Black Magic Intensity Pro Card & Final Cut Studio
 

I'm in the process of purchasing a Mac Pro to use for my New Wedding Video Business. I have purchsed the New Sony HVR-HD1000. I'm looking to get everything at one time and something has me very confused. I hope that someone can please help me.

As I understand it. I take my New Sony HDV Cam via Firewire800 and Final Cut Studio will just suck it all in.

If thats the case, What is the need for products such as the "Black Magic Intensity Pro Card"?

Do I need it when my Mac Pro/Final Cut will import my footage anyways?

I guess I need to do some research because I have NO idea what all that "4:2:0 Color" stuff means and how it will affect me making a Standard Def DVD. I'm sort of all lost right lost now.

All I want to do is just import, edit, and burn a Standard Def DVD for Weddings. I know FCP has many options in which to edit - but for my business (Wedding Videos), I think I might be way over my head in all this techno stuff. Do I REALLY NEED to be concerned about ProRes 422 (have no idea what that is) and "Color Space"??

Do I need a capture card? Need to invest in a MacPro or will I be just fine with an iMac and Firewire800??

Please help me make a sound decision.

Thank you for your time.

The Intensity card, or other cards by Blackmagic and Aja will allow you, for one, to be able to monitor your HD or HDV stream on an external monitor. This may or may not be an issue for you, but you do not NEED it to edit and create DVDs. Unlike editing in DV where you can pipe out the DV signal through firewire to a deck and then to a monitor in realtime, you cannot do that with HD so these cards allow you to do that, if that is something you need. If I were you I would ingest your stuff in its native HDV form and edit that way (not use ProRes) and get the card if you want to monitor it on an external monitor.

My two cents.