# Recommendations for computer bits needed to edit video
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-computer-bits-needed-to-edit-video/121770
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [July 31, 2002, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-computer-bits-needed-to-edit-video/121770 "2002-07-31T22:42:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-computer-bits-needed-to-edit-video/121770/1 "2002-07-31T22:42:55Z")
Soon, the price of stand-alone recordable DVD units will be within my reach. However, I have a lot of old videotapes I would like to edit before transferring them to DVD’s. I think my current computer could handle the task (AMD 1.2Ghz porcessor, 128Mb memory, 80Gb HD), but I’m in need of some sort of video capture system. I’m using a cheapo Belkin USB unit now, but I end up with the audio and video getting out of sync.
Should I consider a faster CPU? More memory probably couldn’t hurt. How about a good capture & editing system?
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### Author:  [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-computer-bits-needed-to-edit-video/121770/2 "2002-07-31T23:50:40Z")
For $599 you can get a [Matrox RT.X10](http://www.matrox.com/video/products/rtx10/home.cfm), which will allow you to do most of the things you want. You’ll get a breakout cable and software that assures audio and video will be in sync.
The RT.X100 is more geared for professionals.
Sorry, shameless plug for the company I work for, and the manual I helped write… :eek:
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### Author:  [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-computer-bits-needed-to-edit-video/121770/3 "2002-08-01T00:02:14Z")
Oh, you’ll also get Adobe Premiere 6.5 bundled with the package, at the same price as buying Premiere 6.5 on its own. An other advantage is scalability: the faster your CPU, the more effects can be applied and viewed in real time.
Pinnacle has nothing on us. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-computer-bits-needed-to-edit-video/121770/4 "2002-08-01T00:16:12Z")
I checked out your product (so to speak :D) and it looks like I would have to buy a whole new computer! Know of any equipment I could use with my current setup?
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### Author:  [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-computer-bits-needed-to-edit-video/121770/5 "2002-08-01T00:40:49Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky \*
> \*\*I checked out your product (so to speak :D) and it looks like I would have to buy a whole new computer! Know of any equipment I could use with my current setup? \*\*
Well, as long as you’re running Windows 2000 Professional or any flavor of Windows XP, you should be OK. The recommended systems (including sound & video cards) are those that worked well with the product You could probably run RT.X10 on a non-validated system (as long as it’s Win 2K or XP), but you could experience dropped frames, hangs in Premiere, etc. These issues we only consider “show-stoppers” when we’re dealing with a more professional market. (No offense.)
As long as you meet the minimum system requirements in terms of CPU speed, front-side bus speed, and RAM, I think you should be OK in terms of what you want to do.
Also, RT.X10 is bundled with Sonic Solutions DVDit! LE, which makes DVD authoring a breeze.
What is your current setup? RT2500 and RT2000 work on them (they support Win 98 and Me), bu they’re a bit more expensive than RT.X10. Still, they have DV capability and customizavle 3D DVE effects,
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### Author:  [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-computer-bits-needed-to-edit-video/121770/6 "2002-08-01T00:50:37Z")
If you have any more questions, you can post them here. If I don’t have the answer, I can easily foward them to sales and/or to tech support.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-computer-bits-needed-to-edit-video/121770/7 "2002-08-01T02:12:45Z")
Current setup:
AMD Athlon 1.2Ghz
128Mb memory
80Gb HD
Windows Me (yeah, yeah, I know)
NVIDIA Vanta video card (I researched this and know it’s a low end model. I’d like to get a card with video-out)
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-computer-bits-needed-to-edit-video/121770/8 "2002-08-01T08:26:58Z")
I have the Pinnacle DV500+ and am very satisfied. Of course, I also have an Athlon 1.8, 512MB of memory, an 80Gig IDE RAID, 3 20-inch monitors, quad-sound with subwoofer…
Life is good.
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### Author:  [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-computer-bits-needed-to-edit-video/121770/9 "2002-08-01T13:26:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \*
> \*\*I have the Pinnacle DV500+ and am very satisfied. Of course, I also have an Athlon 1.8, 512MB of memory, an 80Gig IDE RAID, 3 20-inch monitors, quad-sound with subwoofer…
>
> Life is good. \*\*
PINNACLE SUCKS!
When we announced the RT.X100 they had to scramble to announce vaporware because they were so scared shitless.
The RT.X100 and RT.X10 are going to DESTROY THEM!
::evil grin::
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### Author:  [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-computer-bits-needed-to-edit-video/121770/10 "2002-08-01T13:53:25Z")
BTW, consider upgrading your RAM when you get a new video card. You should be able to get 512MB for under $100. A GeForce4 Ti 4200 128MB card should be fine. My mom isn’t online now, so I can’t ask her what her machine has in it, but my parents are professional videographers. I think the Canopus is the equivalent as the Pinnacle.
Also, if you want an easier to use video editing software than Adobe Premiere, try Sonic Foundry’s Vegas Video. It’s so much easier than Premiere and does almost as much stuff. It separates the audio and video channels, so you don’t have to worry about whether they get out of sync since you can line them up later.
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### Author:  [@KoalaBear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KoalaBear)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-computer-bits-needed-to-edit-video/121770/11 "2002-08-01T13:54:47Z")
> [@](#):
>
> _Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky_
> I think my current computer could handle the task (AMD 1.2Ghz porcessor, 128Mb memory, 80Gb HD), but I’m in need of some sort of video capture system.
Take a look at the [**ATI All-In-Wonder**](http://www.ati.com/products/pc/aiwradeon8500dv/reviews.html) family. They’re solid performers, a good fit for the equipment you have on-hand, and you could buy one of these _and_ a DVD-RW drive for about the same price as an RT.X10.
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### Author:  [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-computer-bits-needed-to-edit-video/121770/12 "2002-08-01T17:38:28Z")
I’ve used an ATI All-In-Wonder setup with Premiere and had decent results, although I did have a lot of trouble captureing sound. I was on a pretty low-rent system back then and still didn’t run into too many problems. I’d certainly recomend it, and the price can’t be beat.
Currently I use a firewire video deck and Final Cut Pro (and obviously a mac). It works beautifully. It sucks that Final Cut Pro is a mac thing, because it really is the best editing system under ten thousand dollars.
Premiere is good though, just a little less stable. I’d personally avoid dumbed down mass-consumption oriented video editing programs because they really are vastly less powerful. Premiere is daunting at first, but I managed to teach myself to use it over a long night (with a project due for school the next day- whew!). With a good book or a good hour spent with someone who knows the program well, you could become a power-user pretty darn quickly. If you are spending money, it’s worth it to spend a little bit of time learning how to use some real software that can do just about anything you could want it to do.