HD Video editing with new MacBook white

[bokaj]

Hey, sorry if I missed another thread. I just bought the new Canon 5D Mark II, a still camera that shoots 1080i HD video. I was thinking about buying the new MacBook white with the faster graphics card and wanted to find out if it will handle HD editing?

I'll be using Final Cut Pro and producing pieces no longer than 15 minutes. Am I going to be frustrated and should I go with a MacBook Pro?

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

Hey, sorry if I missed another thread. I just bought the new Canon 5D Mark II, a still camera that shoots 1080i HD video. I was thinking about buying the new MacBook white with the faster graphics card and wanted to find out if it will handle HD editing?

I'll be using Final Cut Pro and producing pieces no longer than 15 minutes. Am I going to be frustrated and should I go with a MacBook Pro?

The MacBook can't handle Final Cut. Express maybe, but not Pro. Stick with the MBP, even if it's a refurbished 'classic' MBP w/ the 8600M GT graphics card.

 

[Chundles]

It's not so much the machine but the speed if the hard drive. I have a 2.4GHz Alu MacBook and 14mbps 1080p 30fps video playback from the 5400rpm internal drive is really quite choppy. Off a 7200rpm external it's smooth as silk. I don't know what bitrate the 5D mark ii uses but you'll definitely want the fastest drive you can get.

Edit: actually playback in Quicktime is smooth as silk regardless but the footage is very jerky when edited/ playing back in iMovie '09. Final Cut may have better handling of such footage.

 

[bokaj]

Thanks for the help! So the last gen 8600 card does the job for Final Cut Pro?

 

[bokaj]

If I'm using an external 7200 drive connected through the firewire port does that solve the problem you think?

 

[bokaj]

Whoops, mis-read the reply. That solves my question.

Thanks!