Thread: Maximum speed 5400 not 7200rpm speed OK on Apple MacBookPro for video editing?

Highest HD speed on Apple Notebooks is now only 5400rpm.

1) Adobe and the starters guide on this forum recommend 7200rpm as a minimum speed for video editing. Is this unquestioning dogma when a new technology 5400rpm data dense drive is more than sufficient?

2) Are newer 5400rpm hard drives fast enough?

3) Larger capacity hard drives have higher data density so does this compensate for the lower speed?

4) How does it cope with high definition video capture and editing, including full HD (1080)?

5) One of Apple's selling points is that it is used by the media community, including video/film production - is this still the case?

6) Has any one ran PC video editing software and done video capture on an Intel Mac notebook in bootcamp or parallels? I'm considering this having invested in Premier Pro for Windows so would like this to work on an Intel Mac running windows.

Please don't reply to say:
- better off getting a desktop - I'm only interested in a notebook solution
- about the merits of different platforms, operating systems and software and why I'm getting a Mac. (I'm getting a Mac to broaden my skillset as it can run both Windows and MacOS.)

1- If they reccomend 7200 then that is for a good reason I am sure, not just dogma.
2- Yes and no - they say use 7200, a slower drive may make the program unresponsive at times but it will still work, and see 1.
3- No I dont think so, and see 1.
4- Hd editing on a notebook will probably be slow and irritating, considor a (puts hand over mouth).
5- Apple has used many selling tactics, they continue to use this and many others. They make great computers, so do lots of other companies. The main reason (imho) that apple is synonomus with video editing is final cut pro, they dont release a pc version (boo hiss).
6- From what I have read bootcamp works very well (usually).

I am sorry I have to say this too.....

Get a desktop.
Run windows s ware on a pc (sorry )

I've used a MBP To capture and edit HD footage and it works well (for a laptop). admittedly it's not as fast as a nice desktop machine, but that's more to do with the processing/ram/GFx card, on the rendering side. In terms of Hard disk speed I've never noticed any difference.

Also ... parrallels slows things right down on the graphics front, would only suggest iot for text based stuff and web browsin..... no wait.... scrap that, just the word proccessing and accounting stuff really (if you have sage)!
bootcamp is the same but doesn't slow the graphics down as much, but boot speed and loadiing times suffer... windows is much more resource hungry.

I started editing video on macs, then moved to premiere on windows, then quickly (2-3 weeks of crashes, slow render times, random error messages...etc) went back to the macs, for the ease of use, reliability, and lack of viruses. and lets not forget the mighty FC Studio!

" I started editing video on macs, then moved to premiere on windows, then quickly (2-3 weeks of crashes, slow render times, random error messages...etc) went back to the macs, for the ease of use, reliability, and lack of viruses. and lets not forget the mighty FC Studio! "

Warning - - - mac rant alert.... I hate it when maccers moan like this ( but i dont hate you mosh). I suspect you had a wonky pc or something. I use vegas and it never crashes, ever, ever, ever even running 5 drives, 2 g cards, 4 monitors, all pci slots full and a gadzillion of other apps running.

However the mac I was using last week (I was forced) DID crash, hohoho.... There again I was trying to make it crash just to annoy it's owner.

LoL! I also try to make them crash occassionally, and I also still use windows too :-o shock horror!

They both have advantages and disadvantages over each other, so I'm just gunna leave it at that.
I was just stating my own personal experience on the 2 systems. (the windows pc wasn't what i'd call wonky, but it may not have quite been up to dealing with what I wanted it to do)

My 2.5 year old Dell Inspiron 8600 laptop running XP Pro has never crashed. It has been absolutely fine for editing and capturing SD 4:3 video via Firewire 400 on Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5. It has a 7200rpm HD, 1Gb RAM and a WUXGA 1920x1200 15.4" display.

And when the footage got too big for the 60Gb internal hard drive, I moved it across to an external Lacie 300Gb 7200rpm drive, and Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5 happily accessed it from there.

Now the next step is to plan for a full 1080 progressive 1080p system.

I could get a MacBookPro and replace the hard drive with a 7200rpm one - this won't invalidate the warranty of the MacBookPro according to Apple Store Southampton. It will only invalidates the original hard drive itself - no sweat really - I'll put this in a USB/Firewire caddy and make it into an external drive.

I'm looking to get a Mac simply to broaden my knowledge of platforms and perhaps benefit from the features that different systems in one box can offer.

Shame Apple don't do a 15.4" 1920x1200 WUXGA MacBookPro.

Might hold off a little before considering buying, according to mactastic.com Apple are due to refresh their product lines - who knows really?

Mosh what High Definition resolution were you capturing and editing with? 720p or 1080i or 1080p?

Mostly 1080i, but P has come into it a few times.

Apple do actually ship the MBP with a 7200RPM drive although I think it's only 100GB, but it is cheaper than the 160GB 5400RPM

Originally Posted by MOSH

Mostly 1080i, but P has come into it a few times.

- AND both 1080i capture adn edit and 1080p capture and edit have worked OK, without dropped frames and jerkiness?

Apple do actually ship the MBP with a 7200RPM drive although I think it's only 100GB, but it is cheaper than the 160GB 5400RPM

Not any more - check Apple (UK and Ireland)

Only 5400rpm option offered.

I suspect they withdrew due to a) overheating issues (early MBPs had other heat issues) b) battery usage c) wanting to avoid confusing the non-tech savvy consumer they want to attract at the expense of removing a useful option for the more initiated.

Anyway, as I say you can fit a 7200rpm yourself.

For me, the key is choosing the right time to buy, taking advantage of any new product launches or spec upgrades; I don't want to buy and then they announce a newer faster version of the hardware.

No... it's def. still there

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObje...V8cUfpU/2.?p=0

2nd option down