Best Laptop for intense video editing (PC)?
 

I was wondering what laptops people could reccomend for day in and day out editing. I was looking at Alienware and the other boutique notebooks. They look great except for the price. Would anyone reccomend them for editing films shot on DV?

A PowerBook would be the best way to go, with FCP HD, not a PC. What programs do you plan on using?

Yea definitely go apple for hardcore a/v editing. It's apples strongest ability and the main selling point for alot of companies and pros needing a computer. Apple for all around home entertainment still = sucks.

I wouldn't go that far. Just don't expect a video editing/gaming machine. Quicktime doesn't have Win Media Player's functionality, but there are other options, like VLC.

Edit: Also, you'll want to look into external firewire storage devices.

from what I've heard, Alienware is <b>extremely</b> overrated. I'm on the Apple bandwagon if you're doing anything with video and/or music. Of course the powerbooks aren't the cheapest thing either.

I use a 12 inch 1ghz iBook G4 for my editing, with Final Cut Pro HD. You won't spend as much time rendering on a Powerbook, but my iBook works just fine for me. People criticize my laptop because of the small screen size. I think it's just fine, but the Powerbooks are widescreen (15 and 17 inch), and most people I know who have Powerbooks for video editing are extremely pleased. It would be a good idea also to spring for the superdrive. I regret not getting one for mine.

From what I'm told, Alienware laptops are just for show.

if you have the cash, are serious about editing a LOT, and want to make things easy on yourself, don't look at FCP. Final cut sucks compared to other NLE's (except Premiere. Premiere sucks worse ;) ). Go for a turnkey Avid laptop. Which version of Avid you want is gonna depend on what you intend to do, but Xpress will probably fit your bill. Look to spend 3-5k depending on what options you equip. You can pick which platform (PC or Mac) you want to run it on when you buy the system.

Whatever you get, make sure it's a really fast Pentium 4. I'm an AMD supporter myself, but there's no denying that clock cycles are gonna benefit the user moreso than L cache and architecture in video editing. Get the fastest P4 possible and the most RAM possible.

-Lasereth

Here's a good number of reasons to be wary of purchasing an alienware: http://str8dog.com/articles/182.aspx

Powerbooks are the only laptops I've ever really heard mentioned specifically as video editing platforms, but I know people who use PC laptops and are quite happy with them. I don't think there's any particular brand for PC laptops though.

That's interesting. Are you speaking from experience or do you know editors who've told you this?

The reason I ask is that I've almost always heard that budget Avid systems (below $20K let's say) just aren't that great. That's why final cut is used by so many indie filmmakers.

Now, if you can spend whatever, I've heard it's best to go with an Avid system (I'm talking the major systems studios use, which cost an arm and a leg and then some).

I use premiere (pro 1.5) now and it doesn't suck, but it's not that great either. There are plenty of people who think if you're going for a prosumer system that Sony Vegas is cheaper and just as good as PP1.5. I've haven't used Vegas, but I wouldn't rule it out.

Anyway, that's the first time I've heard someone say FCP sucks, just wondered why.

For once, I agree with those who suggested mac :)

Lasereth - he wants a lappy? I smell severe heat issues :-/

The Pentium 4 M, of course. Lower wattage = less heat. Even if it doesn't perform as well in gaming as an Athlon, it's still better to have more clock cycles (MHz) for video editing.

-Lasereth

My newsroom uses Avid Newscutters and Media Composers back at the station and for field editing in the satellite truck (newscutter). But for field editing in the live trucks (the vans with the tall mast and a radar dish lookin' thing on the top) or our newscars we use Xpress pro on off-the-shelf Dells. There's a HUGE convenience and power drop from the newscutters and MC machines, but it's still better than premiere (I've used every version since 5) and Final Cut. No, Xpress isn't gonna have the raw power of the systems costing tens of thousands of dollars, but then I highly doubt he 1) wants or 2) can afford what they can do ;)

As for what Xpress can do - - well, it gets my stories edited and on air under daily news deadlines (figure shot by 2pm, sometimes later, and on the air in a 1:50 package by 5). And since I doubt he's working under that kind of deadline pressure, Xpress should probably be plenty for what he's gonna want. Of course, we'd all need more details before we know for sure.

we got like 70 high end power books for your producers to use as editing when in flight etc.

then they painted them ferrari red :) if you see someone with it in NYC chances are they work for MTV.

Whoa, that's cool ..... got any pics?

You guys got it all wrong ..... WINDOWS MOVIE MAKER FTW :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...nallaptops.jpg

edit: it can be done here and they do all sorts of paint jobs for people:
http://www.colorwarepc.com/Default.aspx