Comparing Export Options When Shooting HDV

[George Tyndall]

...you can build a screaming-fast monster for under $1500. If you decide to go this route, you can expect lots of help from us!

Altough I have no intention at this time of abandoning my 3 identical HPs, that last suggestion may still be my best option. My thinking is that I could use a super-fast machine like you describe for production, yet still play it all back with my existing machines from an external drive.

Would that be a reasonable alternative?

With regard to building such a machine, what is the first step?

[jackfalbey]

My thinking is that I could use a super-fast machine like you describe for production, yet still play it all back with my existing machines from an external drive.

In my home-built workstation, I have 2 500GB hard drives (System & Backup), 2 640GB hard drives (RAID0), 1 750GB drive (archived projects), and 4 DVD burners with room for 3 more. I use it for editing with CS3, and then when I'm done it becomes my DVD duplicating station. It definitely has made a HUGE difference in my production time.

An alternative would be to network your 3 HPs and use each one for different tasks in your workflow. One could be capturing new video while another is editing video already captured, and the third is transcoding/exporting video already edited.

You'd have to check with HP tech support to make sure this would work, but your HPs should be able to use the Core 2 Duo E6850 3.0GHz processor, which currently sells for under $200 new. If you can upgrade your HPs to this processor, it would definitely speed up your workflow and would be much cheaper than building a whole new PC.

If you do decide to build your own, Step 1 would be to determine your budget and what you plan to use the workstation for. Then you can begin researching components with a good sense of what capabilities you need.

Lastly, keep in mind that a faster CPU will speed up all stages of your workflow; but because Premiere isn't yet optimized for multi-core CPUs (I'm sure the next version will be), going up from a Dual-core to a Quad-core will really only make a big difference in exporting/transcoding times.

[George Tyndall]

You'd have to check with HP tech support to make sure this would work, but your HPs should be able to use the Core 2 Duo E6850 3.0GHz processor, which currently sells for under $200 new. If you can upgrade your HPs to this processor, it would definitely speed up your workflow and would be much cheaper than building a whole new PC

HP says the processors will work in my machines, and Fry’s has them in stock for $189 plus $24 to install but they are asking whether I have the appropriate “heat sinks.” Do you know the answer?

Also, will they work with XP Media Center 2005?

[jackfalbey]

They should come with a heatsink/fan in the box. If not, then they're OEM, or "bare bones". Newegg has them for $184.99 with stock heatsink & fan, and free shipping http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115028.

Before you buy, you may want to double-check with HP just to see if your model will take a Core 2 Quad CPU... If so, I'd recommend getting an E6850 for one of your HPs and use that one for editing; then get a Q6600 for another and use that one for exporting and transcoding.

And yes, they'll work with Windows MCE.

[George Tyndall]

An alternative would be to network your 3 HPs and use each one for different tasks in your workflow. One could be capturing new video while another is editing video already captured, and the third is transcoding/exporting video already edited..... Lastly, keep in mind that a faster CPU will speed up all stages of your workflow; but because Premiere isn't yet optimized for multi-core CPUs (I'm sure the next version will be), going up from a Dual-core to a Quad-core will really only make a big difference in exporting/transcoding times.

I checked with HP and my machines will accept either of those processors (both of which have reviews on newegg that are nothing short of fabulous).

If I divide my work flow among my 3 machines as you suggest , one for capture, one for editing and one for transcoding/exporting, which specific processor would you suggest for each of the three machnines?

[George Tyndall]

They should come with a heatsink/fan in the box. If not, then they're OEM, or "bare bones". Newegg has them for $184.99 with stock heatsink & fan, and free shipping http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115028.

But are the "stock" fans that come with the "boxed" versions adequate? The reason I ask is one reviewer stated his new Q6600 processor ran VERY hot (53C) until he installed an after-market fan that was superior to what HP includes. Newegg shows, for example, a Combo Deal for $209.98 that includes a Rosewill fan, also an Arctic Cooling "Freezer" for $31.99 in addition to the processor price of $184.99. Should I go with better fans at the outset for each of the 3 machines?

Also, Fry's carries an LG Blu-Ray Disc Rewriter & HD DVD-ROM Drive that will also write SD DVDs and regular CDs in addition to reading them and HD DVDs (Model GGW-H20L) for $250. Will these fit in the slots for the DVD burners that came stock with my 3 HPs? If not, do you recommend buying cases and running them externally? Do you recommend the LG units? (They rate an average of 4/5 eggs on Newegg.) According to the boxes, my existing machines meet the System Requirement to use the LG units, however, I''ve decided to "graduate" from PE3.0 to 4.0 (which can write Blu-Ray disks, but that is not my only reason). A potential problem is that the box for PE4.0 states: "Pentium 4.3GHz processor required for HD or Blu-ray."

Finally, I noticed that the cost of an NVIDIA 8600 graphics card, which one of my machines already has, is not all that much. If you do end up advising me to upgrade the processors and install the LGs either internally or externally on all 3 machines, should I at the same time upgrade to the 8600 video cards for the other 2 machines at the same time? Or, are there even better video cards that I should install instead on all 3 machines?

Thanks again for sharing your expertise. I do believe that this thread will turn out to be of great value to many other members, now and in the future.

[Bob]

The heatsink/fans that ship with the boxed cpus are adequate for a standard installation (think about it, why would a cpu manufacturer ship a heatsink/fan that wouldn't meet the minimum cooling requirements for a typical installation). But, there are higher cooling capacity units. If you intend to overclock the cpu, you'll probably need a higher capacity unit as overclocked systems can run considerably hotter. You may also need a higher capacity heatsink/fan if you use it where the ambient temperatures are hotter than typical and adding extra case fans doesn't help. There are also people that modify their systems and trick them out to look sexy with transparent case sides and LEDs on the fans. Those big honkin' cooling units can be pretty impressive.

Keep in mind also that the higher cooling capacity heatsink/fans are typically larger and heavier than the stock units and may require that you remove the motherboard to attach using a rear mounting bracket instead of the standard motherboard mounting holes. These higher capacity heatsink/fans can be considerably larger than the stock unit. Be sure it will fit in your case.

As for the Pentium 4 3GHz requirement, Pentium 4's are slower than the newer core 2 duo processors, even at the same clock frequency. And, the core 2 duos require less power and produce less heat. You should be fine with the processors you are considering.

[George Tyndall]

You should be fine with the processors you are considering.

Thanks for the reply.

Do you mean the E6850 and Q6600 processors that Jack recommended? Is there a reason not to go with the Q6600 for all 3 machines? The reason I ask is that Fry's has the Q6600 in stock but not the E6850 which they say they have disconinued--and they say they can do the installations while I wait. (If I were to wait to buy from Newegg instead, for about $30 less per processor, I would still need to take the machines to Fry's for installation, as I know NOTHING about this aspect.)

Do you know if the LGs will fit in the slots that I mentioned? Do you recommend them?

[jackfalbey]

But are the "stock" fans that come with the "boxed" versions adequate?

As Bob said, under normal conditions the stock fans are fine. You only need aftermarket fans if you're heavily overclocking or if for some other reason your PC runs hotter than it should.

Also, Fry's carries an LG Blu-Ray Disc Rewriter & HD DVD-ROM Drive that will also write SD DVDs and regular CDs in addition to reading them and HD DVDs (Model GGW-H20L) for $250. Will these fit in the slots for the DVD burners that came stock with my 3 HPs?

They should fit in the standard 5.25" drive bays in your HPs.

A potential problem is that the box for PE4.0 states: "Pentium 4.3GHz processor required for HD or Blu-ray."

This should say Pentium 4 3GHz or better. The Core 2 CPUs (both Duo and Quad) are better than a Pentium 4.

should I at the same time upgrade to the 8600 video cards for the other 2 machines at the same time? Or, are there even better video cards that I should install instead on all 3 machines?

Unless you're having difficulty using the maximum resolution setting on your monitor, a faster video card won't do much. Premiere relies the CPU for editing, and the GPU (graphics card) is really just to send the signal to the monitor. If you plan to run modern graphics-intensive games or do 3D animation, then a faster GPU would be helpful. Otherwise, don't waste the money.

Is there a reason not to go with the Q6600 for all 3 machines?

The Q6600 is a great CPU hands down. The E6850 would be slightly better for editing with PE3.0, because 3.0 doesn't use 4 cores very well. 2 cores at 3.0GHz would be better than 4 cores at 2.4GHZ if only 2 of those 4 cores are being used. PE4.0 probably makes better use of 4 cores, so if you're upgrading to PE4.0 then the Q6600 is a great choice.

[George Tyndall]

But are the "stock" fans that come with the "boxed" versions adequate?

As Bob said, under normal conditions the stock fans are fine. You only need aftermarket fans if you're heavily overclocking or if for some other reason your PC runs hotter than it should.

Also, Fry's carries an LG Blu-Ray Disc Rewriter & HD DVD-ROM Drive that will also write SD DVDs and regular CDs in addition to reading them and HD DVDs (Model GGW-H20L) for $250. Will these fit in the slots for the DVD burners that came stock with my 3 HPs?

They should fit in the standard 5.25" drive bays in your HPs.

A potential problem is that the box for PE4.0 states: "Pentium 4.3GHz processor required for HD or Blu-ray."

This should say Pentium 4 3GHz or better. The Core 2 CPUs (both Duo and Quad) are better than a Pentium 4.

should I at the same time upgrade to the 8600 video cards for the other 2 machines at the same time? Or, are there even better video cards that I should install instead on all 3 machines?

Unless you're having difficulty using the maximum resolution setting on your monitor, a faster video card won't do much. Premiere relies the CPU for editing, and the GPU (graphics card) is really just to send the signal to the monitor. If you plan to run modern graphics-intensive games or do 3D animation, then a faster GPU would be helpful. Otherwise, don't waste the money.

Is there a reason not to go with the Q6600 for all 3 machines?

The Q6600 is a great CPU hands down. The E6850 would be slightly better for editing with PE3.0, because 3.0 doesn't use 4 cores very well. 2 cores at 3.0GHz would be better than 4 cores at 2.4GHZ if only 2 of those 4 cores are being used. PE4.0 probably makes better use of 4 cores, so if you're upgrading to PE4.0 then the Q6600 is a great choice.

That was very cool, sir, the way you broke up those quotes. I've been trying to figure out how to do that.

To cut to the chase:

I'm attempting to install PE4.0 as i write this, however, the same event is occurring that occured when I was uninstalling the trial verion of After Effects, namely, there is the abrupt onset of the sound of either a HDD or a fan, and the cursor immediately freezes. It took me 3 shutdowns and restarts (via the Power Button) to get After Effects uninstalled, and I am now on my third restart (again, via the Power Button) trying to get PE4.0 installed. (I am using the machine's original unchanged HD DVD ROM drive for the installation, not the newly installed LG Blu-ray/DVD burner for the installation from the Adobe CD.)

Regarding the Q6600s, they are already installed on all 3 machines, complete with a 30-day warranty on the labor, plus a 3-year warranty on the processors.

In addition, the LGs are installed on all 3 machines.

I've upgraded all 3 machines to 4BG of RAM.

Lastly, all 3 machines now have the 8600 graphic cards. (The outside of the NVIDIA packaging suggests that this is the best card for Blu-ray/HDV viewing, so I went ahead and added the card to the other 2 machines.)

Within the next few days, after I've gotten these "freezes" out of the way, I will post the results of the upgrades.*

Words cannot express my apprecation for your kind assistance.

___

*When I have time, I would like also to post on the topic of why, given the quirks of Adobe software, it is very helpful to have at least 2 machines available, with differing Adobe software installed on each.