hardware recommendations?

[jester]

I'm working on a Mac G3 (blue & white) I have been experimenting with doing 3D animation. The ultimate goal of doing the animation of course is to record it to a format where it can be seen by others. My initial goals are rather modest. I want to create a short of a minute or so. I would like to transfer my minute of animation to VHS video tape and also to CD. While I want it to look good I'm not prepared to spend 1000's of $'s for high end hardware to do this. I've seen hardware like Iomega's Buz for transfer to video for around $300. Does anyone have experience with Buz or similar products in that price range that works on Mac's?

What other transfer products should I check out?

What kind of quality might I expect? (remember I'm not looking for an Oscar with my animation...just yet)

Anyone have pro's or con's about CD-RW? What's good and what's not so good?

[DrMordrid]

As for the video devices for the Mac I have little knowledge except for this;

DO NOT GET A BUZ!!

Iomega has quit making them for the PC so the future for the Mac is questionable. Even while they were making the PC versions the driver support was horrible and bug ridden. From what I've read the Mac situation wasn't much better. I'd avoid it like the plague that it is/was.

As for CD-R/RW I love mine. It's an HP-8100i and it works PERFECT.

The limitations are that they can only hold 650 megs of data for CD-R, about 550 for CD-RW (some directory overhead is responsible for the difference). Also CD-RW writes and formatting are rather slow compared to magnetic media.

The advantages are that they are here now, the prices are going down and they work VERY well. Also most makers are now including PacketCD software so you can write to CD's of either type as you would a normal diskette. No mastering software needed for just copying files.

Another advantage is that unlike magnetic medai the disks are also magnetic field and x-ray resistant. This is much better for data that will go through an airport.

Coming this winter/spring (depending on who you believe) a new device called DVD-RW will hit the streets with many times the capacity but at a higher cost.

You make your choices and drop your dimes....

Dr. Mordrid


[This message has been edited by DrMordrid (edited 09-25-1999).]

[This message has been edited by DrMordrid (edited 09-25-1999).]

[jester]

Iomega has stopped making their Buz for PC's, but continue to make one for G3's. Supposedly new and improved from previous versions. So if Buz is to be avoided, what other products at a similar price could I choose from for a Mac? I'm still curious to hear from anyone using a Buz with a Mac.

[DrMordrid]

You might get more/faster replies regarding the Buz/G3 on the rec.video.desktop newsgroup than here. This is pretty much a Windows/PC area.

Dr. Mordrid