Chris Purchase

Unfortunately 1 GB isn't really going to be enough to cope with the size of the information from a DIGI. An Online Avid Adrenaline will have nearer 50GB. As Chris said, you can take in DV25 through a firewire on a J-30 but you'll lose resolution by down-converting to DV so that Adobe Premiere can cope with it. Therefore, if you are going to have to down-convert it as it goes into the computer, you may as well get it Telecined onto a DVCAM format. Have you considered an offline at low res on your atholn and then conform it to DIGI quality later? Chris

NAB is an excellent idea I also completely agree that individuals bias towards Avid or FCP for no other reason than an inexplicable personal preference. I learned to edit on Avid and therefore loath using FCP. that said, I have a Mac at home with FCPHD on it on which I have cut numerous terrestrial tv shows and commercial projects. I've been learning to love it for a year or so now. If you want to be an editor of drama or film then Avid pro suites with Media Composer (Adrenalines, Nitris, any other DNA products) are definitely the perfect place to be. But you'd be foolish to buy one (the cost is upwards of £20,000 for an adrenaline system that can edit online resolution). Just get a runners job at an editing house and keep nagging to get trained. DV Express will be a good learning tool but nothing more in my opinion. TV and commercial work is tending to lean more and more towards FCP not only because it is thousands of £s cheaper than any comparable Avid system but also its creative capabilities and ease of use with After effects etc. My MacBook Pro and FCPHD system was £3200 all in. I've just finished part of a lovely Lynx campaign for MTV and they were overjoyed with the results of the edit and the effects used. More importantly I saved thousands on Edit costs which paid for the entire system in one go. If you are buying it yourself and have to run windows then DV express is the best you are going to get and unless you are on some serious kit (even with an Avid Mojo connected) it still won't be as quick as FCP. I've been there and been very frustrated. That's the industry standard and will teach you the right way of thinking around your shortcuts, the mentality of your workflows etc. As with everything in our business, test it and go for the option you can afford. FCP is the most professional, cheap option in my opinion (if you can afford it) and you'd be a naive not to consider a mac system even if you are a comfortable PC kinda-guy. Sounds like an exciting time and many of the people I have worked with came from Ravensbourne. I've only heard good things about that place! Good luck with it!