FC Server.) Anyway, I have always had better luck doing editing on a mac than a PC, and I think the workflows are much easier and more manageable, and I like FCP better than Premiere or Vegas....and if my White Macbook can edit GH1 footage then I'm sure whatever you buy from apple today can.

I really think this idea that you need a top of the line machine to edit footage from these cameras is a misconception. Old hardware handles huge Pro Res files fine, and if it doesn't, turn down the preview quality slightly, the footage being slightly blockier won't effect your editing, and if you're in a standard layout editing program on a laptop sized screen you probably won't notice anyway. Editing natively in AVCHD seems kind of buggy and weird to me even on windows right now, I'd prefer transcoding it.
 
it isn't a matter of "can this pc/mac edit the footage" it's a question of "will it take 10 minutes to export, or five hours to export"

i bought a duo core HP HDX Premium series laptop, it was a money issue, this way i can afford to get an H4n where if i went with a mac with similar specs (same processor speed, but only 2gb of ram compared to my HP's 6) and i'm fairly happy with my decision, although i will admit one thing: editing on a pc is frustrating. i used premiere when i was working for a bars website, hated it, so i took the footage to home to use on my pc (vegas) and it was just too old and took forever to export (render) the footage, so my boss at the time bought a macbook pro and holy crap, i fell in love (wasn't my first time on mac, but was my first time on a fast one). if i could have afforded it, it wouldn't have been a question, 110% Mac
 
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