NLE: convert/upgrade my desktop or buy a new laptop?
idiotprogrammer
requirements over the past year. I am wondering if it's feasible to
upgrade/gut an old PC I built Feb 2005 and use it for video production,
or whether it's better to use a new highend laptop for
videoproduction/NLE? Fe el free to throw out warnings and gotchas.
I have one PC I built last February for the purpose of building a web
server. Good processor, good memory, average video card, no sound card,
adequate hard drive space.
But over the past year my priorities changed. It no longer is a
requirement for me to use this machine as a webserver. I could use it
as a video production desktop, but need advice about what parts need to
be upgraded.
My initial thought was to keep the old server PC as a test box (albeit
a fairly expensive one!) and then buy a high end laptop for Windows
video production. I actually plan to use the laptop for independent
contracting and make a lot of use out of it as well.
But then a knowledgeable friend said, "use a laptop for making
videos--are you out of your gourd??" We talked about it for a while. I
was willing to spend a premium ($2000+) for a high quality laptop, but
he mentioned things that did not occcur to me: the overheating problem
with sustained processing to output your video, LCD's going bad, higher
incidence of maintenance problems for laptops, risk in depending too
much on a single laptop (with my webserver staying relatively unused!).
Then I had a brainstorm: gut the server PC and upgrade as needed for
video production. And buy a moderately priced laptop for $1200 or so
(instead of $2000 as I had originally planned).
I haven't mentioned my video plans/requirements:
I'll be importing miniDV and using Vegas as my NLE. I haven't decided
on what camera (and this could potentially be a huge factor).
Either I use the $1200 Panasonic 3CCD GS-400. Or use the 1 CCD $1700
Sony HD-HC1 camera (with the capability to make SD or HDV output). I
initially dropped the Sony out of the picture until a poster pointed
out that I didn't NEED to set the HC1's output as HDV (if my
desktop/monitor isn't ready for example). I could simply use the much
less strenous SD output (with the option to go to my miniDV/HDV source
later on when I found a monitor to view it with). Even at SD, the Sony
camera has been said to deliver superior picture quality, 16x9 and
superior low lighting. I should mention I don't have an HDTV or a
monitor capable of viewing HD/HDV output, and don't plan to for about a
year.
So 2 decisions which might be dependent:
1)is it more practical to gut/upgrade my relatively new desktop or try
to do my NLE on a high end laptop? (Would there be any advantage to
having a portable laptop for NLE and serving as a second monitor for
previewing?)
2)would my decision to go for the HD-HC1 have a great impact on what my
desktop should be like? (or are my specs good enough?). Assume that
I'll be using HD-HC1 mainly for SD output, although I'd certainly like
to try HDV out.
3)if I gut/upgrade my current desktop, what components would be most
important to upgrade (keep in mind I'll be using USB2 hard drives for
data). My guess is that as long as the upgrading/switching costs for my
desktop would total no more than $600-700, it will still be worthwhile.
So I keep my mobo, tower, dvd writer, harddrives,
I have a 21 inch monitor, not HD ready, but hopefully I could switch
this in a year or two if I go 100% HD/HDV).
I need to replace/add:
upgrade my processor?
upgrade my RAM from 1 gig to 2 gig. (That would mean that I would have
512mb, 512mb and then a 1 gig stick. Is that awful?
upgrade my videocard (a must)
upgrade my soundcard
My specs for my current (unused) server which I am thinking of
converting to a video dekstop?
I would appreciate your input
Robert Nagle
Houston, Texas
http://www.imaginaryplanet.net/weblogs/idiotprogrammer/
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OEM
idiotprogrammer
processors for Windows-based video production/editing?
Richard Crowley
> Hi, I have a hardware dilemma resulting partially from a change in my
> requirements over the past year. I am wondering if it's feasible to
> upgrade/gut an old PC I built Feb 2005 and use it for video production,
> or whether it's better to use a new highend laptop for
> videoproduction/NLE? Fe el free to throw out warnings and gotchas.
>
> I have one PC I built last February for the purpose of building a web
> server. Good processor, good memory, average video card, no sound card,
> adequate hard drive space.
Add a sound card and some more disk drives and you're ready to go.
> My initial thought was to keep the old server PC as a test box (albeit
> a fairly expensive one!) and then buy a high end laptop for Windows
> video production. I actually plan to use the laptop for independent
> contracting and make a lot of use out of it as well.
>
> But then a knowledgeable friend said, "use a laptop for making
> videos--are you out of your gourd??"
I agree with your friend. I'd never use a laptop for video editing
unless I was in the back of a jeep on the plains of central Africa.
You'd have to spend significantly more on a laptop than on a
desktop machine, and even then you could never get the things
you really need (like multiple large hard drives, etc.)
idiotprogrammer
Does working with a (admittedly lower end) HDV cam necessitate
upgrading CPU? Is that a limiting factor?
The motherboard comes with RAID, and I have 2 160 gig drives. For SATA
drives, I could get 300 gig for $125, 400gig for $210. I'm not sure
I'm interested in implementing a RAID solution (that would probably
lock me into buying another 160 gig drive). I've seen online resources
about hard drives/buses/raid for video, but I haven't looked recently.
Anybody want to throw me a link on the subject?
If I'm going to add storage, should it be another external USB drive?
Other limiting factors seems to be monitor (not HDTV) and memory
density (1 have 2 512mb sticks instead of a single gig stick.
I'm assuming I can find an excellent videocard/sound card.
Where's the weak spot on video desktop systems usually at?
Richard Crowley
>I guess the question boils down to:
>
> Does working with a (admittedly lower end) HDV cam necessitate
> upgrading CPU? Is that a limiting factor?
Depends on your particular economics of cost/benefit for speed
of rendering, etc. Nothing particularly to do with HDV.
> The motherboard comes with RAID, and I have 2 160 gig drives. For SATA
> drives, I could get 300 gig for $125, 400gig for $210. I'm not sure
> I'm interested in implementing a RAID solution (that would probably
> lock me into buying another 160 gig drive). I've seen online resources
> about hard drives/buses/raid for video, but I haven't looked recently.
> Anybody want to throw me a link on the subject?
RAID is largely unnecessary for video editing, IME.
It is more trouble (or potential trouble) than it is worth
and has several factors that make it "contra-indicated"
(as the doctor says).
> If I'm going to add storage, should it be another external USB drive?
USB2 external drives are viable options. I have taken to using
raw drives sitting on the shelf connected to the computer with
an $8 USB to IDE cable. Works remarkably well.
USB1.x will NOT work. Way too slow
> Other limiting factors seems to be monitor (not HDTV) and memory
> density (1 have 2 512mb sticks instead of a single gig stick.
I'd go for 1GB minimum, 2 is better.
> I'm assuming I can find an excellent videocard/sound card.
Dunno why you need "an excellent videocard/sound card" for
editing video? Waste of money, accomplishes nothing. The
"quality" of the sound and video cards has no effect on the
quality of the video or editing.
> Where's the weak spot on video desktop systems usually at?
Weak spots:
CPU speed (for rendering)
RAM size (for fast operation)
Hard Drive space. (and multiple logical/physical drives for
ease of transcoding, rendering, etc. between drives instead
of thrashing the head back and forth, back and forth, back
and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth,
back and forth, etc. This problem is frequently worse with
RAID.
idiotprogrammer
Actually it occurred to me that my power supply is 450V. Previously I
thought that was more than adequate. However, that might limit how many
hard drives I can attach (and make usb2 external drives more
important).
It sounds strange to say that the videocard isn't important. Wouldn't
you be viewing some sort of output on a (admittedly nonHD) monitor?
Now that I come to think of it, I've seen good playback on video with
less robust videocards, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.
Now if only HD monitors were within the range of nonmillionaires...
Robert Nagle
Houston
Richard Crowley
> Thanks for your input and suggestions.
>
> Actually it occurred to me that my power supply is 450V. Previously I
> thought that was more than adequate. However, that might limit how
> many
> hard drives I can attach
450W is pretty beefy. Remember that disc capacity
practically doubles ever year (while drawing roughly
the same amount of power).
(450V will zap you!) V=volt, W=watt
> (and make usb2 external drives more important).
USB drives are usually powered separately, not from
the PC supply.
>
> It sounds strange to say that the videocard isn't important. Wouldn't
> you be viewing some sort of output on a (admittedly nonHD) monitor?
Nothing a $35 video card couldn't handle.