Enough juice on my PC to edit DSLR HD video?

msp1518

msp1518

Rather than go in blind, I might as well ask you guys what you think about my PC's specs in regards to editing HD. I've never had an issue with MiniDV editing and more recently, 720p and 1080p from a Zi8.

But a DSLR is another can of beans. I have downloaded both Adobe Premiere and Sony Vegas trials and am wondering if my system specs are going to handle footage from a DSLR like the 60D/T2i/7D...?

I've read about NeoScene and don't know if I need to spend the $130.

Next year I would like to buy a Mac and Final Cut pro, but until that day comes, I need to get in here and learn editing on my PC because it is all I have got for now. In January I will have a short film to edit (5 minute comedic piece) and then in April, a 15 minute short.

System specs:
shuttlespecs.jpg
 
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Premiere Pro CS5 (not sure about elements) handles DSLR footage like a dream. They completely reworked the way software handles video with the Mercury engine, and it's wonderful. I'm able to do layers of video keyed in realtime, and that's without the special nvidia card that can be paired with it.

If your system meets minimum specs, it should be able to handle at least one layer of DSLR footage fine.

Now, that's premiere pro, not sure about elements. If the budget is an issue, work with the trial for a month. Or go the neoscene route with different software. You'll spend a lot more time Pre-rendering though.
 
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I don't have a 64 bit OS so CS5 is out. CS4 might work, but without a trial that supports HD, it;s just silly to go that route. And that price point IS crazy. It would be better to invest in Final Cut pro, which I can get for half off. If only I had a Mac!

It all comes down to money. No matter what, I need to squeeze blood from a stone here.

Had my good friend not had his system go BOOM on him he would be editing my short on Final Cut Pro, but unfortunately, such is life. I'm really in a jam because I can't spend hundreds on an editor. Just can't. Need to find my own solution for the 5 minute short and then hopefully by Spring I will have the funds to go all out and buy what I need.
 
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All things considered, I think your besr bet is to try neoscene on one of the stripped down versions of Sony. And use some of your money to get at least a TB of internal storage (it's cheap, and you can still use it when you get a new computer).
 
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Here is from another world. Linux, my Ubuntu box is rendering 1920x1080 from my T2i

I have an i5 processor w/ 4 Gb memory ( Ubuntu sez 2.9 ) in the system properties.

Only issue I have is my NLE Cinelerra does not like my audio files from the cam, so I open the .MOV file in Audacity and rip out the audio for sync purposes. Cool thing about Linux is it uses less system resources to run than Windoze or OSX

Screenshot-4.png



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That scares me. Would have no clue how to get it on my system. I guess I would have to find somebody who knows Linux. That's just another world, entirely.

Were I rolling in the $$$ none of this would matter. Oh well.
 
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Cracker Funk said:
All things considered, I think your besr bet is to try neoscene on one of the stripped down versions of Sony. And use some of your money to get at least a TB of internal storage (it's cheap, and you can still use it when you get a new computer).
Click to expand...

This is great advice. Final Cut is far form the end-all editing program. I have it and use Adobe 90% more because it works better and has way more features.
 
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msp1518 said:
That scares me. Would have no clue how to get it on my system. I guess I would have to find somebody who knows Linux. That's just another world, entirely. Were I rolling in the $$$ none of this would matter. Oh well.
Click to expand...


I know, Im an oddball on this forum using Linux, most everything about Linux is free. It takes time and patience to learn is the big thing. I wasn't saying "Use Linux Instead" but if you have time to learn and want to get all the software you need free, it is an option. Linux uses less resources to run which leaves more power for rendering & etc. That way you can do a little more w/ a little less. I was offering my stuff as a comparison.

Actually many big name studios use it for many aspects of filmmaking.. DreamWorks Animation uses it, It was used in Avatar, King Kong, X-Men The Last Stand, The Day the Earth Stood Still, I Robot, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars: Episode II, The Matrix, Gladiator, Harry Potter, Shrek, and Titanic...etc..etc

In short, the big news in Hollywood about Linux is it is no longer big news. Linux has won not only renderfarm servers, but the artist desktops of the top studios. It's hard to find a large studio that does not use Linux for some animation and special effects OS, and many smaller film studios have adopted Linux, too.

Being Mr Obvious here...... OSX & Windoze are the OS's of choice for most of the masses.

At the software level, studios are using Linux versions of some of the leading commercial applications for 3D animation, compositing, special effects, and rendering — Alias Maya, Apple Shake, and Pixar RenderMan. Internally, the major studios have ported millions of lines of proprietary code to Linux and are creating their new programs in Linux.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHLeToYAe8M
 
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I am using vegas movie studio HD and it works pretty good for short films. It is probably the cheapest option. It is basically the same as the pro version except they give you less video tracks and audio tracks. I think it is only $40 or so. There is a trial version available too. You may want the $99 or $130 version so you can get more tracks for audio and video and it comes more options. Here is the comparison chart. http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/moviestudiopp/compare

Here is the link to the trials for Sony Vegas.

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/download/trials
 
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