For my 7D and it's algorithms and in the hopes of using my XH A-1 footage, I purchased the following from Best Buy today...sans monitor...$1,250 with tax.

Dell Studio XPS SX8100-2777NBC Desktop & 20" LCD Monitor Package (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dell+Studio+XPS+SX8100-2777NBC+Desktop+%26+20%22+LCD+Monitor+Package/9999139100050015.p?id=pcmprd139100050015&skuId=9999139100050015&childSku=1244502&count=1)

I've got a couple of days to try out the Dell to return for full refund.


My next option is to go HP.

Here's what I would choose HP...base option.....

HP Pavilion Elite HPE-480t series | HP Official Store (http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_can_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=desktops&a1=Category&v1=High+performance&series_name=HPE480t_series&jumpid=in_R329_prodexp/hhoslp/psg/desktops/High_performance/HPE480t_series)

I'm looking at a useable system for my 7D and XH A1 for 12 - 24 months....new system after that....since I have a hobby business that doesn't pay for high end $$$ systems.

High def will be uploaded to the net. SD will be burned to DVD.

Thoughts?

Buy a Mac. No fooling.

Richard,

Thanks for replying.

Re: the Mac/PC thing.

To get anywhere close to the specs of this Dell 8100($1,150), I would have to spend around $2,800 on an iMac.

I teach part time at local schools as a fill in teacher and use Mac's at school all the time. The Macs I use there are a tad bit faster with that h.264 codec than my old HP m9150f that I'm using now and replacing.

I spent $800 on this HP when I bought it for my hobby business. An iMac close to the specs of my HP at the time was $2,200-$2,500....and I knew it wouldn't be that much faster.

If I keep the Dell, which I think I will(customer reviews are very good on this machine) I still will have spent less than $2K on both machines. I can dedicate the Dell to video only and keep the HP and still have spent less than an iMac.

Thanks again for responding.

In my mind, my only other choice is an HP but they are significantly more for the same specs.

Other thoughts from anyone?

For most editing software, either system you listed should work fine. But, to properly optimize your hardware, you need to match it with the software. For example, Premiere CS5 has specific video card requirements for hardware accelerated f/x, rendering and playback.

So which NLE are you using? Are you transcoding your footage? What other software do you need to run?

It also sounds like your budget is around US$1200 per system? On the PC side, you can build a pretty mean editing machine for that price. Read the Videoguys' System Recommendations for Video Editing (http://www.videoguys.com/Guide/E/Videoguys+System+Recommendations+for+Video+Editing/0x4aebb06ba071d2b6a2cd784ce243a6c6.aspx) to help fill in some of the blanks.

To get anywhere close to the specs of this Dell 8100($1,150), I would have to spend around $2,800 on an iMac.I am not sure how you figure that as the a 27" iMac with 2.93GHz i7 & 8GB RAM is only $2399 & that is a much, much nicer machine than the Dell not least that 27" screen is gorgeous. However that is the top of the range iMac & for your uses a lower specified model will be easily adequate for editing a mixture of HDV & H.264.

Comparing features and price completely misses the point of going with a Mac. I have owned many, many Win-Doze based PC's over the years, and each and every one of them had problems. These were top-of-the line workstations and laptops from HP and Lenovo, and every one of them eventually failed. When I would call HP, they said it was a Microsoft problem. When I called Microsoft, they said it was an HP problem.

Upgrading from XP Pro to Windows 7 is a pain, and requires uninstalling all software, doing a complete wipe, and then reinstalling the software. The Microsoft guide for the process is over 10 pages long. By contrast, upgrading from Leopard to Snow Leopard was a quick breeze.

If you time is not worth much, and aggravation is no problem, then shop based on features per dollar.

Thanks all for taking the time to reply.

I set up the Dell with Adobe Premiere Elements 8.0 that I had and Quicktime. The Dell definitely handles my 7D videos well, no skipping jumping etc....video is smooth. The whole system is surprisingly fast. I'm happy and will have spent around $1,150 plus tax.

I'm guessing most of you do this for a living. If that were the case for me, I would make a much more serious investment.

This is 85 - 90% hobby for me with a little $$$ for some of the work. I really didn't want to go over $1,200 or so as I change systems every other year.

Going PC and doing 7D files is not as easy as an upper end iMac I'm sure. However, I've checked prices all over the place and a 21.5" iMac with a much stepped down processor and similar RAM is still in the $1,900 - $2,100 range....not practical for me.

I probably should have bought a higher end workstation back when. However, with my HP of a few years back, and now this Dell, I will have spent $2K on machines over a 5 year period...assuming I keep this Dell two or more years.

Thanks again all.

Going PC and doing 7D files is not as easy as an upper end iMac I'm sure. However, I've checked prices all over the place and a 21.5" iMac with a much stepped down processor and similar RAM is still in the $1,900 - $2,100 range....not practical for me.Again I really don't know where you have found those prices as if you look at the Apple website the entry level 21.5" iMac is just $1,199. If you upgrade that model to 8GB (which you will not need for iMovie or Final Cut) then it's only $1,399. The top of the range 21.5" iMac with 3.60GHz Intel Core i5 & 8GB RAM is just $1,899 but $200 cheaper with just 4GB RAM. iMac - Buy iMac desktop computers - Apple Store (U.S.) (http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/imac?mco=MTM3NDc3NjA)

Comparing features and price completely misses the point of going with a Mac. I have owned many, many Win-Doze based PC's over the years, and each and every one of them had problems. These were top-of-the line workstations and laptops from HP and Lenovo, and every one of them eventually failed. When I would call HP, they said it was a Microsoft problem. When I called Microsoft, they said it was an HP problem.

Upgrading from XP Pro to Windows 7 is a pain, and requires uninstalling all software, doing a complete wipe, and then reinstalling the software. The Microsoft guide for the process is over 10 pages long. By contrast, upgrading from Leopard to Snow Leopard was a quick breeze.

If you time is not worth much, and aggravation is no problem, then shop based on features per dollar.

I agree with Richard. I have 3 pcs ,, all 8gb, i7 windows 7 ,nvidia 1gb(unlocked CUDA),but for the application we do (wedding videos)
i just think it cant handle it. If you guys have the same spec on a PC. please try ppro cs5, drag the clips to your timeline, 3 minutes of different clips. try to playback, if it doesn't lag within that 3 minutes, then something is wrong with my config.

Sigmund, et. al.,

Then one would suppose that something must be wrong with your config. If you search around the Adobe and Event forums, you'll also find there are people getting acceptable SDE performance with Win 7 / CS5 on laptops. My own editing box probably specs out a little higher than the ones you described...but I also have a CS5 project with -- as of last evening -- 22 sequences including nested multi-cam and dynamic linked AE compositions, and at least 65-70 clips of mixed AVCHD, HDV, and MOV files averaging 15-20 minutes each. No problems.

Roger wasn't asking a Mac vs PC question and we don't do platform wars at DVinfo. If anyone has any comments that pertain to the original post, please do, but no more Mac fanboy posts in this thread comparing two PCs, please. It's great to have a choice of tools since we all have different needs and perspectives. Peace.

Hello All,

Thanks again all for responding.

Just for the record. I think Apple makes great computers...just a bit more $$$ for what you get than I want to spend.

I spent a couple of hours yesterday and today on an iMac 27" at school(I use a Mac of some sort 2 - 3 times a week)...a 2 ghz something or other.. Intel i5 it said plus 2 gigs ram.

The Mac works fine and is a bit smoother(Quicktime) with .mov files than I think my new Dell is.

I converted my daughter's wedding reception videos, .mov files shot on my 7D to .mt2(MPEG2) files using APE 8. I'm not up on all this terminology, so I hope I get this right.

I was able to edit .mt2 like a breeze on this new Dell and when it came time to burn...I couldn't believe the speed at which the Dell rendered the files into a std DVD...like minutes! compared to the hour or two it would take my old HP.

This Dell is fast!

Thanks again to all who responded.

Bottom line is getting a video you are happy with, in a useable format...right?

Thanks again for all the help.

BTW,

Dell CPU with 23" monitor...just over $1,300.

I'm targeting an iMAC, with all options, as soon as they come out with one with a USB 3.0 input. My take on the iMac right now is that the input options now are not adequate for HD, at least are not up to where they could be. . . . . but I will still have several Windows computers running, too.