G5 dual core set up

[Shane Ross]

[Sara Nichols] “Can this work reasonably well as far as speed?”

The computer? Sure, that is plenty fast. I cut four long form docs on a Dual 2.0Ghz G5. Works fine. The thing you need to do, if you want to cut multiple streams, as you mentioned multi-cam, is get really fast RAID storage. Something to the tune of 200MB/s or faster. eSATA is your best choice, as with an older G5, the options are slim. Fibrechannel is too expensive and overkill, but something like a Caldigit VR or GRaid 3 with PCI-X eSATA card will work.

[Sara Nichols] “If so, what’s the opinion on macbook pro versus going with a tower. I’d like to be more mobile, but it’s not a must have.”

It’s comparable. And with the Express34 slot, you can still connect the eSATA drive. Smaller screen space, but you can get a second monitor.

[Sara Nichols] “I will have approx 20 hrs of footage and estimate I’ll need about 1 TB of drive space”

That will take up 1.2TB of space. And you want room for rendering and things like pictures and music and VO. So you need at least a 2TB drive. Easy enough to get, and not expensive.

[Sara Nichols] “, and currently have a WD “Book” 1TB firewire drive.”

NOT FOR EDITING! Those drives are consumer drives. Don’t cheat yourself, get a CalDigit VR or G-RAID 3…use that for editing. But then get a 2TB backup drive to back up that footage. Unless you want to invest in a RAID 5 solution, that will be more expensive than the two drives.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Tom Matthies]

Don’t even TRY to do multicam HD editing off of a FW800 drive! Much pain will result.
Tom

Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.–Ferris Bueller

[Sara Nichols]

Shane, thanks so much for the clarification. As for the loading of the DVC Pro HD, do I need an i/o box? And if so, would the Matrox MX02 be the one of choice?

And to confirm, I do not need to upgrade graphics card?

Thanks again.

[Sara Nichols]

Thanks Tom. Pain is always a good thing to avoid.

[Sara Nichols]

And… I just purchased the DVDs. Why read the manual when you can get the movie:)

[Miodrag Ristic]

[Shane] something like a Caldigit VR or GRaid 3 with PCI-X eSATA card..”

I think this G5 is actually with PCI-e, that’s the last series of G5 (motorola chip), isn’t it?
In About This Mac > PCI Cards, it says under Bus – PCI (no “e” no “x”, it just says PCI).

Mio

http://www.digitalvideovault.com.au

[Baz Leffler]

I have a G5 2.3 and edit HDCAM via a multibridge extreme (uncompressed 8 bit 1920×1080 50i) using 2 x 1 TB 7200rpm drives in raid – it is close to the limit but it works! But my octo core Mac pro is the bee’s knee’s for that type of work.

Baz

What would I do without the ‘UNDO’ button!!!!

[Sara Nichols]

It has pci x slot. Shane is correct.

[Sara Nichols]

Just a quick update for anyone who has the same g5. In fact it is NOT a pci-x it is pci Express. I just dug up the manual and checked the firewire card I had installed a couple years ago. It’s PCI-e.

[Miodrag Ristic]

That’s right Sara, it’s the last G5 series, last one with Motorola chip,
and first one with PCIe.

It’s not stated clear in System Profiler but in your Mac’s User Guide,
page 19, it clearly says “Your Power Mac G5 has three PCI Express slots…”

Confusion may arise from the fact that Apple had G5, 2.3 GHz DP in previous lineup (early 2005),
but that one had PCI-X (plus, that one had ATI Radeon graphic card…).

Mio

http://www.digitalvideovault.com.au