how is this laptop editing solution? at DVinfo.net

Bill Mecca · August 7th, 2008, 12:27 PM

I’m planning on switching from a desktop editing situation to a lap top. Hoping this will give me some flexibility in editing location with the gas price situation.

First, a little history. I have edited on Avid since 1996, Media Suite Pro on a Quadra 950, and Xpress DV 3.5.3 on a PC. At home I have been using Vegas 6, and truly like some of the features and differences between it and Avid. I’m a one person video production department in a state agency producing educational, training, promotional and recruitment projects. The current system runs with 512 meg of ram and chugs along nicely. I also use AE 5.5, Adobe Audition 1.5, Audacity, Ulead Cool 3D, BIAB. I convert on that machine to Mpeg2, burn as data DVD, move to another machine and use Encore 2.0 to author. As those familiar with the version of Avid I am using will know the issues it has with exporting for DVD, as well as exporting as QT (half the audio at half speed).

I shoot on DVCAM with a DSR 250 and have a DSR-11 feed deck.

Our agency uses Dell and this is the system I have spec’d out. Let me know if there is anything I missed, or any glaring errors.

Dell Latitude D830
Intel Core duo T9500 (2.6 GHz) ^M L2Cache, 800 Mhz dual core
Win XP
256MB NVidia Quadro NVS 140M ( I believe this would allow me to do dual monitors)
15.4 wide screen WUXGA LCD panel
4 gig DDR2-667 SDRAM
8xDVD=/-RW
160 Gb HD 9.5MM 7200 rpm (40 gig primary partition, 120 gig secondary)

I currently have a 500 GB WD mybook external HD via firewire (also does USB) as well as a USB 320 gig external. Would a firewire hub be able to handle both the HD and the DSR 11 for capture, or will I have to go USB and is that fast enough?

Planning on using Vegas Pro 8, since budgets are tight and it willcost half of the upgrade path to Media Composer would from XDV.

Harm Millaard · August 7th, 2008, 11:47 PM

Get a couple of eSATA drives for media and project/scratch files. You are already making concessions using a laptop, so try to minimize the downsides.

Lars Siden · August 8th, 2008, 02:51 PM

There are really nice 500gb(Hitachi 2.5") laptop drives today - or the older WD 320gb(2.5") - IMHO you can never have to much disk. And sometimes its practical not using an external drive. The computer looks great - but I'd try to get a larger internal drive

// Lazze

August 7th, 2008, 12:27 PM	#1
Bill Mecca Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: New Jersey Posts: 475	how is this laptop editing solution? I’m planning on switching from a desktop editing situation to a lap top. Hoping this will give me some flexibility in editing location with the gas price situation. First, a little history. I have edited on Avid since 1996, Media Suite Pro on a Quadra 950, and Xpress DV 3.5.3 on a PC. At home I have been using Vegas 6, and truly like some of the features and differences between it and Avid. I’m a one person video production department in a state agency producing educational, training, promotional and recruitment projects. The current system runs with 512 meg of ram and chugs along nicely. I also use AE 5.5, Adobe Audition 1.5, Audacity, Ulead Cool 3D, BIAB. I convert on that machine to Mpeg2, burn as data DVD, move to another machine and use Encore 2.0 to author. As those familiar with the version of Avid I am using will know the issues it has with exporting for DVD, as well as exporting as QT (half the audio at half speed). I shoot on DVCAM with a DSR 250 and have a DSR-11 feed deck. Our agency uses Dell and this is the system I have spec’d out. Let me know if there is anything I missed, or any glaring errors. Dell Latitude D830 Intel Core duo T9500 (2.6 GHz) ^M L2Cache, 800 Mhz dual core Win XP 256MB NVidia Quadro NVS 140M ( I believe this would allow me to do dual monitors) 15.4 wide screen WUXGA LCD panel 4 gig DDR2-667 SDRAM 8xDVD=/-RW 160 Gb HD 9.5MM 7200 rpm (40 gig primary partition, 120 gig secondary) I currently have a 500 GB WD mybook external HD via firewire (also does USB) as well as a USB 320 gig external. Would a firewire hub be able to handle both the HD and the DSR 11 for capture, or will I have to go USB and is that fast enough? Planning on using Vegas Pro 8, since budgets are tight and it willcost half of the upgrade path to Media Composer would from XDV. __________________ Award-winning Pine Barrens Documentary! Video, Audio, Music & More

August 8th, 2008, 02:51 PM	#3
Lars Siden Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sweden, Stockholm Posts: 469	There are really nice 500gb(Hitachi 2.5") laptop drives today - or the older WD 320gb(2.5") - IMHO you can never have to much disk. And sometimes its practical not using an external drive. The computer looks great - but I'd try to get a larger internal drive // Lazze __________________ Sony HDR-CX130,Canon 5DMKII,i7 930@4.0, 12gb memory, 3x SSD + 2x1Tb(stripe), Geforce 480, Dual 24", Win 7 x64

August 7th, 2008, 11:47 PM	#2
Harm Millaard Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands Posts: 1,832	Get a couple of eSATA drives for media and project/scratch files. You are already making concessions using a laptop, so try to minimize the downsides.