Sony AVCHD x Snow Leopard

[neandertal 0]

Well, I´ve been using my HP quad core, 4 gb and external HD with Sony Vegas Platinum this year and due to increasing volume I need another video station for 2010 season. I´d like to buy another PC (i7) but my video editor loves MACs.
I read several threads but due to my ignorance , I still unable to figure out if a MAC (Intel powered) with Snow Leopard would do a faster and easier editing when using AVCHD files yhen my PC.
What´s the deal with converting files? Does it really slow down the whole process when using MACs?
Our goal is delivery all videos in the same day, within one hour at most. We do up to 5 videos/pictures per hour - Cessna / handcam with CX-12.

Thanks!

No Drogue, no JUMP!!

[parachutist 2]

Quote

Well, I´ve been using my HP quad core, 4 gb and external HD with Sony Vegas Platinum this year and due to increasing volume I need another video station for 2010 season. I´d like to buy another PC (i7) but my video editor loves MACs.
I read several threads but due to my ignorance , I still unable to figure out if a MAC (Intel powered) with Snow Leopard would do a faster and easier editing when using AVCHD files yhen my PC.
What´s the deal with converting files? Does it really slow down the whole process when using MACs?
Our goal is delivery all videos in the same day, within one hour at most. We do up to 5 videos/pictures per hour - Cessna / handcam with CX-12.

Thanks!

If your top priority is speed, then it'd be a good idea to eliminate the AVCHD footage, unless a customer has specifically ordered a Blu-Ray DVD. When shooting in standard def, the whole process goes faster no matter what type of computer you're using, and as long as you're delivering to standard DVD, the end product will be equally sharp whether you shot in AVCHD or SD.

New top-end Macs and PCs can both edit AVCHD pretty fast. If there are 2 video editing systems at the DZ, I'd keep them identical. That way there's only one system for new editors to learn, teplates from one system can be copied to the other, and end products will all look identical. So I'd say buy another PC

[robsonsc 0]

I use a CX100, and the MBP (w/ Snow Leopard), but I do not have a BR burner. There's no point do the recording in AVCHD, edit in AVCHD and ... burn a DVD (with lower resolution). I use SD resolution, with excellent image quality, fast edict and deliver the DVD to the customer the same day.
Good luck.

ROBSON S. CUSTÓDIO
MANAUS, AM, BR

[Bill_K 0]

Quote

I use a CX100, and the MBP (w/ Snow Leopard), but I do not have a BR burner. There's no point do the recording in AVCHD, edit in AVCHD and ... burn a DVD (with lower resolution). I use SD resolution, with excellent image quality, fast edict and deliver the DVD to the customer the same day.
Good luck.

I don't use a Mac, but I do shoot with a CX100 and I shoot in SDHQ and from time to time give the MPG files to people with a Mac and I have been getting a lot of complaints that the video is either choppy or they can't work with it at all. I'm not 100% sure what version of MAC they are using though. Can you offer any advice on what I should tell them so that they can use and edit these files? Each time I've given them to somebody they want to edit them. It's not just to watch.

Thx,
BK

[DSE 5]

Use Vegas to convert them to a Mac-friendly format.
.mxf, .mp4, anything in a .mov container.

[danielcroft 2]

I import directly from the CX which seems to work fine. When i've needed to convert from AVCHD I've used "Voltaic HD" and I've been very happy with the results.

[Bill_K 0]

Thanks DSE, there are a couple of guys at my DZ that use Mac's and want to switch to CX-100's, but due to the issues we've had with my files have waited. What should I tell them, how would they be able to convert these files as part of their work flows on their mac's? In the future I'll convert files before giving them to them.

I'm a big believer in SDHQ for normal tandem work. I just can't see shooting HD for normal every day jumps.

[DSE 5]

Tell them to buy Voltaic or one of the other intelligent converters. It's not THAT much slower, but it is an added step.
Or tell them that if they want a fast workflow, they should go buy a PC netbook.
AVCHD/MPEG workflows are here to stay, and until/unless Apple pulls their head out of their asses on this subject, it'll always be a PITA to mix MPEG and Mac.