Configuring a video editing PC

[Shoobie]

A friend of mine is looking to get in to video editing. His current PC is an ancient P2-400, or something in that range. Needless to say, he's looking to buy a new box. He was looking at pre-builts, but I told him his dollar would go farther if he built it himself (well, if I built it for him). He gave me a budget of ~$700 (without monitor), but I told him to save a few more paychecks and shoot for something around 1k. Here's what I've configured:

Mobo - Chaintech VNF3-25 (nForce3-250) - $82
CPU - A64 2800+ - $148
RAM - 2 x 512 Mushkin PC3200 - $154
Case - Coolermaster Centurian 2 (silver) - $30
PSU - Thermaltake 420w - $40
HDD - Samsung SATA 160gb (8mb cache) x 2 - $200
Optical - NEC 2500A + media - $100
Capture - Plextor ConvertX PX-M402U - $135
Video - ECS 9200 - $51
OS - WinXP Home - $90
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Total - ~$1040 before cooling, cables, etc....

I'm unsure of what video card to use. Does video card speed effect capture/encoding? This guy loves video games, but I have to cut corners where I can.

All opinions and suggestions are quite appreciated.

 

[Wahsapa]

maybe cut back to a lite-on dvd burner to save a couple bucks and try for a 9800pro

 

[milehigh]

I'm happy with my AIW 9800Pro for capturing. You will need a second hard drive. You'll be surprised how quick 160GB can be used up when it comes to video. I've got 2 Samsung 120gb sata drives and wish I had a little more space.

 

[imported_torgo]

Depending on if your friend is building this system only for video and how important technical video quality is for him(trying to do stuff pro or semi-pro), the video capture/output device is pretty important.

Alot of factors affect it too. What software is going to be used? What needs to be captured from and sent back to? Would realtime effects and transitions be important? How about having a output to view your work on a TV/monitor while editing? etc.

As for a video card you can use a good(cheaper) 2D card for editing only. Something with dual head output can be very useful too.

Talk a look a videoguys.com for some good info.

 

[Shoobie]

Oh yeah, I forgot to say hpw he'll be using it. He's a real amateur, so he's not going to be shooting for pro or semi-pro. He'll be ripping from a Hi-8 Camcorder, so the quality wont be stellar. I'm not sure what he'll want to do with the finished video, but I threw in a DVD burner so that he has the option available. As for dual monitors, I doubt he even knows something like that is possible, but I'll hunt around for a cheap dual-head card. As for a second HDD, I'll see if that can be fit in immediatly (I knew 160gb wasn't really sufficient, but an HDD is something that can easily be added later). And as for software, I believe the Plextor ConvertX capture device has propriatery software, but if he doesn't like it, he can always look for something else (although all the reviews I've read have been very positive). Thanks for the suggestions, keep 'em coming.

/edit\: Found an ECS 9200 with DVI and VGA out for only $7 more. I also added a second HDD, and corrected the price (should have been $100 per, not $90 per).

 

[imported_torgo]

Depending on the compression used, 160GB should hold ~10 hours of video at DV quality. Of course alot of that space can be taken up be temporary working files,etc. Having a second hard drive is good in the sense of keeping your system/software on one and using another just for video. This keeps the drive from having fight between video capture/playback and OS/software stuff, reducing dropped frames. So going for one smaller drive(OS/software) and one larger drive(video) could be a good idea.

 

[MScrip]

A video card does not affect capturing or encoding. The easiest way to capture is if you have a DV camcorder, you can connect it via FireWire, and capture digitally. Just throw in a $20 FireWire card.

When you need to capture analog... it becomes more difficult. The All-in-Wonder is a great way to capture from analog sources. Or you'll need some other way to capture analog video.

You can add a FireWire card, then add something like this to capture analog:

Canopus ADVC100

Or there are some USB capture solutions, but I've never used anything like that.

 

[Shoobie]

My friend isn't using a DV cam, although I told him that one would be a good investment. As for HDDs, would putting the OS and apps on a seperate partition be good enough? For example, if I put in two 160gig drives in, and set up a 40gig partition for system files, would it be good enough as having a seperate system drive? Throwing in a raptor sounds a little expensive right now.

 

[AluminumStudios]

You can never throw enough HD space and speed at video. It's a very good idea to have your OS/apps on one hard drives while a completely separate physical hard drive for your video. That way windows swapping and programs doing their thing won't slow down video rendering, recording, etc. If money is tight I'd suggest getting the 200 gig drive for video data and then a 40gig or something inexpensive for the OS.

IDE RAID is very nice for video editing. I ahve two IDE drives stripped toether in RAID0 and love it ...

 

[MattTrubac]

Partitioning a drive won't give you as good performance as a system drive and a dedicated video drive. Especially if you are going to try to run real-time effects and transitions.

Like MScrip, I would also recommend a higher quality analog to digital converter like the Canopus ADVC100.

A good software editing package will run you a good deal of $$ as well. It is really a better deal if you buy the software bundled... like the Adobe Video Collection... or get a real-time editing card that comes bundled with software. I use a Matrox RT.X100 (Comes with Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5, Audition 1.5, Encore 1.5, Affter Effects 6.5 is optional) and it gives great performance but is very picky on what hardware it lives with. It allows Realtime M2V encoding for DVD, aids the cpu in outputting effects, transitions, and multiple layers of video and graphics in realtime and outputs to an external NTSC monitor or TV. There are other great features as well. Your friend will have to save a few more paychecks though. The package runs about $1000. I brought it up because it is really a great value. They also offer a stripped down version of the card - with the same software package - for $700 or $800. Both offer realtime capabilities and realtime analog and digital input and output. Might want to look into it. Just make sure you study the system recommendations for the card!!!

As far as a video cards go. If he is a big gamer you might want to look into a good 3D card. For video editing though all you really need is a good 2D card, unless he ends up getting into 3D Video Compositing with a program like After Effects.

Hey... You can always upgrade things right???

GoodLuck,
Matt

 

[JonB]

MattTrubac, I'll second the vote for the RT.X100 if you are really really serious about video editing. But, if this guy is going to be capturing analog video from a Hi-8 camcorder, the quality would be wasted. The only analog tape input that would be good enough would be S-VHS or BetaSP. While I've seen some really nice digitizing done on the RT.X100, it is still inferior to a direct import of DV over Firewire.

I've used an AIW 7500 for almost two years now on my home PC and get acceptable digitizing from Hi-8, VHS and TV tuner input. The only thing that bugs me is that I always have about a 4 to 6 pixel bar of fuzz at the bottom. I use Adobe Premiere for serious work on that PC, but it still suffers from not being DV from the start. When I do borrow a 3 CCD MiniDV camcorder and use it, the difference is astounding. I now have access to a new Canon GL2 camcorder, so I'll be trying it out soon.

So, bottom line for your friend, Shoobie, is be sure that you include a firewire card in the package. Eventually he'll need it and, once he sees the results, he'll stop messing with analog input. Its only money, right?

 

[Zucarita9000]

You should have two separate HDD, one for your OS/apps an another one for capturing video. Matrox has some excellent video hardware, and the RT.X10 and RT.X100 are very nice realtime editing cards that you can use along with the Parhelia or Millennium P-series graphics cards. For an editing rig, those to pieces of hardware will work falwlessly.

Also, you should consider an HT P4. Pentium CPUs are somewhat better for video encoding, and several editing apps and Hyper Threading enabled.

The bottom line is that, if you want a proper video editing rig, you'll have to sacrifice gaming performance.

 

[Shoobie]

Thanks again guys.

High-end editing software is out of the question. He doesn't want to spend a grand on the PC, much less the software. And as I said, he's an amateur, so going high end simply isn't worth it (did I mention that we're teenagers? $800 is a lot more to a student working a part-time, $6/hour job than an adult working full time at a higher salary).

Would upgrading to the Canopus ADVC100 be worth the extra $$$ over the Plextor ConvertX? What kind of difference does it make? I've never done any analog captures. Also, does the ADVC100 do hardware encoding? What kind of difference will this make?

The 9200 should be adequate for what he needs to do. I know gaming PCs aren't cheap, and that's not what this is.

When it comes to upgrading, I'm trying to use the cheapest stuff that's the most future proof, but will also get the job done. I went with the low-end A64, value RAM, and a budget A64 mobo. I wanted to use the socket 754 because I don't see Socket A sticking around much longer. P4s are also starting to shift to a new socket, if memory serves. Socket 939 is just too expensive, though.

What kind of risks would I run trying to use one HDD? How are dropped frames and desynched audio caused? What are other common problems that occur in the analog to digital capture process? What about in the encoding process? With a hardware encoder, is the uncompressed video saved to the HDD, then encoded, or is it encoded before it's saved? Blah, so confusing.

 

[MScrip]

The Canopus ADVC100 is just a way to connect analog devices to your computer. It accepts analog signals from a camcorder or VCR, and then connects to a FireWire plug on the computer. It converts analog signals to a DV signal... which is then captured by your editing software. The ADVC100 doesn't really do any encoding... it merely provides a way to take analog signals and send it via FireWire into the computer.

Depending on what software you use to capture and edit will determine how you capture the video. The best quality will capture it as an uncompressed AVI file. After you edit your video, it will encode it, and then you can burn it to a DVD. Each software package is different, but you can choose how you want to capture.

I would add a second hard drive for video... just to have enough room to work. 1 hour of uncompressed video is roughly 13 GB. You can keep your OS/apps and video on one hard drive, but I wouldn't do that. Extra hard drives are cheap enough.

Once your friend builds his new box, he's gonna need some editing software. I've used Pinnacle Studio, but Ulead VideoStudio looks good too. You can get either one for less than $100. Both will capture, edit and burn to DVD. They are very easy to use.

Your friend's hardware will be great. Tell him to pick a video editing application, and a second hard drive will help too.

 

[tiap]

Schoobie
I would suggest a AIW Radeon, depending on the model, you will get a decent enough video edit package etc for your friend. Gaming on these cards is also decent. They come with all the adapters/cables etc for all types of connections and I believe some of the latest even have firewire for dv. He would be more than happy with the quality. A separate hdrive is almost a must. Dropping frames could be a problem with 1 drive. Sata drives aren't necessary. Save the diff for a 2nd hdrive. You don't need the plextor with an AIW.
In his price range software encoding is his only choice. Good hardware encode cards cost thousands. As per prior posts surf this link. All the info you'll ever need. Links to lots of free software too.
Check this.
I've built many vid systems for people, with no complaints.
Good Luck

 

[JonB]

Don't try to use a single hard disk, especially if he will try to do Analog captures (from VHS or Hi-8 tape). The dropped frames make the video look jerky and the sound gets out of sync because the keyframes and interleaving are not correct.

I used to be a big believer in "uncompressed AVI" as the only true capture, but have come to be a firm believer in DV encoded AVI files instead. They are smaller and the DV encoder appears to be Lossless, so your files are smaller but with no loss of quality. Not true with MPEG of DIVX files. They are smaller, but much of the video data is missing and relies on optical illusion to stay smooth.

So, get him two drives. Put them on different IDE cables, or put one on IDE and one on SATA. Putting them both on the same IDE cable is as bad as only using one drive. If cost is a big deal, just get smaller drives, but USE TWO DRIVES. Seriously.

I agree with tiap about the AIW. My AIW 7500 is crap for gaming, but still pulls in a good TV picture and does well enough at analog video capture.

 

[gsellis]

Preface... I have an AIW7500 and use it to capture with.

I would recommend looking into Pinnacle Studio Moviebox DV. Do not get the USB version (or any other USB capture device). Add a Firewire card and connect the Moviebox to it. It is supposed to be in the same range as the Canopus, but for a little less, you get the software too. Pinnacle also makes a PCI card solution that is less than $150, but the Moviebox adds flexibility as it can be recognized by oher apps as a Live capture device. The Canopus ADVC100 has very large support in the advanced NLEs.

With that solution, Pinnacle, get a 95xx or 9600XT. The video card will accelerate some effects rendering in Studio 9. Pinnacle has implemented a limited set of their GPU rendering components in Studio 9.*

* - Pinnacle Liquid Edition has a suite of GPU rendered effects. The faster the card, the faster they render or the more you can play in real-time. The next generation solution will support HD and takes advantage of the PCIe bandwidth to accomplish it. Pinnacle Liquid Edition's capture card is currently a Radeon 8500 based AGP solution. The next card will be a 16x PCIe solution (but Pinnacle has been mum about when, and if they will still offer an AGP solution.)

 

[addragyn]

Word is Apple will be unveiling a single G5 machine in Sept. IME for noob video editing where the machine will NOT be used for FPS gaming a Mac cannot be beat.

 

[MScrip]

Originally posted by: addragyn
Word is Apple will be unveiling a single G5 machine in Sept. IME for noob video editing where the machine will NOT be used for FPS gaming a Mac cannot be beat.

I've been doing video editing on a Windows machine for years... so I cannot justify buying a Mac just to do video editing. Is there a price on the single G5 yet? I agree that Apple's Final Cut Pro is amazing video software... but it costs $999, not to mention the cost of the Apple hardware!

No dice... I'll continue to edit video and make DVDs on the machine I already have. Plus... Macs can be beat. They are expensive, you can't build them yourself, and they don't run any of the software I already have.

 

[JonB]

Anybody else looked at the new MovieMaker 2 release from Microsoft? I played briefly with it and it worked pretty well. It's no Premiere, but for bargain basement DV editing, its hard to beat the price (free, but only if you're running WinXP).

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: JonB
Anybody else looked at the new MovieMaker 2 release from Microsoft? I played briefly with it and it worked pretty well. It's no Premiere, but for bargain basement DV editing, its hard to beat the price (free, but only if you're running WinXP).

You mean 2.1? Not yet. For others, 2.1 is in SP2, but I think you can d/l it too.

 

[HaroldW]

I am not sure what supplier you are using, but for under $70 you can get the NEC 2510A (dual layer vice single layer) and for $29 get Ritek Ridata 8X DVD-R 50 pack spindle at newegg.

 

[Blain]

The Video Guys have a nice system recommendation chart for video editing.

 

[trexpesto]

hurry and get in on the 200GB Seagate SATA drives at Dell SB. 106$ each.
Look on techbargains or slickdeals or in the Hot Deals forum here.