Posted by Smarty on 10/09/06 05:11

The original post was indeed regarding HDV editing. Read the subject line of
this thread (:8 While 4 GB is not ***required*** to do HDV editing, I am
sure glad I updated from 2 GB to 4 GB. The performance, while not at all
snappy, is certainly faster.

Smarty


"FCP User" <newvideo@fastq.com> wrote in message
news:newvideo-4BFBCB.20340808102006@news.west.cox.net...
> In article <timepixdc-E05C4A.13155308102006@news.central.cox.net>,
> timepixdc <timepixdc@aol.comx> wrote:
>
>> In article <newvideo-192C87.21561207102006@news.west.cox.net>,
>> FCP User <newvideo@fastq.com> wrote:
>>
>> > > Really? Numbers please. If you're an Apple Pro Reseller it shouldn't
>> > > be
>> > > hard for you to get them.
>> >
>> > Huh?
>> >
>> > A base level MacPro is $2499 retail direct from Apple. FCP is 1299.00
>> > also retail.
>> >
>> > Where I come from, that adds up to $3598.00 - leaving $1500 in upgrades
>> > available before you hit the $5k target.
>>
>> The configuration that I put together when the original poster asked for
>> an HD capable system for under $5K included an Apple monitor, three hard
>> drives (250GB & 500Gb internal, 500Gb external and 4Gb of RAM along with
>> Final Cut Studio for around $4700. If you put that system together at
>> the Apple website without taking advantage of education discounts and
>> not installing your own RAM and extra hard drive it'll run you around
>> $6300.
>
> OK fine,
>
> As long as you realize that your specs are self-selected and pretty
> meaningless.
>
> You don't NEED 4gigs of ram to do HDV work. HDV streams are essentially
> the same size as DV. 2gigs is PLENTY. (Didn't the guy ask about doing
> HDV or was that another thread? Sorry, not much time to surf these days.)
>
> And you don't NEED that many drives. I've done my first six projects
> including a 150 clip FLASH encode, an hour plus DV program and a DVD
> retail project shot on location over six production days, with 8 2-hour
> DVCAM field masters - and I haven't even dropped a single clip on my 2nd
> 500 gig drive yet (I'm reserving it for a Windows partition and
> Parallels if I ever get time to play with it.
>
> Works without a hitch.
>
> Unlike the past, my system is running both the boot stuff AND FCP AND my
> capture scratch all off the main drive and it's been FLAWLESS.
>
> So unless the person needs to work in uncompressed HD or perhaps gently
> compressed XDCAM RIGHT NOW, that much drive space is overkill. And if
> they want to later, just buy the drive, slap it in the nifty little G5
> drive bay sled and Bingo, new drive in about 45 seconds never touching a
> wire or power connector.
>
> Finally, the difference between $6300 and $5000 is $1300 bucks. A less
> than 15 percent bump.
>
> With a system like that, if you can't earn an extra $1300 in increased
> productivity in the first 60 days, you don't really have a viable
> business plan. And the whole $5 grand is probably wasted.
>
> Go with a simpler system, learn your chops, then buy the big gun after
> you have a sense of the target you're after.
>
> Hell, I'd expect with that much computer, you should earn enough more to
> pay for the WHOLE SYSTEM in the first month or two.
>
> My two cents is that at this point in history, with the world CRYING for
> competently crafted video content everywhere - business - education -
> advertising - music - retail - on and on and on... if you can't make
> this gear pay, your problems aren't hardware, they're that you haven't
> learned enough yet.
>
> And if you really know your stuff, the big gun systems aren't required,
> they're just a bit quicker and more flexible and NICER.
>
> But I know that out of the the work I'm doing today, not more than 10
> percent of it (Like the huge Flash/Sorenson encode) needs the big system
> - and even then it's just "nice" to get it done in 3 hours rather than
> 13 hours. If it DID take 13 hours, I'd still bill the same.
>
> The only relevant thing is this discussion is whether someone can take a
> $5k budget and create a system - Apple OR PC - that will let them do 99%
> of the paying video work out there, efficiently and reliably.
>
> And I say the answer is a no-brainer yes. PC/Mac doesn't matter.
>
> So, OP, take your $5k. Buy something off the shelf, and START EDITING!
>
> Your equipment doesn't make you money - what's in your brain makes you
> money.
>
> Train your brain, the gear will follow.
>
> --
> Bill Davis
> StartEditingNow.com
> DVD editing instruction with Multi-Track Movies

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