I am currently editing on Final Cut Pro 4 but it crashes a lot and I have lost a lot of work. Combine that with the fact I don’t really like working on a Mac as I prefer Avid, but I probably cannot afford either one.
The system I am using now is not my own, but I would like to get something soon because as of summer my internship is over but my projects are just getting started.
I would like to know what is the most stable editing system on the market. What software programs have what benefits, that sort of thing. I am thinking of buying a turnkey system, as I am not a computer wiz and I would like the comfort of having a support line to call in the event I do need their help.
I am looking for a system that can compete with Avid and Final Cut in quality, but that costs less and remains more stable.
I am interested in Adobe Premiere Pro, Casablanca, and something called RexEdit.
I would like fast rendering on effects and it must have the ability to output in mpeg 1 format. A windows based system is prefered unless I can be convinced othewise. As for my budget, right now its nil but sometime in the next 6 months or so I might be able to swing $3G, $4G at the most.
I would of course appreciate any recomendations outside of this list.
Thanks in advance to anyone who posts to this, I really appreciate your time and efforts.
mad-as-zell "and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"
Which model of Mac hardware are you using? What sort of crashes are you experiencing (application unexpectedly quits, or system locks up, or kernel panic, etc.)?
I had some crashes when I first got my G5 when using iDVD, due to a RAM module that was not inserted properly by the retailer. Once that was fixed, the crashes stopped and it's been rock-solid since then.
I used to do it with a couple of Sony U-Matics & a controller...3/4" tape...ahhhh the good old days...back when the TV station that employed me ran commercials off of 2" tape cartridges - the TCR-100....those were the days... :)
Claiming that Macs crash will start a food fight for sure.
Have you ever visited the Video Help website? (www.videohelp.com) That is the place to ask these kind of questions.. I've edited Mpeg 1 video for years now using TmpgEnc..the basic TmpgEnc is free..the Pro version may cost $60 bucks..but both versions edit Mpeg 1 just fine.
There are many software tools such as TmpgEnc that have great Mpeg 1 and Mpeg 2 editing capabilities.. and you don't have to spend a fortune either.. search the TOOLS section at www.VideoHelp.com .
And you can always ask the experts on the video forum there.. Hope this helps !
I've used Premiere Pro a couple of times and it was easy to use and very powerful. I'm sure Adobe's website will tell you what formats you can output to.