Sony Plans HD Vaio PC at DVinfo.net

Christopher Lefchik · January 23rd, 2005, 12:06 PM

With 1.6TB of storage capacity, Vegas 5, liquid cooled. And when you're done editing you can feed the HD video directly from the PC to a compatible HDTV with Sony's set-top adapter.

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,119180,00.asp

Chris Hurd · January 23rd, 2005, 12:18 PM

About $2K w/o monitor. Thanks for this news, Chris!

Jesse Bekas · January 24th, 2005, 10:44 AM

Wow...that seems pretty cheap, although I don't know what the specs are on an intel "915", and it didn't mention RAM.

I'm assuming 1 Gig, but if it's geared toward HD, and HD(V) editing, maybe it'll start at 2.

Christopher Lefchik · January 24th, 2005, 01:24 PM

According to Intel the new 915 chip set is targeted for mainstream PC use (like the older 865 chipset), while the new 925 chipset is aimed at performance PCs (akin to the old 875). Functionally, though, there doesn't appear to be much difference between the two. Both support PCI Express and DDR2 RAM (though one of the 925 iterations supports a faster version of DDR2). The 915 also supports the older DDR RAM (the 925 doesn't), and has integrated graphics, but an add in graphics card can still be used, so that's no big deal.

And the articles says that "A basic configuration is likely to cost more than $2000 without a monitor," how much more we'll have to see, but I doubt we'll be getting 1.6TB of hard drive space at the basic $2000 level (one can still dream, though, eh?).

More on the Intel chipsets

Test report by PC World
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,116559,00.asp

Intel comparison chart
http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/linecard.htm

Jesse Bekas · January 24th, 2005, 04:17 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Christopher Lefchik :...the articles says that "A basic configuration is likely to cost more than $2000 without a monitor," >>>

Ahhhh. Missed that. I assumed it would be around $2,000 from Chris' post...like $2,250 street.

Still, the thought of 1.6TB internal storage is very enticing. It would be nice to have along side that possible cheap (relatively) Panny w/ DVCPRO100 HD that Chris mentioned earlier.

Michael DeMichele · January 25th, 2005, 02:40 PM

Christofer Lefchik
I just bought a Sony Vaio rs720g which has the 915g chipset and intel's GMA900 integrated graphics card. I got it mainly because I liked the DVD burner which supports dual layer DVD authoring and the Giga pocket TV recording. But I also absolutely need to be able to use this PC to Capture Edit and Burn DVD's from my camcorder using the Sony $100 Vegas Movie Studio +DVD.

I noticed a lot of talk about the GMA900 not being able to keep up with even the very average run of the mill graphics cards.

My question is, did I make a boo boo with this purchase?
Will the GMA900 have enough muscle to manage my capture, editing and burning tasks? If it does not have the muscle, I am concerned that I won't even be able to add in a better card, or at the very least it will be a painful experience. Not sure yet what the return policy is at BestBuy, I am over 7 days now, but I am thinking about trying to return this thing and avoid the possible mess that may lie ahead.

I don't yet have a DV camcorder, so I can't just test it out.

Christopher Lefchik · January 25th, 2005, 05:19 PM

The 915G supports an external graphics card via a PCI Express slot, which the Sony RS720G apparently has (this is it here http://www.compusa.com/overstock/pro...&pfp=OVERSTOCK, right? I couldn't find it on the Best Buy site).

If that is the Sony you purchased you should be able to add a PCI Express graphics card just fine should you find the integrated graphics insufficient. However, you may find the integrated graphics okay for your needs (you won't be running any intense 3D games, will you?). Video capture/editing/DVD authoring aren't 3D intensive, after all. (Premiere Pro 1.5 does have new 3D transitions that use Open GL acceleration, but you're not using Premiere anyway).

Hope this helps.

Michael DeMichele · January 25th, 2005, 06:41 PM

Thats the PC I have in the Compusa Link:

I don't do games, and I don't see myself using premiere pro. I probably would upgrade to Vegas 5 down the road, would you foresee any problems with this app?

So, what you are saying that any 3D application would be a problem without adding in a bona fide graphics card? I wanted to avoid that if at all possible because the PC is equipped rather nicely with a personal video recorder (software/hardware) that I'd probably mess up or lose with an add in card. Do you know if an add-in card would take the place of the GMA900 or would they co-exist? Sony Support was clueless, they actually told me to call Intel.

Thanks for your help!
Mike

Jesse Bekas · January 25th, 2005, 10:10 PM

A card would most likely take over graphics functions, but that's fine if the on-chip graphics aren't so hot. I have an older Vaio (PCV-RX991), and threw in a cheapo graphics card. It didn't "shut off" any of the included Sony video software.

Mild video editing is more RAM intensive than graphics processor intensive. As long as you have 512MB(+) RAM, Vegas 5 should run fine.

Christopher Lefchik · January 26th, 2005, 08:28 AM

I doubt the integrated graphics have anything to do at all with the personal video recording function. Take a look at this Sony PC http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...ktop&first=yes. It has the personal video recorder function and a separate graphics card. You would be fine adding a separate graphics card should you need it.

You shouldn't need a separate graphics card unless your 3D needs start getting more serious. From what you've said so far I can't say that you will need one. Do you foresee doing 3D intensive operations on this computer?

(And a technical correction to my earlier comment on Premiere Pro: It requires Direct3D/PS 1.3 acceleration for the three included 3D effects, not OpenGL).

Christopher

Michael DeMichele · January 26th, 2005, 09:17 AM

Thanks for sharing all your insights.

And no, I do not think I will ever need a separate graphics card. By the time I may need some 3D support, it will probably be time to upgrade since I can't seem to stick with any 1 PC for more than 3 years anyway.

In all likelihood, this setup, right out of the box should perform just fine for what I need it for, which is a relief. The Camcorder in expected to arrive today via UPS, so I'll tape, capture and burn and see how it goes.

BTW, its a Panasonic AG-DVC30.

January 23rd, 2005, 12:06 PM	#1
Christopher Lefchik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: US Posts: 1,152	Sony Plans HD Vaio PC With 1.6TB of storage capacity, Vegas 5, liquid cooled. And when you're done editing you can feed the HD video directly from the PC to a compatible HDTV with Sony's set-top adapter. http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,119180,00.asp

January 23rd, 2005, 12:18 PM	#2
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	About $2K w/o monitor. Thanks for this news, Chris! __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

January 24th, 2005, 10:44 AM	#3
Jesse Bekas Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, USA Posts: 572	Wow...that seems pretty cheap, although I don't know what the specs are on an intel "915", and it didn't mention RAM. I'm assuming 1 Gig, but if it's geared toward HD, and HD(V) editing, maybe it'll start at 2.

January 24th, 2005, 01:24 PM	#4
Christopher Lefchik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: US Posts: 1,152	According to Intel the new 915 chip set is targeted for mainstream PC use (like the older 865 chipset), while the new 925 chipset is aimed at performance PCs (akin to the old 875). Functionally, though, there doesn't appear to be much difference between the two. Both support PCI Express and DDR2 RAM (though one of the 925 iterations supports a faster version of DDR2). The 915 also supports the older DDR RAM (the 925 doesn't), and has integrated graphics, but an add in graphics card can still be used, so that's no big deal. And the articles says that "A basic configuration is likely to cost more than $2000 without a monitor," how much more we'll have to see, but I doubt we'll be getting 1.6TB of hard drive space at the basic $2000 level (one can still dream, though, eh?). More on the Intel chipsets Test report by PC World http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,116559,00.asp Intel comparison chart http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/linecard.htm

January 24th, 2005, 04:17 PM	#5
Jesse Bekas Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, USA Posts: 572	<<<-- Originally posted by Christopher Lefchik :...the articles says that "A basic configuration is likely to cost more than $2000 without a monitor," >>> Ahhhh. Missed that. I assumed it would be around $2,000 from Chris' post...like $2,250 street. Still, the thought of 1.6TB internal storage is very enticing. It would be nice to have along side that possible cheap (relatively) Panny w/ DVCPRO100 HD that Chris mentioned earlier.

January 25th, 2005, 02:40 PM	#6
Michael DeMichele New Boot Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hopkinton, MA Posts: 14	Christofer Lefchik I just bought a Sony Vaio rs720g which has the 915g chipset and intel's GMA900 integrated graphics card. I got it mainly because I liked the DVD burner which supports dual layer DVD authoring and the Giga pocket TV recording. But I also absolutely need to be able to use this PC to Capture Edit and Burn DVD's from my camcorder using the Sony $100 Vegas Movie Studio +DVD. I noticed a lot of talk about the GMA900 not being able to keep up with even the very average run of the mill graphics cards. My question is, did I make a boo boo with this purchase? Will the GMA900 have enough muscle to manage my capture, editing and burning tasks? If it does not have the muscle, I am concerned that I won't even be able to add in a better card, or at the very least it will be a painful experience. Not sure yet what the return policy is at BestBuy, I am over 7 days now, but I am thinking about trying to return this thing and avoid the possible mess that may lie ahead. I don't yet have a DV camcorder, so I can't just test it out.

January 25th, 2005, 05:19 PM	#7
Christopher Lefchik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: US Posts: 1,152	The 915G supports an external graphics card via a PCI Express slot, which the Sony RS720G apparently has (this is it here http://www.compusa.com/overstock/pro...&pfp=OVERSTOCK, right? I couldn't find it on the Best Buy site). If that is the Sony you purchased you should be able to add a PCI Express graphics card just fine should you find the integrated graphics insufficient. However, you may find the integrated graphics okay for your needs (you won't be running any intense 3D games, will you?). Video capture/editing/DVD authoring aren't 3D intensive, after all. (Premiere Pro 1.5 does have new 3D transitions that use Open GL acceleration, but you're not using Premiere anyway). Hope this helps.

January 25th, 2005, 06:41 PM	#8
Michael DeMichele New Boot Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hopkinton, MA Posts: 14	Thats the PC I have in the Compusa Link: I don't do games, and I don't see myself using premiere pro. I probably would upgrade to Vegas 5 down the road, would you foresee any problems with this app? So, what you are saying that any 3D application would be a problem without adding in a bona fide graphics card? I wanted to avoid that if at all possible because the PC is equipped rather nicely with a personal video recorder (software/hardware) that I'd probably mess up or lose with an add in card. Do you know if an add-in card would take the place of the GMA900 or would they co-exist? Sony Support was clueless, they actually told me to call Intel. Thanks for your help! Mike

January 25th, 2005, 10:10 PM	#9
Jesse Bekas Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, USA Posts: 572	A card would most likely take over graphics functions, but that's fine if the on-chip graphics aren't so hot. I have an older Vaio (PCV-RX991), and threw in a cheapo graphics card. It didn't "shut off" any of the included Sony video software. Mild video editing is more RAM intensive than graphics processor intensive. As long as you have 512MB(+) RAM, Vegas 5 should run fine.

January 26th, 2005, 08:28 AM	#10
Christopher Lefchik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: US Posts: 1,152	I doubt the integrated graphics have anything to do at all with the personal video recording function. Take a look at this Sony PC http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...ktop&first=yes. It has the personal video recorder function and a separate graphics card. You would be fine adding a separate graphics card should you need it. You shouldn't need a separate graphics card unless your 3D needs start getting more serious. From what you've said so far I can't say that you will need one. Do you foresee doing 3D intensive operations on this computer? (And a technical correction to my earlier comment on Premiere Pro: It requires Direct3D/PS 1.3 acceleration for the three included 3D effects, not OpenGL). Christopher

January 26th, 2005, 09:17 AM	#11
Michael DeMichele New Boot Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hopkinton, MA Posts: 14	Thanks for sharing all your insights. And no, I do not think I will ever need a separate graphics card. By the time I may need some 3D support, it will probably be time to upgrade since I can't seem to stick with any 1 PC for more than 3 years anyway. In all likelihood, this setup, right out of the box should perform just fine for what I need it for, which is a relief. The Camcorder in expected to arrive today via UPS, so I'll tape, capture and burn and see how it goes. BTW, its a Panasonic AG-DVC30.