which laptop for editing GH1/GH2 footage?

Get a Mac. This is not a paid endorsement.

I totally agree. Get a MacBookPro with Final Cut Pro Studio and you're done. Plug and play, spend 100% of your time on editing and 0% on configuration, fixing bugs and errors etc.
 
hey this guy here bought the Dell with expresscard:

http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?p=689274#post689274

heres the link to dells site:
http://www.dell.com/ca/p/xps-15/pd

Ports, Slots & Chassis


Externally Accessible
Mini DisplayPort (1),
2 total USB 3.0
1 USB 2.0 (eSATA/powershare combo)
Integrated network connector 10/100/1000 LAN (RJ45)
HDMI 1.4
AC adapter connector
Audio jacks (headphone with SPDIF support (2), 1 Mic-in)

--

perhaps he bought a older model?
 
heres the link to dells site:
http://www.dell.com/ca/p/xps-15/pd

Ports, Slots & Chassis


Externally Accessible
Mini DisplayPort (1),
2 total USB 3.0
1 USB 2.0 (eSATA/powershare combo)
Integrated network connector 10/100/1000 LAN (RJ45)
HDMI 1.4
AC adapter connector
Audio jacks (headphone with SPDIF support (2), 1 Mic-in)

--

perhaps he bought a older model?
Yeah, no idea. Is that (express card) so necessary? No alternative or workaround without it?
 
Scratch the DELL XPS 15.. they pissed me off and went and changed the whole configuration again and removed the 15 inch 1080p LED screen.. I ended up doing some more research and walking into B & H and buying this beast, and it IS a BEAST.. scores a 7.1 out of 7.9 on Windows 7
score....

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/734526-REG/MSI_GX660R_060US.html

I am VERY happy with it. Amazing performance, top of the line ATI 5870 hd mobility graphics card (Stomps on all the invidias)
The screen POPs although it does need a little calibration (it was blueish at first) and you have to be dead on viewing angle for the super image.
 
how important is it to have a laptop with a full hd (1920 x 1080) screen?

ill be using a external full hd screen for editing/playback.

even when offsite editing and using laptops own screen; if the screen is 15.6 size, is it even possible to tell the difference between 768 and 1080?
 
It's nice to have two large resolution screens because sometimes editing and grading requires a lot of windows, then you can keep all the application windows on the laptop screen and your timeline viewer on the large external screen.
 
It's nice to have two large resolution screens because sometimes editing and grading requires a lot of windows, then you can keep all the application windows on the laptop screen and your timeline viewer on the large external screen.

thats the other issue where im thinking that i would be inclined to not use full res on the laptop:

my 24 inch external is 1920 x 1080
if my 15.6 inch laptop screen is the same resolution, then the windows would get much smaller when draging them onto the laptops own screen because of the greater pixel density.... i may be wrong but wouldnt it be better to have a similar pixel density in both screen for consistency?

im thinking about getting the lenovo thinkpad w510 but not sure if the fullhd screen is necessary because i will rarely be playing back on it ... im thinking of going with the 1600x900. any thoughts?
 
I absolutely LOVE the smaller pixel density.. it's insane it looks like I am looking at a clear window or at actual written on paper words... I can't see a pixel.
 
I absolutely LOVE the smaller pixel density.. it's insane it looks like I am looking at a clear window or at actual written on paper words... I can't see a pixel.

is this the resolution that you work with on a reg basis?
are the windows of apps or even the font for typing not too small?
 
I´m going to buy an Asus N73 tomorrow.
http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=hIIhj3I8sKuBgA2o

It´s 17.3 inch, FullHD, CS5 hackable, has TV tuner, 6GB RAM and great speakers (for a laptop; everyone seems to be blown away by their performance).
You can get it from around 950 euro in europe, much less in the US (...like anything else in the US, including petrol :( )

BTW, Asus was a long term reliability survey winner, among MAC and Toshiba... ;)
 
I never saw an indicator of the OP's budget, so I'll throw out what may be the most capable portable video editing machine: the Lenovo ThinkPad W701ds.

Choice of 3 different i7 Quad Cores, Dual Monitors (1920x1200 RGB-LED 17" + 1280x720 LED 10.6"), nVIdia QuadroFX 2800 or 3800 1GB, 4 DDR3 DIMM slots (up to 16GB RAM), WACOM Digitizer and Pantone Color Calibrator in the palm rest, Dual HDD bays with RAID capability, and an ExpressCard slot.

My preferred configuration runs about $4500. If you can only have one machine, this may be the one for you.

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087&current-category-id=3B10ECA8EB78454180D484668504D02E
 
I never saw an indicator of the OP's budget, so I'll throw out what may be the most capable portable video editing machine: the Lenovo ThinkPad W701ds.

Choice of 3 different i7 Quad Cores, Dual Monitors (1920x1200 RGB-LED 17" + 1280x720 LED 10.6"), nVIdia QuadroFX 2800 or 3800 1GB, 4 DDR3 DIMM slots (up to 16GB RAM), WACOM Digitizer and Pantone Color Calibrator in the palm rest, Dual HDD bays with RAID capability, and an ExpressCard slot.

My preferred configuration runs about $4500. If you can only have one machine, this may be the one for you.

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...-category-id=3B10ECA8EB78454180D484668504D02E

budget is around $1500 and i think i finally found the machine: lenovo w510
the only thing im stuck with in deciding right now is whether i should go for the full hd (1920x1080) screen or the hd+ (1600x900)
i plan on using an external display (1920x1080) for playback/timeline and will only have plugins etc on the laptops screen. (unless editing offsite ofcourse which will be rare)
its not the extra money that is a concern - only that i dont want to pay for it if i dont use it, and also ive read some disconcerning reviews and posts about the wide-gamut fhd screen and how it is difficult to calibrate it even with a cal device
 
Hi

Everything changes Jan. 5 2011

Sandy Bridge, starts to replace the Pentium CPUs from Intel.
This new CPU is especially important for lap tops and video editing.
Early tests show that at the same price points as todays Intel CPUs the new ones run 25% faster and use 9% less power (real tests/not ads)
Sandy Bridge also has improvements that should give even more advantage to video processing. Transcoding runs on the CPU instead of in software for example.
These CPUs will be showing up after the first of the year sprinkled through Intels lineup.
Definately look for them and very much worth waiting for - this is a big deal like the originial Pentium was a decade ago.

I won't bother rehashing other advice as so much has been offered.

But I will note that the correct way to buy a computer is to do it backwards.
First decide what you want to do.
Then choose your programs to do it.
Then choose your operating system.
Choose your hardware to run all the above properly.
Find someone who REALLY knows their way around video editing machines to set it up and tweak it for you. (it is a specialty).
Then edit beautiful footage that makes you and many others happy.
Repeat every few years as needed.

Best of luck with your choice.
 
is this the resolution that you work with on a reg basis?
are the windows of apps or even the font for typing not too small?

Yes, I always leave it in native resolution. The windows and apps and fonts are not too small for me. It's a 15.6 diag display. Looks sharper than IPHONE 4 and ipads and is true 1080p full hd. If you want larger text you can just increase the text size a bit, it has options for that.
 
I totally agree. Get a MacBookPro with Final Cut Pro Studio and you're done. Plug and play, spend 100% of your time on editing and 0% on configuration, fixing bugs and errors etc.

I completely disagree on getting a MacBookPro if you are going to be using Panasonic GH1, 2, af-100, or any other avchd format camera. While Mac was once the video editing king, and some people are so brainwashed by the 'mac' or nothing borg philosophy, I really feel they have now dropped the ball and are trailing behind windows 7 64 bit systems.

I have had both. I have been on many sets. With my current Win 7 laptop, I can pop the memory card right out of my GH13 hack 52mbit and pop it into the laptop and INSTANTLY see my footage to check it for critical focus, dump it, have a 2nd person actually START editing ONLINE mode, and LEAVE the client with all the footage on a blu-ray.

While I am performing this magic, the MAC person is sitting there trying to get avchd to even play, or watching a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOng 'transcoding' status bar as he is FORCED to convert to prores. Not everyone in the world wants to use prores, and the fact that Macs are not avchd friendly NOR blu-ray friendly makes them completely useless and outdated on set to me. In the studio... if you're really that attached to final cut, then maybe, but on set, no way in hell.

Oh.. and they are outrageously priced for the same or less performance / power.
 
Hi

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Desktops, Laptops
Intel: Sandy Bridge CPUs will ship in early 2011 (update)

By Sean Hollister posted Sep 13th 2010 1:00PM

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​
26diggsdigg We're live from the 2010 Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, where we've got an interesting tidbit of news -- those long-awaited and often leaked Sandy Bridge processors will "begin shipping in very high volume" early next year in both laptop and desktop PCs. Now called the "2nd Generation Intel Core processors,"

above quote from: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/13/intel-sandy-bridge-cpus-will-ship-in-early-2011/
Best I can do for you on timeline. I have heard that they will ship in large numbers immediately from other sources as well.
Does this mean that exactly the laptop you want will be upgraded the day you are ready? I can't tell you.
I simply felt it was important to put the info out there for those following this thread.
Personally I am waiting for the new CPUs, but then I am okay with my desktop. I am sure each of us shares some parameters but also have unique situations.
Again best of luck.
 
my main concerns are:
-will i be able to play and edit native gh2 footage straight from the camera/sd card?
-will i be able to do this at a decent enough speed for at least 3 years without upgrading the computer?

as long as i can do the above then i dont really care whether the cpu inside is the latest and greatest.
there is always something on the horizon with technology; especially with computers... if i start playing the *just gona wait till this comes out* then all i am guaranteed is that no videos will be made.

i hear what youre saying though.
btw im surprised that if this sandy bridge is such a HUGE leap forward then why hasnt intel at least changed the names of the cpus? even slightly? still keeping the i3 i5 i7 names...
 
" early next year in both laptop and desktop PCs." So is this also the CPU to wait for in building a Desktop? I mean performance wise with an eye on video editing? I built an i7 for my Uncle early in the year. I would like to upgrade my e8400 from 2 years ago. Will Sandy Bridge in a Desktop set-up outperform and i7? Or is this primarily a Laptop CPU. I'm also interested in a Laptop next year and will follow these developments.

Thanks!
 
To teuron:
Sandy Bridge is a huge leap forward for specific applications, one of those being video encode/decode. This is similar to the leap made with the early MMX instruction set. If you can wait 3-4 months then it is worthwhile to do so.

Any Lenovo machine is worth the money. Build quality is higher than anything else out there (even Macs; I'm writing this on a MacBook Pro).


To picturerequest:
If you already have a Core2Quad or better, there will be little point in upgrading (unless this is your livelihood or you have money to burn). As you have a Core2Duo E8400, I would suggest looking for a cheap Core2Quad Q9550 or Q9650 to upgrade your current machine for now. I picked one up at MicroCenter for $200 a year ago, just keep your eyes open. That should push your needs out until the new parts are well into the pipeline and easy to come by.
 
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