Your thoughts on MAC Video Editing

[Machine514]

Can some people share their thoughts and ideas on MAC video editing? I am looking to get a new computer and want to know if I should be getting a G4 or a new PC. Thanks!

-Machine

[Machine514]

Sorry I just read the other post here!

-Machine

[Greg12]

I think a PC because alot of the small freeware programs that r so nice, I.E, Virtual Dub, r not mac compatibile.

Windows PC's now have firewire, so the mac really doesn't have anything over the PC. I think..

[tgpo]

Go with the mac. You'll get better results quicker and cheaper.

[tgpo]

Oh and about the freeware stuff not being for the mac...that's because it all comes WITH the computer!

[BJ_M]

I think a PC because alot of the small freeware programs that r so nice, I.E, Virtual Dub, r not mac compatibile.

Windows PC's now have firewire, so the mac really doesn't have anything over the PC. I think..

I.E. ?? is that considered a a good thing anyway?

[kitty]

Just say no.

[tgpo]

Just say no.

To microsoft!


What does I.E. stand for?

[vitualis]

i.e. is shorthand for "that is".

Don't know what the original Latin stands for but it will be in any common dictionary.

I think that Greg12 meant to write "e.g." (for example).

A lot of very good S/VCD authoring, DVD ripping and video editing/encoding tools are not available for the Mac so you definitely think it through carefully.

Regards.

hehehe that was funny.... i guess he has never seen the abbreviation for "in example" before? a little off topic, but microsoft makes a mac version of internet explorer---and for the record, it's good! why does everybody hate microsoft? yet they stick with the pc anyway
anyway, "machine"--- both have perks like they said. i havent used a mac to capture yet (i use one at work-- capture at home on pc).. but from what from what i can tell it is all built right in and programs installed... on OS X anyway.
but if you run into problems, id have to say you would be more likely to find a helpful response from the pc side on this site, just because the ratio!
best of luck,
heidi
actually, there's an article in us news this week on this
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/021007/tech/7video.htm

eg12 wrote:
I think a PC because alot of the small freeware programs that r so nice, I.E, Virtual Dub, r not mac compatibile.

Windows PC's now have firewire, so the mac really doesn't have anything over the PC. I think..

I.E. ?? is that considered a a good thing anyway?

[BJ_M]

I.E. <- i was making joke (as in capitalized = MS Internet Explorer which comes on Apples anyway) vs. i.e. (small letter) meaning "that is to say"

[jchansen]

Since you are going for video editing, and didn't say anything about SVCD, XVCD, or whatever else, I would go with a Mac. Final Cut Pro is just too good to pass up if everything else remains equal. Color correction and compositing is really terriffic with FCP.

[pmcd]

Can some people share their thoughts and ideas on MAC video editing? I am looking to get a new computer and want to know if I should be getting a G4 or a new PC. Thanks!

-Machine

Good question. The Mac's come with excellent video tools. Now tools to deal with svcd, divx and so on are now coming online with OSX (since many of them are Open Source anyway). There is a very good free tool for the PC called TMPGEnc whic runs fine in Virtual PC anyway.

I'm not a video expert but the Mac does seem to be excellent for audio,video and pictures. I'd lean towards it, but I am biased.

philip

[humdinger]

i.e stands for 'in example' in the one context, and of course Internet Explorer in the other :P o, i have 2 macs, and 2 peecees, and i can say video editing on a dual 1ghz G4 pwns compared to a peecee, but then peecee gaming is just the dogs bollocks. Nuff said.

[rsuave5]

dogs bullocks? is that legal?
i had the same dilemma3 mos ago and i went with a sony vaio pc, the software was great I.E- premiere, photoshop, soundforge,win moviemaker,sonic dvdit and much more! i also like the cool free ware for pc and im a big gamer. i saved money over a comparable apple as the dvd burner apple was way more! i love my vaio like my son and bill gates is a god and people should stop playa hatin (oldies refer to your kids) but i hear great things about apple and think for strictly video they are easier and perhaps slightly better(maybe) i hear they dont support vcd though and that would mean about 200 hours of porn gone for me so i say pc!

[BJ_M]

........... bill gates is a god ......................and that would mean about 200 hours of porn ......!

would that be in context?

[rsuave5]

yes

[tgpo]

Macs do support VCD, SVCD, etc....

[schwinn]

I guess it depends on what sort of Video work you are doing. I am a big Mac fan and use it for everything for many years. If your making videos form a digital camera then iMovie and iDVD may just be the ticket. They come free with newer Macs and work well. If your making VCD's and SVCD's from DVD rips or downloaded material then I regret that I have to say the Mac is way behind in software for this. It is just now starting to get some free or resonably price software. If fact I put together a very cheap PC for just doing VCD's and SVCD's. While Windozes sucks in my opinion I am amazed at the quality of the available software that is free or nearly so. I can make a VCD encode in a couple of hours that takes over night on my Mac. The really sad thing is the PC software is free. The Mac software costs $400-500 and is slower and the quality is no better. Final cut Pro is like $995.00 ! Belive me I am no Mac basher. I am writing this on my Mac in OSX Jaguar! I do see more Video software being written for OSX. So I am hoping this will soon change. [/i]

[bilestyle]

well your probably not using the right tools if it takes over night to encode a VCD or SVCD, PLEASE dont tell me your using cleaner, that is the worst excuse for a media program i have EVER seen... every other tool for the mac with regards to vcd encoding is free (as long as your using os X and not crappy os 9 ) and just as quick as it would be done on a PC.. its a shame most mac users have NO idea how much we can do with the right tools., granted we dont have as much software as PC users do but thats becaue we dont have as many programmers workin for mac software as PC... although i think with more and more *nix users switch to os X that the numbers will change significantly.

[snowmoon]

I use a PC, 2 very competent friends of mine use MAC's. Basicly if you want to to standard VCD or simple DVD's MAC are fine. Try doing anything else and you are SOL ( or waiting for the grass to grow waiting for mmtools). Don't even get me started on SVCD encoding or playback we have tried for months ( including macvcdx + quicktime mpeg2 plugin, vlc, and anything else they could get their hands on) none work properly if at all.

On my PC I have access to 3 or 4 freeware .avi editing toolchains as well as several freeware mpeg-1 and mpeg-2 encoder, as well as a nice collection of other non-freeware applications that are readly availible.

So if you wan to do VCD or simple DVD* go with a mac. If you want to do anything else go with a PC.

*simple DVD = no more than 90min/disk hardcoded into the application. Or you could spend another $1k to get the updated DVD program that will allow you to do more.