Editting on Laptop

S

sohan_777

Hi guys,
I own a Sony HD camcorder, I am currently making short films but in the next year I'm thinking about making something bigger, at least a 50 mins production. So for editing I was going to buy a desktop pc. But recently my country is facing a lot of power shortage and every day we are facing at least 3 to 4 hours of load shedding. So in this condition getting a laptop would be the smart choice but I'm a bit confused.
First, because I don't really know that many people who are editing hd footage with laptops( Most people here actually do not use HD camcorders or footage). So I can't be sure if the laptops will do a good job(I mean not taking too much time converting footage or rendering or playback, coz my current pc freezes after 10 minutes of editing and the playback screen on Vegas Pro goes blank after playing for 1 min).
Second, I've heard that while playing games for longer hours laptops get heated up and then ultimately freeze or the games get turned off. Does that go away with using the cooling pads for laptops? Since I would be editing for at least 2/3 hours in one session, I can't be sure if the laptop will be able to take it. I will be using Premiere Pro CS4 and AE CS4 btw.
Third, can anyone recommend what extensions I need to go for to edit the HD footage with comfort(for the laptop)? I mean RAM, Graphics Card, etc?
Fourth and final question: If I do get one, I have provided specs of the best two options for me. Now Macs are expensive, although I can afford the machine but getting extensions would not be possible for budget issues. So will I be able to edit the HD footage without much hassle on the MAC I have mentioned below without making any changes to its configuration? My other option is the asus core i5, probably this is the one I am going buy. But after reading your suggestions, of course.

http://www.google.com/products/cata...result&resnum=8&ved=0CF8Q8wIwBw&os=tech-specs

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/apple-macbook-pro-spring/4507-3121_7-34058850.html
 
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It will depend on the software you are editing with. Most of the auto or free stuff can't handle HD footage, but some of the fairly cheap stuff like Vegas 9 (cheap version) can.

I've been having problems with Premiere Pro CS5 on my computer because the system requires a 64 bit harddrive and at least 2 GB RAM (4+ is recommended) so with a program like that a laptop wouldn't be capable of editing. But the power issue is a serious one and I get where you're coming from.

I don't know the exact system requirements of CS4 but I'd be very surprised if you could get it to fluently edit HD footage on a laptop. I think that in that case you'll be more in danger of crashes from your laptop faulting than you would be from power outs. That said I think a more fundamental problem will be not being able to install it because of system requirements.

Can you not get a PC and a backup generator of some sort?
 
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Thanks for replying. The thing is I'm studying in a university and everyday I have to spend at least 3 hours on the road(we also have a SERIOUS traffic jam issue). And also more hours on the uni as well. So it has to be a laptop.

About the CS4 thing, actually I meant to say CS5, it was just a silly mistake. I have tried Vegas pro on desktop, it worked okay. Now what you said is the probable scenario, working on CS4/CS5 on a laptop will result in crashes. But as I mentioned, my only option is the laptop. So probably I will have to stick with Vegas Pro until I find a solution. Besides, the asus laptop that I have mentioned above has 4 gb RAM and a core i5 processor, and the graphics options are:
Graphics Processor / Vendor NVIDIA GeForce 310M / Intel HD Graphics
Video Memory 1 GB DDR3 SDRAM

So I think I will try my luck and buy this one.
 
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Folks edit and work with HD footage on notebooks all the time.. whats the problem? You just need a powerful system...

I just bought my wife a quad core notebook with 6GB ram running Win7 64 bit.. >$600.

Thats better specs then my first CS3 desktop!
 
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Thanks for posting guys!
@gooberman: This is the gfx setting of the laptop that I'm considering. Do you think it would be able to do the job?
Graphics Processor / Vendor NVIDIA GeForce 310M / Intel HD Graphics
Video Memory 1 GB DDR3 SDRAM
@wheatgrinder: Thanks for reassuring. The specs are better, but another question is whether the machine will be able to take it without freezing since it's a laptop and their kind tend to have a temperature problem?
 
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Laptop or desktop aren't actually the issue here.

The only thing that matters is the spec of the computer. And naturally, a laptop with the same spec as a desktop would cost a bit more money too.

The only problem i have with editing on a laptop is it's small screen. But this can be easily solved by getting an external monitor.

EDIT: So I guess what i'm trying to say is, your question shouldn't be, "can i edit on a laptop?" because you can. The question should more be "this is my budget, what is the best laptop i can get for editing films."
 
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