Minimum Config for Editing DVCPRO 1080P in FCP

[Murray M]

I'm using a 2.4 MBP (4GB) to edit DVCPRO 1080p videos from a Panasonic P2 HPX170. Since I'm dropping frames I'm assuming my laptop is too underpowered and so I'm considering a MP.

1) Is my assumption correct that my MBP is too underpowered for the task (or am I doing something wrong)?

2) If I bought a MP today (I know new MPs are one the way, but I might not be able to wait), what's the minimum processor and ram to reliably handle DVCPRO 1080p videos from a Panasonic P2 HPX170?

 

[jrlcopy]

A laptop should be fine, if you're running it off of firewire 800 or a 7200 internal drive you should be fine with 1 stream of DVCPRO HD. Esata would be best however.

If you're in Avid, and your media storage is as above, then you should be fine.

If you're in FCP, then you would probably get better results transcoding to ProRes LT. But I suspect that it is the storage.

I edit 1 stream of DVCPRO HD, on a 2006 Macbook 2ghz, 2gb ram, and on internal 7200 rpm drive. This was HVX 200, 1080i footage though.

 

[Murray M]

A laptop should be fine, if you're running it off of firewire 800 or a 7200 internal drive you should be fine with 1 stream of DVCPRO HD. Esata would be best however.

If you're in Avid, and your media storage is as above, then you should be fine.

If you're in FCP, then you would probably get better results transcoding to ProRes LT. But I suspect that it is the storage.

I edit 1 stream of DVCPRO HD, on a 2006 Macbook 2ghz, 2gb ram, and on internal 7200 rpm drive. This was HVX 200, 1080i footage though.

Hmm. I'm not transcoding to ProRes and using the stock 5400 internal drive. Replacing the drive is easy enough--I've been looking for a reason to upgrade to SSD. I hear a lot of people talking about ProRes--what's the deal with it? Is it better all the way around or does it have any downsides?

Forum folk: should I move this conversation to the MBP area, or do any MP people have an opinion?

 

[johnnymg]

Hmm. I'm not transcoding to ProRes and using the stock 5400 internal drive. Replacing the drive is easy enough--I've been looking for a reason to upgrade to SSD. I hear a lot of people talking about ProRes--what's the deal with it? Is it better all the way around or does it have any downsides?

Forum folk: should I move this conversation to the MBP area, or do any MP people have an opinion?

FWIW, I'm editing with FCP and ProRes 422 on my 2009 MBP 2.66 GHz and an external USB drive. Only one video stream though. FCP and ProRes work well together!

I haven't used DVCPRO HD since I ditched my HVX so I can't help with that. I do recall some posts about dropped frames with that codec. Try the dvxuser.com forum............ lots of DVCPRO folks over there.

JohnG

 

[Pressure]

ProRes (4:2:2 or 4:4:4) is an intermediate (lossy) codec that is better suited for post-production that offers fast encoding and decoding of standard definition and high definition content.

It is softer on the hardware and depending on what version of ProRes you transcode to, it will be able to play back fine on an 5400RPM hard drive.

 

[LethalWolfe]

I'm using a 2.4 MBP (4GB) to edit DVCPRO 1080p videos from a Panasonic P2 HPX170. Since I'm dropping frames I'm assuming my laptop is too underpowered and so I'm considering a MP.

First things first, get the media off your internal drive and onto a FW harddrive. G4 laptops + firewire can handle DVCPro HD so your MBP should be able to kill it unless you have something incorrectly setup.

ProRes (4:2:2 or 4:4:4) is an intermediate (lossy) codec that is better suited for post-production that offers fast encoding and decoding of standard definition and high definition content.

It is softer on the hardware and depending on what version of ProRes you transcode to, it will be able to play back fine on an 5400RPM hard drive.

Compared to ProRes 4:2:2, HQ, and 4:4:4:4 DVCPro HD is a much easier codec for CPUs to handle. I can't say LT or Proxy because I'm still running FCP 6.


Lethal