iMac for video editing

I'm trying to decide whether to get an iMac or a MacBook Pro to do video editing. Generally speaking, i've been inclined toward the desktop, but i have 2 concerns:

1) Will the glossy screen make editing difficult because of the reflections? in the store, i found the glare kind of annoying, but i'd like to hear from editors who have spent time on it.

2) The new MacBook Pro has a better video card, which is not yet available with the iMac, a NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 512MB instead of an ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB memory in the iMac. How much of a difference will this make with FinalCut Pro?

thanks

The glare is entirely dependent upon the lighting in the room in which it will be used. My brother has an iMac and since his room has soft lighting, he doesn't get any glares on his screen. However, if you happen to have bright fluorescent lighting like they do at stores, you might run into a bit of trouble.

The video card isn't going to provide much help in terms of video editing, it's more of a help when it comes to rendering things. Video editing is entirely dependent upon the CPU, memory, and hard drive.

Kash is quite correct on that account. Video card ram is not going to help much in this situation. Basically, the video ram is for the 3D modeling people who should be on mac pros anyway, or the Windows converts that still need to game under Bootcamp.

I run light video editing on a 20" iMac, and it works just fine. I've also run it on a Mini, too. The Mini is basically a Macbook without a screen or battery, if you look at its hardware. Editing video is somewhat faster on the iMac, for no other reason that the iMac uses a full-size 3.5 inch hard drive, and the Mini (like the Macbook and Macbook pro) uses a 2.5 in hard drive.

You generally get better performance from the larger desktop drives than laptop drives. Without getting super-technical, I'll say that 2.5 inch drives are designed with low power in mind, to help extend laptop battery life at the cost of raw performance. 3.5 inch drives do not have to worry about power, as the machine is plugged into the wall.

BTW - MacLife did a test of the current-gen iMac, and stated they found the iMac 11% faster in iLife than the Macbook Pro at the same processor speed. Here's the link: http://www.maclife.com/article/apple_20_inch_2_4_ghz_imac

Don't get me wrong, though - the Macbook Pro and even the entry-level Macbook are fully capable of editing video. It really depends on what your needs are. If you're doing on-site videography, the Macbook is probably your best choice, as on-site post production is nice to have. If you're bringing media back to your desk to edit, then the iMac would be your best bet.

BTW - I haven't noticed a bunch of screen glare, but I work with my iMac backlit (lamps behind the screen) - it's much easier on the eyes. Unless I'm wearing something white, I never see any glare.

Good luck on your purchase - the good news is that you can't make a "wrong" choice; it's either "good" or "better"... unless you can afford the "best" in the form of a mac pro!

Kash said:

The video card isn't going to provide much help in terms of video editing, it's more of a help when it comes to rendering things. Video editing is entirely dependent upon the CPU, memory, and hard drive.

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RT (real time) Extreme does take advantage of better video cards. That ability makes editing a nicer experience when applying effects, and perhaps other video that needs rendering.

nadia, see the FCS specs to help in deciding what you really need. Color and Motion are very demanding applications. You need to consider what you will be using and doing.

You tend to get more bang for your buck with desktops. Bigger & better displays, faster & larger drives, faster and higher end CPUs, and even faster graphics engines given the exact same engine. If you really don't need a laptop, a desktop is the way to go.

I also was in this situation..

I was going to buy a new MBP to do some video editing but decided to purchase a REFURBISHED 2.0 20" Imac with upgraded 4g of ram, 250g hard drive and also a REFURBISED 2.2 macbook 160g hard drive and soon to be upgraded to 4g of ram also.. I figure I can get 2 toys for the price of one..

Thanks for all the input. i also meant to ask, if i go with the imac, what's the difference performance-wise for FCP with the cheaper 24" vs. the fancier 24"? is the lower-end one sufficient?

The only two web pages I could find are here and here. If it is worth the extra cash is up to you.