Project files usage between 2 computers

[dsttexas]

Situation:

I have about a dozen VHS family video tapes - a big project! I do not know how many output DVD's I'm targeting, or which VHS tapes and contents might be grouped until I get everything loaded, or whether this should start out as one big "PrEl project", or make each VHS a separate project and pull as needed between projects to fill DVD's. I have 2 year old desktop and newer desktop replacement type laptop. Desktop has firewire port for capturing analogue to digital via Canopus. More powerful laptop (core i7, 6Gig, Win7 64bit) is preferred for doing editing but has no firewire. Have an external 1TB hardrive (USB3.0 with laptop). I do not intend to do much more than just capture on the desktop, and do everything else on the laptop.

Questions:

1.Should I tell PrEl on desktop to set project file and capturing directly to the external disk, do all my captures of each tape into own subfolder on external, then mount external on laptop and expect to have everything there to open the project file(s) and start editing?

2. Or, should I capture on desktop internal file, Project Archive the project(s) to the external, then move to the laptop and open archived project file(s).

3. Should I hold off on the Media Analyzing (ie split clips by content) until I move external disk to laptop for editing etc.?

4. Any other suggestions before proceeding on this size project?

Thanks all,
Don

[Steve Grisetti]

I would keep your project files and captured video right on the external drive, Don. That way you open the project files on whatever computer you're connected to at the time. With USB 3, your laptop should be able to access the external drive pretty much as if it were an internal drive.

It doesn't matter if you split by content when you first capture or once you've got all of the captures done. But if you split by content when you're capturing, you'll have to wait for the media analyzer to go through every video after every capture -- which, if you've got a lot of video to capture, might drive you crazy.