<<<-- Originally posted by Adrian Douglas : The bottom line is for DV you don't need to spend a fortune on terrabyte RAID and dual Xeon systems unless you plan on doing feature length, effects heavy, work. -->>>

So what if I were to do a feature length? I am just getting started, and I want to use Sony's DVCAM. Will SATA be fast enough for me, or will I need SCSI? Two processors? Will the 1394 port on the mb suffice, or will I need to go with something like a Canapus Storm 2 card?

Thanks
Monte

Feature length: you must be crazy?

Is SATA fast enough: Yes, for DV (DVCAM, DVCPRO, mini-DV, digital8 are all DV). So is normal ATA, also known as parallel ATA or PATA. SCSI isn't really ideal for video nowadays. ATA RAID is the way to go.

Two processors: you don't really need it. Some NLEs like Final Cut Pro will benefit a lot from dual processors (FCP is Mac, not PC). Some like Vegas won't benefit much. Even with NLEs that really benefit from dual processors, you don't need em.

The IEEE1394/firewire port on your motherboard will suffice as long as it works. The Canopus Storm 2 card won't help you unless you're using certain NLEs (Premiere), in which case it will provide hardware acceleration.