HDV Survey: When is your Mac's speed an issue?

[Hans Gruenig]

Hello All,

I'm trying to get a sense of how demanding 1080x1920 High Definition Digital Video is on hardware and what Mac systems are hopeless vs. up to the task when it comes to importing from the camera and editing.

If you'd like to share, please state:

1) Your system / configuration / software;
2) What works smoothly;
3) Where you encounter speed issues.

Thank you,
-Hans.

[Henrik Reach]

PowerMac 2x2,5GhZ G5. 5gb ram, FCS2.

Capturing and editing, no problem, only issues I get is using HDV-clips in Motion, that brings it pretty much to a halt. I render effects to ProRes in HDV-timelines mostly.

[David W. Jones]

IMHO, buy the fastest computer you can afford!
Any of the new computers that are out now are fine for editing HD.
It's how you equip them after the fact that matters, like RAID speed.

[Hans Gruenig]

Thank you, Henrik and David.

As it stands, my Powerbook G4 (1.5GHz, 1GB RAM) will not even smoothly display 1080x1920 clips. Will more RAM help, or is it a hopeless cause?

Thanks,
-Hans.

[Jacques Mersereau]

Its tough enough on my new Intel Mac running two 2.33ghz processors and 2 gigs of RAM.

I wouldn't even attempt HDV 'print to video' on a G4.

[Henrik Reach]

I agree with Jacques, and believe you will have a very hard time working with HD on a G4 powerbook. Try to borrow a camera/get someone to give you some HDV-files and give it a go. I have a feeling you will have to be a very patient man to get through it, but I haven't tested that kind of machine.

[Hans Gruenig]

Originally Posted by Jacques Mersereau

Its tough enough on my new Intel Mac running two 2.33ghz processors and 2 gigs of RAM.

Jacques,

Is that a Mac Pro? Dual Core? Quad Core?

Thanks
-Hans.

[Jacques Mersereau]

Sorry to say, but
I would expect the spinning beach ball of doom with almost every click.

[Hans Gruenig]

Jacques,

I think you are right about my machine.

I was hoping to hear which Mac configuration *you* were using.

Pray tell. :-)

Thanks,
-Hans.

[Jacques Mersereau]

Oh, I thought you had a G4.

I just got the 2.33ghz Dual core Intel MacBook with 3 gigs of 667 Mhz RAM.
It does a very good job of editing, but is probably a dog compared
to the Dual quad core Mac Pro tower. Even faster CPUs are coming
by 2008, or so the rumors say.

[Jim Fields]

We have the following here at home.

24" iMac, 2.1, 3gb mem, smaller Nviddia video

Macbook , 1gb mem, onboard video.

I have no problem with either machine. Color is my only gripe, it bogs down on the iMac, due to the Nviddia card, but Motion 3 runs great.

We are talking about either getting a new 24" iMac with the 2.8 extreme, or maybe a low end Quad with the X1900, not sure yet.

[Henrik Reach]

Originally Posted by Jim Fields

We have the following here at home.

24" iMac, 2.1, 3gb mem, smaller Nviddia video

Macbook , 1gb mem, onboard video.

I have no problem with either machine. Color is my only gripe, it bogs down on the iMac, due to the Nviddia card, but Motion 3 runs great.

We are talking about either getting a new 24" iMac with the 2.8 extreme, or maybe a low end Quad with the X1900, not sure yet.

Really? HDV-clips in Motion etc. does not give you problems? I can't do much real-time Motion-work with HDV-clips on my stationary G5 with 5gb RAM, I didn't think the Macbook was better. But good for you. :)