Should I choose Mac or Pc

Dylan Couper · August 27th, 2007, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Craggs

Would you mind expanding on that? I don't quite understand what you're getting at. All things being equal (skills of the editor, computer, etc) how does Final Cut make you a more professional editor?

It doesn't make you a more professional editor at all, but FCP is probably the most commonly used NLE in small to medium production companies. Most editor jobs are in FCP. You are simply giving yourself the tool that will get you the most work.

David Tamés · August 27th, 2007, 05:07 PM

Ah, the endless debate. Should I edit on a Macintosh or PC? Should I edit with Avid or Final Cut Pro or Vegas or Premiere? For post-production, the decision should be what software suite you want to run first, and the hardware platform second. Some software suites run on both Mac and PC, so you then have a second decision, others run on only one platform (like Vegas and Final Cut Pro) so in those cases the second decision is already made for you.

I've used both Mac and PC, I've edited with Avid, Final Cut Pro and Premiere, and personally I've chosen to stick with Macintosh and Final Cut Pro, but in the end, it's a religious issue (especially the Mac vs. PC thing) unless you're planning to make your living as an editor. If that's the case, in terms of making a practical decision based on hard statistics you can determine on your own and avoid all the religious posturing, take a look at Craig's List and other job boards, what I've discovered is that there are a number of professional editing jobs that require Avid experience, most independent film and small production company editing jobs require Final Cut Pro, and there's a small contingent of corporate video users who are working with Premiere.

This all reminds me of a back-page column Umberto Eco once wrote, La bustina di Minerva, in the Italian news weekly Espresso, September 30, 1994, you can find an English translation at www.themodernword.com/eco/eco_mac_vs_pc.html

Josh Green · August 27th, 2007, 09:46 PM

I agree with Dylan on this one. Having worked in L.A. for the last few years, Final Cut is definitely more prominent among pros out here. I've only heard of production houses using Avid or Final Cut and I've never heard of any professional production houses using any PC based editing software. I'm sure they're out there, I've just never personally seen them. I had been using Premiere for years and years but as soon as I got to L.A. I had to make the transition. The good thing is, Final Cut is pretty much just like Premiere, so for me, it was an incredibly easy transition. Now that I've used Macs for the last few years I literally hate life when I have to use a PC for anything.

Robert Ducon · August 30th, 2007, 01:08 AM

I found that it wasn't a religious choice for me to use a Mac or a PC - it was more being economical with my time, and retaining my sanity.

For the past two years, I cut and finished on PCs. Before that were Macs - FCP version 1 and 2, but the PC seemed less expensive and therefore, more economical. Despite being technically knowledgeable, I went through two in a short period due to hardware and then software conflicts, and moved back to the Mac. I'm far more productive due to the stable nature of the OS, and it's overlying apps (FCP Studio 1 and now 2). I'm a happier and more productive person using a Mac for all my needs.. and prefer the editing/compositing/audio/dvd/rendering programs of Final Cut Studio as well. Final Cut Studio 2 is a big, nice step up from FCS 1 (which was already great). My little story.

Adam Bray · August 30th, 2007, 01:40 AM

This is the old Ford Vs Chevy debate.

The answer to his question can only come from himself.

Simon Denny · August 30th, 2007, 03:00 AM

No matter what you use, you will make it work.
I think it's more important to have a great story.
I think it's important to get good framming,levels,exposure......

Then almost any NLE will do to cut/edit for the end product.

I use Vegas (cant wait for the new version very soon ) and love it on a PC.

Cheers
Simon

Daniel Alexander · August 30th, 2007, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Tames

others run on only one platform (like Vegas and Final Cut Pro) www.themodernword.com/eco/eco_mac_vs_pc.html

Vegas now runs on both PC and MAC :)

Brian Luce · August 30th, 2007, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimmy Odom

I have been a pc user since I could type, but from alot of comments in and around forums it has come to light that Macs are great at film production i.e. FCP. My question is it worth a indie filmaker as myself to switch from pc, which I've used for around 13years to Mac, which I haven't even spent a day behind. I really need help with this because coming this winter I'll be purchasing my setup, cameras, on t lights, as well as editing workflow station, and I'm not sure what to do. I need serious feedback, which can aide me in my choice. Learning the nw OS doesn't scare me as much as purchasing several Grand woth of equipment and learning that I should've went the other route. Thanks so much for the help.

If budget is a concern, this a no brainer. Stay PC and get Vegas. You already have a PC and Vegas 6 is only $99. Vegas even comes with the cineform codec. Fantastic value. without debating the merits of Vegas, no one will argue it's the cheapest and also that it has the best audio features.

John C. Plunkett · August 30th, 2007, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Luce

no one will argue it's the cheapest and also that it has the best audio features.

No doubt. Hands-down the fastest audio editor out there. I was using Vegas back when it was released by Sonic Foundry for audio editing purposes. Outside of it's third-party plug-in format limitations (which they have since corrected) it was a solid and fast DAW. Vegas Video applies the same speed and ease of the original to the video world with fantastic results.

I use both FCP on Mac and Vegas 7 on PC. I couldn't live without either.

Scott Lovejoy · August 30th, 2007, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ervin Farkas

No bashing at all, Macs are wonderful machines and FCP is a good NLE.

But on Saturday afternoon I visited a good old friend who's been in video as an expert amateur (sounds like an oxymoron?), shall we call him high class hobbyist... long time Mac person together with his son, also head first into video. They own at least a Mac desktop and a laptop that I know of, and they've been using FCP for years.

I was surprized to see a shiny new PC under the editing desk, so obviously I asked why? They said they needed to upgrade the hardware, did some research... Macs are proprietary this, proprietary that, proprietary everything... the PC came out half price (put it together themselves). They moved to Adobe for software, they love jumping from app to app, integration rocks, there is nothing they were used to doing on the Mac that they can't do on the PC.

As I said just a fresh experience... long live both the Mac and the PC... and you go with whatever suits your production needs and your pocket.

Not all hardware is specific to Macs, especially hard drives and RAM, both of which can be used in either Macs or PCs, so the cost is equal. This is not the case for EVERY Mac, but newer ones (G5's, MacBook Pro's) you will find that RAM/HDs are interchangable. On top of this, newer G5's have an extra PCI-E slot, so pretty much everything you'd want to upgrade is upgradeable. Plus you never have to look at windows, which I'm always okay with. (not a Windows bash, just personal preference of UI's)

Sam Rosado · September 4th, 2007, 06:59 PM

ya know, being a sound guy this thread sounds like a debate we used to have on another forum. It first started out just like this, Mac vs. Pc and ended up protools vs. Motu. As a Mac addict, I will tell you they are better, A PC addict will tell you they are better. how do you know for sure? you dont! aint life grand..............

my 2 cents,

I LOVE MY APPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mark Kenfield · September 4th, 2007, 11:00 PM

Having been both a cheap-skate and a PC user for a LONG time I was a bit reluctant to fork out the extra cash for a Mac, but I decided to on the basis that FCP experience was more likely to land me editing work down here in Australia than any PC-based NLE that I could afford. So a couple of months ago I made the switch.

And I'm glad I did. Granted, the student discounts I was able to get on both the hardware and software for the computer were an added incentive. But using Apple's Bootcamp on my Mac Pro gives me two computers for the price of one, and anything I'd prefer to do on PC is no further than a restart away.

On that basis, I think it makes a great deal of sense financially - it's gives you two high-end computers (a Mac and a PC) for a much lower price than buying two comparable systems running seperate OSs.

David Tamés · September 5th, 2007, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Kenfield

[...] using Apple's Bootcamp on my Mac Pro gives me two computers for the price of one, and anything I'd prefer to do on PC is no further than a restart away [...]

If you like Bootcamp, you will LOVE Parallels which gives you the ability to run Windows and Mac OS X side by side on an Intel Mac running both Mac OS X and Windows XP seamlessly and at the same time.

William Dunn · September 7th, 2007, 09:22 AM

Hello

We just fiished a 90 minute doc and our experience when we went to a post audio house we needed to be on a MAC for compatibilty. Now I realize that you can export the audio tracks so they can mesh in PC suites, but it feels more comfortable to take Mac stuff to post Macs.

Cheers

Robert McGee · September 11th, 2007, 02:32 PM

I would say that you should get a Mac because macintosh has this software called Paralel Desktop that allows you to run two opperating systems at once. I would say a Mac with OS X and Windows Vista Ultimate edition is the perfect digital filmmakers tool.

August 27th, 2007, 05:07 PM	#17
David Tamés Kino-Eye Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 457	Ah, the endless debate. Should I edit on a Macintosh or PC? Should I edit with Avid or Final Cut Pro or Vegas or Premiere? For post-production, the decision should be what software suite you want to run first, and the hardware platform second. Some software suites run on both Mac and PC, so you then have a second decision, others run on only one platform (like Vegas and Final Cut Pro) so in those cases the second decision is already made for you. I've used both Mac and PC, I've edited with Avid, Final Cut Pro and Premiere, and personally I've chosen to stick with Macintosh and Final Cut Pro, but in the end, it's a religious issue (especially the Mac vs. PC thing) unless you're planning to make your living as an editor. If that's the case, in terms of making a practical decision based on hard statistics you can determine on your own and avoid all the religious posturing, take a look at Craig's List and other job boards, what I've discovered is that there are a number of professional editing jobs that require Avid experience, most independent film and small production company editing jobs require Final Cut Pro, and there's a small contingent of corporate video users who are working with Premiere. This all reminds me of a back-page column Umberto Eco once wrote, La bustina di Minerva, in the Italian news weekly Espresso, September 30, 1994, you can find an English translation at www.themodernword.com/eco/eco_mac_vs_pc.html __________________ David Tames { blog: http://Kino-Eye.com twitter: @cinemakinoeye }

August 27th, 2007, 09:46 PM	#18
Josh Green Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 77	Yep I agree with Dylan on this one. Having worked in L.A. for the last few years, Final Cut is definitely more prominent among pros out here. I've only heard of production houses using Avid or Final Cut and I've never heard of any professional production houses using any PC based editing software. I'm sure they're out there, I've just never personally seen them. I had been using Premiere for years and years but as soon as I got to L.A. I had to make the transition. The good thing is, Final Cut is pretty much just like Premiere, so for me, it was an incredibly easy transition. Now that I've used Macs for the last few years I literally hate life when I have to use a PC for anything.

August 30th, 2007, 01:08 AM	#19
Robert Ducon Major Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Victoria BC Posts: 400	I found that it wasn't a religious choice for me to use a Mac or a PC - it was more being economical with my time, and retaining my sanity. For the past two years, I cut and finished on PCs. Before that were Macs - FCP version 1 and 2, but the PC seemed less expensive and therefore, more economical. Despite being technically knowledgeable, I went through two in a short period due to hardware and then software conflicts, and moved back to the Mac. I'm far more productive due to the stable nature of the OS, and it's overlying apps (FCP Studio 1 and now 2). I'm a happier and more productive person using a Mac for all my needs.. and prefer the editing/compositing/audio/dvd/rendering programs of Final Cut Studio as well. Final Cut Studio 2 is a big, nice step up from FCS 1 (which was already great). My little story. __________________ Mac + Canon HV20

September 4th, 2007, 06:59 PM	#26
Sam Rosado Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: bridgeport ct Posts: 161	ya know, being a sound guy this thread sounds like a debate we used to have on another forum. It first started out just like this, Mac vs. Pc and ended up protools vs. Motu. As a Mac addict, I will tell you they are better, A PC addict will tell you they are better. how do you know for sure? you dont! aint life grand.............. my 2 cents, I LOVE MY APPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! __________________ "Catering to all of your needs, from A to V."

September 7th, 2007, 09:22 AM	#29
William Dunn New Boot Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 9	Post experience Hello We just fiished a 90 minute doc and our experience when we went to a post audio house we needed to be on a MAC for compatibilty. Now I realize that you can export the audio tracks so they can mesh in PC suites, but it feels more comfortable to take Mac stuff to post Macs. Cheers

August 30th, 2007, 01:40 AM	#20
Adam Bray Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Houston/Austin Posts: 394	This is the old Ford Vs Chevy debate. The answer to his question can only come from himself.

August 30th, 2007, 03:00 AM	#21
Simon Denny Trustee Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 1,409	No matter what you use, you will make it work. I think it's more important to have a great story. I think it's important to get good framming,levels,exposure...... Then almost any NLE will do to cut/edit for the end product. I use Vegas (cant wait for the new version very soon ) and love it on a PC. Cheers Simon

September 4th, 2007, 11:00 PM	#27
Mark Kenfield Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 470	Having been both a cheap-skate and a PC user for a LONG time I was a bit reluctant to fork out the extra cash for a Mac, but I decided to on the basis that FCP experience was more likely to land me editing work down here in Australia than any PC-based NLE that I could afford. So a couple of months ago I made the switch. And I'm glad I did. Granted, the student discounts I was able to get on both the hardware and software for the computer were an added incentive. But using Apple's Bootcamp on my Mac Pro gives me two computers for the price of one, and anything I'd prefer to do on PC is no further than a restart away. On that basis, I think it makes a great deal of sense financially - it's gives you two high-end computers (a Mac and a PC) for a much lower price than buying two comparable systems running seperate OSs.

September 11th, 2007, 02:32 PM	#30
Robert McGee Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: York, south carolina Posts: 24	I would say that you should get a Mac because macintosh has this software called Paralel Desktop that allows you to run two opperating systems at once. I would say a Mac with OS X and Windows Vista Ultimate edition is the perfect digital filmmakers tool.