Mac Video
7 messages in this thread
I recently received a catelog in the mail called MacMall. In it they have a
Power Mac 8100/80 AV. It states that the AV version comes with video capture
and the ability to record video out to video tape.
The AV version is only about $200 more than the Mac with out the AV upgrade.
Would this AV version be any good for making training films and other
non-broadcast materials?
I am a PC user, but am thinking of making the Power Mac leap, so I don't know
much about Macs.
Tim,
While I am not familiar with that particular equipment, I would have to
say that for $200 youu could hardly go wrong. Worst case you will be able
to learn what you do want out of a real video production system.
-John
The AV model is capable of Video and Audio capture. It does not use as good of
a compression routine as the Radius VideoVision Studio board. If all you are
doing is 2 to 5 minute pieces, the AV would probably work.
-Bob
Why only 2-5 minute pieces? Is that just because of disk space? What software
comes with the AV model, is it Adobe?
What type of system do you have?
Thanks for your help!
Tim
There is a two to five minute limit becuase of the lack of adequate
compression. The AV does not come with any edit software, such as Adobe
Premiere.
I have a PowerMac 8100 with 72MB of RAM, a 1GB internal drive and a 3GB
external. I use a Radius VideoVision 2.0 capture/compression card and edit
using Logo Motion, Photoshop and Adobe Premiere 4.0. I use a Sony Vdeck hi-8
VCR, a Sony 3/4" Umatic VTR and a JVC VHS VCR for input/output. My source
material was either shot on film and transfered to tape or shot on hi-8 tape.
What else would you like to know?
-Bob
There seems to be more people who us PCs for video capture, editing, etc… but
if you ask any serious user they will tell you the Mac is the best.
Why don't you see more people using Mac? Is it because of the price?
Maybe from your perspective there are more people using PCs to do video. Avid
and Media Composer, two of the best selling Digital Video edit stations are Mac
based. And I believe VideoVision outsells all other video capture boards.
I suspect most people who now use their PCs for digital editing do so becuase
they had a PC for some other purpose and evolved their computer to editing.
People who did not have a computer and wanted to get into editing purchased a
Mac.
My company literally has hundreds of computers. No one has ever asked to make
a PC do digital editing. It's always Macintosh.
The editing programs, like Premiere, run under Windows on a PC. Windows is a
DOS enhancement program. Basically, you have to run two programs to edit on a
PC. Premiere (for example) and Windows. Assuming you have similarly powered
computers, the Macintosh would run faster because you have only one program
running.
The Macintosh has always been a graphics based computer. It was designed to
run graphics and graphic based programs. The Mac is much more popular for
Digital Video.