PCs for media creation

[Froot Joose]

Hello,

I will be buying a new computer soon and the main purpose for it will be for media creation (such as video editing, digital audio editing etc). And what I hear all the time is that Macs are way better for that kind of stuff. And that is one thing that is making me consider getting a mac. But the thing is....nobody ever says why the mac is better. They just say that it is. So could someone please fill me in here. How do Windows 7 machines compare with macs considering their media creation capabilities?
Thanks

 

[Petey7]

The only thing that matters is what software you use. The OS isn't nearly as important as the software you use for the actual editing. I remember my brother telling me that Apple has some free video editing program that is better than the original Windows Movie Maker. But, now you have Windows Live Movie Maker you can use, which isn't great by any means, but its better than the original one on XP in my opinion.

Personally, I like Audacity, a free audio editing program, which has never let me down.

 

[johndh]

Depends on what software you are using. The gap between the mac and pc has been closing over time. It's true that the mac was better for media and traditionally the default choice for professional use. I use a PC because of the price advantage, but is it better? No. My PC is still unstable to the point that the relationship between myself and the supplier is in a state of collapse. But I cant use an iMac because of the crappy shiny screen, and the power mac is way too expensive. A correctly speced up PC should run the full CS5 suite no problem, but I'm afraid that isn't the case for me.

From a technical point of view, these days it should make no difference, but if I had the money, I would get a mac.

 

[DeaconFrost]

nobody ever says why the mac is better. They just say that it is.

That's because there is no reason why the Mac is better...it is just what you hear from all the Mac cultists and zealots who think anything Steve Jobs thinks up is far superior. The truth about the debate right now is...price is the main factor. If you compare a PC to a Mac, you'll find the specs can be identical. They use the same internal parts. So that begs the question as to why they cost so much more. The answer is, because non-tech savvy people will pay it, because they think the Mac is better. It's the same damn computer!

That being said, the software you plan to use will be the difference...or in this case, the same. For example, Adobe CS5 will cost the same, run the same, and produce the same results on both platforms. Your total cost will be more on the Mac side. The PC also benefits from having a larger selection of other software, games, upgrade options etc.

As a final example, of what I mean by upgrade options, consider this. My graphic designers Mac Pro had a dead video card. I had to pay $250 for a Mac version of an ATI 2600 Pro that would have cost me $35 for the PC version. The hardware of the card is the same, but because the firmware was flashed to be "Mac Compatible", it cost more. Had it been a PC tower, I could have chosen from hundreds of cards for less money, including many many cards that performed better than a 2600 Pro.

All in all, there's very little reason left to consider a Mac, unless you are buying to be "trendy". The Mac OSX is no longer more secure, and anytime you bring up a past "advantage" a Mac had...it can be easily debunked and refuted.

 

[Twibitsu]

It's true that the mac was better for media and traditionally the default choice for professional use.

And traditionally it still is the choice for professional users.

nobody ever says why the mac is better. They just say that it is.

All in all, there's very little reason left to consider a Mac, unless you are buying to be "trendy". The Mac OSX is no longer more secure, and anytime you bring up a past "advantage" a Mac had...it can be easily debunked and refuted.

Mac OS X is still more secure than any Windows, because majority of viruses, trojans, etc. are targeted for Windows. And Macs tend to be more stable, because the hardware and software are designed to be compatible from the ground up, unlike on windows where the software and hardware all come from different suppliers/manufacturers.

Hello,

And what I hear all the time is that Macs are way better for that kind of stuff. And that is one thing that is making me consider getting a mac. But the thing is....nobody ever says why the mac is better. They just say that it is. So could someone please fill me in here. How do Windows 7 machines compare with macs considering their media creation capabilities?
Thanks

People who say that Mac is better, but don't come up with any explanation why it's better probably aren't the people you'd want to listen when it's comes to buying a computer for media editing, etc.

 

[whs]

If you spend the kind of money that a Mac costs, you will get a formidable PC that should be far superior. Plus, you have a much larger choice of applications (especially free ones) than you will ever find for a Mac.

 

[Twibitsu]

If you spend the kind of money that a Mac costs, you will get a formidable PC that should be far superior.

You'll get a faster computer yes, however you won't get far superior customer support nor hardware/software compatibility. And on a side note, Macs are PCs too, just with a different operating system. So why everyone always automatically assumes a PC is a computer with a Windows OS? :sarc:

Plus, you have a much larger choice of applications (especially free ones) than you will ever find for a Mac.

Yes, Windows has a larger selection of freeware programs than Mac OS X does, because it is a more common operating system. For the same reason there are more viruses for Windows.

I apologize if I'm coming up all apple fanboy(ish), but I wanted to have some differing opinions for this thread, when you ask about Mac on a windows forum what do you expect people will answer?

In the end, it all comes down to how much you can/want to spend.

 

[whs]

In the end, it all comes down to how much you can/want to spend.

This is probably the main criterion that will determine the choice. Many of us have or have had Macs, but there must be a reason that there are 10 times as many Window systems than Macs. And the scare tactics regarding malware are void - if you have a proper installation and sensible browsing habits, there is no problem.

 

[mitchell65]

I tend to agree with Wolfgang here. I rather depends on what you want the computer do do. You say media work, video editing etc. Is this professionally or from a serious hobby angle? Either way you get what you pay for to a large extent and it is down to your budget. Can you justify the high cost of CS5 type software or will something a little less sophisticated do what you want. Look at you own level of expertise. There's no point in having such sophisticated software that it gives you a headache just getting it launched!

 

[Shadowjk]

The reason why macs are better and Iphones are popular is because it is Fashionable

 

[Froot Joose]

Yeah I'm not really scared about viruses at all. They really aren't a problem if you know what you're doing somewhat.
Thanks for all the responses. Especially Twibitsu because I was hoping I would get some mac user responses.
So what I'm getting from this is that:

- Macs cost more
- Macs are more stable (due to everything being made from one company) and have better support
- PCs (windows) are cheap
- PCs have more freeware
- PCs have more viruses
- Macs and PCs both have good software for media creation
- Macs are popular

I tend to agree with Wolfgang here. I rather depends on what you want the computer do do. You say media work, video editing etc. Is this professionally or from a serious hobby angle? Either way you get what you pay for to a large extent and it is down to your budget. Can you justify the high cost of CS5 type software or will something a little less sophisticated do what you want. Look at you own level of expertise. There's no point in having such sophisticated software that it gives you a headache just getting it launched!

Media creation is just one of my hobbies. I would probably be using adobe CS5.

 

[whs]

The reason why macs are better and Iphones are popular is because it is Fashionable

For people that live on the right side of the track and buy only stuff with labels - even if they were counterfeit in China.

 

[Zepher]

get a quad or higher intel, nvidia GTX285 or higher, 8GB ram or more, and 2 or more hard drives and you will be set for CS5.
Also, you need a 64bit OS for After Effects and Premiere, so Win 7 64bit is a requirement.

 

[Froot Joose]

get a quad or higher intel, nvidia GTX285 or higher, 8GB ram or more, and 2 or more hard drives and you will be set for CS5.
Also, you need a 64bit OS for After Effects and Premiere, so Win 7 64bit is a requirement.

Thanks a lot . Yeah I'm trying to get one like that but probably with a better video card because I'll most likely fire up a few games now and then. I never thought to get two hard drives though. Could you explain why I would need two hard drives?

P.S. Your signature is epic.

 

[whs]

With 2 hard drives you gain performance when editing from one to the other. Then the arm does not have to fly around all the time. For the OS I would add a third drive - a 60GB SSD. It is amazing how that improves performance - from 12 sec boot times to instant opening of programs.

 

[Kirsch]

And on a side note, Macs are PCs too, just with a different operating system. So why everyone always automatically assumes a PC is a computer with a Windows OS? :sarc:

Is a MAC a Personal Computer? Yes.. is it a "PC"? Not necessarily

Why? You might ask?

 

[Zepher]

get a quad or higher intel, nvidia GTX285 or higher, 8GB ram or more, and 2 or more hard drives and you will be set for CS5.
Also, you need a 64bit OS for After Effects and Premiere, so Win 7 64bit is a requirement.

Thanks a lot . Yeah I'm trying to get one like that but probably with a better video card because I'll most likely fire up a few games now and then. I never thought to get two hard drives though. Could you explain why I would need two hard drives?

P.S. Your signature is epic.

OS and apps on 1 drive, footage and other assets on 1 or 2 other drives. helps with performance.
If you go with CS5 you NEED an Nvidia card since CS5 is designed to be accelerated with Nvidia.

thanks, my sig pic is my machine running Premiere Pro CS5 across 3 screens. At the time I was using a GTX285 and 9600GT to run the screens.
I don't do too much editing at the moment and sold the 285 to my friend who is making a film with his Canon 7D and he needed the 285 for HD playback in CS5.
I went with an HD5850 to try the triple screen gaming which is pretty neat.

 

[Froot Joose]

get a quad or higher intel, nvidia GTX285 or higher, 8GB ram or more, and 2 or more hard drives and you will be set for CS5.
Also, you need a 64bit OS for After Effects and Premiere, so Win 7 64bit is a requirement.

Thanks a lot . Yeah I'm trying to get one like that but probably with a better video card because I'll most likely fire up a few games now and then. I never thought to get two hard drives though. Could you explain why I would need two hard drives?

P.S. Your signature is epic.

OS and apps on 1 drive, footage and other assets on 1 or 2 other drives. helps with performance.
If you go with CS5 you NEED an Nvidia card since CS5 is designed to be accelerated with Nvidia.

thanks, my sig pic is my machine running Premiere Pro CS5 across 3 screens. At the time I was using a GTX285 and 9600GT to run the screens.
I don't do too much editing at the moment and sold the 285 to my friend who is making a film with his Canon 7D and he needed the 285 for HD playback in CS5.
I went with an HD5850 to try the triple screen gaming which is pretty neat.

Oh I understand. Hmmm...The computer I am looking at has a 5850. Would that be a HUGE problem for using CS5?

The specs are:

-Windows 7 Home Home Premium 64 bit
-Intel i7 860 @2.8GHz
-8 GB DDR3 RAM
-1.5 TB hard drive
-ATI Radeon HD 5850

And I would probably buy a separate hard drive so I could have two.

 

[Zepher]

Well, CS5 will still work but you lose the ability for real time effects and smooth playback, depending on your source footage.
Native 1080P video from a Canon 7D will play fine, but add a color correction filter and it will start to stutter, add another filter and it just chokes.
Use a GTX285 or higher and it will play smooth with at least 3 of the accelerated filters & effects that are in CS5, that is all we did when we tested my friends system after I installed the card I sold him..
Note, not all filters, effects, and transitions are accelerated, there are icons that show which ones are.

 

[Froot Joose]

Well that's disappointing. That computer I found only costs about $1100 (CAD). Would it be stupid to just buy it for the sake of a good deal? I will probably only be working with 720p footage and wont be doing too much intense editing. Nothing professional or anything. I would also use it for games and lots of other things. What do you advise?