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Best Editing Program/Best laptop?


m.sebert

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I need to know what the best way to go about editing film on a laptop would be. I know that there are sooo many different laptops out there and a few choice programs to edit with. I have heard alot about the new Macbook Pro and how its one of the best laptops out there for editing. But honistly I have no real idea what to do, I mean its alot of money were talking and I want my choice to be one that I will not regret.

 

Any input would be very helpful, Thanks!

 

~Matt

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Assuming you don't mean editing actual 4K-res film scans, if you're talking about editing offline at a lower res, most of today's laptops would suit you just fine. If you're of the Mac persuasion, Final Cut Pro on pretty much any laptop they've made in the last several years will work. I have a simple off-the-shelf 12" Powerbook (pre-Intel) that handles DV50 with ease. On a PC, Vegas is extremely popular, as is Avid Xpress DV. Either way, in the laptop world, you'll probably want to invest in a portable Firewire800/400 drive, both to not clutter up your system drive, and to make porting the footage easier. Not wise to color-correct on a laptop, but you can always hook it up to a deck/camera that's connected to a monitor.

Edited by Gordon Highland
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I use FCP on a 1.67 mhz 15 inch Aluminum powerbook and it is fine for mini DV. FCP does up to HDV natively so if you are using those formats a laptop would be fine. You may need to work with a tower or see a knowledgable saleperson from a place like Tekserve or Promax if you want to do higher quality formats on a laptop to see if it were possible. One thing though, my 15 inch screen can be a little small with all the windows opened in FCP. At times a 17 inch model would do better.

 

And with the intel based chips check the software you by, I believe the current FCP runs on power pc chips natively. So using Apples Rosetta, it may run slowly on a intel chip Mac. You may need to do some research and/or wait until the intel chip based FCP comes out and utilizes the full speed of the new chips.

 

Best

 

Tim

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Guest Kai.w
And with the intel based chips check the software you by, I believe the current FCP runs on power pc chips natively. So using Apples Rosetta, it may run slowly on a intel chip Mac. You may need to do some research and/or wait until the intel chip based FCP comes out and utilizes the full speed of the new chips.

 

Best

 

Tim

 

FCP 5.1 just came out, which supports intel chips. If you can wait, I would not get a macbook pro now. The first generation of new apple hardware is usually "suboptimal" (this is true since years). Apparently quite a few people have problems with flickering displays, etc.

So if you can, wait for the next rev.

 

-k

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The first generation of new apple hardware is usually "suboptimal"

 

This is not specific to Apple. This happens to all hardware manufacturers. Dell has also had major recalls because of hardware problems.

 

Its true this is a big change and an entirely new hardware architecture for Apple. So there will be some wrinkles to iron out.

 

There have been problems found in the MacBook Pro that Apple has been correcting in the computers logicboard and software. Also Apple has replaced any MacBook Pro which has exhibited any serious problems. The MacBook Pro is now at its fourth revision which means early problems have been fixed now.

 

The MacBook Pro has been on back order for the past two and half months, and Apple is only recently able to meet demand.

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I need to know what the best way to go about editing film on a laptop would be.

I know that there are sooo many different laptops out there and a few choice programs to edit with.

I have heard alot about the new Macbook Pro and how its one of the best laptops out there for editing.

But honistly I have no real idea what to do, I mean its alot of money were talking

And I want my choice to be one that I will not regret.

 

Any input would be very helpful, Thanks!

 

~Matt

 

If you're thinking of doing any serious editing you should use a desktop

Laptops don't have the capacity to handle the high volume of info editing requires

The Macbook Pro is a great laptop and probably the best for editing

But still it's not better than using a fully decked G5

 

If you're spending 2K on a laptop

You don't want to spend another 2K a year later for a desktop

So you can do more advance editing.

 

I recommend you consider a G5 if you're Mac inclined

Or a hi-speed PC desktop, if your PC inclined--research Alienware (they're custom made and really good.)

 

Anyways if you definitely set on a getting laptop the Macbook Pro is pretty good.

 

 

Good Luck

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If you're thinking of doing any serious editing you should use a desktop

Laptops don't have the capacity to handle the high volume of info editing requires

 

Depends on what format and the amount of video he's editing.

 

If he's only editing DV or HDV through firewire then there really isn't anything more a PowerMac will do that the MacBook Pro can't do.

 

If he wants to edit any video format higher than DVC-Pro 50, SDI connections to a deck, Fibre Channel to RAID storage, or monitor video on a CRT monitor. In any of these cases the PowerMac would be the better option.

 

The PowerMac is capable of using two internal 500 GB hard drives which is a lot of storage for DV or HDV. While one would need to use external firewire for extra storage in the MacBook Pro.

 

More than likely none of that stuff is a realistic option as it would be really expensive.

 

If you feel none of that is necessary then the MacBook Pro is fine.

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