Broadcasters technical specs.

[Bob Zelin]

and exactly what is your existing computer ? Actually, why don’t you list your equipment, so I can give you an eval of what you might need to buy.

bob zelin

[Marc Poirier]

here goes..

1. iMac silver 2.8 Ghz Intel Core 2 duo 2GB ram
2. MacBook Pro 2.4 Ghz Intel Core 2 duo 2GB ram

1TB WD, + 4 standalone 350 to 500 GB HD. FW400-800

Thanks!

Markyyyy

[Bob Zelin]

well Marc, you have made a modest investment into broadcast video gear. Can you work in HD – sure. As long as it’s HDV, DVCProHD or ProRes422 (and HQ). With this gear, you certainly can hookup the assorted capture and output boxes from AJA, MOTU and Matrox, but you can’t run a power house drive array (like a Cal Digit HDPro or Apple Xserve RAID for example) with this equipment. Do you need this if you have only ProRes422 footage. Probably not.

As time goes on, and you continue to make money, you will have to decide weather to keep reinvesting in equipment, or get yourself a shiny new BMW. This is what all of us face. Do I really need that AJA I/O HD, or a new washing machine ? Do I need to buy a MAC Book Pro tower with a Cal Digit HD One drive array, or should I buy a new bedroom set, or fly to the Caribbean for a much needed vacation ?

Only you can make that decision. As you stay in this business (or any business – be it auto mechanic, house painter, or lawn service), you will continue to purchase equipment for your business, to get you more work, and make your life easier. This is called INVESTMENT in your business.

You do it at your own pace. When you decide that you want the new car, new bedroom set, and vacation in the Bahamas, and then post back on Creative Cow that you are having trouble getting the networks to accept your tapes because of illegal levels, or because of noise in your video image, we will just “break your balls”. But I don’t deny, it’s nice having a nice new car !

Bob Zelin

[Marc Poirier]

Dear Bob.. you’re going off track here.. As you don’t know me, or what I do, your personal input in how my business equipment serves me, small or big, is irrelevant. I ain’t gonna buy a Ferrari to go to the corner store!

I’ve been in the business for over 15 years, mostly as a freelancer… Yes I could not eat and buy gear.. But I still need to provide for my family… having thousands in gear and telling the family hey.. can’t eat, no vacation, etc. … is not my way of thinking, I am trying to do both.. Hopefully, you’re in the business to make money and not just to buy gear!!! and be on top of everybody… I’m able to do a lot more with my “small gear” than some can with high end equipement. that being said, I could say that I was ahead of the game as I was mostly offering services to corporate clients, editing on the field with a mobile suite..

this year, the business is growing at a crazy paste and I have signed a TV show (12 episodes) that is 2D animation + the new broadcaster standards as of may 2008 is everything needs to be delivered in HD.. Do I need to invest.. NOW it makes more sense…

Before I invest, I want to make sure I am going to buy the right equipment that will be good for a couple of years… And quite frankly being a Editing/Post production facility, it’s not to my advantage to be equipped with HD decks etc. as the requests from the clients vary quite a bit.. Right now, I’m better off renting these equipments as I need them… But I still want to be able to perform in HD..

The past week, speaking to different people, I went from having to buy $100,000 equipment, to $5000.00, to I’m good with what I have…

Since I was looking at caldigit, then you pretty much answered my question..

As long as it’s HDV, DVCProHD or ProRes422 (and HQ). With this gear, you certainly can hookup the assorted capture and output boxes from AJA, MOTU and Matrox, but you can’t run a power house drive array (like a Cal Digit HDPro or Apple Xserve RAID for example) with this equipment. Do you need this if you have only ProRes422 footage

I realize that I’m maxed out with the gear I have an it’s time to move ahead…

I’m going on vacation in october, so I have until then to ask question without breaking my balls 🙂

cheers.

MP

Thanks!

Markyyyy

[Bob Zelin]

OK, then do this –

Apple MAC Pro with 4 Gig RAM
2 Apple or Dell 24″ LCD monitors
AJA Kona LHe card (there are more expensive products)
AJA Kona KL box for LHe
Cal Digit HD One (there are more expensive products)
AJA GEN10 black gen with DWP power supply
APC Smart UPS 1500 RM2U backup UPS power supply
Behringer Xenyx 1204FX (small mixer just to monitor with)
M-Audio BX-5A speakers (so so, not too expensive speakers).
Panasonic TH42PH10UKA 42″ Plasma display for about $900 US. – not great quality, but perfectly suited to montior HD, and can be used as a nice TV for the kids with your cable TV box.

So that’s a full HD system under $15,000, that you can easily edit an HD show with. There are countless variations to this (better speakers, better mixer, better capture card, bigger drives, more professional TV monitor, etc.) but this will work. Do you need all this – can’t you use your iMAC ? What the hell do I know.

Bob Zelin

[Marc Poirier]

Oh Great!

I have the mixer, speakers and Plasma TV, unfortunately for the kids… it’s at the office 🙂

you’d go for 4 gigs over 8, because the software can’t handle 8gigs, or for $$$ purposes?

You prefer 2 monitors over 1 large one..

Whoo ooo.. time to break to piggy bank!

thanks again…

Marc.

Thanks!

Markyyyy