Macs vs. PC for video editing, which is better?

CaTaClYsM · Post by **CaTaClYsM** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 8:10 pm

I know that the MAC's are aslower, but as fas as software is concerned, Final Cut Pro looks spiffy, and with a pricetag, I would hope it were better than premiere. What I need is soemoen who has edited on both to talk about the software specs and which ones are better.

MistyCaldwell · Post by **MistyCaldwell** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 12:45 am

I have edited with both but I really didn't use too much other than what was required to finish the project. You know, basic editing of uploaded footage through a svhs patchbay into the HD. So, I didn't do any of the kind of things we do here and I had to output back to tape so I never even created a portable compressed copy.

After all that I say Final Cut felt 'clean' and I say that about media 100 too, when compared to Premiere. It just feels less pro-sumer to me and more professional.

So, sorry you get no real conclusion other than a personal opinion based on less than 3 months actual work time.

Mr Pilkington · Post by **Mr Pilkington** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 1:10 am

Please name what tools provide the functions of AVISynth, VirtualDub or DVD2AVI, TMPEG. For $FREE$.

Klinky, I ment no disrespect. To be honest i have no clue. I cheet. If I plan on using my Mac. I simply use the PC to convert the VOB's to MPEG1, then I send to the Mac. I'm not positive, but I am quite convinced that any software that can do so, would cost massive crinos bucks. That is the biggest draw back to Mac it's cost (running/purchase.) I try to remain no bias, but..... I will say i use both, and I do use my PC far more often. ONLY because it's chepper. But the Mac is by far better. OS X..... Linux on steriods!.

CaTaClYsM wrote:I know that the MAC's are aslower, but as fas as software is concerned, Final Cut Pro looks spiffy, and with a pricetag, I would hope it were better than premiere. What I need is soemoen who has edited on both to talk about the software specs and which ones are better.

Ummmmm. No. PC's are faster if you get THE top of the line. But who here has Dual P4 3.02GHz? Or Quad 2.8Ghz? Yon average PC and yon average Mac: Mac has a lower Clockspeed(1.2GHz), but fold upon fold upon fold Gigaflops more info. Just because one says it's not as "fast, doesn't mean that it's not as efficant. That is the biggest difference in the arcitecture. My PC specs(main system):

Athlon MP 2300
MB: Thunder K7X Pro, S2469GN
Nvidia Geforce 4 TI 4600
OS: Win 2k\Win XP\Linux Redhat 5.02
1GB SD DDR 2100
Gigabit Ethernet
16X DVD Sony Slotloader
52X24X25 CDRW LG Tech
52X CDRom (Compaq? Not sure, scrapped from last system)

MAC specs:
Dual G4 1.25GHz
Nvidia Geforce 4 TI 4600
OS: OS X.2 Jaguar
1GB SD DDR 2100
Gigabit Ethernet
Super Drive (DVD-R)
Combo Drive (DVDROM/CD-RW)

Under Win2k, Premiere 6.0 runs just slightly slower than on the Mac. It does well, but under some transitions it tends to slow futher. Under Win XP, Premiere 6.0 tends to run quite a bit slower than the Mac, and will lock up (the program) if to much stress is put on the program, like running two vids in two seperate windows (which works under win 2k with minimal damage.) I don't use Cinderella or any of the other apps for Linux so It's out of the question, besides this is a benchmark based upon Premiere 6.0. Now on the Mac, while it is quite a bit faster over all (a 2.6 minute [2:36] vid, renders aproximatly 2 minutes sooner) some of the nifty little add-ons (like the AMVapp) aren't readily availible, at least not for free like on the PC. It has some other usefull diddies. The good news is between Bluetooth and 3rd party drivers all of my USB periferals, such as the razer Boomslang, work perfectly. So in the end I save myself I saved my self the same amount of time it takes to cook a TV dinner. Whoopdy shit. Hence the truth: Macs are faster than PCs, but more expenceive. And best I can tell a majority of Pro-side software is made for Mac, hence Final Cut Pro (which your truely has yet to take his hands at but plan on investing upon soon) and some others. Ask any animator, programer, or pro of any sort and they will admit they use mostly Macs in the profield. PCs on the other hand, have freeware, more software, and ease of use, but unless you spend the equivilent of a Mac you get only desent speed. In fact the average new PC, will barely break 2 Ghz, unless you a total glutton for punishment. So in reality no one system is better, but a matter of simple opinnion. Not 7 year old info, or 5 minutes of experience. Try them both out, don't make snap judgements based on simple predjudices.

CaTaClYsM · Post by **CaTaClYsM** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 6:14 pm

Mr. Pilkington, the only CPU that you can have more than one of on a motherboard is a Xeon or Athalon MP. There is no such thing as a dual P4. ( but qith hyperthreading you can make the motherbaord think that it has more than one chip but that is another story.) And right now price is not an issue, it is all about which has the BEST of the BEST, price is not an issue, and as far as Premiere goes, Final Cut Pro probably has better rezising options, (since premiere's suck bigtime.)

klinky · Post by **klinky** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 7:19 pm

FCP is more along the lines of After Effects, I think it's more along the lines of Combustion 2.

It goes a bit farther then just better resizing.

>_<

I don't have a Mac.

But also Pilkington you're comparing a Dual G5 1.25Ghz vs a single 1.9Ghz(not sure about the 2300 I thought it was only a paper release) Athlon MP.

Those two processor working together are probably going to give you a bit of a edge over the single processor system, not only do that "combine" to 600Mhz greater then the 1.9Ghz. They work better, with one decompressing the stream the other applying effects to the uncompressed stream that comes out.

The only thing the Mac really has that people can hold on to right now is FCP :\ . Raw performance is still on the PC's side.

~klinky

klinky · Post by **klinky** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 7:22 pm

G4!!! NOT G5 >_<

jonmartensen · Post by **jonmartensen** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 7:59 pm

G5!!!! *drools*

Stoic · Post by **Stoic** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 10:47 pm

PC. Not just any PC though, This PC:

Alienware 2001DV:

Dragon Full-Tower Case (400-Watt PS) (Space Black)

Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 2.8GHz 533MHz FSB w/ 512KB Cache

ASUS P4T533-C - Intel 850E Pentium 4 Motherboard

1GB RDRAM PC-800

80GB Western Digital UltraATA 7200RPM 8MB Cache

200GB Western Digital UltraATA 7200RPM 8MB Cache

16/48x DVD-ROM - IDE - Black w/Software MPEG-2 Decoder

Lite-On 52x24x52x CD-RW - IDE - Black

NVIDIA® GeForce™4 Ti 4600 w/128MB Dual Monitor

KoolMaxx Video Cooling System (Standard Chrome)

Pinnacle Pro-ONE Digital Video Editing System

M-Audio® Delta 410 - 7.1

Intel® PRO/1000 MT Gigabit Desktop Adapter

Microsoft Internet Keyboard (Space Black)

Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 - USB (Standard Color)

Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional

Free Alienware® T-Shirt - Black

Bonus 12-Month Subscription to Computer Games Magazine!

Alien Autopsy: Automated Technical Support Request System

Aliencare Toll-Free 1-Year 24/7 ONSITE Warranty

Personalized Owner's Manual

Optimized & Configured for High-Performance

FREE Custom Alienware® Mouse Pad

Price: $3459.00

/me DROOLs.

A Gig of RDRAM That's sweet

280 Gigs of Hard Drive Space

/me Still DROOLING.

Designed for video editing, who here wouldn't like to have that computer?

RadicalEd0 · Post by **RadicalEd0** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 10:50 pm

puh-lease
alienware is so horribly overpriced it's not funny. Their $2200 systems could be built for $1000, its ridiculous.

jonmartensen · Post by **jonmartensen** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 11:12 pm

That is one HUGE ripoff.