Ideal system for HD Video/FCP?

Since I'm getting into the HD video world, I need to upgrade to a better machine, and was wondering what kind of requirements I'll need to import/play/edit HD Video using FCP. The camera I'll be using is the Panasonic TM700.
Will the base model dual 2.66ghz be sufficient? Or does the amount of RAM determine performance in this area?

According to the Final Cut Studio system requirements: http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/specs/ all you need is 2GB of RAM for compressed video which is what your suggested camera records.
However, I have a Macbook Pro with 2GB of RAM and it's a real dog if you're doing more than one thing at a time (not including FCS). It runs out of RAM easily.
What computer are you planning to get (Macbook Pro?, iMac? Mac Pro?). If you're serious I wouldn't settle for less than 8GB but you could probably get by with 4GB if you're over budget. You can always upgrade later.

Similar Messages

  • What is the best system for HD Video Editing?

    We are planning to upgrade our system for HD video editing and I am looking for a system that will perform better with Adobe Premiere CS6 and CC. These are the options that we have:
    PROCESSOR : 4.3 GHz Intel Core i7-4960  OR Dual 2.6 GHz Intel Xeon E5-2630 (both with 6-cores and 15 MB cache) - Which is more powerful?
    GPU  : Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 w/ 6GB GDRR5 OR Dual 3GB NVIDIA Quadro K4000 - Which is more stable? more faster for rendering?
    Both will have 64GB of RAM and 512GB SSD 6Gb/s MAIN + 3TB 7200RPM Storage. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks.

    First read Tweakers Page and all the articles there.
    Then you will understand why it is better to opt for an i7-4930K and a single GTX 760 with that disk setup. Otherwise you will end up with a convoluted, unbalanced system, spending money unwisely.

  • Looking for Opinions on a base Mac Pro system for running FCP.

    I am being asked to make a recommendation for acquiring a Mac Pro to use for video production, and I need advice. I am not sure what I should recommend. I suppose almost any Mac Pro, even the lowest model, would suffice for my needs right now. But I could sure use some input based on what we need to do now, and where we need to go.
    Right now, I want a system for Web video production. Not sure what camera will be used, but lets assume high def for now. The delivery format will likely be Flash video. And none of the pieces would be over 3 minutes in length. I'd think that was well within the capabilities of even the most basic Mac Pro, but I am not sure.
    Now, let's say I want to eventually expand out to make 30 second TV spots in high definition. Assuming I have access to a good deal of storage space and I am not looking to do 30 layers of video each with 10 effects (more like 3 max with just a few effects), can I still get away with this system? Would I need a beefier video card? Or some type of external RAID storage?
    Money is and +is not+ an object in this case. I'd rather spend a little more cash now to accommodate my future needs (say, by getting a more robust video card and more memory), but I don't need to fully max out the system either for what seems to be rather modest expectations.
    If I can provide any other explanations or define any further constraints, please ask. Thanks for any help you can lend.

    You should repost in the [Final Cut Pro forum|http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=939]. It's much busier than here, so you will get far more help.

  • Suggestion for a Video Monitor For FCP

    I am looking for a video monitor to use with FCP. The Sony PVM-14L2 13" has been recommended. Is anyone familiar with this monitor or do you have a monitor which is working well for you that you would recommend.
    1) Should I be looking for anything key features not listed below?
    2) Will I need any other hook ups to make this work with my system?
    (Right now I am using a JVC SR-VS30U Dual Deck. A firewire from the computer to the deck and component from the deck to to t.v. the deck also has s-video)
    3) When I move into High Definition will this monitor work?
    Key Features of the Sony PVM-14L2 13"
    Variety of Input Options
    The monitor accepts composite, S-video, component and RGB signals standard without options. Serial Digital signals can be viewed with the optional
    (with audio) or BKM-120D (without embedded audio). Even
    , Sony's version of Fire Wire can be displayed with the optional BKM-155DV board.
    Beam Current Feedback Feature
    In studio environments, monitors tend to be left on for long periods. This practice leads to white-balance drift and unstable color reproduction. The Beam-Current Feedback circuit corrects for drift over long-term usage of the monitor.
    Professional Set-up Features
    Calibrating monitors assures that each display is showing correct colors which will match any other correctly calibrated display. The PVM-14L2 has set-up functions like Blue-Gun, H/V Delay, and selectable color temperature for these critical calibrations.

    Sounds like a great choice as long as the size works for you. A small truly high-res monitor is much more useful than a big impressive soft one for analysis monitoring.
    1) I don't think you need anything else unless the JVC thing doesn't work out. In that case you can try your camcorder, or a capture device such as ADS Pyro, Matrox MXO, or one of the Aja or Decklink cards. Depends...
    2) JVC SR-VS30U - I don't know, there are a lot of devices that won't simply pass FireWire through, including many or most DVD recorders. Your best bet is to try it and monitor it on whatever you have.
    If you're on NTSC you'll have to pay attention to the black setup. Many consumer digital devices these days won't put in the 7.5IRE setup for North America.
    That's OK as long as you aren't using it to do analog conversions. If you can get FCP bars through the thing and set the monitor up properly to them, you should be OK. I'm sure the monitor can be set to 0IRE in menus if need be.
    3) It won't show you an HD signal. If you're using the MXO it will give you a realtime SD downconvert to monitor. But that monitor won't display anything but NTSC and PAL. If it did I would probably say that 13" is too small.

  • What are the ideal system requirements for Adobe Captivate?*

    What are the ideal system requirements for Adobe Captivate?* In order to ensure it runs at a good speed.

    I don't know about ideal, but I'm using an Intel Core2 Duo, 3.16ghz, 3.46gb ram, winXP Pro SP3.  This is an HP branded PC, it uses the onboard Q45 video.
    I rarely have any problems that I haven't caused myself (having too many applications open while I work).
    hope that helps.

  • Steep System Requirements for HD Video

    Did anyone notice the system requirements for HD video in iTunes 8?
    "Playing HD-quality videos purchased on the iTunes Store requires a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or faster processor"
    and "Playing videos also requires at least 16MB of video RAM"
    I'm not sure if the video RAM requirement would mean that any Mac with integrated graphics would be excluded or not.
    On CPU requirements alone, my 1.83 GHz MBP and certainly my iMac G5 are excluded, but it also excludes the current base Mac Mini (often purchased as a media center) and either version of the MacBook Air.
    I plan to experiment to see if an HD video I buy from iTunes will play smoothly on my MBP, but I'm a little confused as to why the requirements are so steep. My MBP certainly has the processing power to play HD video. It can play any of the HD trailers from Apple.

    I have a 2.0 GHz Imac early 2006 with the original Core Duo. I'm buying 5 episodes from Eureka Season 3. I played a few minutes of the first one, and it seemed fine. It uses about 100% of one processor. Using 100% on a single processor system would be a big problem, because any minor peak would make it run out of juice. But 100% of one processor on a 2-core system should be fine as long as it's using both cores. At any rate, in a short test things looked fine.
    If it's really using threads properly it looks to me like even the 1.83 GHz Core Duo might work.

  • Suitable SD and SDHC Cards for Capturing Video for FCP?

    Not exactly an FCP topic but this is the only forum that comes anywhere near!
    Until a few weeks ago I assumed that all SD and SDHC cards were equal with regard to capture speeds.
    Now I know better and have discovered that for trouble-free (consumer) video capture you need a Class 6 card to be safe.
    I note that SD cards (by definition 2GB or less) have no speed classes.
    I have trawled the internet, including the SD Card website but can't find any mention of the reason for this.
    Is this because small SD cards are very fast or simply because nobody would conceivably use them for video?
    I am asking because I have a small stock of 2GB cards which, if possible, I would like to use for short videos in the near future.

    I've not used FCE so can't add anything there. Perhaps Tom W will drop by. He would know.
    Regarding the VHS footage. You really ought to think about using a Time Based Corrector (TBC) between your VTR and the digitizing device. They will help deal with mis-timed frames (the 'tearing' effect) as well as chroma shift.
    The Canopus ADVC-300 is the least expensive one I've seen and as an added benefit, it does the Analog/Digital conversion for you as well.
    Good luck.
    x
    Do your part in supporting your fellow users. If a response has been Helpful to you or Solved your question, please mark it as such as an aid to other lost souls on the forum.
    Also, don't forget to mark the thread Answered when you get enough information to close the thread.

  • What is the best format for HDV video for a computer playback

    Hello guys,
    I have made a very nice HDV video and after the frustration and awful results with compression for
    SD DVD, I have decided just to export that video as a file, put that file on DVD, so people can just pop that DVD into their computers, copy that file on their HD and play it. (so there is no compression needed for over internet data transfer, Bit Rates for space, etc). The video is
    HDV 1080i 60. If I export it from FCP as a QT Movie the quality is beautiful. But when being watched on the computer screen, there are those interlace lines visible, when any faster motion in the video occurs. So I am wondering, what would be the best export option in order to provide best qualities for computer playback. Would it be some of those QT progressive modes, like 1080 p24? Or any other?
    Thank you for your help.
    Cheers,
    K.

    Chris Walsh1 wrote:
    Why are you using FCP 6.02? Why didn't you do the update to 6.04?? I did, and I am having tons of issues
    That is pretty much the reason. It is fresh out the gate and so far untested. I am not an early adopter of any new technology (soft or hardware wise). I like to wait it out and see what other peoples' experience is. A bit of a prickish way to put it is: "In Chess, the pawns go first." (I'm a big Chess nerd -- I have Chess analogies for just about everything).
    But even if the latest FCP, OS X and QT versions were humming along without any reported issues by the "power users" (by that I mean people who are editing on their systems 40+ hours a week in a professional capacity) I still wouldn't have upgraded because I am in the middle of three projects.
    Well, that isn't entirely the truth. I started all three projects on a PowerMac G4 running OS X 10.4.11 and FCP 5.1.4. In the midst of this I started an across-the-board upgrade -- new computer, monitor, OS and FCS. But what I did (am still doing) is migrating from one to another and testing the performance on the new one before committing. In doing my research before hand, I see that the magic cocktail for stability appears to be OS X 10.5.2, FCP 6.0.2 and QT 7.4.5 so I built my new MacPro to that and stayed there. I have migrated all my current projects to the new system and have been putting the new setup to the test and is passing at every turn, so I feel confident I can work on this new system and will be retiring the PowerMac soon, but throughout this process I always had my stable G4 setup available so I wouldn't risk losing any work.
    Might the reason the video you compressed "looked great" be because you didn't do the update?
    Maybe, but I can't say with any certainty.
    In the old compressor, I had no problems (in earlier versions of my project) compressing the video. It always looked GREAT! In 3.03, I get weird issues that don't make sense to me at all.
    In the older version of compressor, this never happened. Even on this project.
    Then I would think the update is the likely culprit.
    Here is what I would like to try as my final attempt. I just bought yet ANOTHER computer. A Mac Pro/Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeo. I'd like to try to load Final Cut Studio on this machine, but where should I stop my upgrading? What is good stable working system for everyone??
    OS X 10.5.2, FCP 6.0.2 and QT 7.4.5 is working great for me, and it appears for others here as well. I am running a new octo-2.8GHz Mac Pro.

  • Looking for a Hard Drive RAID System for 17" MacBook Pro, any Suggestions?

    I purchased my 17" MacBook Pro in Nov. 09 and it does have an ExpressCard/34 slot. What I am looking to do, is purchase a 4TB Caldigit VR External Hard Drive and put it on RAID 0. I Love the performance fact, but I don't feel too safe, because if that drives go down, there goes my data. So what I want to do is use Carbon Copy Cloner and find another External Hard Drive that will backup my Caldigit VR, since it will be RAID 0. Any Suggestions would help out very much! I am using this RAID System to store my HD Video using Final Cut Pro Studio. I know I can set up the Caldigit VR as a RAID 1, but I would rather set it up as a RAID 0 and have another hard drive back the data up. Let me know if you have set up a RAID System for your MacBook Pro and what you did. Also what express cards do you recommend?
    Thank you,
    Chad

    There is a difference technically between this iStorage unit and the Cal Digit stuff. Cal Digit includes a hardware raid controller, and removable drives. The iStorage Pro unit relies on your computer's CPU to control the raid... so will tax things like render times... plus just to play a software raid can take as much as 30% of your CPU's cycles to do it...
    That said, it may not matter if you're working in lower resolution files, or lower data rate stuff, either company makes great gear though. Both are intended for use with video systems. But ya do get something for the extra money on the CalDigit gear.
    But if all you want to use it for is backup of data... anybody's drives would do this... doesn't have to be a raid either. Single FW drives will certainly hold the data as backup even if they won't play it without dropping frames.
    OH, and Colorado... join the Denver FCP User Group... http://www.dfcpug.com We meet at the Colorado Film School in Denver on a monthly basis.
    Jerry
    Message was edited by: Jerry Hofmann

  • Ideal System Setup (PAGEFILE Recommendations!!)

    Hello:
    I've got a Core Duo 1.86Ghz and just installed 2gigs of RAM. Any suggestions on my WinXP virtual memory settings?

    Darren,
    Sorry if this sounds like a brush off, but there are many posts around here about configurations in various price classes, that a quick look at some of the posts here will give you all the info you may need.
    If I take your 'ideal system' literally at this moment:
    i7-3960X
    Asus Rampage Extreme X79 mobo
    8 x 8 GB DDR3 1866+
    4 x Crucial M4 SSD in raid10 for OS & programs
    Areca ARC-1880iX-24 / 4 GB
    18 x Hitachi 7K3000 2 TB disks in raid30, including 2 hot-spares for video (8 x r3 + 1 x HS and 8 x r3 + 1 HS, striped)
    nVidia GTX 580 / 3 GB
    Lian Li A77 case
    2 x BR burners
    etc.
    More realistically, without knowing his budget, i7-2700K, Z68, F4 320 G boot disk, 16 GB, GTX 560+, 2 x 2 aid0 plus a good backup plan.

  • What is the Dream System for Photoshop Pros?

    If money was not an issue (don't want to be wasteful either) what would be the optimum mac pro system for a photoshop powerUser?...everything, monitors, hard drives, video card, etc.
    OSX10.4.8   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

    Yes, the X1900 is not on the required list (and why I don't mention it) BUT there could be plans under foot down the road to utilize GPU if Nvidia has its way so that FCP which is cpu-bound, would would join Motion and Aperture in gaining from beefed up next gen graphics and offload some of the workload to video... but not CS3. Still, $250 BTO means a number of people opt for Radeons.
    Let's see if I can explain a little better:
    Files are worked on in memory (goes without saying) and OS X uses memory above what Adobe CSx takes as cache (memory based scratch). When that "runs out" it uses your scratch disk volume.
    Your work file is also on scratch volume because it really cuts time down.
    As you work on a file and reach a point where you want an interim point in time to 'freeze' and save a backup, do a Save to a 2nd RAID, separate from your scratch volume, but so that it doesn't take 3 minutes. Later on, even immediately after the save, copy it in the background to more permanent non-RAID drive.
    You never really should "lose" anything but what wasn't written to one of the three or more volumes. Scratch drive still has the file, temp files, history states. The "fast save" RAID has copies. And you have your data files saved to non-RAID.
    Tiger cache memory means that with 12GB free, you have enough so that a 2GB file or two can be manipulated at RAM speed. Instead of physical volume, memory based file system, aka "RAM Disk" or Virtual Memory System (or MFS).
    Lloyd Chambers blog has tips and his own experience working in Photoshop on G5 Quad and Mac Pro. MacGurus has a "Graphics Forum" with tutorial, test benchmark program, and test results. Barefeats is more generally known, and made the observation of results from tests of 8-core v 4-core.
    After Effects CS3 roars on 8-core
    diglloyd blog: 8-core
    Photoshop Acceleration pdf
    Mac Pro 2GHz 4GB 10K Raptor 23" Cinema   Mac OS X (10.4.9)   WD RE RAID Aaxeon FW800 PCIe MDD-G4 APC RS1500 Vista

  • What is the best value iMac config for hd video editing.   I was going to go for i5 3.1 ghz with 4mb ram, but should I go further?  Thanks!

    What is the best value iMac config for hd video editing.?  I was going to go for i5 3.1 ghz with 4mb ram, but should I go further?  Thanks!

    You have it currently installed? Can you go to the System Profiler and click on Applications (will take a while to populate) - take a look at your FCP and check what it says on the right - Universal, Intel, or PPC? It'll look like this:
    If it's Universal or Intel, it'll run in Lion. However, the installer may or may not be PPC - that you may not know until you try to install. If you have it currently installed, then you could do what I did - move over all the files manually. I have a list of files for FCE and would assume they'd be the same with FCP: copy them from the old Mac and insert them in the very same spots on the new one.
    Here is the list for FCE:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TA38198?viewlocale=en_US
    (It was published for an uninstall, but worked like a charm).

  • Building a system for the first time

    I recently posted a few weeks back about buying a system from either Dell or HP http://forums.adobe.com/thread/732545?tstart=0.  I quickly learned that those systems were not going to fit my need based on my budget.  So, I decided after researching components that I will build a computer by hand for the first time.  I am still operating on a budget of around $1000, but I'm giving the budget a bit of flexibility so I don't limit my options.  I am a hobbyist who only has experience using Power Director on my laptop, but I had a lot of fun editing for the first time and I want to step up my game.  With the new system, I plan to use adobe premiere cs5 and after effects.  I will capture my video from either an HD Helmet cam or HD flip format is  MPEG-4 AVC/H.264.  So where I need help is selecting the right things to optimize my performance.  The following is a list of items I'm looking with their prices.  Please help me decide what will be right for me.  Open to any combo of suggestions or comments. Thanks!
    Processor
    Intel i7 930 $200 microcenter
    Intel i7 950 $230 microcenter
    I don't know if I want overclock yet, but it sounds like a good idea.  $30 for the upgrade to the i7 950 seems pretty good. ro do I use the money elsewhere?
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R $210
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128423
    Seems like a good mobo. Are there any features that this board lacks that I should look for in another board? Also, newegg offers significant deals on "open box" products.  Is this a good way to go?
    Ram
    I have a few questions for this selection.  I've currently budgeted approximately $250 for ram.  I'm looking at going with 12GB.  I certainly don't have the budget for 24GB, but what about 16GB?
    Do I look for 1333 or 1600?  2GB or 4GB sticks?  Would I be fine if I bought say 2 packs of 6GB ram, both same manufacturer and same type or would I want to buy 1 pack of 12GB?
    GPU
    Nvidia Geforce gtx 460 1GB $220
    Is it worth it to go to the 470? I know it's a better card but being a budget is really worth the upgrade or can I get away with a 460?
    Any recomendations for a 460 as there are many in the same price range?
    Drives
    I see these drives priced in the $55 range which would leave at around $220 for the lot of em
    These are the drives I'm looking at as they are highly recommended on this board:
    SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3
    WD Caviar Black
    Right now, I plan to buy 4 drives.  Do I want 4 of the exact same? or say 1 cavier black for os/ programs and 3 samsung f3 for pagefile/scratch/renders?  Can I also get a brief description of what these are too?  Also, could have a 500gb for os/programs and 1tb for the rest or would it be advisable for 1tb for all? or 500gb for all?
    I don't think I can do a raid setup based on my budget, but I saw this as an option on the thread for storage rules is to use the on-board IHCR or Marvell chip.  I don't know really anything about this, but what would the price be to explore this option?
    Case
    Cooler Master Storm Scout $90
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196
    I picked this case for a few reasons.  I seem move about every 6 months so the handles on top would be very useful, and it seems to have good cooling.  I know a full size case is recommended, but they seem to be significantly more.
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-U12P SE2 120mm SSO CPU Cooler $75
    Everywhere I look this cooler seems to get great reviews.  I figure it could be a good idea to get a good cooler if I get a mid-tower case.
    The only other option I can think of for case/cooling is to combine the budgeted price for both and look at different options like a full size case with a less quality cooler. Is this a better option
    PSU
    Looking into an 850 W power supply.  I figure to budget $80 towards as I've seen a few in that range
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817517003
    so would something like this work?
    Final Thoughts
    So, when you add it all up its about $1350.  First question, how does this look overall?  Nothing I've chosen is obviously overkill, but is there anything I can afford to go cheaper on? or anything I should invest more into?
    Thanks again to everyone for the help.  The resources, info and people on this forum have just been awesome.

    Seems like we are planning very similar PCs.  My build is going to be for: amateur video editing including animation mainly with CS5, application design and coding mainly with MS Visual Studio 2008, HTPC (until I build a cheap dedicated unit for the TV), general family computing.  I am new to this stuff, but can at least share some pricing and my decision making process so far.
    Here is what I have selected so far regarding the parts:
    MotherBoard: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R x58
    Seems like one of the lower cost x58 MBs and has some decent reviews.  Wait for a sale, you should be able to find this for around $180.00.  That is how much I got it for from New Egg (straight up with savings code no rebate), should be arriving on my doorstep tomorrow.  Also, I think Fry's has it now for $170.00 in store, but that includes a $20.00 rebate and tax. 
    PowerSupply: Corsair TX650W
    Some might think this is on the low side.  On the other hand, I have gotten other conflicting advice, stating that many people overestimate their actual power needs.  So who knows.  I have read that a PSU works more efficient when it is matched to the power needs - meaning that a 1000w PSU that is generally seeing 200w usage might not be so efficient.  Anyway, I got the PSU for $50.00 from New Egg (with rebate), and it has a good reputation, so we will see how it goes.
    Graphics Card: GIGABYTE GV-N460OC-1GI GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5
    I was planning on a lower cost card, but then noticed this card for sale over the weekend for $178.00 (with rebate), so I ordered one.  I have read the GTX460 has reasonable power requirements, and can be made to take advantage of CUDA/Mercury with CS5 (although haven't done much research into that).  This particular version based on reviews, seems fairly quite with the twin fans. It's possible I overspent a bit on this card considering my needs, time will tell.
    Here is what I am planning to purchase:
    CPU: i7 930
    I am fortunate to live near a Fry's and MicroCenter ($200.00).  From reading the forum, seems like this is generally the lowest CPU folks go in terms of building an editing machine.  I understand the argument that for only $30.00 more, one can upgrade to the i7 950.  On the other hand, that argument could be made for many of the components, and then before you know it, a little extra here and there, and the budget is shot:)  So I am planning to draw the line at the 930.
    Here are my undecided’s:
    Memory
    I am up in the air between 6or12gig/module compatibility/cost.  But one thing for you to keep in mind, is the official memory certified for the motherboard you select.  For the Gigabyte motherboard, I missed out on a recent RAM deal, because the RAM was not officially certified for the board.  Some people tell me this is important, while others say "RAM is RAM" and no big deal.  Something to consider.
    HardDrives
    Same as you, considering the Samsung Spinpoint F3.  Good prices now at MicroCenter on the 16MB cache models in 500 and 1TB sizes.  I just don't know if larger cache sizes are important or not, since they are also offered in 32MB and higher.
    Anyway, good luck with your build and hope it works well.

  • Considering dumping my iMac for a PC used for DSLR video editing on Premiere CS6. Help!

    So I edit mostly 1080p DSLR footage taken from my canon T3i camera. I purchased a 2011 (the latest model) iMac a little over a year ago, upgraded the RAM to 12GB and it has worked reasonably well. I purchased the base model for $1200 which has a quad core i5 processor, 512mb of video ram, and a measly 500gb hard drive. The past couple of days I have come to the realization that I only use Adobe Programs for graphically intensive work (premiere, after effects, etc). I originally bought my iMac for final cut, but FCPX SUCKS and I switched to Premiere CS6 which works like a dream. Anyways, I'm a senior in high school and do lots of video editing (going to major in video production in college). I'm likely going to differ college for a year and continue my video production business (pretty informal) as well as video production internships at a couple companies (so don't suggest that I get a laptop for portability, not an issue). I just shot an entire wedding with 2 DSLR's and the footage takes up over 20% of my hard drive which is unacceptable. This is very troublesome for me and has been clogging up my computer considerably. I have realized it would make a lot of sense to sell my iMac and purchase a PC that's not only faster, but has much more space. I was ideally looking to sell my iMac for $1000, and from that get a better and faster PC setup for my video editing. $200 would be allocated for a 24" 1080p LED 5ms Asus monitor (from newegg) which would leave $800 remaining for the PC. Ideally it'd be nice to have a little cash left over. Some things that sound appealing to me are: an intel i7 quad core proccessor at least 3.0+ Ghz,  16 GB of ram (maybe 8 to start), 1 GB of video RAM (here is where I'm stuck, my Imac had a Radeon 512mb video card in it, but I've heard premiere runs especially well with nVidia CUDA cards? Don't really know too much about this stuff.) I have no idea what type of card to get, and if I would even see a performance upgrade from my iMac. For storage I'd like at least 2TB of space, should I get two seperate 1 TB drives? One for boot and software and another for video files? Anyways, I assume I can benefit from selling my 2011 i5 iMac to get a faster PC equivalent at a lower price since I mainly edit videos (which is pretty graphically intense) from an HD DSLR camera. I've noticed premiere rendering times on my mac are starting to get pretty slow these days. Ideally it'd be nice to buy a desktop (already assembled) maybe from HP for around $600 (not including the monitor). I'm not completely against building a PC from parts (since I know a friend who can do it for me) I just need help figuring out WHAT exactly it is that I need and would benefit from.

    Buy a Desktop Video Editing PC
    http://www.adkvideoediting.com/
    -ADK Kudos http://forums.adobe.com/thread/877201
    Build a Desktop Video Editing PC
    -http://ppbm7.com/index.php/intro-part-1
    -http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1098759
    -http://forums.adobe.com/thread/878520?tstart=0
    -http://forums.adobe.com/thread/815798
    -http://www.shawnlam.ca/2012/premiere-pro-cs6-video-editing-computer-build/
    -http://www.videoguys.com/Guide/E/Videoguys+DIY9+Its+Time+for+Sandy+Bridge+E/0xe9b142f408a2 b03ab88144a434e88de7.aspx

  • Macbook Pro for HD video -memory and external hard drive questions?

    Hi!
    I am a Macbook user, but I plan to purchase a Macbook Pro since I am now doing a lot of HD (not HDV) video editing. I live outside of the U.S. and cannot call the Apple Store, so was wondering if anyone can provide advice on the forum.
    I'm interested in either the 15-inch: 2.53GHz or 15-inch: 2.66GHz. is there a big difference in speed between these?
    -Is the 4GB memory the MBP comes with enough for HD video editing purposes, or would I opt for the 8GB? (here prices becomes a bit of an issue)
    - Is the 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm sufficient or would I upgrade to the 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm [Add $50.00]
    -I want to purchase an external firewire drive to store my media on-does anyone know if the G-Raid 500 would be good? Portability is a big issue for me since I travel very often.
    Thank you all so much for your help!!

    I looked at the 15inch and 17inch but chose the 17inch - and I am a filmmaker. I too travel on location extensively and usually carry a 15inch due to size-weight - but the 17inch is much better for HD. The video card and screen resolution in the 17inch is much better than than the 15inch but what clinched it for me was the 17inch has a CF reader and the 15inch only has a small SD card reader.
    Most video HD cams are shooting straight to CF cards now.
    I also upgraded to the 7200 rpm drive - a wise choice for $50 extra.
    Yes 4G ram will run Final Cut OK - but if you go from FCP to motion a lot then you will need 8G.

Maybe you are looking for