Mac Prices for Editing

[HoosierGuy]

I really no nothing about Macs accept I will need one if I want to learn and use Final Cut Pro.

What are the minimum specs I should look for in a Mac to edit video/hi-def video? What about solid specs for Final Cut Pro and Macs? How much would will I have to
spend on a Mac? My sister was in a Mac store in Florida and asked the person working what Macs can run FCP. I also talked with this person on my sisters cell phone. He showed her the lowest costing Macs that started around $700. I thought the real good Macs for FCP would cost at least two thousand. I've never priced Macs before. I don't think the Apple store worker really knew much about Final Cut Pro.

Thanks

[Adub]

Technically, any Mac can RUN FCP. Editing HD video is another matter.

I think that you will want at least a new MacBook Pro as a minimum, with as much RAM and the best processor that you can afford. Many editors actually use the Mac Pro (not Mac Book Pro) for FCP, but that is usually even more expensive.

Now, if you are editing HD content, be aware that no matter what you get, editing can be slow for certain operations, as HD takes a lot of processing power.

[lordsmurf]

. He showed her the lowest costing Macs that started around $700

That's a Mac mini, and it would work fine. It comes with a very nice dual-core Intel CPU.

Also Amazon is cheaper than any "Mac store" tends to be:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013FK9U2?ie=UTF8&tag=thdifa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=17...SIN=B0013FK9U2
Buying from the Mac store is like buying from a mall boutique -- you pay for location, not the item.

Add in 8GB RAM for $95. No idea when that sale ends. Still valid now.
Read more on it at http://www.digitalFAQ.com/forum/showthread.php/8gb-ram-mac-2812.html

[gspanos]

I really no nothing about Macs accept I will need one if I want to learn and use Final Cut Pro.

What are the minimum specs I should look for in a Mac to edit video/hi-def video? What about solid specs for Final Cut Pro and Macs? How much would will I have to
spend on a Mac? My sister was in a Mac store in Florida and asked the person working what Macs can run FCP. I also talked with this person on my sisters cell phone. He showed her the lowest costing Macs that started around $700. I thought the real good Macs for FCP would cost at least two thousand. I've never priced Macs before. I don't think the Apple store worker really knew much about Final Cut Pro.

Thanks

Regarding editing HD content, something to consider is that neither DVDStudioPro (a component of Final Cut Studio) nor iDVD (a component of iLife) support blu-ray encoding and burning. For blu-ray you can use Toast 10.0.8 to author, encode and burn HD projects edited in FCP or iMovie, but the authoring options are very limited.

[AntnyMD]

Regarding editing HD content, something to consider is that neither DVDStudioPro (a component of Final Cut Studio) nor iDVD (a component of iLife) support blu-ray encoding and burning. For blu-ray you can use Toast 10.0.8 to author, encode and burn HD projects edited in FCP or iMovie, but the authoring options are very limited.

Final Cut Studio 3 introduced (fairly buried) menu options for encoding and formatting for Blu-ray discs out of some FCStudio apps. Burning to disk is limited to hard disk, and blank DVD media (which is therefore meant for SHORT playback). The Blu-ray spec supports playback of properly formatted Blu-ray content on DVD media. Mac OS X still does not support burning Blu-ray media. For that, you do need Roxio's Toast with Blu-ray plug-in.

[edDV]

Prices?

MacMini $699 (2.4GHz 2GB RAM) to $999 (2.6GHz 4GB RAM) plus a keyboard, mouse and monitor.
Final Cut Studio $999

less with student discount
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB642Z/A?fnode=NDQ4OTY4OA&mco=MTM3NDgxMTQ

[gspanos]

I got the full (non-student) Final Cut Studio for $700 from an Amazon seller. Shop around.

[MacDSL]

Quick question, Regarding what hardware you should get, When mentioning Hi-Def Video. Are you talking about a Full-blown HD camera like a Scarlet RED HD Video? or something like a FLIP HD Camera HD Video...
The reason i ask, is because although both are labeled HD, they are on the opposite ends of the spectrum of what kind of hardware you would need to get to effectively edit with. So, Do you already have a Camera you will use to record? And, What kind of editing are you thinking of doing?
Or, Do you just want to learn FCP and are looking for a system that will let you get started in the wonderful work of cutting and compositing and layering video with FCP. And, it needs to support HD.

If it's the latter, just get an iMac. If you can swing the 27" get it. They are very fast, and the screen real estate is very nice in starting learning FCP. For the money they are a great deal and a good machine that will easily work for the next 4 years without becoming useless because of a new OS upgrade or FCP Studio upgrade.

[terryj]

I've built all three systems for FCP use recommended by Smurfy, EdDV and MacDSL.
All three will meet the needs of the most basic to mid level "prosumer".

Once you get to the point of changing cameras, or going multi-camera, then you might need
a Mac Pro. But, until then, save the cash and get either a portable rig or desktop rig
( decide THAT first), then look at the PRICE. that's the way to buy a Mac.

[Cyrax9]

What are the minimum specs I should look for in a Mac to edit video/hi-def video? What about solid specs for Final Cut Pro and Macs? How much would will I have to
spend on a Mac?

It depends on your expectations; if you want a Mac with the bare minimum specs, expect bare minimum functionality from FCP when it comes to working with HD video. If portability is important to you, you'll need a laptop, if speed is more an issue, a mid-range desktop might be better suited for you. I'll point you to edDV's anser first:

MacMini $699 (2.4GHz 2GB RAM) to $999 (2.6GHz 4GB RAM) plus a keyboard, mouse and monitor.
Final Cut Studio $999

This is essentially the "bare minimum" that you can get away with; the Mac Mini is perfect for SD video, but some more complex HD sequences will inevitably take longer then they would on other (faster) Macs. I run Final Cut Express 3.5 on my Mac Mini, because I honestly don't find it suitable for the Final Cut Studio suite, which I admittedly run on my Mac Pro.

There are a couple of ways that you can save money with this set up though; for starters, shop around for your copy of Final Cut Studio; you may be able to find it for a few hundred dollars less then $999 if you don't buy it from Apple directly. The basic "stock" Mac Mini will run you $699; sites like PowerMax.com, which are authorized resellers dealing in new and refurbished systems may be able to offer you a bit of a discount; the same goes for MacMall.com. Also, check the "refurbished Mac" section of Apple's own website; a refurbished Mac from Apple is generally a bit less expensive then a new machine, and you still get the 90-day warranty that comes with new machines, and are eligible for the Applecare Service Plan. (I highly advise you spring for the service plan; it's definitely money well spent if something goes wrong.)

You already have a keyboard, mouse, and monitor, if those are a USB keyboard and a USB mouse, you're good to go there, if not, purchase a PS/2 to USB converter, and you're good to go. Just remember that the "windows" key will be your "Apple/Command" key (think CTRL under Windows,) and consider mapping the hotkeys from Apple's keyboards to keys you don't regularly use. Find out whether your monitor uses a DVI or VGA connector and just purchase the corresponding adapter for Mini DisplayPort, and you're good to go with the monitor as well. If you want your Mac and PC running alongside each other, the Beklin "Flip" (make sure you get the one that says "for Mac," not "PC," it costs about $75.00) is a nice KVM switch that lets you use one keyboard/mouse/monitor/speaker set across two computers via USB. The "Mac" version is really the USB version, and the "PC" version is really the PS/2 version. A KVM switch is nice if you want to let your Mac render a long project and play a game on your PC in the meantime.

If you're looking for a laptop, the entry-level MacBook Pro is a good place to start, although I'd go with the mid-range model which is more suited to editing, generally has slightly larger screen real-estate, but also costs just a bit more. The 17" "high-end" model is the one that I'd get for myself, but you really don't need it, and unless you don't mind spending extra money, you probably shouldn't buy it. I would also wait for Apple to update the MacBook Pro before buying one; supplies are constrained right now and it's widely believed that an update is due soon, possibly including the new "Sandy Bridge" Intel chips. (Production was reportedly delayed only by two weeks as a result of the chips, with any other delays being the result of something else.) The Unibody MacBook Pros are beautiful, lightweight, and incredibly functional. I absolutely love them and will be buying one when I finally replace my archaic Titanium Powerbook G4. Most people I know who edit "on-the-go" like having the MacBook Pro solely for the fact that it's portable, but also for the fact that it's fast enough to function like a desktop.

If you're looking to step up from the "bare minimum" to a lower mid-range machine, the entry level iMac is your best bet. You get a built-in screen, (higher-end models double as external monitors for other devices as well,) an all-in-one unit, and I'm pretty sure that the keyboard/mouse are included with the iMac. What's more, the iMac already uses the Core i5/i7 series, rather then the Core 2 series of processors.

Whatever Mac you go with, I'd wait for an update on anything other then the iMac right now; I'd also bump the RAM to 4GB and make sure that you have a reasonably sized hard drive, (500GB would be my starting point.) I'd definitely purchase Applecare as well, and I'd consider just going to the Apple store and trying out the machines that they have on display to get a feel of what's most comfortable. Remember, you're going to be spending a lot of time in front of your Mac, so you want to choose the one that you find fits your needs best. You don't have to order it from the Apple store, and I would advise against doing so unless it's from Apple's online store, but just trying the machines that are on display could definitely help you in choosing which Mac fits your needs best.

Since this is your first Mac, I'd advise against the Mac Pro, at least until your comfortable with FCP. If FCP becomes your default NLE, then in a couple of years you might want to think about the Mac Pro, but I would never recommend it to anyone for their first Mac. (The Mac Pro is exactly what its name says it is, a professional workstation for professional environments, with a price-tag to match. Great if you can afford it, have a need for it, and/or love the Mac platform, but not-so-great as an entry-level system. It's sort of the antithesis of the Mac Mini, which is great for entry-level use, but not-so-great for professional applications, although even then it does handle some professional programs pretty well.)

Hope this helps.

[terryj]

(The Mac Pro is exactly what its name says it is, a professional workstation for professional environments, with a price-tag to match. Great if you can afford it, have a need for it, and/or love the Mac platform, but not-so-great as an entry-level system. )

This is exactly what I tell people who ask me to build out their MAC NLE's for them...
I also add this as well "remember, buying what you can afford now isn't the same as
buying for the future." I tell people this because I've seen too many people get
roped into buying a Mac Pro for FCP/FCS, and then the learning curve of FCP / FCS
makes them give up after a couple of months and they usually call wanting to
know if I know someone who'll buy their machine for 75 to 85% of what they invested in it.


People don't take that into account: Once you get better at FCP /FCS, the more work
you'll take on in it. The more work you take on it, you save that money ( or even 1/2
the money from the jobs) towards a bigger and better machine.
I've got guys who started on FCP v.4.5 HD rigs ( built on Power Mac G5 1.6ghz macs),
get themselves established, and then upgrade a machine or two at a time to
a new Mac Pro. I know one guy who wanted to stay portable, so on my recommend
got a MacBook Pro 2.2ghz 15inch 2GB of Ram with a Lacie 500GB FW 800 drive, and
still works off that rig for his FCP work.

Get started, get your skill level up, get jobs under your belt,
buy a better setup. Sure Macs last pretty long
( on my average about 7 to 8 yrs, most people about 5 years)
but that doesn't mean you'll be stuck with system you buy now
to learn FCP /FCS and get your self established.