Mac Mini - Final Cut Pro HD rendering

Hi
I have the late 2009 model mac mini, which I'm using to edit with final cut pro 7.
Up until recently I have always used DV footage, but I'm currently editing a project using HD footage from two cameras, one filmed at 720p the other with 1080p. The 720 footage is fine but the 1080 footage requires rendering each time I make any changes at all. I currently have the RT set to safe, and the playback set to dynamic. I've tried changing these settings which result in no change.
My question is - if I upgrade my mac mini to 8gb of ram instead of the 4gb currently installed, will this solve my issue?

NO. 8GB RAM is ideal for HD editing. But RAM isn't invovled in RT playback. The CPU and hard drive are. On an iMac you are stuck with FW800 external as your Scratch Disk, and this is just barely fast enough to deal with HD editing.
To make things run more efficiently, I'd make sure the codec of both camera footage match. That will save your CPU and hard drive a lot of work. I'm going to get the 720 is DVCPRO-HD and the 1080 is HDV? Any Long-GOP footage is going to bog down on FW800, so change it to either ProRes. Or if the 720 footage is Panasonic DVCPRO-HD then transcode it to that. That FW800 drive, and the GPU on that model of iMac are simply the best for HD video editing.
Set RT to Unlimited, Dynamic, you'll get the most playback out of it you can, once the codec issue is settled.

Similar Messages

Not quite buyers remorse, but... Mac Mini, final cut pro x

Yesterday I bought my first mac, a late 2012 mac mini 2.3 GHz i7 with 4GB RAM. I do some very semi-professional video work and for years have been using a PC I built with Sony Vegas and it was time to get mac.
I know I took a chance with the mac mini, considering it doesn't have dedicated GPU, but it's not as snappy as I expected. To be fair, I've ordered RAM to get this machine up to 16GB, so maybe it will get better.
What I'm wondering is if there's any other mac mini users who have are using final cut pro x and adobe photoshop with similar specs?
I may be returning this and building my own PC again, I don't know. I really want this mac to be as awesome as I think it can be. Any experiences is appreciated.

Not FinalCut, but I do use Adobe Premiere, Encore and AfterEffects as well as PS, Dreamweaver and Audition.
PS was terribly slow with the OEM 4Gb. My Mini is a Corei5.
I first bumped up to 8Gb and that helped, but Premiere was still slow rendering. Photoshop worked well.
I have 16Gb now and I can run PS or Premiere with a Virtual Machine running too, and no lag at all.

Mac Mini & Final Cut Pro X: Intel Core i5 vs. Intel Core i7?

The Intel Core i5 is a dual-core, while the Intel Core i7 is a quad-core. Which one should I get and which one is more beneficial? Will I notice a difference in performance between the two? Besides FCPX, I'm also going to be listening to music, browsing the Internet, creating discs, and playing games. I know that the Macs no longer have a disc drive, but I am going to be buying an external disc drive.

Like woodmeister50, I generally buy the top of the model line (I have a late 2012 Mac mini with the 2.6GHz i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and Fusion drive) on the theory it will perform well enough to last through at least one more generation before I am longing for an upgrade. That said, given what you say you are planning to do with your Mac mini you are unlikely to notice a difference in performance between the i5 and i7 processors. However, you are likely to notice a difference between the model with only an HDD and one with a Fusion Drive. The Fusion drive will yield disk I/O performance that feels like a SSD but with the capacity of an HD. That could be a noticeable difference using FCPX.
NOTE: You mentioned games and with highly graphic intensive RPGs you may not be satisfied with the performance of the Intel video processor in the mini. If you are a serious gamer I would recommend you consider an iMac or even a Mac Pro for their superior video performance.

Is Adobe Lightroom compatible with Mac's Final Cut Pro & iPhoto?

Is Adobe Lightroom compatible with Mac's Final Cut Pro?
I have 27" Mac Pro and I'm a Fine Art Photographer. I need features similar to LR. But I need to know ~ is it is compatible with my Final Cut Pro & iPhoto?

What kind of compatibility are you looking for?

I have two "MACs" and Final Cut Pro 7. I need a license to use this same software on both "Macs" How do I get it?

I have two "MACs" and Final Cut Pro 7.
I need a license to use this same software on both "Macs"
How do I get it?

You don't. You can install the same copy of FCP-7 on two macs (as long as you own both macs). You can't operate both copies at the same time.
MtD

My Final Cut Pro X rendering issue

Hi,
I'm new to using Final Cut Pro X and was hoping someone could help me with the issue I'm experiencing.
My Final Cut Pro X keeps rendering. As soon as I open up the application it just renders and I can’t do anything. It won’t move past 4%. I've rebooted my Mac five times already. I've recently uploading videos to the timeline (the last time I logged on) and it's 22 minutes.
How can I fix this issue? I have plenty of space on my Mac's hard drive.
If anyone could help, that would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Alicia

I can see that Innocentius replied, but can't see the reply. So this may be redundant to his post.
When you import media, you are given many options – to copy to events, to optimize, to analyze, and so forth. Which options did you elect?
What kind of media are you using? And if it came from a camera, describe how yoi brought it into FCP.
If you hot Command-9, it will open the Background Tasks window. What does it indicate is going on? Better yet, post a screenshot of the window.
Russ

Suitable macs for final cut pro?

Hello everybody,
I decided to switch to a MAC, in order to learn Final Cut Pro, but I need a clarification.
I'm interested in an iMAC 21.5inch, base model, so with a graphic card "NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory" (taken from the site).
I'm afraid that final cut pro is not supporting such a system, can you please confirm (or not) my impression?
Thank you very much!

Final Cut Pro will work perfectly on the cheapest iMac.
The graphics card may impinge on the performance of Color (one of the apps included in Final Cut Studio) but if you are an amateur you are unlikely to be too bothered about that.

Premiere Pro CS3 on Mac versus Final Cut Pro

Any of you working on a mac with Premiere Pro CS3? If so, why did you choose Premiere over Final Cut Pro?
I'm currently using a Matrox RTX100 on a custom made PC that has all the correct pieces of hardware to make it work. It's running PPro 1.5 and I'm looking to upgrade to a new computer and wanted to know if PPro CS3 runs better or like butter on a Mac versus a PC. I will be using a Raid 0 1TB drive from G-Raid. For Mac the other option is Final Cut Studio 2.
I've been a Premiere user since 1999-2000 and have had my share of grief with it but have grown to like it very much especially with the integration with AE.
I want to know what your thoughts are if you were in the same position.
Thanks,
Frank

I'm using PP CS3 on the Mac, having recently switched from a Windows machine. Since I already owned the Windows version of CS3 Adobe allowed me to "crossgrade" to Mac for the cost of shipping. I took a look at FCP but saw no compelling reason to make the switch in editing programs. If you do a lot of editing in HD it might be a different story as PP doesn't include an intermediate codec (FCP does), has issues with HDV video/audio sync and lacks native support for XDCAM. Hopefully these particular weaknesses in PP will be addressed soon.
PP CS3 on the Mac has worked very well for me so far. The integration with AE is excellent. One other thing to note is that PP is available as a stand only app. This is no longer true of FCP, where you are forced to buy the entire Studio 2.

Ok I am looking at macs for final cut pro

I want to find the best option to run final cut pro x and motion, can anyone give me any advice...
the iMacs are simply not powerful enough
I am waiting for the next edition of MacPros from Apple in Europe
and the other option is looking at Hackintosh
can anyone suggest the following
RAM?
Disk?
Graphics Card?
Sound Card for Logic?
Thanks

Hi there
Your characterization that "iMacs are simply not powerful enough" is not accurate. You can customize the iMac to be very powerful if you want to spend the money.
Processor
Get amazing performance from the quad-core Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor, which features four processor cores on a single chip. Choose the speed and processor you want.
Processor
3.2GHz Quad-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
3.4GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz [Add $200.00]
Memory
More memory (RAM) increases performance and enables your computer to perform faster and better. Choose additional 1600MHz DDR3 memory for your iMac.
Memory
8GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB
16GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X8GB [Add $200.00]
32GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x8GB [Add $600.00]
Storage
Configure your iMac with a large Serial ATA hard drive. Or choose flash storage for greater performance. Or get the best of both worlds and select Fusion Drive.
Storage
1TB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
3TB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm [Add $150.00]
1TB Fusion Drive [Add $250.00]
3TB Fusion Drive [Add $400.00]
768GB Flash Storage [Add $900.00]
Graphics
Your iMac features next-generation NVIDIA graphics based on the Kepler architecture. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX with 1GB of dedicated GDDR5 video memory comes standard for superior graphics performance. For even better graphics response, configure your iMac with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX with 2GB of dedicated GDDR5 video memory.
Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX 1GB GDDR5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX 2GB GDDR5 [Add $150.00]
In fact I'm using a late 2007 model iMac and it seems to work fine with FCPX.
See here for specifications. http://support.apple.com/kb/SP624
IMHO buy the best equipment you can afford rather than waiting for some undetermined time for a product update that may or may not come. And, I'd stay away from the Frankentosh. You may end up spending a lot of time and money not to mention frustration using one of those machines.
Carl

Importing from Final Cut Pro-improving rendered quality

Is it possible to render an exported movie in FInal Cut so that it can be immediately written to the DVD rather than be rerendered/ compressed? FC allows you to create MPEG2, the same as iDVD or DVDs generally?
Failing that. my guess is that the export from FC should be with as little compression as possible (Animation, None, others ?). I have been quite disappointed with the end result quality in the burned disc seen on a TV, it doesn't look nearly as good as on the computer monitor. Perhaps this is a function of the limited resolution of TV/ versus the 720x480 DV. But I'm also getting color noise on black backgrounds, elements that I suspect are created by compression.

Hello,
Rendering and compression are two different beasts. If you are working in the DV format then you want to stay (render) in the DV format. Rendering to another format (HD, Animation, etc...) is not going to give you any more quality than what is already there: DV in this case. Compression takes your current format (DV) and turns it into an MPEG 2 (for most cases) for burning to a DVD. Keep in mind that 1-hour of DV is 13gigs while a DVD can only hold 4.7/4.3 gigs so the material must be compressed. Next, as you have surmised, these codecs were designed for SD Television display which has a much lower resolution than you computer monitor & also only displays one field at a time, alternating between two fields very quickly. The difference between interlacing fields and progressive scan. When editing in FC, you can hook a deck (or your camera) up to the computer and also send a signal via the analog outputs of the camera to a TV (I use an el cheapo 13" Philips but it serves my purposes). This allows you to have an idea of what the material will look like on a TV rather than the computer monitor.
FC will use Compressor to create the MPEG 2 files (compression) for a DVD. iDVD uses the same compression engine but does not give you control over the variables of the compression. However, iDVD cannot use an MPEG 2 file created by Compressor, iDVD wants to do it's own Compression. When exporting out of FC, you can either save the file as a reference file or as a self contained movie (using the same settings you captured with, DV in this case). You can drag either of these files to iDVD for compression/burning. The following is by stock answer on iDVD & quality:
Quality and iDVD- Quality is subjective; what one person finds as good another may not. Quality is also highly dependant upon input. In other words: quality in, quality out; garbage in, garbage out. It is helpful to have a basic understanding of what makes a DVD a DVD. When you record on mini-DV you are recording to an already compressed format. Arguably a very good compressed format but compressed nonetheless. This means information is being tossed at the point you are using the camcorder. iDVD, or any DVD authoring app on any computer, Windoze or Mac, compresses this material even further into the MPEG 2 format for playback via a tabletop DVD player. Now mini-DV has about 30 frames per second (NTSC). MPEG (in a very basic nutshell) takes a picture about twice every 30 frames and uses this as a reference frame and then only records the motion difference between that reference frame and the next time it creates a reference frame. So you go from 30 frames/second to TWO, with motion difference! This is how one hour of DV which is 13 gigs, can be compressed to fit onto one DVD. Two hours would be 26 gigs of DV compressed to one DVD! Hence the general quality difference between one-hour and two. And keep in mind that is compression will show artifacts that may have always been there but you didnt see until the other 28 frames where tossed out.
Having a basic understanding of what makes a DVD can help you make better DVDs. As example, if you see that your recordings have a lot of motion that is bad. Remember, when compress to DVD it only records the motion difference so you want to keep the camera steady and use slow controlled movements (pans & zooms). Quick pans or zooms or jerky movements are the bane of any MPEG compression scheme.
That is just one example. There are thousands more. Sometimes, merely recording to a different blank media yields better results. iDVD has a unique way of discovering bad RAM, so if you have added any RAM lately, this may affect your quality. The list goes on. /End my standard reply.
Black also poses difficulties for compression (fades to and from black, black with no motion and so on) since the Compression is looking for motion. The first step in "fixing" this is understanding it. What are your black backgrounds? Can

Slim 2010 Mac mini & Final Cut Studio 3

Hello all,
Is anyone running Final Cut Studio 3 on one of the new 2010 slim Mac minis or mini server? Is it really slow or is it running OK.
Thank you all very much.
Message was edited by: MLCinema

Some things to consider when you are deciding what to buy...
What are your needs?
Are you playing with FCS or will it be paying the bills?
If you are planning on doing a lot of work then you will need an additional hard drive to your system drive either internal or external.
Some machines don't allow for adding internal hard drives.
You will want at least 2G's of RAM to run FCS
Make sure you get a video card that can handle Motion if you plan on using that app.
There are plenty more gotchas that can pop up depending on what your plans are so think it through and remember sometimes going cheaper can cost you more in the long run than if you had just shelled out a little more in the beginning

Final Cut Pro ProRes Rendering

I have a question. I have been working in final cut for a while now and recently jumped over to the canon 5D mark II and 7D. I convert all H.264 to prores LT or HQ and of course when I drag in a clip in converts my timeline automatically for me. The problem is now everytime I make even the smallest adjustment to my timeline I have to re render everything which has brought my work flow to a screeching halt. Here is the catch. If I work in native H.264 it is very glitchy but I don't have to re render everytime I touch the footage. Any Help.
Thanks
iMac 2.93 dualcore, FCS 2, CS4 Master Suite.

If you add a clip to the timeline, and have to render...then something is wrong. If you make a change to a clip, and have to render...then something is wrong. Somewhere the sequence settings and clip settings don't match. now, you said...
I convert all H.264 to prores LT or HQ
Why TWO formats? If you convert some to LT, and some to HQ, and say you have an LT sequence, whenever you add HQ footage to that sequence, you will have to render. Why? because ProRes HQ settings don't match that of LT. They are different codecs. LT, 422, HQ. Pick one. HQ is overkill...takes up 2/3 more space with zero quality improvement. So stick to LT or ProRes 422. And choose ONE codec to convert to...not two.
how are you converting?
Shane

Apple Final cut pro X rendering, Apple Final cut pro X rendering

i am using i mac 27" with 1 tb hdd, 4 gb ram, 1gb video ram, when i work with a project , if background renddring is 'on' it will have some 'jerk' problem, and also when i browse the media fcp x will take some time to display the thumb. some time the timeline is smooth. totaly when i use fcp X is not co-operate with smooth editing , is this is my i mac problem or software problem, i am working in aftereffects there is no problem.
justin

That is exactly the situation I have. I have a 120G SSD that is my startup drive. It houses FCPX. I have a second 1 Terabyte internal drive that contains all my events, projects, media, etc.
I do not see how I can free up 80 Gs on my startup drive. There would be no room for anything else.
This whole issue is happening to my second project. The first project - a ten minute collection of stills (283) with cross fades in-between renders quite quickly.

Final Cut Pro X Renders REALLY SLOWLY

Everytime I use FCPX, it is such a pain. Whenever I do the simplest task, such as adding a title, or altering a title in the inspector, or anything like that, I get the spinning rainbow wheel of death, and it shows in the background tasks bar that it is rendering. Not to mention that it takes really long to import any media. All tasks take a long time and it is a huge thorn in my side when I'm trying to get into an editing groove. I'm on FCP 10.7 and my macbook pro specs are 5GB, 400GB, 2.53 ghz, i5. Anyone have any ideas/run into these problems?

Need to post this in the FCP-X forum, located here.
MtD

If I buy a used Mac with Final Cut Pro and other software pre-installed, will they be updateable?

I want to buy a used Mac for video editing and there are alot of them with FCPX and other software already installed. If I buy one of these will I be able to do future updates to the software?

If they were downloaded from the Mac App store, no. In fact, the licenses are not transferable. Technically, it's not legal to sell you the machine with apps from the Mac App store still installed.

Mac Mini - Final Cut Pro HD rendering

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for