Low budget pc for HD editing

Hello, I'am not a
film pro but working in the IT feld. A freend of me needs a new computer he uses WinXP AMD 64 3000+ with 512GB RAM and NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900XT (128 MB). He notice that it is not posible to edit / render HD data on his PC ;-)
So He would like to use Adobe Premiere + Encoder to work with HD Data and 5 tracks. Any Hints ? He is in student so his budget is limited. Is the vga card importan for editing hd data? Is it recommand to use Win 7?

The current CS5 version requires a 64bit computer and OS... Win7 64bit Pro works well
My CS5/AVCHD 1st Impressions http://forums.adobe.com/thread/652694?tstart=0 includes a link to what I built
Do note that AVCHD is CPU intensive, so will edit OK without having a multi-drive RAID setup
Some other HD types are very disk transfer speed intensive, so require a RAID to edit
Go to the http://ppbm5.com/ benchmark page and then to the results page to see what various builds will do
Read Harm on drive setup http://forums.adobe.com/thread/662972?tstart=0
- click the embedded picture in Harm's message to enlarge to reading size

Similar Messages

Low budget lenses for amateurs

Dear Friends
I own a 600 D with 18-135 kit lens.
Recently I was suggested a 50 mm 1.8 in this forum. Big thanks for the tip. Really love this lens.
I want to expand my lens kit without rushing into big spends right now.
Request to recommend 2 more lens that can be really useful for amateur photography.
I have noticed the following
1. Although 50mm 1.8 is good , I find it difficult to us during events like weddings etc where moving closer physically is not an option always.
2. My kit lens 18-135 is good. But with zoom, aperture cant be opened wide. Blurring backgrounds become difficult with this.
3. For outdoor shoot , the kit lens is not good enough as the zoom is too small.
4. Please also recommend for any other occasions that an amateur photographer might need specific lenses and I might not have still figured out.
5. Most important - Want to constrain myself to maximum 2 more additions only to my bag.
6. Budget - Lower the better. A great recommendation eg. was the 50 mm 1.8. Works superb and at extreme low price.
Preferred budget between 150$ to 300 $ for each lens.
*** However, can increase budget if you feel any lens is critical and needs to be added to an amateurs bag.
7. I dont have any particular prefence for canon and open to look at all brands
Hope my query is clear and precise.
thanks in advance for the help
rgds
Suman
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Wide aperture lenses are expensive & in a zoom more expensive yet so I don't think there's any way to fit that budget short of buying a used Tamron 28-75 f2.8. As for longer look at both the Canon 70-300 IS and Tamron 70-300 VC, new or used.
"A skill is developed through constant practice with a passion to improve, not bought."

Best Apple Computer for Video Editing (when you're on a budget)?

I shoot video on a Canon XL2 and edit with Final Cut Express. I am looking to get a more powerful computer to edit as I currently edit on a 2007/8 MacBook with 120GB hard drive. It gets the job done but rendering takes forever and I can tell my MacBook is slowing down. What is the best apple computer for video editing? And, what would you recommend if you're on a budget? iMac? MacBook Pro? Thanks for any and all help.

Well, depending on budget...
Today, this would be my personal choice...
http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MC560LL/A?mco=MTg2OTUwMjQ
(3.33 GHz “Westmere” 12 GB Memory)
http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MC511LL/A?mco=MTg1ODA4MDM
(2.93 GHz “Quad-Core i7” 8 GB Memory)
If portability is an issue...
http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MC024LL/A?mco=MTc0Njg1NzI
(2.8 GHz “Intel-Core i7 ” 8 GB Memory)
Regards
Nolan

2nd low-cost camera for on-site shoots

I use the Panasonic HVX-200p for my studio work which is almost all green screen and usually shot at 720p30 or 720p60. I capture direct to my workstation using OnLocation CS4 via firewire.
Now I need a 2nd camera to capture on-site, outdoors mostly, but possibly some indoors. End use is educational DVD's and perhaps online courses, probably in H.264, so I don't need broadcast quality.
I need to go cheap on this because of my budget. I have little knowledge, but how about an inexpensive DSLR? My concern with these is that the codec is AVCHD [I think] and I've read about how this strains the PC requirements, is not easily digested (unless that's improved with CS6), etc. (see my Profile for workstation specs). Also, I'm not sure how it would look with the Panasonic keyed footage.
There is another option: carry a laptop with OnLocation CS4 installed and capture with it using the Panasonic. Granted, it is cumbersome and hinders in other ways, but it is possible. This choice, if acceptable, would require me to buy a laptop with a decent battery life (my existing laptop is an older, core 2 duo & the battery died long ago). I'd like to hear opinions on this because I don't know if this option would be cheaper than a new camera and/or give me better quality.
Anyway, I think you get the idea. I am most grateful for all recommendations. I am willing to consider used cameras, if that works.
Paul
P.S. I need at least one wireless microphone.
Message was edited by: Paul Stark

Hi Paul,
Both my cam's are panosonic, and though a little above the one in question in terms of price range, i can give a little feedback on what is similar between them.
Apart from the dreaded AVCHD problems CS5 and early versions of CS6 had, you shouldn't have to much trouble with it.
Both of my cams;
AG-AC130
Panasonic AG-AC130 AVCCAM HD Handheld ... - B&H Photo Video
& AG-AC160
Panasonic AG-AC160 AVCCAM HD Handheld ... - B&H Photo Video
use the dual SDHC cards, apart from making sure you copy the entire card, you will be fine. The file structure has to be completely intact otherwise timecode, audio and spanning clips will get messed up and cause you headaches.
My cam's are extremely good in low light, stomp all over the famed Sony Z7's of yesteryear. As long as your not shooting anything fast moving, if you need the light lower the shutter speed to 1/25 and open the iris right up you will get decent footage in lower light situations.
One thing you won't get in that model is the DRS function which is revolutionary to say the least, in a nutshell it supresses overexposure and boosts shadows.
In addition you'll have to xlr inputs so add wireless, or even a boom mic (much better price to quality ratio) with ease.
The GoPro's are amazing, but in my opinion totally sh*t in low light situations. People will argue that the newer models are much better, but I hate any grain. Another option with your low light requirements would be to add one of these Z96 LED, They are amazing for the size, easy to attach to a hotshoe, dimmable and unbelievably bright. Color temp isn't bad either, can be a bit cold\blue at full kick but has two magnetic diffusers ( i usually just manually change the temp in cam but lower budget cameras don't often have this function). Even doing an Auto WB would help to correct the temp.
Hope this helps you a bit
Troy

Which 2013 Macbook Pro for Video Editing? "Help"

Hello, I am new to the Apple forums and this is my first post. I'm a 19 Years Student and I'm actually attending a cinematography and television school
I am looking for a Macbook Pro 15" for Video Editing, the sowftware I'm be using and studying are Avid Media Composer, Adobe AE and Premiere , and Photoshop.
My budget is around 2500 - 3000 Euros, And I've been reading every kind of post about the Macbook Retina 2012 and Macbook Pro 2012, but I Really don't know what to get, and if some video editors here can help me would be awesome! So, Let's getting started:
( Both models "Costs" the same, I don't mind paying 100-200 more Euros for a 2500 Macbook so i'd love to have to find the perfect balance with Performance/Design and everything else!)
I'd Like to get a Retina to be honest, but I know every kind of problem that the retina has at this moment: Expensive Repair Costs, High Framerate Drops, Choppy Interface, Burn-in screen and ghosting. I've seen by myself these errors and I don't know if there's a true fix, my opinion is that the GPU is not enough to use smootly the Retina Resolution, and I'm afraid that If I'll buy a macbook retina, the low and suffering GPU will decrease a lot the performance of these software when Rendering, Exporting, and when working with big files. ( I'm asking you if this is true, because I don't have a macbook so I couldn't test by myself how a rMBP works under pressure for atleast 3 hours with one of these softwares, my experience with retina is limited to an Apple Store Experience ). Happy that Final Cut X and CS6 Suit now Supports Retina anyway!
But, Since the retina has all these problems, I'll not be buying THIS version of the retina. I've readed every kind of rumor and even talked to some Genius in my Apple Stores, in June 2013 the New Haswell processor might come, I don't know exactly how it works but Intel says that the GPU performance might be increased by 20 - 40%. Do you think it will resolve all the problems that this rMBP has? In The apple store I've also heard that in June 2013 the Macbook Pro Line will be RETINA ONLY, and this is going to be a issue for me if the retina will still have all these little problems, because I don't want to buy a machine that makes me work bad
The Macbook Retina I'd Like to get by now is the 15" Quad 2.7Ghz 16 Ram 512 SSD = 2800 Euros
The Other Macbook is the Macbook PRO 2012, It still good looking, but placing inside it an SSD makes it so **** expensive, and apple won't put inside more than 8 GB of Ram inside of it, so, If I'd choose to buy one and buy the 16 GB of Ram from 3rd Part, and is aroudn 200 euros, Plus a 600 Euros Samsung 512 SSD since the Apple one costs 700 euro. And it doesn't come with retina display, remember, it's not needed I know and the screen is gorgeus, but I feel and fear that the Macbook Pro hardware is outdated, and might not catch the other in the next years ( I might be wrong, but I believe that Retina motherboard and Retina Chipset are more Fast/Good than the 2012 Macbook Pro, even if everything is glued in there and is not user-friendly )
If I buy the 2012 Macbook Pro By following Apple Products, I'd be spending 3000 Euros, and I found it too much since It doesn't come with retina, I might be wrong.
If I buy the 2012 Macbook Pro By placing the Ram and SSD by myself i'd be spending 2800 Euros, but 3rd part hardware is not under apple warranty.
If I buy the 2012 Macbook Pro WITHOUT SSD, but a 750 GB 7200 and by placing 8 GB Ram It's 2500 Euros.
So, here it is, I don't know what to do :\ Actually I don't like the retina and I hope that in June 2013 they'll change the Processor, Fix all the problems, and maybe add a solid Graphic Card, ( I doubt the'll change the graphic card, just the integrated intel graphic card might change, not the Nvidia for sure, because the rMBP thin )
But, If I wait June 2013 I Fear that the 2012 Macbook Pro will disappear, and if there's only a Not-So-Good Retina left, I'll really not know if to buy it or wait more monts.

Hello Andrea,
I edit video and am familiar with the MacBookPro models. Both the 15" MBP and the 15" rMBP will be fine for editing with Avid Media Composer, Adobe AE, Premiere and Photoshop. But there are some differences that may be important to you, depending on the external equipment you plan to use:
The regular MBP has the following i/o ports:
1 FW800 port
1 Thunderbolt port
2 USB3 ports
1 SDXC slot
Audio line-in port
Audio line-out/headphone port
The rBMP has the following i/o ports:
2 Thunderbolt ports (no native FW port)
2 USB3 ports
1 SDXC slot
Headphone output port (no audio-in)
HDMI output port (output, not input)
The lack of audio line-in port and native FW800 in the rMBP rule out that model as far as I am concerned.
Also, you need to be aware that you cannot upgrade the RAM memory after purchase. There are no RAM slots in the current MacBook Pro models (rMBP included), so no after-market upgrades are possible.
I would not recommend purchasing the very expensive SSD. I suggest configuring a MBP with the 750GB, 7200rpm SATA hard drive and invest the savings in external hard drives - you are going to need them for video work & backup.

Intel 960 vs dual Xeon E5520 for AVCHD editing

Like many people on this forum I am trying to determine the best hardware to purchase for my use of Premiere Pro. For the last several years I have been using Liquid Edition but decided to move over to Premiere because of its support for AVCHD editing.
I have narrowed my system choice between a single processor i7-960 and a dual processor xeon E5520. From the PPBM4 benchmarks it appears that a 960 system is sligthly ahead of the xeon system which surprises me. However, the results does vary based on task. An added benefit is that the 960 system is cheaper to build. On the other hand, Adobe seems to recommend a dual processor system for HD editing.
My question is which system is better at AVCHD editing? For the tasks that you routinely do in Premiere which configuration would better suit me?
Thanks for any help.

There are a number of things to consider:
1. Price/performance
2. Number of CPU's and cores
3. Clock speed
4. Memory slots
5. Overclock ability
What are the factors in favor of the i7-960 in comparison to dual E5520:
1. Price/performance
3. Clock speed
5. Overclock ability
so that means that dual E5520 have in in their favor:
2. Double CPU's and double the number of cores
4. Twice the memory slots (12 or even 18 versus 6)
When looking at the PPBM results, the i7-960 @ 3.2 performs around equal to dual E5520 @ 2.26. So effectively double the cores and lower the clock speed gives around the same performance. However, overclocking can have a significant impact as you see in the top results and that is where dual Xeons have a problem. Servertype mobo's are very difficult to overclock if at all (the same applies to Dell XPS BTW, because of their crippled BIOS). But the servertype mobo's have double or triple the memory slots of an X58 mobo and with CS5 around the corner, that may be a distinct advantage, because you can at reasonable prices go for 24 or even 36 GB memory.
However you remain limited to the standard clock speed and E5520 are not very fast. On the other hand if you were to build the system yourself, you could get an i7-930 at half the price of a i7-960 and overclock it to let's say 3.6 and it will be faster than both a single i7-960 and a dual E5520 at stock speeds.
Unfortunately, there are no tests specifically for AVCHD (there may be in the future for CS5) so a definite answer can not be given to your question, but keep in mind that all the top scores were achieved with raid configurations, so that is an aspect that should not be forgotten.
My advise: Depending on your budget, calculate between 30 - 50% of your budget for disks and raid controller. That will probably limit your choices.
If you have indefinite means available, I would go for dual W5590 or the new Gulftown hexacores, at least 24 GB RAM and an Areca 1880iX-24 with 24 Seagate Cheetah 15K.7 600 GB disks in raid30 and 4 SSD's in raid10 for boot disk. Add a nice nVidia card and a Tesla C2000 co-processor and you are equipped for the next coming years.

Thinking to buy a new 15inch macbook pro retina display. Aim to use it for video editing and compositing... Is ıt worth for it?

Hi... I am a freelance filmmaker. Now I have 2008 model mac pro and I am thinking to buy a new macbook pro 15 inch retina display. Do you think its worth for it? I aim to use the macbook mainly for video editing, video compositing (after effects) and photo editing. My current old mac pro has 12 GB and the graphics card is ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256 MB (Yes I still use it). My main question is, do you think its better to move to macbook pro or upgrading the old one? Making it 32 GB of RAM and buy a new NVIDIA cuda capable graphic card? I dont have enough budget to make it together... Want to hear your suggestions...

I'm not sure, I've seen pro animators use MBPs but usually with a large monitor. Especially doing video editing, compositing and editing it might make more sense to upgrade the Mac Pro to an SSD as the boot drive. What kind of CPU setup is in your Pro?
Check these out:
mac pro SSD upgrades?
SSD as system disk while users folder + data on HDD
Early 2008 8-Core Mac Pro GPU Upgrades
I deal exclusively with OWC. I'd call them and walk them through your system and see what they say.
What you do takes a lot of CPU, RAM, graphics and boot disk power.
I've upgraded my two computers to SSDs and the first thing I noticed was that Photoshop CS6 opens in 7 seconds vrs. 50 seconds when the application was on a HDD.

Which do you think; Windows 7: 32-bit / 64-bit, (plus unused RAM issues) is best for video editing?

Hi there!
Just received delivery of a Lenovo G550 with the following spec:
2.2Ghz Core 2 Duo,
4GB (DDR3 - 1066Hz) RAM,
500GB HDD
NVIDIA GeForce G210M (512MB)
Windows 7
The entire purpose for buying this laptop, was for video editing and it is the best spec I could find for my needs and budget.
So what's the problem?
1) Windows 7 is installed as 32-bit, not 64 bit. Why is this? I was given no choice in this decision.
2) Only 2.96GB of that juicey RAM is being used by Windows 7. I need as much RAM as possible for video editing.
3) Lenovo sent NO install disc. - When I eventually get a virus or my HDD fails, I have NO WAY to clean install the very product I have just purchased! (A laptop with Windows 7 OS).
Considerations:
As I understand it (please comment if there are alternative views on this); The 64-bit architecture is only useful for compatible software which has been designed to run 64-bit.
The video editing software I use is "Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD 9.0"
The suggested problems with Windows 7 run as 64-bit include:
* Possible lack of driver compatibility support.
* Possibility of 32-bit programs running SLOWER in 64-bit environment, than their native 32-bit environment.
* Higher running temperatures & processor cooling issues.
* No performance gains for all other programs running as 32-bit (email, internet browser, etc).
The suggested advantages with Windows 7 run as 64-bit could be:
* Full utilisation of the 4GB RAM. (Presently limited to 2.96GB)
* Faster rendering and video editing tasks in 64-bit environment.
Questions:
4) How can I get an install disc for Windows 7? Shouldn't this come with the computer?
5) Do you think the potential hassle and architecture conflicts are worth suffering, to get the reported performance gains of 64-bit architecture and the remaining unused RAM?
Thank you for any help and advice!

contact lenovo support line for windows 7 dvds, but make sure if they send recovery dvds instead of windows 7 dvd.
most of people are having trouble with installing windows and drivers, so companies has found as this as solution to send recovery dvd -if asked- or using hidden partition to recovery system - like one key recover - instead of.
but if you ask me, they need to send dvds.
i'll contact the mods and admins about this issue, please stay connected to this post.
anyp wrote:
the member should contact lenovo, as of recently users are entitled to request media for 32 / 64 bit if they purchased one and want the other.

Better for Video Editing? MBP 13" or 15" w/9600M GT

I am planning on purchasing a Macbook Pro for relatively extensive use of Final Cut Pro (HD video) along with possibly some light Motion work and video transcoding. In addition I will be using it for photo editing and web editing. I don't plan on using it for any high-end gaming.
I will be purchasing a $200 24" external monitor to use most of the time along with external keyboard and mouse (so MBP screen size isn't an issue), but I need the portability and don't have the funds to purchase an additional dedicated desktop yet.
I am having trouble deciding between the 13" and the 15", mainly due to conflicting opinions I've been hearing over the importance of a dedicated graphics card for video editing. Salespeople at the Apple store tell me it's important and I should get the 15". Research online yielded heated forum arguments over whether it really makes a difference or not.
The price difference is quite significant though at the configurations I picked ($765) so I am seeking advice here for whether people think the cost difference is really justified for my needs. Note that both configurations include 4GB of RAM, smallest hard drive option (i've got external drives) and AppleCare protection.
Pricing with education discount after tax:
13" 2.26GHz - $1520
15" 2.66GHz w/9600M GT 256MB - $2285
*Is there a real difference in video editing performance and if so, is it really worth an extra $765? Or is there a better option that I'm not considering?*

Thanks everyone for the feedback!
Studio X wrote:
Are you planning on making any money at this or are you only in it for fun? Have you ever edited before? Have you ever edited with FCS before? What of the 44 billion HD formats are you planning on editing? Do you have a camera? What format does it record? If it's a flash media based device, what's your back up strategy? How are you planning to externally monitor the HD material ? What are you planning to use as media drives as the system drive should not be used for media capture or playback?
Still, I guess I come down on the side of "it doesn't matter as neither one is a serious editing machine". If I was in the market for a laptop and was limited to the current apple lineup, the only machine of interest is the 17" MacBookPro. The other two MacBookPros you are considering have no expresscard slot and come only with glossy screens - both are serious deficiencies in my world.
I do plan on using this computer professionally. I am a recent college graduate but do have professional FCS editing experience under my belt. However my work was done using both school and employer resources. I do have an archive of work in Mini DV(HDV) and AVCHD formats. I don't currently own an HD camera, however will likely be purchasing one in the near future. As far as externally monitoring HD material, what else would I need other than the 24" external monitor (perfectly capable of full HD) or a separate HDTV? In addition to several older usb2 external drives for backup I do have a 1TB 7200rpm external capable of FW800 and eSATA that I would use as a media drive.
I currently have an old 17" dell notebook with a glossy screen. The screen hasn't really bothered me, but the size and weight of the notebook has. And while the 17" MBP is a little lighter and smaller than my old dell, I would still prefer a 13" or 15". But from the opinions I've been hearing I'm steering away from the 13" and fully realize the downsides to the lack of ExpressCard slot in the current 15" as well. Still wondering while Apple decided to remove it.
MartinR wrote:
If budget is a primary constraint, then consider a refurbished 15" or 17" MBP from Apple, or a used MBP from a reputable supplier.
I hadn't checked into the refurbished options, but now that I did, I found a nice 15" (late 2008 unibody) configuration that would provide a lot more value for the buck. For about $550 more than the new 13" config I would get a faster processor, 2" bigger screen, 9600M 512mb GPU, double the internal storage, removable battery as well as the ExpressCard slot (even though its not listed in specs, it's there). The only trade off I can see is battery life.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC026LL/A?mco=MjE0NjE5MA

Best affordable choice for video editing & other stuff?

I've been a PC user forever. I'm looking to enter the world of Mac. I do video editing with Adobe CC on a windows 7 Destop PC with an i7 Quadcore and have a nice LED monitor. I'd like a Mac capable of doing graphics well and has the processing power of an i7. I was thinking of a Macbook rather than than a iMac because I don't need the built in screen - I already have a very nice LED monitor. I also like the idea of portability. So I figure i could hook up the Macbook to my LED monitor when at my desk, and then be able to port it around when I wanted to go mobile. Is this reasonable? Is a macbook laptop capable of this kind of processing? I know my HP Powerbook with Win7 struggles doing this kind of stuff even though it has a dedicated nVidea Graphics and is an i7 2.3GHz with 16G memory, so I never use my HP laptop for video editing. I thought about the Mac Pro, but that is WAY out of my budget. Is there a Macbook that would be good for video editing and not break the bank? Like I've said, I'v discounted the idea of getting an iMac because of space & (I already have a decent size LED monitor that I'd like to continue to use and share with my Windows PC.

the last 2 and the bottom of this link would be more than adequate: http://store.apple.com/us/buy-mac/macbook-pro

What Macbook Pro to get for video editing?

For software like adobe after effects cs5, what macbook would be the best, I have pretty limited money so is the base model ok? if not whitch one works well?
Thanks!

The top end non-retina, 15" anti-glare is the best. SSD preferred, has a Superdrive. RAM and hard drive upgradable later by the user.
The retina has a glossy screen which is hard on the eyes and using in various places, it's battery life is terrible and the images are not correct as it's blowing things up to mach the higher pixel rate. No Superdrive. You can't open the machine up, you can't clean the fans of dust you can't upgrade it later, you will have to max it out at purchase for a small fortune and go way over budget. Plus there really isn't too much difference in the quality of the screen with regular MBP's anyway, just eats battery life to drive that huge pixel screen. You'll be replacing it a lot sooner than the standard 15"
Don't waste your money on the 13", it lacks a dedicated graphics, the CPU does it thus it's HOT. Won't 3D game well if your also into play.
Top end 15" antiglare is perfect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X0wo6dIsMU
Actually the MacPro is the perfect choice of power and performance for video editing, with it's substancial cooling. But you want a laptop , just know things will take longr and the machien will be hotter as a result and wear out sooner if your doing 3D gaming or video often.

Best external monitor for text editing

Hi all - I have a 2011 MBP and want to connect it to an external monitor (+ mouse and keyboard) for text editing and web browsing. Text clarity is very important to me. First I've tried to connect a mainstream Acer monitor, and then Lenovo ThinkVision eIPS LT2452pwc at work, and in both cases Mac fonts looked somewhat "fuzzy" where Windows and Linux fonts looked nice and sharp. In all cases I've used native screen resolution. There is nothing wrong with Laptop either (I tried a couple), and it has probably to do with different antialiasing algorithm that Apple is using, which looks good on higher pixel density laptop panels, but not that great on exteranal monitors.
So... any advice from those using Macs with external monitor for text tasks? Obviously there are Mac displays, but I have some concerns about the glare. Then I heard good feedback about Dell UltraSharp and NEC IPS monitors. Trully appreciate your input for somebody new to Mac.

Yes, I did get Dell Ultrasharp U2713HM. I am happy with it with one caviat (which would be the same for 27 Apple monitor). The picture quality is absolutely amazing - the text is very shart and clear, I can't imagine it to be better. The color is very good and natural, plenty of brigtness and contrast to produce a good picture in any light conditions, plus *no glare* screen surface, arguably making this monitor better than the Apple monitor.
The somewhat unexpected caviat is that since this monitor packs pretty high resolution in a 27" screen, the text appears smaller than on most other monitors (but would be the same as on Apple 27" monitor). It even *appears* smaller than on my 13" Macbook Pro, however at closer examination, that turned out to be not true. The text on the monitor is actually bigger than on laptop, but looks smaller since typically the external monitor is farther away from the eyes than a laptop monitor.
At first I wanted to return the monitor and exchange for smaller and lower DPI (read bigger text) 24" Ultrasharp, but then got used to my 27" monitor and decided to keep it. Hope this helps.

Which configurations are really important for video editing?

Hi everyone,
I'm a newbie looking for the best compromise budget Mac for AVCHD 1080p video editing with Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Premiere CS6 and Adobe Aftereffects. The storage space is not important as I'm planning to keep all the files on a Thunderbolt-connected EHD (any comments on this?).
Currently, I'm working on a iMac 27'' 3.4GHz i7 16GB 1600 MHz DDR3 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675 MX 1024 MB and would like to get a personal machine that also works (as) smooth, but for a smaller budget. These are the options I currently have:
1. Mac mini (late 2012) MD387xx/A
2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
16GB DDR3 SDRAM
Intel HD 4000
500 GB HD
Thunderbolt USB 3
802.11n WiFi + Bluetooth 4.0
2. iMac 27'' (mid 2011)
2.7GHZ Intel Core i5
16GB 1333 MHz DDR3
AMD Radeon HD 6770M 512 MB
1TB HDD
3. MacBook Pro 17'' (early 2011)
2.3GHz Intel Core i7
8 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 RAM
AMD Radeon HD 6750M 1024 MB
Intel HD Graphics 3000 512 MB
500 GB SATA Storage
How important is the duo- or quad-core?
Which graphic card would be the best suited for video editing and graphics on FCPX/AfterEffects?
Which one would you go for if looking for a stable, strong performance for up to 5 years?
Thanks in advance for any tips!

I would also post here:
https://discussions.apple.com/community/professional_applications/final_cut_pro_ x

Mac Pro for Video Editing?

So I have an awesome Mac Pro computer at work all well equiped with all the bells and wistles for video editing and now I'm looking to upgrade my machine at home which is currently just a macbook pro with a second monitor.
My one concern is that the Mac Pro has not been updated in sometime. Obviously the mac bro route would be best for me being in video production so I can easily upgrade component with the never ending technology that keeps changing. Now the concern about buying a Mac Pro right now is the possibilites of it being upgraded. Now I understand things are obviously always being upgraded and things are never up to date for very long. However I'm concerned that if in like 3-4 months they came out with something and changed the decision that I maybe screwed for upgrade components along the way.
Just thought I'd get some insight from some of you and what your suggestions maybe?
Thanks in advance.

budget, time-line, stomach for 1.0 revamp (every new model, 2012 could be 3x), lack of Rosetta of course.
production never = bleeding edge, go for a mature well tested proven design - expect to see firmware change, compatibility issues, and 3-4 months for a unified build and drivers rolled out, no?
a nice $2200 "hold me over the hump" for the next 6-12 months for now, W3690/X3690 DIY (the w3680 3.33 6-core is mere $620)
no easy answer that I see with all the products Intel has on their plates.

Suitable laptop for video editing

Hello,
for months now I am looking for a suitable laptop for video editing of my footage captured by Canon 60D (and also GoPro). Since it is in a HD quality and h.264 format it puts a great strain on the CPU. I already had to return an ASUS U30J and Dell XPS14 both with i7 processors because of their terribly slow performance :(. So now, I really want to be 100% sure that the laptop will be able to smoothly handle my footage. I am using Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 for video editing and I do need a laptop (preferably 15'') as I travel all the time.
Here are the specifications of the Force 16F2 laptop built on MSI 16F2 (from the xoticpc.com), which I have chosen so far:
FORCE 16F2 / MSI 16F2
- 15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Glare Type Screen
- 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2720QM, 2.2-3.3GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache)
- IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU (Cools better than all Compounds)
- nVidia GeForce GTX 560M 1,536MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
- 12,288MB (12GB) DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (2x4GB 2x2GB)-
- Standard Finish
- - 500GB (w/ 4GB SSD Memory) Seagate XT 7200RPM NCQ Hybrid 32MB Cache (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)- or 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)--
- 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)-
- Raid 0 Stripe Enabled (Requires 2 or 3 Hard Drives. Combines Hard Drives for performance)
- 500GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) in ODD Bay
- 3 Year Complete Care Warranty - 3 Year Parts with Ground Shipping, 24/7 Telephone Tech Support & Lifetime Labor Warranty
I would like to ask you what do you think about this configuration regarding my requirements? Will this system be powerful enough to handle the h.264 footage? I would like to use both the SLR camera and the laptop as long as possible and don't have to change the laptop in one year time or so. That's why I would like the system to be powerful enough to withstand even future demands of the software, etc.
I was also not sure about the 500GB (w/ 4GB SSD Memory) Seagate XT 7200RPM NCQ Hybrid 32MB Cache (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s. Do you think it is a smart choice? Is the 4GB SSD memory of any use? Or should I rather go with the 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)?
I don't have any previous experience with the raid system, do you think that the Raid 0 Stripe Enabled (Requires 2 or 3 Hard Drives. Combines Hard Drives for performance) is the right choice for smooth video editing? I know that I have to use at least 2 hard drives so that's why I'd rather order 3 HDD to get the best performance..
This configuration is worth 1800USD, I would obviously like to save some money as I will need to pay also the shipping costs, tax and duty (I currently live in New Delhi)... So if you think that something from the system might be downgraded and I would still get good video editing results, please let me know.
Do you think that the 3 Year Complete Care Warranty - 3 Year Parts with Ground Shipping, 24/7 Telephone Tech Support & Lifetime Labor Warranty is of any use when I am not from the US? Should I rather go with the 1 Year warranty?
I would very much appreciate any feedback from you!
Misha

Frederick, I will firstly answer your questions, I am in no way a pro video editor, my projects are up to 10MB of size although I wasn't yet able to edit the h.264 footage properly ... I mostly do events and quite simple projects, effects, two to three timelines... I use only h.264, my older projects are in DV quality thought. I usually have to rush to finish a project since I have limited time during the travels.. I usually work at one, maximum two projects at the same time
Now, I have been trying to figure out what would be the best configuration for me and ended up with these two options, which are touching (maybe even overflowing) my budget... Both are worth around USD2100 (without shipping, etc.). Either I will be going for one SSD disk for the OS or for maximum CPU and RAM. Which configuration would you recommend me? Do you think that the second configuration is an overkill when taken into account the size and scope of my projects?
With SSD disk:
FORCE 16F2 / MSI 16F2
- 15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Matte Type Screen
- 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2720QM, 2.2-3.3GHz, (32nm, 6MB L3 cache)
- IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU (Cools better than all Compounds)
- nVidia GeForce GTX 560M 1,536MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
- 10,240MB (10GB) DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (1x4GB 3x2GB)
- Standard Finish
- - 120GB OCZ Vertex 3 MAX IOPS Sandforce Solid State Drive (Up to Sequential Read 550MB/s - Write 500MB/s SSD Serial-ATA III)
- - 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)-
- HDD Raid Settings - OFF
- 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) in ODD Bay
- 3 Year Complete Care Warranty - 3 Year Parts with Ground Shipping, 24/7 Telephone Tech Support & Lifetime Labor Warranty
With better CPU and RAM:
FORCE 16F2 / MSI 16F2
- 15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Matte Type Screen
- 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2820QM, 2.3-3.4GHz, (32nm, 8MB L3 cache)
- IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU (Cools better than all Compounds)
- nVidia GeForce GTX 560M 1,536MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
- 16,384MB (16GB) DDR3 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (4x4GB)-SPECIAL
- Standard Finish
- - 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)-
- - 750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache Buffer (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s)-
- HDD Raid Settings - OFF
- 320GB 7200RPM WD or Seagate (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) in ODD Bay
- Stock OEM Thermal Compound ( IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU Provided FREE with Processor Upgrade!)
- Internal 7-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/MMC/RS)
- Internal Bluetooth + EDR
- Built-in 802.11 Wireless B/G/N - Stock Wireless Card
- Integrated Digital Video Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell)
- 3 Year Complete Care Warranty - 3 Year Parts with Ground Shipping, 24/7 Telephone Tech Support & Lifetime Labor Warranty
Frederick, regarding the RAM I checked the 8GB option and it comes in 2GBx4 so I won't be able to save those slots. Plus I have been searching for prices of the RAM, HDD and SSD in the US and they don't seem to be that great for me to even consider them... I would simply have to pay more and would end up with unused parts from the basic configuration. I think that the Xoticpc have quite reasonable prices of the upgrades they offer... Plus I can count on higher prices of the components here in India so all in all I think that it would cost me too much energy and save me minimum bucks... That's why I thought I might go for the 16GB RAM straight away if it isn't an overkill for me. As I said before, I would love to save money (after all I am a woman who controls the common budget) so please let me know, if I am just wasting money for high end technology which I won't be able to use . I rather think that in the future once I will finally be able to make some money when I will have a machine to work on, I might upgrade to better hard drives (SSD possibly). But right now I need a laptop on which I would be able to smoothly edit the HD h.264 footage.
Thank you very much for your help!

Low budget pc for HD editing

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