Older Mac

[skorch]

Hey guys.
I'm looking into getting a Mac for Video Editing but I know next to nothing about either.
Two questions:
1. I'm short on space, so could I get a Mac and connect to some type of splitter so both it and my PC could share the same monitor?
2. Can I get an older Mac like a G3 FOR $500.00 or less and expect halfway decent results?

Any feedback is greatly appreciated guys, Thanks.

[galactica]

Hey guys.
I'm looking into getting a Mac for Video Editing but I know next to nothing about either.
Two questions:
1. I'm short on space, so could I get a Mac and connect to some type of splitter so both it and my PC could share the same monitor?

Sure that should not be a problem at all.

2. Can I get an older Mac like a G3 FOR $500.00 or less and expect halfway decent results?

Any feedback is greatly appreciated guys, Thanks.

Well I would really shoot for a G4 especially if you want any altivec use. Are you located in any of the cities on www.craigslist.org? They usually have pretty good prices for people selling used mac's, especially the New York listings. But i imagine you should be able to get at least a G4 450 for about 500$.

[icoty]

I agree with galactica. If looking for a used Mac, go for a G4 based Mac. You will see significant differences between a G3 and a G4, especially when doing things such as video editing and photoshop.

Also, you should try to select a used Mac that is 600 MHz or higher so that you will at least be able to run Panther (if you so choose in the future). Jaguar, however, works just fine for me.

[redwudz]

I use a video switch box to switch between monitors. Usually cheap, $10 -$15US and a extra video cable.

[Frobozz]

Or buy a new, refurbished 1 Ghz eMac from the Apple Store for $600 and you won't need to share that monitor. It also comes with a software bundle. You'll need to add 512 MB of ram to the memory to make it perform sweet. Other Apple resellers are also selling the eMac's inexpensively. Lots of power for a low price.

[WiseWeasel]

Panther runs very well on a G4 400 MHz, and in any case, is faster than Jaguar. I don't think you'll be able to get >400-450 MHz G4 for that price, but they would be fine for video editing, and MacOS X 10.3.x will perform very usably. You might need to also add a DVD burner (about $100), so make sure you get a PowerMac, as they can be expanded easily.

[TugBoat]

Using a PC and Mac on the same monitor isn't a problem. You use something like MS Remote Desktop Client to control the PC from the Mac. Many people are recommending this over VPC these days.

The problem is Video editing on an old Mac. Simple fact, avoid it. In Video editing the processor is King, you need the fastest you can get. Unless you're content to spend many hours on a project. Also, look at the Hardware requirements on the new Apple Video Programs, many want over a 733 MHz G4. The new programs totally rock, at a high price. But that's the Apple way, you get what you pay for. I would suggest nothing less than a Dual 1 GHz G4 or else your experience might not be that wonderful. It's the programs/OS that makes the difference, you need something that will run both to your satisfaction.

[skorch]

Thanks for the responses, you guys are awesome!

Well I wanted to keep the cost at around $500 because I was figuring a bit more in the budget for a burner and capture interface.

I understand that what I'm asking isn't going to yield the fastest results, but exactly how slow can I expect the capture and convert process to be?
If we're not talking about 8-12 hours for a 1-2 hour DVD I can live with that. The reason I want to go with a Mac is they have a reputation for being hassel-free with no hardware/software conflicts.

Thanks again.

[FCPguy]

Being a total nerd, I'd say that your absolute best buy is going to be that emac stated earlier (or get a student to buy you one w/ their discount if you know anyone @ a community college ect - you can get a couple hundred off the price of a new emac w/ burner built in! It's not enough for professional stuff, but more than enough for what you've asked for! Good luck!

[skorch]

FCPguy, I'm curious as to what you mean by professional stuff.
Basically I'm looking to capture VHS video, overlay text/font add music and other basic editing and burn to VCD/SVCD and or DVD.

I hope I'll be able to do those things reasonably fast.

Or do I need to make a major investment, like $1,500 or more?

I've been checking out Ebay for Powermac G4s w/ at least 500Mhz. They seem to be going for about what I want to spend, would they serve the purpose?
I checked out the Emacs but I can't accomodate an extra monitor, plus I may want to upgrade.

[Frobozz]

You'll be okay with a 500 mhz G4. You can upgrade it to a faster processor some day if that becomes important to you. You'll need OS 10.2 or 10.3 and it's good to have a minimum of 512 MB of ram. You can install your DVD burner internally which saves you the expense of a Firewire case. Some DVD burners keep the Mac's ability to boot from a CD, some don't. You'll have to check the model of DVD burner you're considering with the user database at xlr8yourmac.com.

The Canopus PCI card is considered the best analog video capture card at a fair price.

[FCPguy]

That will be ok for stuff we're doing here with backing up our stuff and making our copies of our dvds and stuff....
But for professional stuff... no a system like that wouldn't be up for it. (At this point, we'd have to be looking at G5s, (especially with HD around the corner, and if you wanted to play with that (get ready guys) we're talking about a tet of gig space!) (That's just for about 1 hr- 1and a half of HD video Get ready for the format wars! (I love new technology)!
Realistically, you would need something like the emac now, but if you want to upgrade... you should just look for the highest G4 chip you can get then, cause they're almost maxed out on power at this point, and if you really wanted to upgrade later, you should just save a little $ now and put it towards a G5 or wait till the newer models come out (soon) and get a used G5. (That's what I'd do if I needed a barebones pro tower).
If you want to know what I consider pro? Go to the pro app area on the Apple webpage and add up all the system requirements under FCP, DVDSP, and the new one Motion (you'll crap your pants)! Suggested 2 gigs ram!) And that's just for that app alone to be open (not to mention running them at the same time and encoding!!!
Hope I answered a few questions and point you in the right direction for your expanding Apple collection !!! Ok really long message, and I'll stop........ Now.

[skorch]

Once again, thanks to FCPguy and everyone else who responded for shedding some light on the subject, greatly appreciated.