Avid - Mac or PC?

	Avid - Mac or PC? by Antony Christie on Nov 6, 2009 at 4:50:01 pm Hi Guys I'm not quite ready to part with hard cash yet but I have just upgraded to Media Composer v4 and will want to upgrade my hardware next. I'm interested in your valued professional opinions on which platform to use. I have always used Avid on XP, and I'm now thinking, should I go PC Vista (or 7) or MacPro or even Mac BookPro? I'm leaning towards trying Avid on a Mac (even though it seems it was historically associated with PC) but I've only just begun my research, hopefully you guys could shed some light...? Thanks in advance ;o) Sony HVR-Z5, Avid Media Composer v3 Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Avid - Mac or PC? by David Braswell on Nov 6, 2009 at 5:56:35 pm I've never ran Avid on Mac, so saying the platform wars are over may be a bit shortsighted. With that disclaimer, the platform wars are over :-) Consider your graphics, audio, and DVD authoring workflow first. Do you have thousands of dollars invested in software for one platform? Of course, there is Bootcamp for Mac to run Windows apps. Are you wedded to Adobe Encore for DVD authoring? Or DVD Studio? If you have a strong preference for one OS over the other factor that as well. And make sure you give HP's new "Z" line a hard look before jumping. Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Avid - Mac or PC? by Antony Christie on Nov 6, 2009 at 9:10:03 pm Thanks David I do use Adobe software (DW, PS & AE) frequently but on a different machine to my Avid - I keep my Avid PC solely for MC, Sorenson, Avid FX, Boris, by Sonic and SmartSound, and when I upgrade my machine I'll probably put my ProTools LE on it too. I only have Windows background at present...although, I'm still using XP and switching to Vista or W7 can't be that different from jumping to OSX? However, I though it was interesting how in this recent Avid promotional video 'Robin Buday - Story of a switcher' (at http://www.avid.com/mediacomposer4/index.asp) the studio they've shot Robin in (which I'd say is obviously a video set and not his own studio), uses a MacPro. This could just be 'cause they look sexy and shiny but Avid are clearly suggesting 'This is how the pro's do it'. Any pro editors out there wanna fight Apple's corner? I guess I'm hoping someone will... Sony HVR-Z5, Avid Media Composer v3 Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Avid - Mac or PC? by Ed Cilley on Nov 6, 2009 at 9:03:34 pm [Antony Christie] "I have just upgraded to Media Composer v4" So what platform are you on now if you are upgrading? Like the last post said, you may already have software for a particular platform. I have cut with Avid on both PC and Mac and both work very well. The new Z line from HP is really fast and worth a look. Personally, I own a Mac because they just work. I have had fewer problems and that means more "up-time" and actual work - rather than debugging. [Antony Christie] "even though it seems it was historically associated with PC" Acutally, Avid was very popular on the Mac back in the 90's, but Apple made some decisions that pushed a lot of people to run Avid on a PC. Also, I think IT professionals and corporations were more comfortable with PC's on their networks. But that's another discussion. As far as Mac Pro verus MacBook Pro - what are your dynamics? Are you traveling or taking products to clients for review/edits? Then the laptop will work just fine. Are you doing full HD? Then the desktop could be better outfitted for your needs. Hope that helps a little. Ed Avid and FCP Preditor _________________________________________________ Anything worth doing at all, is worth doing well. - Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Avid - Mac or PC? by Antony Christie on Nov 6, 2009 at 9:22:22 pm Thanks Ed I'm on XP at present. The new machine would be purely for video editing and outputting so no other software issues really (I use AE/PS on a separate PC), I will look at the HP Z line (David suggested that too!). When you order Avid MC the install disc has both PC and Mac so I'm assuming I can put my new MCv4 over the top of my MCv3 and then jump to Mac later? (I'll install for use with dongle - Still; you know what they say about the word ASS-U-ME!) I'm shooting/cutting HDV at the moment (got a Z5), and long term I think I can see myself using a dongle between a MacPro at home, and a MacBookPro in the field and for taking to work to edit there. I like the, "they just work" Thanks for your time! Sony HVR-Z5, Avid Media Composer v3 Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Avid - Mac or PC? by Shane Ross on Nov 7, 2009 at 1:24:18 am To say that historically Avid is associated with PC seems odd. I have cut on Avid for over 15 years, and in all shows but TWO, I was on a Mac. Avid MC 5.5 back in 1994...on a Mac Quadra. Then on Powermac 9600s, then on G3's, then G4's with the Meridians. The only cases I used Avid on PC was Avid version 10 (before Meridian) and that was a disaster...and Avid Adrenaline...also, a disaster. So I will be biased in saying that I prefer Avid on Macs... Never gone wrong with that...never. Shane GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD...don't miss it. Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Avid - Mac or PC? by Scott Cumbo on Nov 7, 2009 at 1:32:06 am these days Avid runs great on both platforms, so it's really which you like to work on, mac or PC. I prefer PC, just because the mac OS annoys me. by the way if you've been working on XP once you get to vista/windows 7 or a mac with whatever os they have these days..alley cat? snow kitten?... you'll be amazed at how avid flys. Scott Cumbo Editor Broadway Video, NYC Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Avid - Mac or PC? by Shane Ross on Nov 7, 2009 at 1:33:13 am Avid 4.0 is only supported on Leopard print...Snow Kitty is a no no. Shane GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD...don't miss it. Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Avid - Mac or PC? by Baz Leffler on Nov 7, 2009 at 2:54:48 am FWIW - I have a Mojo SDI/MC 3.1.2 which I use on both MacBookPro and a Vista Quad core system. It runs more reliably (and I think faster) on the Mac but I haven't really done the tests; just a feeling. But I have been a PC user most my life and have really had enough of Gates's flawed OS and once I got use to Mac's Leopard I was hooked. So maybe I too am a little biased. Baz What would I do without the 'UNDO' button!!!! Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Avid - Mac or PC? by Ed Cilley on Nov 7, 2009 at 3:41:11 am [Baz Leffler] "So maybe I too am a little biased." Isn't that what this is all about? :) That's what Anthony is looking for - your biased opinion. Go ahead, buy the Mac and enjoy using Leopard print or Snow kitty (once Avid approves it). Avid and FCP Preditor _________________________________________________ Anything worth doing at all, is worth doing well. - Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Avid - Mac or PC? by Antony Christie on Nov 7, 2009 at 10:31:45 am Ed's right; that's exactly wot I'm looking for! Thanks Scott, Baz, Shane, Ed and David - time to get myself a book on OSX and start preparing for the change!!! Sony HVR-Z5, Avid Media Composer v3 Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Avid - Mac or PC? by Tim Wilson on Nov 7, 2009 at 6:46:32 pm Couple of quick notes: 1) One reason why the platform war is over for Avid customers is that you can run it on both a Mac and a PC...or both. I used Avids so often on both platforms, even in the same project, that I kept forgetting where I was. 2) Avid began as a Mac-only company in 1987, and shipped its first product in 1989, the Mac-only Avid Film Composer. Film Composer changed the film business so completely that it was awarded an Oscar in 1998 - while it was still a Mac-only product from a company whose tools (including Pro Tools) were only available on Mac. This was of course before Macromedia developed Key Grip, eventually named Final Cut - on a PC!!! 3) Avid products made their way to PCs when massive waves of creatives using PCs kept banging on the door, trying to give Avid big bags of money. You hear about this now because -- who knew? -- there really are massive waves of creatives using PCs. Not that there was no bet-hedging for Avid (and Adobe, whose products were also originally Mac-only) in moving to the PC. I'm just saying that, for a publicly traded company, there is no comfort without money. Neither Avid nor Adobe would have done it in a million years if there were no waves of PC-using creatives with big bags of money. And once they saw the money was there, they would have made the move regardless of what Apple did. 4) All of which is to echo the advice above - use whichever OS you like. Or both. :-) Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Avid - Mac or PC? by Job ter Burg on Nov 9, 2009 at 7:18:21 am Well, if you are thinking about getting a laptop and a workstation, you could also choose one to be Mac and the other PC. Really doesn't matter, you can painlessly take stuff back and forth. My studio has a PC-MC and a PC-Symphony on Unity, my laptop is a MacBook Pro. The PC's are all Vista, and if you plan on doing any longform, LEAVE XP, and go for Vista Biz 64-bit with 8GB of RAM. Frees up a LOT of RAM for the application. My MacBook has 3 partitions, one for Leopard (to run MC), one for Snow Leopard (for email and fun), one Bootcamp partition for Win Vista Biz 64bit. On all PC's (and the Bootcamp partition) I have installed MediaFour's MacDrive, and on all Macs I have installed Paragon NFTS-for-Mac. That way, you can use Mac and PC drives, without ever having to think about it. The upside on the Mac side is that you get to install some great helper apps (like the FCS bundle). The upside on the PC is that you have some other great tools there (TMPGEnc, MetaFuze, Nero come to mind). Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Avid - Mac or PC? by Job ter Burg on Nov 9, 2009 at 7:21:04 am And beware that new Macs come with Snow Leopard installed, which has not yet been qualified by Avid (yet). See http://community.avid.com/forums/p/76313/426540.aspx#426540 for details, since some folks are making it work. Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index