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I won a Mac Pro for a video contest!

C

ckfoot01

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 25, 2008
24
0
Plymouth, MI
So a few months back I entered a video contest and the top prize was a Mac Pro with a 30 inch cinema display. Now i've been a PC person my whole life and never used a mac until I went to college. So I need to know from people who have one, will this be the best I can get? I make videos and edit on my Dell which was a really good computer but 4-5 years past and its getting slower by the day. Here are the specs from the contest (I have yet to get this prize however which kills me)

Grand Prize is an Apple® Mac® Pro Tower computer and 30” Flat Panel Cinema Display. (ARV: $4,598). Configuration includes:

Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon (8-core), 2GB (2 x 1GB), 320GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s, ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB (Two dual-link DVI), Apple Cinema HD Display (30" flat panel), One 16x SuperDrive, Apple Mighty Mouse, Apple Keyboard (English) + User's Guide.

So am I in good shape now for video editing and stuff like that? Or will I need to upgrade something? Any advice would be awesome. Also if you want a good laugh check out this video I made making fun of this guy that I tried to buy an iTouch from out the back of his car lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQeV6Lzrv5c
 
ckfoot01 said:
So a few months back I entered a video contest and the top prize was a Mac Pro with a 30 inch cinema display. Now i've been a PC person my whole life and never used a mac until I went to college. So I need to know from people who have one, will this be the best I can get? I make videos and edit on my Dell which was a really good computer but 4-5 years past and its getting slower by the day. Here are the specs from the contest (I have yet to get this prize however which kills me)

Grand Prize is an Apple® Mac® Pro Tower computer and 30” Flat Panel Cinema Display. (ARV: $4,598). Configuration includes:

Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon (8-core), 2GB (2 x 1GB), 320GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s, ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB (Two dual-link DVI), Apple Cinema HD Display (30" flat panel), One 16x SuperDrive, Apple Mighty Mouse, Apple Keyboard (English) + User's Guide.

So am I in good shape now for video editing and stuff like that? Or will I need to upgrade something? Any advice would be awesome. Also if you want a good laugh check out this video I made making fun of this guy that I tried to buy an iTouch from out the back of his car lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQeV6Lzrv5c
Click to expand...

Congrats! I say you're good to go, but there are others more knowledgeable in this department than I.
 
ckfoot01 said:
So a few months back I entered a video contest and the top prize was a Mac Pro with a 30 inch cinema display. Now i've been a PC person my whole life and never used a mac until I went to college. So I need to know from people who have one, will this be the best I can get? I make videos and edit on my Dell which was a really good computer but 4-5 years past and its getting slower by the day. Here are the specs from the contest (I have yet to get this prize however which kills me)

Grand Prize is an Apple® Mac® Pro Tower computer and 30” Flat Panel Cinema Display. (ARV: $4,598). Configuration includes:

Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon (8-core), 2GB (2 x 1GB), 320GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s, ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB (Two dual-link DVI), Apple Cinema HD Display (30" flat panel), One 16x SuperDrive, Apple Mighty Mouse, Apple Keyboard (English) + User's Guide.

So am I in good shape now for video editing and stuff like that? Or will I need to upgrade something? Any advice would be awesome. Also if you want a good laugh check out this video I made making fun of this guy that I tried to buy an iTouch from out the back of his car lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQeV6Lzrv5c
Click to expand...

That is a very nice computer and should last you a couple years for video editing. The only thing you might want to upgrade is the RAM to 8GB and video card to either a GeForce 8800GT or Radeon 3870.
 
Thank you for the suggestion, i'll have to get Final Cut Pro and see how quickly things get done. I'll have to upgrade after saving up more money or if i win another contest I hope lol. Everything is just so damn expensive hardware/software wise its crazy. I might try to sell the 30 inch monitor and buy the smaller one and use the rest of the money to buy other stuff. What do you think? Or is the 30 inch the way to go?
 
I would toss in some RAM and fill up your harddrive bays (Mac Pro has room for four), and you'll be set. A 30" screen isn't strictly necessary, but it will be nice. I edit on a 24" iMac, and there's lots of space.

Congrats on your win!
 
Extra storage

Drives are pretty cheap right now, especially with boxing week sales. You'll want a dedicated drive for backup, and at least another drive as your scratch disk. You don't want your video disk storage and program drive to be the same unit. You'll take a performance hit.

Otherwise, with a little extra RAM that is an awesome machine. It's so great you got the 30" screen as you will need every pixel to see your video timeline plus preview and canvas windows.

I like to have a second screen dedicated to the canvas window.
 
ckfoot01 said:
Thank you for the suggestion, i'll have to get Final Cut Pro and see how quickly things get done. I'll have to upgrade after saving up more money or if i win another contest I hope lol. Everything is just so damn expensive hardware/software wise its crazy. I might try to sell the 30 inch monitor and buy the smaller one and use the rest of the money to buy other stuff. What do you think? Or is the 30 inch the way to go?
Click to expand...

Maybe sell the monitor, and see if you can plug your macpro into your TV. I know my TV has the ports.

Also, are you sure you need final cut pro? Thats some pretty expensive stuff.

Maybe try Final Cut Express first.

The macpro is good because you can buy memory (and I believe graphics cards) from third party vendors like new egg and install it yourself. Much cheaper.


Congrats, I'm freakishly jealous.
 
Thanks for all the good info guys. I'm excited to finally say goodbye to the PC, its been a long struggle lol. I appreciate all the help I can get when it comes to making my videos look the best they can. You have no idea what I go through trying to edit all the time and have such a slow software/computer. Don't get me wrong its done wonders for me but i'm ready to take it to the next level.

Again thanks to anyone who checks this out and gives any good info, I will definately take any advice into consideration. :)
 
Yeah ya know what, when I say Final Cut Pro i'm just wanting to make sure I have the best of what I need. I have scripts and ideas ready to go and I want everything to look picture perfect. I mean I would LOVE to spend hours and days on end making my videos and movies look the best they can. I can't do that right now and when I try it just gets frustrating beyond belief.

I've looked into Final Cut Express as well. I heard some good and bad things. The price is definately right so I might take that route first. But the other part of me just wants to jump in and get the best I can get and get it sooner so i'm ready to go when the time comes.
 
I feel for ya Omi...I just did two wedding videos (those are so boring) and it took me forever and there was zero fun had lol
 
yoyo5280 said:
Final Cut express is simply final cut watered down, minus the extra apps that come along. I think for now it would suit you fine. That being said, i'm not sure how serious you are in this business :p
Click to expand...

I'm not super serious at the moment. I've been editing for 2 years and self taught. I've always wanted to be a writer/director/whatever. I basically want to know everything there is to know about editing/directing/acting you name it. I want to be a well rounded person before I jump into that business.
 
ckfoot01 said:
I'm not super serious at the moment. I've been editing for 2 years and self taught. I've always wanted to be a writer/director/whatever. I basically want to know everything there is to know about editing/directing/acting you name it. I want to be a well rounded person before I jump into that business.
Click to expand...

Haha me too. My school only offered Drama (no film production) so thats what i'm doing. I get very bored and don't like it much, but I have been told I am good at it.
 
ckfoot01 said:
So a few months back I entered a video contest and the top prize was a Mac Pro with a 30 inch cinema display. Now i've been a PC person my whole life and never used a mac until I went to college. So I need to know from people who have one, will this be the best I can get? I make videos and edit on my Dell which was a really good computer but 4-5 years past and its getting slower by the day. Here are the specs from the contest (I have yet to get this prize however which kills me)

Grand Prize is an Apple® Mac® Pro Tower computer and 30” Flat Panel Cinema Display. (ARV: $4,598). Configuration includes:

Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon (8-core), 2GB (2 x 1GB), 320GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s, ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB (Two dual-link DVI), Apple Cinema HD Display (30" flat panel), One 16x SuperDrive, Apple Mighty Mouse, Apple Keyboard (English) + User's Guide.

So am I in good shape now for video editing and stuff like that? Or will I need to upgrade something? Any advice would be awesome. Also if you want a good laugh check out this video I made making fun of this guy that I tried to buy an iTouch from out the back of his car lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQeV6Lzrv5c
Click to expand...

We use Mac Pros with the same exact specs in my video production class with the exception of 500GB hard drive and externals attached.
We use Final Cut Pro and it runs fine but I've found when we use programs like Motion 3 that don't require rendering, things get slow. If all you're doing is editing with something like iMovie or Final Cut Pro, you're good to go. Enjoy!
 
Another nice thing about the mac pro is boot camp. If your comfortable editing in a windows editing program, your can install windows and your editing software on the mac. If apple doesn't get off there ass and upgrade there video editing software for full AVCHD editing, I'll be installing windows.
 
bearcatrp said:
Another nice thing about the mac pro is boot camp. If your comfortable editing in a windows editing program, your can install windows and your editing software on the mac. If apple doesn't get off there ass and upgrade there video editing software for full AVCHD editing, I'll be installing windows.
Click to expand...

Very good point, I did read something about that. I am super comfortable with windows of course. I do wonder what the next step is for apple and new editing software. I'd hate to buy into something that will change in the next few months. Oh well, we shall see I guess.
 
Sell the 30" display, get a 23" ACD while they are still around, and take the almost $1100 you'll have left for FCP/Avid/Premier Pro classes.

If you want to be a cutter in the future, learn now and since you have a machine that can handle it now and in the future you'll be set.
 
Digital Skunk said:
Sell the 30" display, get a 23" ACD while they are still around, and take the almost $1100 you'll have left for FCP/Avid/Premier Pro classes.

If you want to be a cutter in the future, learn now and since you have a machine that can handle it now and in the future you'll be set.
Click to expand...

Thanks thats actually the first thought I had with selling it. I could get a smaller monitor that would still do the same trick just a bit smaller and save more cash. I would then use that money to take the next step which is the software of course.
 
ckfoot01 said:
So a few months back I entered a video contest and the top prize was a Mac Pro with a 30 inch cinema display. Now i've been a PC person my whole life and never used a mac until I went to college. So I need to know from people who have one, will this be the best I can get? I make videos and edit on my Dell which was a really good computer but 4-5 years past and its getting slower by the day. Here are the specs from the contest (I have yet to get this prize however which kills me)

Grand Prize is an Apple® Mac® Pro Tower computer and 30” Flat Panel Cinema Display. (ARV: $4,598). Configuration includes:

Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon (8-core), 2GB (2 x 1GB), 320GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s, ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB (Two dual-link DVI), Apple Cinema HD Display (30" flat panel), One 16x SuperDrive, Apple Mighty Mouse, Apple Keyboard (English) + User's Guide.

So am I in good shape now for video editing and stuff like that? Or will I need to upgrade something? Any advice would be awesome. Also if you want a good laugh check out this video I made making fun of this guy that I tried to buy an iTouch from out the back of his car lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQeV6Lzrv5c
Click to expand...


Congratulations! I hope you can make better movies now.
 
I would keep the 30". It's such an expensive option, now you get so keep it. You will love it and too much real estate is never useless you will see. I am already used to my 24" even I thought it was giant when I unpacked it !
 
Definitely keep the 30" Apple Cinema Display!

If you ever use applications like Color (part of Final Cut Studio 2) you will find yourself appreciating that extra real-estate that 2560 x 1600 resolution offers.

It is either that or 2 x 23" Apple Cinema Displays.
 
Congrats!!

I think it's a bit mean not to throw in the Final Cut Studio 2 package. It was a Video competition after all!
 
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