[MacDV] Re: Best specs for DV - iMac or G4?

[Kevin Ledgister]

Apple has some comparison specs on DVD encoding here
http://www.apple.com/powermac/superdrive.html

>
> On Friday, November 29, 2002, at 03:40 AM, Anthony Stolarek wrote:
>
> > Does a g4 (twin 867)encode faster? If so is that what I should
> > optimally buy?
> > Also, with G4 should I:
> > - buy an additional CD burner which is faster than superdrive
> > - buy more memory?
> > Any other best buys for the first setup?
>
> First, let me tell you that I have been doing video for the past five
> years on a G4 450 AGP Mac with 512 M-bytes of memory, a second 80
> G-byte internal hard drive, and a 25 G-byte AIT tape drive.  I have not
> yet done any DVD burns, although I did buy my wife a iMac with
> superdrive just so I would have that capability.  I started out with a
> variety of non-Apple editing solutions but finally moved up to FCP
> about two years ago.  I have not moved back or looked back to the other
> software/hardware solutions since.  I do plan to move to a
> dual-processor G4 system soon and I have also been researching to
> determine what to buy.
>
>  From what I think I have learned, the second processor will give you at
> least a 50% bump-up in throughput in FCP over the speed of the base
> processor.  So, in my case I would expect a twin 867 would be ~2.5 X
> over my 450.  Remember however that the second processor can only come
> into play if the software is written to support its operation.  While
> 0S X 1.2.2 is mostly optimized to use multiprocessors, applications
> that run under the OS may not be.   Bottom line, buy the fastest base
> processor that you can afford -- a 1.25 G-hertz single processor Mac
> will give as much maximum throughput as two 867s.
>
> More memory is definitely desirable, especially for video work.  I
> would recommend at least 512M-bytes, more if you can afford it,
> although memory is something that can be easily ( and often more
> cheaply ) added latter.
>
> You should seriously consider the question of back-up for you system
> and data files.  While you can make backups with CDs, with today's
> world of 100 G-byte and greater drives, CDs no longer cut it.  DVDs
> give greater capacity, but still lack the easy of use and capacity of
> tape back-up units.  If I were buying my tape drive today I would look
> at DLT systems, not AIT.
>
> Good luck with your video activity.
>
>
> Erick Camp
> 2 Penguins Studios
>
>
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