New iMacs for HDV?
 

Obviously nobody has actual experience yet, but can anyone hazard a guess? Can a $1,299 machine really handle HDV editing well?

Also, I see that current iMacs have a video output that you can get an adapter for in order to use a component cable. Will that carry an HD signal? Is there a way to use a USB or firewire port to get an HDMI signal? How are people playing back their footage?

Yeah, nobody really knows yet. I haven't had a chance to read everything that came out today, but I don't think they've announced a compatible version of FCP yet have they? Doesn't seem like it would run well in emulation mode (if at all).

Just taking a wild guess though... my dual G5 2.5 is 3 to 4 times faster than my single G4 1.25, so if their claim of a 4x MacBook speed increase over the old Powerbook is true, then that's pretty impressive. A 2x speed increase claimed for the iMac should also put it in the same league.

But who knows how the Intel version of FCP will compare with FCP 5. One might hope they would squeeze even more performance out of it...

Well, iMovie works great on my g5 iMac (bought just over a month ago, so don't I feel peachy today) so yes, the new intel iMAcs should SCREAM along! :-)

I'm sure a native FCP or FCE would work great on the new computers and would be a great path for low end corporate/training, event videography or hobby enhtusiast stuff, education, etc.

I won't want to do a feature or broadcast work on a iMac though, they're just to inflexible.

BTW - unless a great deal has changed on the new iMacs, the component out only does desktop mirroring, so no you can't output to a separate HD monitor. For such things one needs a PowerMac.

I'm sure once it's native it'll be no problem HDV is supposed to adopted by consumers so modern systems are going to have to handle it. My old imac g5 2gz could take it so I don't doubt these could. Especially once FCP is native.

And trading up to a native FCP will only 50 bucks!

But I think people are underestimating Rosetta...

That's only because we haven't forgotten what it was like running 68k software in emulation on the PowerPC 601 based PowerMacs (6100/7100/8100) on System 7.1.2

And because we've all been subjected to the sloth-like response of PC emulation under VirtualPC (or worse, 'Softwindows') at one time or another.

And of course, who can forget how 'Classic' performed under OS X 10.0 ?


;-)

Certainly, one would want to do anything like video editing under emulation.

Rosetta doesn't run any of the pro apps.

The S-Video adapter can not carry HD signals and even if it could, I wouldn't advise you to use it for anything remotely color critical.

FCP will be native Feb 1, 2005. In fact all the pro products will be native. Apple will not sell the pro aps seperately anymore. only as a suite. If you have FCP5 you will be able to upgrade to Final Cut suite (all 4 pro apps) universal for $99. A great deal.
Final Cut Suite owners will pay $49 to upgrade and even FCP1 people can upgrade to the whole suite collection of 4 pro aps for only $199. The new product are universal , run under Intel or IBM chips. With the new iMac 20 the combination is faster than all but the current quad duo machines.
dkane

Dennis,
Where did you get those figures? How much for a non-upgrade FinalCut suite?

A co-worker points out this mention in MacWorld that the new iMac include a mini-DVI output. Could I use that to connect to an HDTV?

http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/01...imac/index.php

I attended the Cutters user party with Walter Murch last night in S Fran. At the event,atteneded by over 700 editors from around the country, the Dir of Profession Applications from Apple personally presented this new plan. On Feb 1, go to the Apple website and all the detail information will be there. You must send your current DVD back to Apple with you money, from $49 to $299 depending on the app, and Apple will send you a new universal Final Cut Suite. This suite will have the latest 4 professional applications and will be able to run on the new Intel machines or any of the legacy IBM machines. The new iMac is still a consumer product, no room for expansion, but very fast. For uncompressed HD , you still might wait for an Intel tower. I also saw a demo of Soundtrack pro, and boy is that a neat product. Some exciting things from Apple.
dkane

I'm doing HDV editing now on a dual-core PC which is probably comparable to the new iMacs in terms of horsepower, so I would think it should work. You'll still have to wait a while to 'conform' an HDV project for output or render to various HD delivery formats, but other than that...

Whoops, typo! You Know what I mean, anyway the word is out, FCP can be forced to run under rosetta, but it's pretty bad, and totally unsupported by Apple. I had a source but I lost it for the minute. DVXuser I think...

Just a side note http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/ says that the new iMac supports desktop spanning accross dual monitors with out a hack, it may be possible to hook up an HDTV and use digital cinema desktop in FCP???

imac
 

I started with the original 1.8 20" i mac machine with 1.5 gb ram and a couple of maxtors - FCP HD and DVD studio pro and Iv'e seen slower tower machines. I thought the new dual core machine looked good, its got upgraded graphics, but I bet it doesn't include expanded desktop with a second screen and how would you attach a BNC monitor? Its really the bits you have to hang on the machine that limit your options.

Rod Compton

No, according to Apple's site Nate is correct: http://www.apple.com/imac/whatsinside.html