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Video editing Query!

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Hi!

I'm considering making the move from PC to Mac. I am getting involved with video and potentially am going to be helping with putting together a programme for TV. Not entirely sure whether it will be shot in HD, but there is the potential for that.

I'm not sure which Mac would be suitable? Is the Macbook/Macbook Pro suitable or should I be considering the iMac. Given that the Macs are more expensive than PCs I don't want to make an expensive mistake. Also any advice on a video editing packages - is Final Cut Studio/Pro any good?

Any advice would be great!

Thanks.
 
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Hi! Welcome to the forums! First off, do you have any editing expirence? Do you understand the concepts? (1080i/p, framerate..) Are you a pro?

I currently edit with final cut pro (which is included in Final Cut Studio). At the beginning, it was hard to get used to, cause i was also coming from a pc. oh.. what app are you using on the pc?

There are a few packages you can edit with on the mac,

if you are just starting out with final cut, I would reccomend the iMac 20" with the folling specs:

Subtotal $1,674.00 (USD)

2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
250GB Serial ATA Drive
ATI Radeon X1600/128MB VRAM
SuperDrive 8X (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Apple Keyboard & Mighty Mouse + Mac OS X (US English)
20-inch widescreen LCD
AirPort Extreme
Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR

You can easilly run Final Cut Studio, but render times may not be so fast.

If you want to go with an easilly upgrade (which is good for starting out), I would go with a Mac Pro with the following specs:

Subtotal $2,997.00 (USD)

Two 2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon
2GB (4 x 512MB)
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT 256MB (single-link DVI/dual-link DVI)
One 16x SuperDrive
Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse - U.S. English
Mac OS X - U.S. English

+ monitor (which is $699 (USD)

OR oyu could go with a mobile package with the following specs:

Price: $2799

2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1680 x 1050 pixels
2GB memory
160GB hard drive1
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics with 256MB SDRAM


oh.. and for a comparison of final cut vs. imovie vs. express, visit

http://www.apple.com/finalcut/
 
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Hi!

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! I'm not a pro - just starting out and I've only had limited experience editing. I originally used Pinnacle Studio on the PC and more recently Adobe Premiere Pro. The project I'll be working on is church related - basically it'll involved editing something to about 15 mins ready for broadcast on a Sky Digital Channel.

I'm fed up with PC continually crashing etc....looking for a more stable OS. Also read that Macs are better for image/video work.

Thanks for your recommendations re various Macs - appreciate that. I'm torn between having the mobile option (Macbook Pro?) or the desktop version (iMac). Slightly swaying to the mobile option, for the obvious reasons - but would rather make decision based on whether the Macbook Pro/iMac is more suited to video editing etc? From your experience, what do you advise?

I hope in the future to take on additional projects - video related, so trying to plan ahead as well.

Thanks again
 
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wow! i also was using pinnacle studio! Based on what you plan on doing, the iMac or MacBook Pro would be good for you. Whats your budget? A macbook is not for final cut, apple says you cant even install it.

The macbook pros specs that i mentioned above are higher than the iMacs, (except for the hard drive). The macbook pro is a great computer, (and im saving up for one right now!)
 
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Hi! I'm based in the UK.....it would ideal if I could buy it in the USA as the exchange rate is very good for us at the moment!!!!

My budget is probably about $2,500 (£1,300).....less if I can get away with it. Is there a noticeable difference between 2.16GHz and 2.33GHz? One other unrelated query - I had got a 19" TFT screen for my PC - do you know if you can connect those type of screens up to a Mac?

Also - is it worth waiting for the new OS from Apple? Or can you just get an upgrade at a later point?
 
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Hi! I'm based in the UK.....it would ideal if I could buy it in the USA as the exchange rate is very good for us at the moment!!!!

OK... ill work in us prices then.

My budget is probably about $2,500 (£1,300).....less if I can get away with it. Is there a noticeable difference between 2.16GHz and 2.33GHz?
Maybe you sould get the 15" model then, its not as good for editing, cause the screen is smaller. Take a look at it with the following specs:

Price: $2499 USD
2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1440 x 900 pixels
2GB memory
120GB hard drive1
6x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics with 256MB SDRAM

One other unrelated query - I had got a 19" TFT screen for my PC - do you know if you can connect those type of screens up to a Mac?
Yes, you can. I think the macbook pro will come with an adapter, and with the imac, you would need to buy it sepratly. What inputs does it have (VGA, DVI)?

Also - is it worth waiting for the new OS from Apple? Or can you just get an upgrade at a later point?

You can upgrade later
 
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Your Mac's Specs
2011 MBP, i7, 16GB RAM, MBP 2.16Ghz Core Duo, 2GB ram, Dual 867Mhz MDD, 1.75GB ram, ATI 9800 Pro vid
My budget is probably about $2,500 (£1,300).....less if I can get away with it.
...
Also - is it worth waiting for the new OS from Apple? Or can you just get an upgrade at a later point?
If your budget is $2500 for both the computer and editing software, then I suggest you look at buying an iMac Core 2 Duo refurb. Final Cut Studio is $1300 by it self. From your description iMovie might work out. You could also try Final Cut Express to get more pro features.

The newer version of OS X, Leopard, is expected no later than June. That could slide, but Apple has been very good with their delivery schedules. The upgrade cost has been US$129 so far. The question is, will it have features you need and will it have bugs you can't put up with. You might be better off buying a machine with Tiger now, and waiting a few months after Leopard's release to get into that version.
 
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i do some editing and i use final cut studio as well. i run it on my macbook pro and it runs perfectly. i also have 2GHz core duo chip with 1 gig of memory and i never experienced a lag when editing. just make sure you have as much memory as you can afford since the small difference in the processor speed won't be as significant as extra memory.
 

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