I'm for years now a PC user, powerfull I could say, but I'm quite thoughtfull lately about the stability and the architecture of Windows OS. I am almost convinced that my next investment on a computer will not be a winPC and as long as Linux has not any comparable software yet (correct me if I'm wrong) my only option is a Mac computer.
My question is (if it can mean anything to me or anyone else-it mostly comes out of curiosity) :
has anybody of you people ever heard of a big production Hollywood movie been edited or VFXd in a windows powered computer?

thank you...and sorry for making short things long :-)



edit: and I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask(forgive about that)

This movie I believe was entirely edited on PC's using Premiere.

http://www.d2gfilm.com/

thank you Jon for your reply! I checked it out on Adobe site and it is true. All three (film-DV-HDV) formats of footage were edited in Premiere & AE running on PCs.

but I'm waiting for more replies...

... as long as Linux has not any comparable software yet (correct me if I'm wrong) my only option is a Mac computer.
There are some pieces of software for video editing on Linux, but probably very far from what a serious editor needs. Google around and see for yourself.

has anybody of you people ever heard of a big production Hollywood movie been edited or VFXd in a windows powered computer?

Last I heard most major productions were still being edited using Avid, which runs on both PCs and Macs. Also, some major FX studios have been using PC-based render farms for their animations, but perhaps running Linux rather than Windows. In any case, it's certainly feasible to do a feature-length production using Windows-based software, and the notion that otherwise might be the case is incorrect.

This question or argument has been brought up many times in the past and never really seems to be answered to everybody's satisfaction (kinda like the old MAC vs PC wars that still have some life).

I think the reality is that both platforms are very capable and both very stable provided you take steps upfront to ensure success. Frankly, I would not abandon the PC for a Macintosh but if money isn't much of an object, there are certainly great products and systems over on the MAC side of the equation. Over time, it's been my experience that both MAC's and PC's have become far MORE stable and reliable.

Jon

until microsoft released vista that is. Maybe we should be comparing specific platforms here.

Doesn't all of Avids high end products run exclusively on PC. The Smphony and the DS Nitris? Vista isn't really an argument here, there is not really an insentive to upgrade, all the software that most of us cares about still needs XP sp2. Don't forget about Autodesks line of software, all PC based. Most Maya users seem to choose the PC platform. The PC probably has an edge over Mac in terms of Hollywood production. Also, consider all of the hype Apple gave walter murch for editing with FCP. I would be interested in hearing about any Mac user that is interested in switching from the Apple suite to the Adobe suite, I personally would like to see an all out war. Oh yeah, I'm typing this on a G5 running FCP Studio, runs like a champ. I personnally have no preference over Mac vs PC, for the record.

I used and abused several PCs in the last 10 years both at work and at home. If a PC is properly made and properly used, it runs for years without any problems.

Keyword is "properly", meaning the components are carefully selected and put to work together - think Dell workstations for example (that's what I have at work). A team of engineers and software people work together to optimize everything to the last small detail. Now think of Joe Enthousiast who goes to the corner shop and picks up the case, power supply, mobo, processor, RAM, video card, etc. Did he do his research to make sure all these parts work together properly? Maybe... or maybe not. Are all of those components made by the same company? More than likely, not. And then he complains about the instability of PCs... goes out and buys a Mac and he's happy ever after. But if he bought a factory made PC with high class after-sale service and did the updates, he would have gotten the same results... isn't the grass always greener on the other side?

One other thing. How many pieces of free software are out there for the Mac? And how many for the PC? A lot more chances to screw up even the best made PC if you start installing all that "good" conflicting stuff.

What was true about 10 years ago, is no longer true today. At first, while McIntosh was thinking about quality, Bill Gates spent more time and money on marketing - now that he has 90% of the market, he can look after quality!

Strictly my opinion... please don't hammer me for it.

Dust to Glory used cineform intermediate, or at least a plugin didn't it?

thank you all fot your replies.
My intention was not to start a new war thread Mac vs PC (and I'm happy it didn't get there :-) ).
Yes I have checked many times for applications on Linux and I use Linux occasionally but when it comes to video editing things are a little low-end there.
I've built my own 3-4 PCs(and used much more branded ones) and all are running like a charm (my latest PC was built in late 2004 and is still quite powerfull to edit even small HDV projects with just some cuts here and there).
I am thinking the other side just because I suppose that all these FCP users have less to worry about building a computer & making it work and having more creative time on their disposal.
I am convinced though that Mac OS is designed to work with the hardware but on the contrary PC hardware is forced to work with windows.

Wow, your totally right. I haven't really checked out the requirements for a Mac avid since the Intel boxes came out. Being the kind of open platform guy that I am, this is great news, especially because I am building a PC xpress box and intend on buying a MacBook pro sonner or later (all of my current clients have FCP machines). Any word for mac Studio support? This doesn't pertain to my original post though. I really didn't get the response I was looking for, but I still find it interesting that Adobe thinks they have a market with PC users. Thanks all for the wonderful info and ideas.

Yes I have checked many times for applications on Linux and I use Linux occasionally but when it comes to video editing things are a little low-end there.


Have you had a look at Autodesk Smoke2007 Extension 1?
http://www.dv.com/reviews/reviews_item.php?articleId=196603081

I don't know how you can say that this successor of Discreet Edit is a little low-end, especially with a price around $ 100K? This is probably the most capable NLE running under Linux and may surpass AVID in a number of aspects.

In practice, stability is mostly determined by how stable your software is.

Some software is very unstable... Final Touch used to be like this (and now it has turned into Color and is more stable). Some "high end" packages arent necessarily that stable (they may not have that many developers working on it).

FCP is like middle of the road. It does have longstanding bugs (media mangler), the initial releases arent that solid until the patches come out, and FCP or OS X or quicktime updates can break your system.

And then personally Ive found Sony Vegas to be pretty solid (more so than FCP definitely).

2- Certain hardware acceleration cards or boards can be very picky. So you can get instability there.

Harm, thanks for the info. I really haven't heard of the Autodesk Smoke2007 so I guess you made me open my eyes and think twice. (but then again we're talking about a big amount of money) Although I think you are right, a softwre suite costing that much is well understood who is it for. ;-)
and Glenn it is very usefull to have opinions from people that actually used both or more platforms thank you for the information too.

Yeah, as I understand it most Avid systems are run on PCs. However, very few of us can afford an Avid system - hence the growing popularity of Macs and Final Cut as an editing standard.

Vasilis, I myself have just spent a LOT more than I ever thought I would on a computer purchasing a Mac Pro and with Final Cut, Adobe CS3 etc. But it is an investment in a editing system that is fast becoming the professional standard down here in Australia for all but the highest end productions, so I think it's worth it.

You just have to decide what is right for you. I've always just built my own PCs, and apart from siblings downloading the occasional virus or spyware onto them - I've never had any problems with them, so paying a $1000 just for the privilege of being able to use Final Cut doesn't sit too well with me. However for me personally, the overall pros of moving to the Mac outweigh those of sticking with PC. So consider the options for yourself, but I get the feeling that (for the moment at least) Mac and FCP is the way to go.

Yeah, as I understand it most Avid systems are run on PCs. However, very few of us can afford an Avid system - hence the growing popularity of Macs and Final Cut as an editing standard.

Comparing high end Avid PC systems to other PC based editing systems is not quite fair. High end suites often have very specific recommended workstation configurations. They just don't run on any PC that meets minimum specs. Plus. these PCs live in editing suites and are very tightly controlled in terms of what gets installed on them. In other words, they may run Windows, but they're not exactly "PCs".

Your likelihood of problems with a PC will increase in relation to what other duties your PC is pulling (up to and including being your only PC).

I wasn't comparing Avid systems to more run-of-the-mill PC systems. Simply pointing out that, to my knowledge, most professional Avid systems are PC-based and that many theatrically released films have been edited on them (in answer to Vasilis initial question).

The point I was trying to make was that (for the moment at least) the editing systems used in professional capacities seem to be primarily Avid and FCP. And since the Avid systems are out of most individual's price range, FCP is probably Vasilis' best option at the moment if he has professional aspirations.

Which isn't to say that professional product shouldn't or can't be edited on PCs running Vegas or Premiere Pro etc. Just that it's less common IMO.

Jason and Mark you both are just so right!
But lets take Sony Vegas for instance. It wont install on a fresh windows machine before you install the NETframework update thing. So you can't run one of the most intuitive video editing software like vegas, out of the box, unless you've bought a win preinstalled machine with all the required software-driver. Hence we're forced to connect to the internet and make the update of windows. I suppose this is not happening on the MacOS.
Yes problems start on a PC when the applications running on it become more and more but there are certain applications-updates which are mandatory for winOS.
All these guide to an exclusively built machine just for video editing and I think that Mac users don't have that kind of "experience".
I do have two PCs and a laptop and I don't use my video editing machine for browsing etc. but there are certain times that i have to do so.

All these guide to an exclusively built machine just for video editing and I think that Mac users don't have that kind of "experience".

When I used Macs a few years ago I enjoyed the overall seamlessness of the experience, but I don't feel things are all that much different on Windows these days. I recently bought a Dell dual-core laptop, installed my usual video editing and productivity software (e.g. Microsoft Word) and am happily working away without too many problems. Yeah, Windows is still a steaming pile of dung - but it's a *functional* steaming pile of dung! :-)