The Ultimate DV Editing & Authoring System - Bang Vs. Bu

[JJ Coolbean]

Hello, everyone. This is my first post, so I hope I've selected the proper forum for this topic.

Anyway, I'll soon be joining the rest of you in the world of DVD-R as I am currently in the process of buying/building a computer system dedicated to the capture and non-linear editing of digital video. Basically, I want to be able to edit my DV shorts/features on a computer and burn them onto DVD. Also, I'd like to have a DVD read-only drive along with the DVD writer so that I can more quickly duplicate my own authored DVD's. I won't be doing any intensive 3-D animation, but I would like the option to do some graphics down the road (for titles/credits and such). As for soundtrack/music creation, I've heard good things about Sonic Foundry products (ie, ACID). But, I must admit, I am little more than a novice when it comes to computer hardware, so selecting the "right" system has seemed daunting.

Looking over this forum the past few weeks I've noticed that many of you have "learned the hard way" with certain hardware/software products that you've purchased. (Several of you seem to take issue with some of Dell's recent systems and Dazzle capture cards seem to be a popular target.) I don't have the money to make a major mistake on a purchase like this, so I ask you to help me out if you could.

My question is as follows: If you had to do it all over again, if you could buy/build your dream system, with what you've learned, what would you choose? (Obviously price is a VERY important consideration when answering this question so, if possible, please consider different price ranges. This way the topic can be more helpful to other forum users working within a variety of budgets.)

Please consider the following (with PRICE verses PERFORMANCE in mind):

Operating Systerm: ?
CPU Speed: ?
Harddrive (s) Space: ?
RAM Memory: ?
Video Card: ?
Graphics Card: ?
Motherboard: ?
CD Writer: ?
DVD Writer: ?
Capture Card: ?
Software (for DVD authoring, hacking, etc): ?
Anything Else: ?

Thanks for considering this post and I look forward to reading the replies. I hope other forum users can get something out of the replies as well.

Again, thank you.

[disturbed1]

Operating Systerm: ? Windows XP

CPU Speed: ? 2.6 gig min P4, would like dual Xeons
~$220
Harddrive (s) Space: ? 5 120gig, 2 cap raid 0, 2 edit raid 0, 1 system
~$550
RAM Memory: ? 1000mb min.
~$125
Video Card: ? Matrox dual head, maybe triple if $$ left over
~$100
Graphics Card: ? look up

Motherboard: ? Intel made with DDR and raid. RDRAM too much $$ trust me
~$130
CD Writer: ? ??????????????????? I'd rather have a DVD-RAM drive.
~$150
DVD Writer: ? Pioneer a05
~$210
Capture Card: ? You can get by with the built in fire wire. Plus a card for uncompressed output for analouge sources. A Canopus DVRex, or Storm, or even an Amber would be nice.

Software (for DVD authoring, hacking, etc): ? All Sonic Foundry. Vegas+DVD, Sound Forge, maybe Acid Pro for some killer 5.1 surround panning on custom loops
~$1050
Anything Else: ? A couple of 21" monitors, my 19's don't cut it any more. Another M-Audio sound card, and some Klipsch speakers. A huge server case with dual 500 watt PSU, and enough fans to A/C the work room.
~$400-$$$$$$$


Around $2500 without monitors.

Hardly a budget system, but building the above would be much cheaper today than what it cost me for one of my current P4 1500 setups. Close to half, minus the Canopus cards of course.

[BJ_M]

well --- well --- well , exactly what disturbed1 says -- he pretty well almost exactly described my main system, even the video card (i have triple matrox), except i have scsi and ide and outboard firewire (a lot of outboard firewire) and suggest also using an ads pyro as your firewire card.

[disturbed1]

ads pyro as your firewire card

Damn, should of thought of that Good deal for about 55 bucks, 3 added ports, and the software bundle looks pretty good,

Pyro Pro DV includes: Ulead MediaStudio Pro 6.0, Cool 3D, Hash Animation Master 2000, Sound Forge XP 4.5, Sonic Foundry ACID Style 2.0, Boris FX Ltd., Pixelan Software's SpiceMaster Lite, and DV Suite.

[necronomIV]

Low Budget Screamer:

$210.......Tyan Tiger MPX motherboard
................
$85........AMD Athlon XP 2400+
$85........AMD Athlon XP 2400+ (aslo buy automotive rear window
.................................................. defroster repair kit to jump L5 bridge to enable
.................................................. multiprocessing function in each)
...............
$31........Thermalright SLK-800 Heatsink
$31........Thermalright SLK-800 Heatsink
...............
$34........PC2100 512mb Ram
$34........PC2100 512mb Ram (must only use these in first 2 slots,
................................................or else pay for REG ECC RAM)
...............
$139......Western Digital 200GB "Special Edition" HDD
...............
$300......Sony DRU510A
...............
$99.........Enermax 460w "whisper" power supply
...............
$119.......ATI All-in-Wonder Radeon 7500 (video, graphics, and capture all in one)
...............
$29.........Creative Sound Blaster live! 5.1
...............
$159.......CTX 19" Monitor True Flat
...............
------------
$1355 = "Most Bang for the Buck" - A Dual Athlon running at these speeds and a gig
.................................................. .....of ram will eat up a single P4 in video editing/Photoshop
.................................................. .....work all day long for a fraction of the cost.

Let me know if you have any other "budget" tech advice...
necronomIV

[JJ Coolbean]

Thanks for the information, everyone.