which laptop for editing GH1/GH2 footage?

T

teuron

Active member
i plan on buying the gh2 when it comes out.
this will be my first hd-capable camera and i will need to upgrade my computer.
i want it to be a laptop for occasions that i need to go mobile (although 95% of the time i will be using it at home with a external 24" HD lcd screen)

the minimum specs that ive been sticking to in my preliminary searches have been:

i7 qm
4g ram
1g video ram
7200rpm drive

some questions:

is it important for the laptop to have a screen resolution of 1920x1080? (when i am mobile and not using the external screen for playback, do I need the native screen to be hd for proper playback?)

does it matter if video card is nvidia or ati?

should i limit my searches to a 2-harddrive bay machine (in order to upgrade to a ssd system drive in the future

preferred os?

what other specs should i look for and/or avoid?
 
Well, the i5 is kind of OK, not an i7. I would want an Nvidia card in there if I could fool CS5 into running mercury on it. I usually buy Asus stuff, it isn't always the best, but it usually is. SSD will speed things along as well.
You can see the failure rates here--there prettty high, BTW
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PXBWMgM7A...lChFA/s1600/laptop+failure+rates+by+brand.jpg
Another factor is color reproduction. Make sure you get a good screen. Screens come and go, so you have to do a little research.
You can get a quad core i5 Toshiba with 6 gb ram for around $1000, the i7 runs a bit more.
Make sure you get a QUAD core for video editing, if you go Mac make sure if it is an i7 it is a quad and not a dual.
 
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DrDave said:
Well, the i5 is kind of OK, not an i7. I would want an Nvidia card in there if I could fool CS5 into running mercury on it
Click to expand...

My 'research' in to this seems to indicate that just having an 'nVidia' card is not enough. The card has to be a specific model of nVidia card, and even if one hacks
the 'list', one has to have at least 768M of video ram on the video module... most of the MacBook Pros I check have either 256 or 512, but not 768...

Perhaps I've misread that requirement... but it suggests no Mac laptop can really take advantage of the nVidia card.

Perhaps there are Windows 7 laptops that have more graphics ram...
 
htinla said:
Get a Mac. This is not a paid endorsement.
Click to expand...

It always happens <sigh>
I don't believe the OP was asking whether or not to stoke the flames of the annoying and eternal Mac vs PC debate.
Both have their place in people's personal preferences.

Like mrmoe said, depends on your budget. I am also looking for a laptop for vid editing and sound as I need to be mobile and have the relevant desktops at home and work. SSD is a very good way to speed things along and keep the noise down. For RAM you know what they say, the more the better. If you're using CS5 and want to take advantage of the MPE then nVidia is a good choice ALTHOUGH heat is a major concern when using the hack. 2 HDD bays are good but I think having external connectivity to something through USB3.0 and/or eSATA will also be beneficial and cut down on weight/heat/power when you have to run around with the thing.

I'm still thinking about my choices but may hold off until next year when the "tock" (or was it tick) part of intels plan swings in to action with their latest offerings...
Good luck with the choices!!!
 
Good point--you need that Graphics ram, at least as far as I can see, to make it work.
I'm not actually sure you can get a quad core in a mac laptop, but quad makes a big difference. Don't expect miracles, but with an SSD and a quad you could probably run Cineform on CS3 fast--don't expect it to work on CS5.
 
FWIW the only issue I've had with my Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q880 (and CS5) is that calling it a "laptop" is a bit of a misnomer, as it's rather large. But it does what I need it to do--edit native GH1 footage on site.

If memory serves, it cost me ~$2,000 back in March - Mark
 
I won't say buy a Macbook Pro, but I will tell you why I bought my first one earlier this year:

1. Final Cut Pro
2. Bootcamp

I had pretty much never touched a Mac before in my life before owning this one, and I don't think this OS is better in every way vs Windows 7 (which is why I used Bootcamp to put Windows 7 on here, so now I can use either OS. I am almost always on Mac OS though, actually). Macbook Pro's do not have a Quad Core option unless they recently changed something I haven't heard of. I have a 15" 2.66ghz i7 dual core. I have a quad core in my Windows desktop, however, and I don't see too large of a difference that couldn't also be partially attributed to different programs, other hardware, etc. Other surprise perks for my Macbook included a really bright and vivid display (better than any of my larger LCD's) and nicer workflow (just stick the SD card into the Mac and Log and Transfer into FCP vs attaching the camera via USB. Also, I sometimes have the program to get footage from the GH1 crash on me with 64 bit Windows 7... There may be a solution or reason, but I just quit editing with my desktop). If I could change parts, the first thing I would exchange is an upgrade for SSD.

On Windows I started editing with Vegas without any help or knowledge of editing. I personally find that if you picked up Vegas and FCP: Vegas would be easier for a noob, but FCP would be quicker and more logical / powerful once you grasp the basics. That's the best way I can describe how I felt with the two (I was told Vegas was based off of Acid).

TLDR version:
What editing software and what OS do you want?
What is your price range?
 
My use of the "Get a Mac" slogan was not meant to stoke any Mac vs. PC debate flames, it's just my succinct way of recommending a product whose value and performance I hold in high regard. I could go on about specs and how Macs fit the bill of the OP, but why bother? The slogan is to the point and sums up my recommendation in a nutshell. Yes, I am a Machead, and I recommend Macs wholeheartedly. And one of his questions was "Preferred OS?", so I answered it. That is all.
 
teuron said:
the minimum specs that ive been sticking to in my preliminary searches have been:

i7 qm
4g ram
1g video ram
7200rpm drive
Click to expand...

4G Ram is going to be a problem. You should aim for 8.

Yes, you should get a 1920X1080 screen - it amakes a big difference for critical focus on playback. Most newer laptops offer this.

You should get a Nvidia card with 1GB or higher, preferably a GTX 285 or 470, which are supported by Adobe for the Mercury playback engine in Premiere CS5. You can get another one and hack it, but you run the risk of Adobe blocking the hack (like panasonic blocked the gh1 hack). I use a GTX 470.

More info on the hack is here:

http://www.studio1productions.com/Articles/PremiereCS5.htm

Prefered OS is Windows 7 Home Premium 64. Having a 64 bit OS will enable you to take full advantage of all your system memory, which a 32 bit OS can't give you.

Check out Adobe CS5 Production Premium. You get Premiere with the Mercury Playback Engine, After Effects, Photoshop and more, all with dynamic link. If you're a student (or know someone who is) you can get the student edition for a couple of hundred bucks. I personally use CS5 Master Collection.

As for Macs, I used them at work for 5 years running FCP (Mac only). However, CS5 Premiere Pro (Mac or PC), with the Mercury Playback Engine, is the first time in history when Premiere is kicking FCP's butt. The BBc have recently deserted FCP for Premiere, and we've done the same. And don't forget that a PC is only about 2/3rds the price of a Mac.

My system specs are :

i7 870 2.93 Ghz (can be overclocked to 3.6)
Windows 7 Home Premium 64
8 Gb Ram
CS5 Master Collection
GTX 470
Blu Ray Burner

Full HD AVCHD footage runs as smooth as butter, complete with color correction.

GOOD LUCK
 
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This may or may not be helpful but if you get Cineform you may not even need to upgrade. The best editing investment I made. Some disagree as to getting an intermediate codec but it adds so much value beyond just making smooth editing on a modest machine. My two cents.....
 
Futchibon said:
As for Macs, I used them at work for 5 years running FCP (Mac only). However, CS5 Premiere Pro (Mac or PC), with the Mercury Playback Engine, is the first time in history when Premiere is kicking FCP's butt. The BBc have recently deserted FCP for Premiere, and we've done the same. And don't forget that a PC is only about 2/3rds the price of a Mac.
Click to expand...

Actually I believe they left AVID.
 
henryolonga said:
This may or may not be helpful but if you get Cineform you may not even need to upgrade. The best editing investment I made. Some disagree as to getting an intermediate codec but it adds so much value beyond just making smooth editing on a modest machine. My two cents.....
Click to expand...
So true. Cineform plus CS3 and you can do a lot of things. I love CS5 but CS3 runs faster with Cineform.
 
There's over a million registered FCP users and God knows how many bootleg users.. so there's something to be said for being a part of the largest editing platform. When you look around for job offererings and posts, people are usually looking for people with FCP and after effects knowlege. If it's not FCP they are asking for then you'll see the other platform requests...


Personally, I think for 950 refurbished it's hard to be a MBP, especially since right out of the box you'll be able to edit without buying a NLE, and you'll get the added bonus of being able to go online without ever getting a virus or maleware or having to ever even bother installing antivirus software. You'll also not have to buy more than 2 gigs of RAM for most applications,

And then when and if you do decide to sell it, it will retain it's value way way way more than a PC. Thats a true fact there as they are almost like American cars in loosing 30 percent of their value right off the lot, and then progressively devaluing over time... Flame over.
 
DELL Studio XPS 16 qud i7 with 8 gig ram, 7200 500 gb hd, blu-ray burner, 1920 x 1080 rgb led screen, 1 gig ati video card..

This thing is KILLER. Not to mention, screw macs, they can't even natively play back avchd... and they are supposedly the video choice of pros? Bull kaka.
 
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