on 6/21/05 3:37 AM, Gregg Gorrie at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> on 6/20/05 6:55 PM, Ansberry at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
>> Wow! 2 posts in one night. That is a record for me. I usually lurk on
>> this list because there are so many more knowledgable people here than I am.
>> I am a neophyte digital video person and have been learning to convert
>> my family videos to DVDs on my old S900. I have been asking questions on a
>> forum called "videohelp.com". The people there have been extremely patient
>> and helpful to me. But the last time I asked a question over there, one
>> individual told me I need to invest in a "real" Mac. Not a "new" Mac, but a
>> "real" Mac. I figure that was a slam at the Umax computer. My S900 has
>> been a exceptional value, and my C600 did great before I got the S900. Is a
>> 9500 "real" Mac better than the S900?
>>
>>
>> Mike
>
> Hi Mike:
>
> I seem to recall us having some dialog re: the digital video thing on this
> list before.
>
> Are you having any specific problems you've been unable to solve?
>
> IIRC, you have upgraded your S900 to a G4/400-450? and all the appropriate
> PCI cards to bring it up to about as far as it will go. You would have to do
> the same upgrades on a stock 9500/9600 to make it usable, and I've heard of
> people with those machines also having issues with digital video.
>
> The "Achilles' heel" of the Umax has been it's non-standard PCI slot
> configuration which has made it a challenge while adding/upgrading PCI cards
> (ie the top two slot preference that some cards have) but once you've worked
> around those, I can see no other advantage that the 9500 had.
>
> Like you, I've been converting old family videos to DVD using my upgraded
> S900. It has done the job admirably (I'm on DVD #5 now) and will continue to
> do so for the time being. The wall has been hit as far as software upgrades
> - we can only go as far as DVD Studio Pro 2 and Final Cut 3, as later
> versions need to see an AGP slot. Sure it's slow and clunky, but if we're
> just doing it as a hobby - whatever - you get the same quality output as
> someone with a skookum new dual processor G5!
>
> The comment that you need to invest a "real" Mac (but not a new Mac) is way
> off base - you'd be going backwards. As has been discussed on this list
> recently, there is <no> point in spending any more money on the older
> machines when you can pick up a Mac Mini at the prices they're going for.
>
> One limitation on the Mac Mini is that there's only one monitor output, but
> the most effective configuration for DV editing is to use an NTSC monitor
> connected to your Firewire camera/convertor to view DV output, so unless you
> have room on your desktop for <3> monitors, it's kind of a moot point.
>
> If you're really keen on upgrading but still on a budget, that's probably
> your best bang for the buck.
>
> I'll probably hold off investing any more money in hardware until we see the
> fruition of the new Intel/Apple collaboration. In the meantime, my trusty
> S900 will continue (knock on wood) to do all of the things I need it to do.
>
Hey, Greg.
I'm doing okay with my video work now. It took me a while to get around
the learning curve. I don't know much, but I do know enough to get my
videos burned. I occasionally have trouble with iMovie recognizing my
camera. It says there is no tape in the camera. Usually if I restart the
computer with all the video equipment on, it solves the problem.
The Mac Mini looks like a waste of money for me. The 80 gig hard drive
wouldn't be close to big enough for me, and the limited expandability of the
thing is a real drawback. I'm saving my nickels and dimes for a G5 dual
processor one of these days.
Mike
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