Apple laptop for audio and video editing

Warrior Monk

Hey,


My little sister wants to buy an Apple Mac for audio and video editing. I have some knowledge of pcs but know very little about Macs.

Could you please help me to choose the specs she'll need? She doesn't have a huge amount of cash to spend on it (and Macs really do cost a lot for the specs compared to standard pcs, however I know most media people prefer Macs).

Here are the specs for the Mac she is planning to buy. Do you think this is sufficient? She is not editing for television broadcasting, more to get a video together and then pass on to a pro video editor to do the final cut with their professional equipment.

MacBook Pro 17 inch

2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X2GB
500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

(Costs €2300 incld VAT... I know!)

Also, on the Apple website I can't see an option to add a graphics card. Is the standard card that comes with a MacBook Pro okay for video editing? The same goes for the sound card, I can't configure this on Apple's website either.

I really appreciate your help with this.

Warrior Monk

thepallasbull

video editing is done on macs using premier pro and is the best
now as for the sound it only has a standard sound card and may require her to purchase an External usb sound card for higher quality
Getting video to you new mac is done as far as i know by usb as the older 1's had firewire as well like my own has
now on the other hand if you have a good pc she could use sony vegas pro
I have used this and find it exceptional
Hope this is op some help

Warrior Monk

Thanks for your advice pallasbull. Do you think the specs are high enough for video/audio editing?

2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X2GB
500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm

Thanks again,
WM

thepallasbull

These specs are more than enough as my own are lower and i have no problem doing video editing, a lot is down to the software you use so as to make it as enjoyable as possible for you.
Regards
Pat

keefg

thepallasbull wrote: »

video editing is done on macs using premier pro

Everyone I know who edits video with a Mac (myself included) uses Final Cut.

Warrior Monk wrote: »

She is not editing for television broadcasting, more to get a video together and then pass on to a pro video editor to do the final cut with their professional equipment.

WM, That's a lot of money to be splashing out on a MBP if your sister is only doing a one off video.

Does she not have the option of just getting the editor to cut the whole thing from raw? I'm sure the editor would prefer to do that themselves and it would be cheaper than buying a MBP.

Warrior Monk wrote: »

Do you think the specs are high enough for video/audio editing?

2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X2GB
500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm

Those specs are fine. If she steps up to editing HDV/HD footage then she'll need to invest in some external drives but they can be picked up cheap enough nowadays.

Another option is to keep an eye on the refurbished section of the Apple store, you can save a few hundred euro buying a refurbed model and they come with the same Apple guarantee.

Also, rather than the 17 inch, think about getting a 15 inch MBP to save a few more quid. I have a 15 inch MBP and it's more than adequate.

The video software that comes standard with a mac (imovie) is a great little package but is a very long way off the industry standard Final Cut Pro (which costs an additional €999 on top of the cost of the MBP).

So your sister really needs to think about what she will do in the future, is this just a one off video project or does she intent to get into it more seriously down the road?

Saying that, if you can afford it then a Mac is the way to go. It took years and years of my friends nagging at me to buy a Mac before I eventually took the plunge and now that I've seen first hand how good they are (not to mention reliable) I doubt if I'll ever by a "regular" Windows laptop again.

Warrior Monk

thanks keefq,

My sis intends to make more videos using her mac.

Do you know any open source audio or video editing software for Mac?

WM

meep

+1 on using FCP rather than Premier. It just works with the Mac and is a joy to use.

Anyway, one other thing to consider - does she REALLY need a laptop? I find video editing, even on a 17" screen, quite cramped. If portability is secondary, go for an iMac instead - much bigger screen = easier life and less window shuffling. Plus you're going to have external drives, video cameras and the like hanging out of it so the portability kind of goes out the window in that regard!

As keefg says, do budget for some eternal, fast hard drives for production and some kind of archive system.

Think as well about sound. A decent set of external speakers would be a must for any kind of critical listening.

Also, be sure to check with your video editor on version of software, codecs etc. to make the handoff go smoothly.

(If you haven't found an editor yet, give me a shout!!)

In terms of open source editing, iMovie comes with the Mac for free and will cover the basics. No need to really look beyond that for a straightforward solution. Last time I checked, you could import iMovie files into FCP but that was a couple of years ago. You would need to confirm this.

Peter

keefg

meep wrote: »

+1 on using FCP rather than Premier. It just works with the Mac and is a joy to use.

Anyway, one other thing to consider - does she REALLY need a laptop? I find video editing, even on a 17" screen, quite cramped. If portability is secondary, go for an iMac instead - much bigger screen = easier life and less window shuffling.

(If you haven't found an editor yet, give me a shout!!)

Yeah, good point Peter.

If sis is just going to do all the editing in her bedroom/office then she would be better buying a pimped out iMac and then she can get herself a cheap laptop for t'inerenet and the like.

WM,

You probably aren't aware that we have a dedicated Mac forum with some serious Macheads in it for all your techno questions (other than video editing).

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=108

Have a read through the threads for more info on Macs before you buy. If you're based in Dublin then PC World in Liffey Valley have a small Mac section run by an Apple employee. I don't suggest you but from there but sis can always wander in there to try before she buys.