edit suit advice
 

Hey there, I chose to post this thread here cause i will be editing in Fcp 4.5, although i'm only editing DV untill full HDV support is available and then i'm upgrading the software so i'll need to gear the mac for future HDV editing.

I'm gonna be switching from premiere 6 on pc to a mac quad in about a week and since i'm new to both editing HDV and mac's i'm worried i'll miss a critical piece of hardware that i'll need like composite and componant inputs etc.

I would really appreciate some advice from people who knows mac's and HDV editing. A list of hardware and software that I should be ordering would be a great help. (BTW it will be a 2.5 Quad with 2gb ram and 500gb ATA)

Thanks guys

Andy.

How sophisticated of an edit suite do you want? Will you be integrating HDCAM, Digital Betacam or BetaSP? Will you be monitoring HD on a HD monitor?
Do you plan to digitize uncompressed from HDV cameras?

If the answer to any of those questions is "yes" then you may want to look into Blackmagic Decklink or Kona PCI cards for interfacing analog or SDI video/audio. You will need a proper external monitor to do any proper colour correction.

If you plan to stay in the digital domain (firewire input to DVD output) and you will trust the LCD monitor you will get with the G5, then component in/out is probably not necessary.

Otherwise, any Mac will already be setup to go with DV or HDV. All you really need is firewire. You can even edit HD from a HDV source on FCP4.5 if you capture with iMovieHD or HDVxDV and convert to any other quicktime format.

Could someone edit the thread title because I was about to reply that I don't wear a suit when editing and sometimes I don't wear anything at all. I only do video at home.

Yeah i missed out the e in suite deliberately just seeing if you guys are paying attention ;)

Thanks Tim, i don't think i'll be integrating HDCAM, Digital Betacam or BetaSP or digitizing uncompressed HDV at least as far as i can see. But i will be using an HD monitor for CC so I reckon the Blackmagic Decklink or Kona PCI card would be i good idea. And i like having the option there if I do need it.

Oh yeah one more thing, I'm building a studio for doing all my post work in and i'm gonna be fitting an HD ready projector and i was wondering how would the mac connect to the projector so I can preview to the big screen?

keith it must nice and warm where you are if I tried naked editing i would feeze to death!

Andy.

Andy,

If you need to monitor HD and you plan to get a consumer-level HD TV or projector (no SDI HD input), then I would go with the AJA Kona LHe card that would give you component out. I don't own a Kona, I own Decklink (and love it) but the Kona is an all-in-one solution for analog and SDI. Decklink requires an external "multibridge" for analog conversions.

Since you don't plan on pro decks with SDI, a much cheaper option, if the projector has a DVI in, would be to simply buy a DVI cable, connect the projector as a second monitor, and then use FCP's built-in "Digital Cinema Desktop" to play HD content. The digital gamma response may not be exactly like true CRT output, but you can compensate for that with Colorsync.

I had planned on ordering two lcd monitors for editing which means i couldn't use the projector as a second monitor however if that was my only option i would just bump the lcd up to a 23 inch and only get one of them.

How does this sound, buy the kona ,find a projector with component in (maybe need a component to composite converter) and switch the cable between the HD monitor for CC and the projector depending on when i need them. Does that sound like a plan?

I really appreciate the advice Tim, i feel much better about ordering now.

Andy.

Keep in mind the new macs are all PCI-E. So no Decklink cards except for the multibridge with pci-e and the only other I know of is the Kona LHe. I think that you can still order some of the PCI-X macs but the Quad is only PCI-e.

So if you don't need HD-SDI or Component capture and are only doing HDV then Tims suggestion of Digital cinema desktop sounds like your best option. You can always get a a Kona LHe or a decklink card (when they come out with some PCI-e HD versions) later if you feel you need it.

I think I'll go with Tim's digital cinema desktop option, it sounds like the easiest and cheapest way and like you say keith I can get the decklink or kona if i need it later.

Thanks for your help guys

Andy.