Potential switcher but a few questions

[MichielM]

Hi! I am strongly considering switching from a windows pc to a very good looking iMac G5 (with 1Gb memory). I have some questions / doubts still on the following items:
1- support for dual layer DVDs burning: is this expected to happen any time soon?

2- video memory of 64Mb for a kind of low budget video card, is this really enough to do good video and image editting?

THANKS!!!!

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

1- support for dual layer DVDs burning: is this expected to happen any time soon?

2- video memory of 64Mb for a kind of low budget video card, is this really enough to do good video and image editting?

1. Yes

2. Havn't tried video editing for a while, but image editing works fine on my iBook G4 with 32MB VRAM, and on my old Pismo with 8 MB VRAM. I think most of that work (still) is done more in RAM than in VRAM, but someone else can answer better to this...?

 

[Lacero]

I would buy an external firewire dual layer DVD burner. It certainly would be cheaper than trying to upgrade the slot-load DVD burner, but since DL media is still pretty expensive and won't drop in price for at least another year or two, 4.7GB media will still be standard.

64MB video is plenty for video and image editing. Even running a lowly Nvidia 5200 with monitor spanning still runs fast. I think extra memory is only truly useful for 3D games and modeling.

 

[MichielM]

Thanks for the replies!

I guess I will wait with my iMac G5 purchase till the dual layer DVD burner will be part of the system. I would imagine this will not take too long anymore as in the windows PC world there are hardly any without a dual layer burner anymore.

Are there any rumours on the next revision of the iMac G5?

 

[Platform]

Are there any rumours on the next revision of the iMac G5?

There is a thred about it here

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=1264238#post1264238

 

[Graeme A]

Thanks for the replies!

I guess I will wait with my iMac G5 purchase till the dual layer DVD burner will be part of the system. I would imagine this will not take too long anymore as in the windows PC world there are hardly any without a dual layer burner anymore.

Are there any rumours on the next revision of the iMac G5?

Of course, any machine is just NOT useable without the ability to burn a DL disc... Unless you are using software like mac the ripper to pirate some DVD movies (tsk, tsk)...

I switched to a 17" PowerBook with a superdrive in 2003, and have yet to even look at burning a CD nevermind a DVD... Get OFF the fence.. Do something about it and go buy that sweet bitch of a machine now! You WILL feel better for it.

 

[JeffTL]

Video editing's fine on the iMac G5 -- but if you are using an external hard drive (almost essential for video) and a FireWire video interface, you're going to have to daisy chain a DVD burner if you have it -- or unplug the video interface from the FireWire port when burning if you don't want to daisy chain anything.

 

[vtprinz]

1- support for dual layer DVDs burning: is this expected to happen any time soon?

Is DL DVD burning really all that necessary? Have you seen the prices for just a single DL DVD-R???? Not to mention most blank DVDs are still 4x speed. Buying a 16x burner at this point would be a waste unless you want to shell out a LOT of money for the discs. I think you'd be better off just getting the superdrive (8x burner, non DL) and waiting for the media prices to go down (which would also coincide with a drop in external burner prices).

2- video memory of 64Mb for a kind of low budget video card, is this really enough to do good video and image editting?

From what I understand, video editing doesn't need a lot of VRAM, only 3D work does.

 

[MichielM]

Hi all! Just to let you know that I did wait for rev B and Tiger and it kicks a## !!!!

 

[LGRW3919]

that's awesome. congrats, i'm getting the imac 17" rev B soon too, can't wait.

 

[CanadaRAM]

Hi all! Just to let you know that I did wait for rev B and Tiger and it kicks a## !!!!

Congratulations! Let us know how you are making out with it. What's your first video project?

Get the external firewire drive as soon as you can afford, and kick up the RAM to at least 1 Gb if you haven't already.

 

[MichielM]

Thanks! Jsut ordered a 1Gb module through Crucial, with the build in 512Mb I think I have enough I will first start transfering old VHS-8 video tapes to DVD. OSX is different than Windows but... so easy to use!!!

 

[amac4me]

Congrats ... you'll be happy now that you've seen the light with your Switch To A Mac