computer for a1
 

im considering buying an a1 and i was wondering what kind of computer and software you all use. im wondering this because i was planning on buying a new computer along with this camera and ive heard that hdv takes a lot more computer power. i kinda want to know how much i will be spending after i get everything i need

thanks
brock

Mac or PC, Brock? What's your preference? And how much can you spend.

Quad core PC with 4 gigs of ram and a radeon 512mb and second radeon 256mb video cards installed running two dvi and one 42inch hd tv, seperate sata drives for OS, Video Capture and render, and its still slow to do anything with HD video.

Brock, it all depends what platform you like using. Some prefer windows some prefer mac. Either way they both will get the job done. A lot mac users use final cut for capture and editing on macs. A lot windows users use sony vegas, pinnicale and many other programs for capture and edit. I use windows & mac for different reasons. I'm an R&B artist and I use windows mostly to for music production and my mac for video & internet work. So it just depends on what platform you love using the most, because windows & macs will do the job.

One more thing:
If you choose a windows PC, have it built for video production. Most store bought PC's are not capable of handling huge audio or video production. So I would make sure you contact a custom shop and get one built. Make sure you go Duo-Core processing, High end video card and large hard drive and you'll be ready to go.

Now if you buy a Mac, typically most get a mac pro (desktop) or mac book pro (notebook). With a mac just make sure you go Duo-Core also, most new top end macs are Duo-Core Intel.

So either way you'll be running strong.

well i use a pc now but im getting more serious with video editing and ive heard macs are easier so i was thinking of getting a mac. as far as money i wouldnt want to spend any more than $1000 but im willing to save.

basically im kinda just getting into video and i want to get a good camera. ive done a lot of research and im wondering how much of an investment it would be for me to go with hdv rather than a vx2100 or dvx

If you only have $1K to go on a computer, you are probably going to have to go with a PC as MAC's are typically 2 - 3X more expensive and you can't get squat for 1K. Considering an A1 is going to run you about 3.5K, I don't see how you can only set aside $1k on a computer system. You should be able to do alright at about 2K though.

Jon