Video editing minimum requirements?

It is my intention to buy a new desktop PC very soon. I want to transfer analogue video to the hard drive to edit and then burn to DVD. I have got the software to carry out this function (Dazzle); but when buying this new PC, I want to make sure that I am buying a system with a graphics card that will handle video editing etc. I intend to get a least 2gb ram and 240 gb hard drive, its sometimes the sales assistants just say anything to sell their systems and not knowing enough about video editing that worries me.

Any advice on what minimum requirements would be?

Thanks
G

 

I don't think there's a minimum. It's just what you can live with. If you convert a dvd to avi, the average modern pc can take hours. If you overclock a Q6600 to 3.6ghz with 4 gigs of ram and a fast harddisk or RAID 0, the same task can take an hour or so.

What's your budget? Is there any overclocking?

 

My budget for the new PC is £500, and no overclocking.

Thanks

G

 

You will also want to consider 64Bit OS and time does take about an hour for a Q6600@3.0GHz with 4Gb RAM and RAID0, I can vouch for that.

So basically a Quad Core CPU, 2 x HDD (exact same make and model), "ideally" 4 x 1Gb RAM modules (exact same make and model in Dual Channel Interleaved mode). If it is for DVD (to play on a stand alone player) then the VIDEO Card wont be so important as most of the work will be carried out by the CPU and RAM I believe (please correct me if Im wrong) and the Vid Card would be primarily for rendering the display on that "system". But I would still make sure you got a PCI-e x 16 Card with 256Mb "Memory Interface" (not MEMORY) and 512Mb DDR3.

 

Well I could be wrong about the Video Cards, here is something on the new HD4870:

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...deon-hd4870-512mb-graphics-card-review-5.html

 

For video editing you will need a cpu with lots of grunt. This will be dictated by your budget.

You will also need a lot of ram 2gb should be fine with xp.

In terms of importing your analogue video to the hdd you will either need a video capture card (eg Leadtek TV2000 Expert) or a graphics card equipped with a video in input in order to connect your camcorder. VGAs equipped with video in sockets will have software included so that you can import.

Once you have imported the video fotage, you have the option of using any video editing software, I use Ulead but there are many others.

I am sure that you were probably aware of most of the above details but have listed them just in case.

Also remember that video takes up a lot of gbs. I don't know how many hours of video you have but I would check this out prior to getting a 240gb hdd.

Good Luck

 

Make sure your HD is a fast one 7200 rpm

Dins

 

This just jumped out at me and would be a very good allround solution for your query:

http://forums.overclockersclub.com/index.php?showtopic=81778&hl=

http://ati.amd.com/products/aiwhd/index.html

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/26/amd-smells-a-comeback-with-ati-all-in-wonder-hd/

Rather than buying a Video Card and a TV Capture card and what ever else why not have it all combined in the one, and still have reasonable gaming potential, watch and record HDTV and analogue, plug your cam cord in and your away!