Video Editing PC - Recommendations

RomanSohor · 01-13-2004, 10:22 AM

Hi everyone,

It's budget time at my college and I need to request a new computer.

I am going to be doing video editing, capturing from DV via IEE1394 and I'll be exporting mostly to 320 X 200 RealMedia or Windows Media clips, for streaming off of an HTTP server.

I currently have a PIII 700, with a capture card and Premiere 6.5, but I have lots of problems with random boops and beeps in my audio, and capture glitches. I know my hard drive setup really can't support 720 x 480 capture - I can't get it to capture in 320 x 200 for some reason.

So,

What specs would you recommend in a computer, and what software would you recommend I use?

I do some advanced editing when I do edit - putting still photos over the narration, some titling, etc. So I'd like some kind of A/B style software like Premiere.

But I'd like something a little cheaper than premiere if possible.

Thanks for your help!

Scott L · 01-13-2004, 02:42 PM

So you already have Premiere 6.5 but want something cheaper?

Ulead offers some editing software for a better price. Alternatively you can get a firewire card + Premiere bundle for $270 here using this coupon.

Big harddrives are dirt cheap these days, less than a buck per gig, so consider capturing in 740x480 for archival reasons. You may have good results streaming at something like 480x360.

Since you're getting a whole new puter consider an AMD 2500+ and a good motherboard with firewire ports, LAN, and maybe even sound on-board. Frees up a lot of PCI slots. Look at the nForce2 mobos, especially the popular Asus model.

Seth--L · 01-13-2004, 06:45 PM

First, make sure that you take advantage of student/educational discounts.

What you'll need:
-Large HD - at least 100 GB (It's best to just buy an external that is used exclusively for your video footage)
-At least a 7200 RPM HD
-At least 512 MB RAM
-Recent processor and video card

As for software, go for the gold and get Avid Xpress Pro. It will outlive your new computer. Only $399 for students.

01-13-2004, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Look at the nForce2 mobos, especially the popular Asus model.

I run an Athlon XP 2400+ at stock speed and voltage on an Asus A7N8X (basic) motherboard, with one gig of PC2100 Crucial RAM. I don't drop so much as a frame of video, which I attribute to the APIC (advanced programmable interrupt controller) on the nForce chipset, as well as the board's architecture that avoids using the PCI bandwidth for other system uses.

I researched motherboards and chipsets for amonth before I bought this board. As far as I know, it is still currently the most cost-effective (AMD-based) high-performance system board for video. Prices for this board are below $100 now.

My video capture is a Pinnacle DV 500+, and I use Premiere 6.5. No problems with either system.

If you are going to run an AMD based system, I cannot stress enough that VIA chipsets are not as effective for video capture, and are far more prone to problems than nForce chipset boards.

John_Berger · 01-13-2004, 11:09 PM

Quote:

I can't get it to capture in 320 x 200 for some reason.

Before you go spending money on upgrading, try capturing in 352x240 instead, which is MPEG-1 resolution. There are certain resolutions that are not friendly to capturing, and I believe that 320x200 is one of them.

Quote:

If you are going to run an AMD based system, I cannot stress enough that VIA chipsets are not as effective for video capture, and are far more prone to problems than nForce chipset boards.

I don't buy it for a picosecond. I have had zero, zip, nada capturing problems for over two years with my AMD XP 2400+ system running a VIA chipset for DV capturing and DVD authoring. Oh, and I didn't have a problem when I was using an Athlon 1.4 GHz before that running - you guessed it - VIA chipsets. Sounds more like Intel marketing to me.

**HTF Ads**

JasenP · 01-14-2004, 10:09 AM

Agreed. In regards to video capture and editing, NForce chipsets have no edge or advantage over a Via chipset.

Scott L · 01-14-2004, 01:17 PM

Just some evidence: http://www6.tomshardware.com/motherb...e2-400-07.html

The nVidia2 seems to better gaming-wise but for DV encoding VIA wins out.

Patrick Larkin · 01-14-2004, 08:50 PM

Have you considered a Macintosh? It comes with everything you need and iMovie is pretty robust. Plus, if you are in science, you can run all the Unix stuff as well.

01-14-2004, 10:59 PM

Quote:

VIA chipset for DV capturing and DVD authoring

DV and analog capture may be different, I acknowledge. I could have been a bit too general, as well. The DV 500+ is a DV and analog capture system that will capture at DVD resolution. With a VIA chipset Soyo Dragon+, I had a lot of problems. The APIC also gave some more flexibility for the IRQ-hungry hardware I run besides the DV-500+.

At the time that I bought the board, VIA did not offer APIC, and many VIA chipset boards use PCI bandwidth for other uses. This isn't such a big problem for some capture systems, but those with high system demands can have trouble. The Pinnacle system has a DV encoder for analog video, and uses like 25Mb per second of bandwidth. Pinnacle reviews boards for compatibility, and the Nforce boards do well, while many VIA boards do not.

John_Berger · 01-15-2004, 11:04 AM

Quote:

The DV 500+ is a DV and analog capture system that will capture at DVD resolution.

Quote:

The Pinnacle system has a DV encoder for analog video, and uses like 25Mb per second of bandwidth.

I've been using the Pinnacle Studio Deluxe AV/DV PCI bridge for almost two years. Never had a problem with it on my AMD/VIA Asus motherboard.