FCP vs Avid: Which way to go?
 

Hi guys. I have always had a buddy do the editing for me on his FCP. I'm looking at keeping it "in house". So here's the question(s): Do I up grade my current pc and buy the Avid program or do I spend the extra money on buying an Apple(of which I've never used) to get FCP? Which is more user friendly, especially for a newbie? I downloaded the AvidFreeDV a couple of months ago, but I just couldn't get it to recognize my pd170. Thanks for the help!

Anthony,

"Search" is your friend. Many, many posts comparing NLE features, with advocates of each claiming it's 'more intuitive, faster, cheaper, funnier... than xyz".

Bottom line. If you are contemplating changing platforms, in MAC you have FCP and it's variants, and AVID as well. On PC, you DON'T have FCP but lots of other choices including AVID.

My advice, IF you are already comfortable in a windows, PC environment, don't complicate things by changing platforms while learning an NLE, why compound your learning curve?

Beyond that, download all the different freeware/trial versions of various programs and give them a go.

Good luck

(PS: I cut on AVID XpressPro)

Anthony,

I use FCP and I would still have to agree with Richard. If you have the time to ease into a Mac and FCP, I can highly recommend them. I have also edited on Avid (although not with any of the newer versions), and I prefer FCP.

But easing into a new environment is important, otherwise you could end up hating a system in the end for the wrong reasons.

Hi,

I started editing with Adobe Premiere (4.1-5.1) and switched then to FCP. I'm using FCP since version 1.0 and I'm at 5.0 today. What was always one of the most impressive "features" with FCP for me is the rock solid reliability of the OS & FCP combination. Until the switch to a new computer, FCP crashed about 10 times, in 6 years of intensive use!

I'd go with FCP for sure Mac OS is easy to learn and once you buy FCP you can keep upgrading for a fraction of the cost when new versions come out. plus you can't beat 1499 cdn for video editing, dvd authoring, motion graphics, sound design and repair, and compression software.

Thanks. You guys have given me something to think about. So pretty much from what I see, both are pretty "friendly user" and are comparable? So it comes down to money and if I'm willing to spend the time to learn a different os? Anybody else have problems with the AvidFreeDv download?

I've only used Mac for editing so I don't know about others but....
 

Learning Mac Os X is very straightforward. Use it intensively for a week and you'll be very familiar. I feel that the OS is as intuitive as computers can get. Once you strip the windows thinking out of your head and find your way around Mac Os you'll be fine. If you do choose to go that route, I'd be happy to help in any way I can. I just switched a year ago so its all very fresh.

"User friendliness" is important, but in my eyes today's different software packages are all more or less user friendly. What is more important is the reliability and I can say that, according to my experience, Macs are much more reliable, less crashes les problems. Since my NLE was switched to OS X (about 9 month now) I never had a crash! Just sometimes my Adobe GoLive dies suddenly (reminds me Premiere long time ago).

In my business we sell editing systems based on both platforms, so I'm really able to compare. Just ask my technicians.

Anyway, where are most of the problems with computers located?
Between the chair and the keyboard!

I edit regularly on both Avid and Final Cut Pro. If you are completely finishing this project yourself, I'd recommend FCP. Avid software for your PC is excellent, however it is limited as a finishing tool until you head up the ladder to the DS Nitris series which is very much unaffordable for the indie film/video maker. Final Cut Pro HD is as good a finishing tool with a huge amount of filters available and (unlike Avid) a decent audio interface. If you don't need everything as a professional finishing project, yes Avid express pro is fine. I've heard a lot of people talk about Vegas but I don't know it. If you have the money available for your own home-based operation, I'd go for FCP HD and G5. If these projects are your bread and butter, the sheer lack of bugginess in the Mac platform (IMO) makes the change totally worth your while.

You would probably find these threads useful:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=46627
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=43949

Just when I think I've decided which system to use, some one else gives me something to consider. GRRRRR!!! Anyway, I do have another question: Whne you buy one of these (avid,fcp) do you have to buy each update that comes out in order to stay with the system, or can you skip one or two before buying the update and everything will still be ok?

The major updates for FCP have all costed of course. But I know people who have updated from the FCP1 to FCP3 without buying FCP2. So that could work in the future. But that is purely speculative.

The AVID that I have worked on in the most recent past (an old Media 100 (please don't laugh)) is so old because the guy it belongs to, just finished paying it off the year before. He isn't about to invest in the new hard and software that is needed to keep pace with the Avid's system development.

This may not apply to the Avid express series.

The biggest, immediate advantage to Avid, is that it is still the professional industry standard. If you do a project on an Avid, then it can be finished or further worked on in "big" editing suites. IMO

Anthony,

I started with AvidXpress 3.0 with the powerpack. IN the .... three? years since then, I've upgraded several times. Sometimes, it's a simple download because they've tweaked a feature, fixed a bug or changed drivers or such. Sometimes it's a big purchase, when they do a major makeover... costing a hundred bucks or so. (Like from XPressDV to XpressPRO). Currently, I am running 4.31 .... the latest version out now, is XpressPro HD. I could jump from 4.31 to... 4.6 for free... or go directly to HD in version 5.13 for fifty bucks, a great deal. As the difference includes the HD codecs, the soon to be released HDV codecs, realtime update on the multicam views, and some other stuff.

So yeah, depending on the type and scale of the update, they're free, modest or pricey.