video editing computer

[dchip]

Been at a standstill for some time on upgrading my system for DV NLE. Finally I think I know (other than cost) what the problem is. My system is too junked up to upgrade. Too much stuff on it that has nothing to do with editing video and I just can't "feel" a truly clear path to DV editing. I am thinking of starting from scratch and building a true NLE computer and just wanted to get some advice from others who have such systems.

Specific questions:

Are boards like the ASUS P3BF-1394 worth the extra or does having the firewire built-in limit the boards future? For example, the P3BF-1394 says it has a "high speed" IEEE 1394 controller with a lot of other fancy acronyms listed (read- Layer Host Controller, TI® TSB41LV03 LLC-to-PHY Digital-to-Analog Transceiver). Does this kind of support make it better or more versatile than other capture solutions?

How much memory would be recommended?

If I also wanted to somehow network the new system with the current one, roughly how much would that add to the cost?

Do those who use networked systems at home really find them more convenient? Is Windows® NT better for video editing processes?

Are there any reasons to need things like modems, printers and scanners in a NLE computer?


I'm in exploratory mode. Another option I have is to strip down this (P3B-F 5/2/1 PIII450 128MB PC100 ECC) that I now have and just start again with it. Getting rid of printer, scanner and other non-video stuff might make me feel better.

Any thoughts appreciated.

[This_Idiot]

Hi DChip,

It's always a big decision to do a new build, so I hope lots of folks chip in with their perspective.

Personally I'd steer away from mainboards that have on-board functionality such as audio, display or firewire. This is because a mainboard is usually the longest-lived component and you will quite reasonably expect to upgrade sub-components more frequently. You also get a wider choice of brands for each component (for instance, whose DV capture board would YOU buy this week ?) and also a lot of on-board components seem of a lesser quality build than their retail equivalents. Let alone the software bundles.

I'd also be tempted to keep your analog door open in case you do find that you want to capture analog footage (maybe a background from your favourite movie or something) which might lead you towards (eg) DVRaptor or a combination of analog/DV boards (I run a Marvel G200 and an ADS Pyro in this particular machine).

From the forum, it appears that direct YUY capture with realtime compression to your favourite is a major consideration, so you should be looking at a hefty processor (mebbe 650+). RAM wise, you can spend a lot of money unnecessarily here. I'd recommend 128Mb, others will tell you double that. Your call. Hard drive wise, look at the latest ATA66+ offerings and look for a boot drive with sufficient space to comfortably fit all your favourite bloatware (6Gb should be plenty) and an AV drive as big as you can afford and as much space as your HD controller can handle (no point going for 40Gb if it will only address 32 !). For your display, only you can pick the one you feel comfortable with. I'm happy with a 17" monitor with a G400 (alas not on this PC), but you pick the size and brand (Nvidia are looking good at the moment). Don't forget that monitors are bulky and you have to fit it into your furniture !

On networking, 100Mbit cards and hubs are fairly cheap right now, so it shouldn't cost a bundle. Which leads onto your last - as far as possible leave an AVB machine to that task only, and network it to a lesser machine on which to play games, catch your email, surf, write letters etc. Peer-to-peer is reasonably fast, effective, easy to set up and FREE.

That gives everyone else something to disagree with, so let's see some action

Cheers

Chris

[Dr Mordrid]

I'll second that. I have an Asus P3B-F and it works great, but T_I's logic is correct: onboard functionality is not good.

I'd no more get a board with an onboard IEEE-1394 adapter than I would onboard sound. The reason is that they often are not very easy to disable if the need arises for an upgrade. Even if they can be disabled there are often glitches like a forever lost IRQ or some system pecularity that gums up the working of the new device.

Go with a plain-Jane P3B-F or whatever other board you select.

Dr. Mordrid


[This message has been edited by Dr Mordrid (edited 05 July 2000).]

[dchip]

Thanks for the input guys. I did a little pricing on tccomputers and buying new stuff will be too much. Think I will take the existing P3B-F, clear everything off of it and start fresh with NLE-only in mind. I will invest in a new 40-60GB HDD, for video only, which should really give the feeling of starting anew. For DV I will look at the Raptor again or perhaps the entry level EZDV from Canopus. Real moves, good or bad, are needed or I might as well fold up the tent and keep editing 8mm.