Good Decent Priced Laptop for Video Editing

Trip Hazard

Im looking to get a Laptop kind of for General use but more so for Video Editing, and just wondering are there any specific specs that are good to have for video editing, Obviously a big memory, but anything else.

I hear Apple are great and everybody is going on about Final Cut pro and Express but Im used to Windows and I can get Premier Pro that im used to using, and the Dells are alot cheaper that the Macs.

I was looking at the Inspiron 1520 do people think that would be good for the type of thing im looking to do.

Advice

Cheers

Lump

The best thing to do is look at the software you intend using and go for the recommended specs, then start improving on them until you run out of money.

John

DerekP11

I wouldn't recommend a Windows based lap top for editing. Go the desk top route.

Mac lap tops are more suited to the editing set up.

lodgepole

DerekP11 wrote:

I wouldn't recommend a Windows based lap top for editing. Go the desk top route.

Mac lap tops are more suited to the editing set up.

No they're not. If he's already comfortable in a windows environment, then an MS based laptop will do fine. A dual core chip, as much memory as you can afford and a high capacity external hard disk would be high on the agenda. Don't be too worried about the specs, people have been editing on computers for years with far lower specs than are currently available.

MLM

Lodgepole wrote:

No they're not. If he's already comfortable in a windows environment, then an MS based laptop will do fine. A dual core chip, as much memory as you can afford and a high capacity external hard disk would be high on the agenda. Don't be too worried about the specs, people have been editing on computers for years with far lower specs than are currently available.

Yes, but the software has changed which means you now need far higher speced computers to edit even highly compressed prosumer formats such as mini-dv. When it comes to video editing get the best computer you can afford. It depends also on what you will be doing. if its for family videos the 1520 should be fine. If you want to use it professionally you will have to spend more money.

Filmed Events

Just buy a Mac. MS based computers crash and and stall. If you go down that route you'll end up like me with no hair left to pull at!:rolleyes:
Final Cut Pro is a easy to learn. There are loads of free tutorials on youtube to get you started. You won't regret it.

lodgepole

MLM wrote:

Yes, but the software has changed which means you now need far higher speced computers to edit even highly compressed prosumer formats such as mini-dv. When it comes to video editing get the best computer you can afford. It depends also on what you will be doing. if its for family videos the 1520 should be fine. If you want to use it professionally you will have to spend more money.

If he can get Premiere Pro, then he can also get Premiere 6.5, which will run incredibly fast on that spec laptop and produce identical results, more or less.

MS Computers only crash and stall if you don't treat them nice. None of my MS computer ever crash* and i've been video editing on them for ten years.

* video editing has a wonderful side effect on all computers which is that sometimes software just stops. As in it closes leaving no trace of it ever having been open... This happens across the board whether you're on a Mac using FCP or a PC using Avid.

Freddie59

Lodgepole wrote:

If he can get Premiere Pro, then he can also get Premiere 6.5, which will run incredibly fast on that spec laptop and produce identical results, more or less.

MS Computers only crash and stall if you don't treat them nice. None of my MS computer ever crash* and i've been video editing on them for ten years.

* video editing has a wonderful side effect on all computers which is that sometimes software just stops. As in it closes leaving no trace of it ever having been open... This happens across the board whether you're on a Mac using FCP or a PC using Avid.

I'd agree there. I use Studio 9 Plus myself and this can happen if you don't remember to save repeatedly. Same thing happens on Power Director. I would imagine the more advanced programs such as Premiere, etc would even be harsher on the PC. I use a Dell Dual-Core 3.o GHz chip, 2 GB RAM, and a dedicated Hard Drive. Works well even on long projects.:D

DerekP11

Firewire connection on a Windows based lap top???

miju

For the past few years I've been editing video on a windows based laptop using a Canon XL1 , Adobe Premier with firewire connection and the laptop is only 1.8ghz with 1GB of RAM.

Never any problems with it speed wise whether capturing or compressing. It does have a good video card and also as someone else suggested make sure you get yourself a high storage capacity external HDD

lodgepole

DerekP11 wrote:

Firewire connection on a Windows based lap top???

That's not at all unusual.