AVID to Final Cut

[Bret Williams]

You’re asking that question here? You’ll get just about as unbiased an answer in the Avid forum. But why was it a nightmare? Avid and FCP are both very capable programs. Usually the argument for one or the other is based on personal taste, a particular need, or cost.

[David Roth weiss]

Bret,

Actually, many Avid editors I know have complained about instability issues with Avid Xpress, and many are switching over to FCP.

DRW

[Mhmkenny]

Of course this forum will be biased but I was hoping we were not the only building on the planet having this much trouble.
Allow me to differ with you on Express Pro being a capable program. It’s the most unstable system I’ve seen in my 20 yrs of editing. Keep in mind this is a turn-key Avid approved system.

We have dealt with this since FEB 05

For example: in a 11 day period we experienced 78 fatal errors which required a complete power down and re-start.

The average error count in an 8 hr day is 5-10. 3-5 which require a total power down, the rest an Avid program reboot. Add that up over 6mos and tally the lost production time when you factor in phone calls with tech support, toubleshooting, etc.
Every AVID related piece of equipment in the suite has been replaced 3 times including the HP 8200’s.
We had the room’s power tested over a 24 hr period- it’s fine.
Avid Tech Support cannot come up with a solution as to why no matter how you go about it, Avid Express can’t perform a simple insert edit without putting 5 frames of black @ the in point.
Did I mention Avid Tech Support says absolutely in no way should the Express Pro be networked? In this day and age?- come on…

So, our re-seller is taking it back.
Again, are we the only ones?

[Steve Connor]

Well a correctly setup FCP5 station is certainly stable – Our 3 systems virtually never crash any more. In the last year I can’t remember more than two crashes and neither of those took the whole system down.

Steve Connor
Cardinal HD

[Tom Matthies]

Our G4 1.25DP/FCP 4.5/OS 10.3.8 system is stable as a rock. The G5 2.3DP/FCP 5.0.2/10.4 system is still a little buggy but getting better. Some operator error involved in the new system to be sure, but heading in the right direction and very usuable. Only one crash/bug noted so far.
FWIW
Tom

[Uwe Klimmeck]

No crash with FCP 5 since 04/22/2005.
Counted FCP 4.5 crashes in monthly distances.
Everyday heavy use, DV, 10bit DigiBeta.
Still waiting for my first FCP 5 crash (will happen someday…)
But has a LOT to do with proper setup.

Greetings
Uwe

[Videobiker]

I have been an Avid editor for almost 10 years now. I just invested in my own gear and went FCP. I am very happy with my choice. There are a couple of things the other box might do but all in all I am very pleased with my gear. I was also able to get into the HD game at a reasonable $$$ amount and the picture is stunning.

[Oliver Peters]

[MHMKenny] “Every AVID related piece of equipment in the suite has been replaced 3 times including the HP 8200’s.
We had the room’s power tested over a 24 hr period- it’s fine.
Avid Tech Support cannot come up with a solution as to why no matter how you go about it, Avid Express can’t perform a simple insert edit without putting 5 frames of black @ the in point.
Did I mention Avid Tech Support says absolutely in no way should the Express Pro be networked? In this day and age?- come on…”

MHM,

I’m not going to plug one product over the other, but simply say that your issues are EXTREMELY UNUSUAL. There’s something very wierd going on, which has nothing to do with the Avid side of the equation. I’ve put in multiple Xpro (Mac and PC) and FCP sites that all work fine without these sorts of issues. These include Xpro systems that live in a networked environment. Given that, an FCP set-up in your building may be more stable, but there is no guarantee. I can certainly see why Avid is scratching their head. Have you tried this config in an entirely different location? If so, do you have the same issues? Are you on the internet? Are you running any antivirus software? What sort of drives are you running for media?

Sincerely,
Oliver

Oliver Peters
Post-Production & Interactive Media
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com

[Mhmkenny]

No Internet, No Antivirus, No network, No Shuttle Pro, No anything that does not pertain to AVID.

[Oliver Peters]

Wierd! My only thought is that it might have something to do with the 8200s. Do you have the option or opportunity to test it on another platform? I’ve had good luck with the HP 4100, which technically isn’t the recommended machine, but one of the best out of HP. Also, what about back-reving to an earlier version of the software? Is the 8200 a dual-processor machine? Maybe that’s part of the issue.

Sincerely,
Oliver

Oliver Peters
Post-Production & Interactive Media
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com