Video editing /equipment/matrox?

[snedker]

Hi
I´m rather green on this field - but i´m gonna rebuild my pc for this purpose! in near future.
I´m looking for a 128mb Parhelia-card (2 screens) and RTX 100 XP editing-card (tv-out)and it´s not cheap - but could i use my money in a better solution ???
In the old days - there was no Question about the card , but now ???.
Am i rigth in needing 2 screens ( 1 *fore the original video and 2* for effects ) and a tv for viewing the result !(tv-out on the RTX100 XP)
I´ll be happy fore some advise !
Kind regards
snedker (Denmark)

[Dr Mordrid]

The RT.X100 is still looked on as a major player. About the only thing that'll change that is when HD editing finally takes hold in a big way, but IMO that's still a year or three off. I don't expect it to really "hit" until after 2006, which is when the US market fully transitions to HD broadcast.

Any new video or HD editing products will likely show up at NAB 2005, which runs April 16 - 21 in Las Vegas (NAB = National Assn. of Broadcasters). As such I'd watch the video editing news sites for info. A good one is Digital Media Net;

http://www.digitalmedianet.com

Your idea of using an RT.X100 in combination with a Parlehia card is a very good one, but you could save a few bux by opting for the Matrox P-750 display card as long as you don't use any high-end 3D products like Maya, Lightwave or 3D Studio MAX. If you do then the Parhelia has special drivers for use with them.

You talk about using 2 screens, but this is just the basic operational mode with this combination. This combo is capable of far more than that with the max being 4 displays: 3 VGA's from the Parhelia/P-750 and a composite or Y/C preview monitor connected to the RT.X100 cards output. The VGA's can be spanned for a very wide timeline or split between various window displays + the timeline. The combinations are numerous to say the least.

3 VGA's spanned with a long timeline + a preview monitor is the combo I use with mine and it's a VERY powerful setup.

Now for some system advise: don't presume that an expensive or even an up-to-date rig with all the latest goo-gahs is necessary....it's NOT. The RT.X100 requires a high PCI bandwidth capability from its system, and this isn't always found in expensive systems. Quite the contrary, many such "fancy" systems have so much in the way of embedded devices on the mainboard (not to mewntion their drivers running in ther background) that this hogs the bus bad enough to choke the RT.X100's throughput.

I've been using mine with SiS chipped Athlon based systems for some time now with excellent results. One such rig used a cheap MSI 745 Ultra mainboard ($65 USD), and AthlonXP 2400 and 1g of DDR. The RT.X100 was happy as a clam.

Dr. Mordrid

[Mikele]

I'm testing now to edit HD media (Sony FX1-E) with an AMD XP 2600+ (2083 Real Clock), 1 Giga RAM, 1 SATA MAXTOR 160 sistem Disk and 1 ATA 200 gigas Segate Barracuda, Nvida Nforce 2 400 MB (Asus Deluxe)...
I can't do nothing.
I only can play one HD stream (CPU at 80-90%; DV at 35%). If I edit in Adobe Premiere PRO 1.5.1, it holds at every cut for four or five seconds. Put the timeline and you have to wait for a second or two to get a play. One second fade takes 20-30 seconds...
It remember me old times, with Fast AV-Master or Miro DC30 with a Pentium 166 MGhz.
Quality? Well, first impression is great, but I need more time to do more tests.
At last I have to convert all HD records to SD... and the quality is AMAZING (better than the best 3CCD DV camera I have tried).

For your question, I don't recomend to you a Hardware based solution... for SD. Your first buy should be something like this:
- AMD XP 64 (3000 are quite cheap now).
- MB with PCI EXPRESS!!!!!!!!!!! (very, very important). (yes, I like so much Sis products and Nvida Nforce 4 also).

http://www.tomshardware.com/motherboard/20050321/index.html

- Nvida GeForce 6600 PCI Express http://graphics.tomshardware.com/gra...404/index.html
- 1.5 or 2 Gigas RAM (HDV doesn't work with 1 Giga).
- ADS standard Firewire (there is a version with Ulead pack and another with Adobe pack).
- Optional: Canopus analog converter (if you need it, if your camera doesn't have analog In).
- A pair of Seagate's Barrracuda serial ATA. 200 Gigas are OK, but one of 300 or 400 gigas will be better... More density, more speed transfer without going for complex RAID configurations. Avoid MAXTOR drives, they are very hot. WesternDigital... something like MAXTOR. SAMSUNG are slow.

NOW you can edit SD at very-very high speed.

Future aplications (and some actual edit aplications) will need a very powerful open GL VGA card, tons of RAM and a lot of CPU RAW power... and 64 bits.
And if you want, you can try XP 64 (release this month).
Then, if this configuration isn't enough, you can do two things:
- Wait a little, and change the CPU with more speed or dual core (one year after).
- Buy directly the NEW HD card. I don't now what brand, but this one will work also with SD at more speed than a SD-only card... and you can work also with HD.

I think that SD, for industry, is dead. For us, we can use, like Dr. Mordrid says, three or four years. But cheap HD cams are on the way, and in one year or less (this Christmas?) we can see "approachable" HD cams. Panasonic, JVC and Sony are fighting for releasing new cams... and don't forget that the first "affordable" HD cam was a JVC two years ago. Time is running...

[snedker]

Many thanks fore a fast reply !
It gives me a lot of answers AND new questions ! , my system is not overdressed with fancy items . Attached to MB i have only 1.sata disk(c-drive- 250 G) + 1. Promise pci-raid(sata-raid 5) (256 ram) 750 G + soundcard + plextor 716 dvd/dl burner , 2x512 mb ddr400 dual(kingston hyperX) + 3,2ghz p4 (Northwood).
Is there really no differens between parhelia/p.750 if i only use the software following the RTX100XP card???
Is it a good idea NOT to be connected to the internet when editing , is it enough to unplug? .
snedker

[snedker]

Hi Mikele
Thanks - If i wins a lot of money - i COULD by a new computer - but my system is not one year old (June) and i cost me nearly 3000 US - so it had to last 3-4 years (hope).Does the RTX100XP not "take over" mostly of the work from the cpu??? (when editing).
snedker

[landrover]

Hi Snedker

It all depends on how seriously you'r e willing to take on the challenge of video-editing.
If it's just for fun and private use, perhaps an RT.X is a bit overdone.
Although I am a video editor by profession, at home I can do both professional and private editing jobs using software-only editing solutions. While most users on this board are MSP adepts, I switch, depending on the nature of the projects, between Video deLuxe 2005 by Magix, and Avid Xpress DV 4.6.
I do however fanatically recommend the Parhelia. For editing purpose a P750 would probably do just as well, but I got my Parhelia second-hand and found out that there aren't too many used P750's for sale.

[snedker]

Hi Landrover !
If i´m only using software there´ll be a lot of render/waiting ???? before i can see the changes i made ... or ?
If i buy the RTX i´ll get : Premier pro + adobe encore + audition - full versions (licensed)
and cheaper than the price of software alone ! - so i really got the card fore free !
Many people today won´t take it so hard about license - but i´ll feel better if my back is clear .
Compare to other hobbies , the price is not more than about 2 weeks fihing in Norway ! .

[Mikele]

Many thanks fore a fast reply !
i have only 1.sata disk(c-drive- 250 G) + 1. Promise pci-raid(sata-raid 5) (256 ram) 750 G + soundcard + plextor 716 dvd/dl burner , 2x512 mb ddr400 dual(kingston hyperX) + 3,2ghz p4 (Northwood).

Is it a good idea NOT to be connected to the internet when editing , is it enough to unplug? .
snedker

Well, with this config you CAN edit in RT or near RT (wiht a lot of effects) with Ulead MediaSutio 7.2 & Premiere Pro 1.5.1. Also AVID, Vegas, etc. They only need a lot of CPU power and PIV 3.2 gives enough.
Look here http://www.adstech.com/products/API_...asp?pid=API750
Pyro cards have great comptibility.

Is good idea to DESCONNECT via soft the net card, but is better to get a computer without internet connection. Why? Two years OK without reinstalation on a PC without Internet (and no Spyware protection program, Antivirus Program, etc; only videoediting programs) and two, four, six... months for reinstaling a PC with internet connection.

[snedker]

Hi Mikele
The Pyro-card + software is half the price of matrox - but does the pyro-card accellerate(processor) or is it nearly FIREWIRE 1394 - connections to camera etc. ??????
Yes i do have spyware protection(Lavasoft/ad-awere-pro+ad-watch) and antivirus program(Norton-Premier 2005) running in background ! - so maybe i should start from zero (safest) and let my 2. computer do the internet

[Dr Mordrid]

What you'll find in using one of the RT cards with PPro is that the software will run a lot "snapper"; scrubbing much more smoothly etc. Even on a decent system PPro can tax it, and the hardware assist is a big advantage.

Not to mention that the RT's also give you a very fast batch encoder (set up for DVD, internet etc., click OK and it'll encode to dozens of such profiles, rapidly). They also have a great capture tool (MediaTools) for doing your DV batch captures.

Then the RT.X100 adds little nicities like a high quality realtime chroma/lumakey engine that can rival anything I've ever seen. It even has an AutoKey button for lazy folks

Dr. Mordrid

[snedker]

Thanks again Mordrid !
Now i´m certain - it must be RTX100 , even if i could manage with software alone spending more time!
sorry if my gramma´/spelling is a bit rusty (34 year´s since i left school )