which PC/Mac is good for handling HDV ?

[Danielito]

Hi all

 

I am going to prepare post production system for the new camera of Canon XH A1 which comes out in November. Could anybody tell me how powerfull the computer needs to be for handling HDV in post. What is better Windows or Mac systems? And which programs do you recommend to realize the "cine style look" in post ?

 

Thanks for the help!

 

Danielito

[Matt Lazzarini]

Hi all

 

I am going to prepare post production system for the new camera of Canon XH A1 which comes out in November. Could anybody tell me how powerfull the computer needs to be for handling HDV in post. What is better Windows or Mac systems? And which programs do you recommend to realize the "cine style look" in post ?

 

Thanks for the help!

 

Danielito

 

Depends on your budget, ofcourse. With a few grand, I'd get a quad-G5 or one of the newer MacPro's with Final Cut Universal. Ideally, a 20" or 23" Apple Cinema Display along with it.

 

For post-'film look', I'd invest in Magic Bullet.

[Tenolian Bell]

As far as Mac vs Windows its pretty subjective. You would need to try both and choose which feels better for you.

 

Pretty much the same with software. Test different work flows and see which you like best.

 

For processing HDV on the PC its suggested that you have at least a 3GHz Pentium 4 machine. On the Mac its suggested you have at least a 1.8GHz G4. Any G5 or Intel Core machine will be fine.

[Mark Duckworth]

Editing native HDV is a very tricky proposition, it doesnt hold up very well to CC in its native form . I have a Pentium 3Ghz dual core machine and I am running Vegas. The best advice I can give is to use an intermediate codec for editing. The current standard is the Cineform intermediate codec, however I believe it is a PC only solution. Two sites to check out are cineform.com and redgiantsoftware.com for Magic Bullet which I highly recommend.

Edited August 20, 2006 by Mark Duckworth