I need to make a choice – PC or MAC … PP or FCPX

[Craig Seeman]

The more recent changes in the Library>Events structure were done because it’s the kind of change many professionals needed. It’s a definite professional improvement. FCPX does need some third party help to do some things other NLEs have built in but the prices of such add ons are reasonable.

There’s no reason why you can’t use both FCPX and Premiere Pro on the same Mac and use the NLE which seems best suited for the job at hand. That’s an option you won’t have on Windows. While some would say it’s not ideal, you could Bootcamp your Mac to run Windows as well if you want both operating systems.

[Noah Kadner]

Get a Mac. You can always run Windows on it via Boot Camp or whatever if you get cold feet. But not the reverse of course…

Noah

FCPWORKS – FCPX Workflow
Call Box Training

[Andy Field]

Macs seems to be ready to edit out of the box…PC’s often more finicky making sure you have the right sound and audio cards/compatibility. You seem to have experience with FCP X so that’s not an issue. Premiere seems more similar to FCP 7..in fact a seamless transition for a lot of folks and it works on both platforms

Andy Field
FieldVision Productions
N. Bethesda, Maryland 20852

[David Mathis]

For me FCPX and Mac along with Resolve. Not sure about the edit page performance in the new version of Resolve but that might be worth consideration. Media management has been improved in X since its inception. Just my thoughts.

[Dennis Radeke]

Siobhan,

I am an Adobe guy, so will not weigh into the overall pros and cons of one NLE over another. My only comment is this: I think if you use Photoshop, After Effects, etc., you’re going to have Creative Cloud anyway, so the NLE is just icing on the cake as it were.

While I will obviously recommend Creative Cloud for you and I haven’t tested CS6 on yosemite at all, I will say that the first thing you might consider is trying to reinstall Yosemite again and seeing if perhaps something went awry the first time.

When I upgrade Mac OS, I NEVER EVER run an upgrade but rather wipe the machine and start building up from scratch. Yes, total pain, but I know I have a clean system. Long gone are the days when a Mac was bullet proof and an upgrade was as easy as clicking ‘install’. If you ran an upgrade, I would consider backing up everything, de-authorizing everything and then do a clean build.

For Mac/PC, I would probably stay Mac if you have a lot of Mac experience. PC’s are more powerful in choice and raw horsepower, but if you spend all of your time trying to figure out how Windows works, you might just be better off staying on the Mac platform and focusing on creating content.

hope this helps,
Dennis – Adobe guy

[Walter Soyka]

I’ve moved most of my own production work onto PCs. HP sent me a demo unit a couple years ago, and I liked it so much that I bought a few more. Windows is different than OS X, but I find that it “just works” just as well — if not better — as my Macs.

Troubleshooting is the same on both platforms: Google, CreativeCOW, etc. Most of our software (Adobe CC, C4D) is cross-platform and works brilliantly going back and forth. Our little studio use cross-platform business services like Google for Work and Dropbox, so we’re not bound to any one system vendor.

We have a couple of Mac Pros, too, and they’re very nice systems, but I generally prefer the configurability and raw power of PC-based workstations.

That said, I’d let the software dictate the hardware. If you want to use FCPX, then you don’t have a hardware choice to make.

Walter Soyka
Designer & Mad Scientist at Keen Live [link]
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
@keenlive   |   RenderBreak [blog]   |   Profile [LinkedIn]

[Herb Sevush]

[Walter Soyka] ” I generally prefer the configurability and raw power of PC-based workstations. That said, I’d let the software dictate the hardware. If you want to use FCPX, then you don’t have a hardware choice to make.”

I agree with Walter’s thoughts on PCs vs Macs with one caveat – if your deliverables are in ProRes, stay with OSX. It’s possible to deliver ProRes on Window’s, but it’s more complicated then you will want it to be.

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
—————————
nothin’ attached to nothin’
“Deciding the spine is the process of editing” F. Bieberkopf

[Shawn Miller]

[Andy Field] “Macs seems to be ready to edit out of the box…PC’s often more finicky making sure you have the right sound and audio cards/compatibility.”

I think that’s mostly true for general purpose or low end PCs. If you buy from a vendor that builds machines specifically for content creation, your chances of running into compatibility issues are much lower. To Walter’s point, HP builds workstations, all-in-ones and laptops for content creation. Boxx, Puget Sound Systems and Dell also have similar offerings.

Shawn

[Robert D’alexis]

[Walter Soyka] “We have a couple of Mac Pros, too, and they’re very nice systems, but I generally prefer the configurability and raw power of PC-based workstations.”

Could you offer specifics, please?
In other words, can you quantify the performance difference between similarly-priced PCs and Macs since you’re using both?
The reason I ask is because I have a friend who is starting a video production business centered around Adobe CC 2015 and he is weighing up whether he should go the PC or Mac route.
TIA

[Walter Soyka]

[Robert d'Alexis] “In other words, can you quantify the performance difference between similarly-priced PCs and Macs since you’re using both?”

I don’t see a huge difference there. Similarly-priced PCs and Macs tend to be similarly-specced computers, so the performance difference is negligible. Maybe you can build your own PC for a little less than a comparable Mac, maybe you’ll spend a little more building from an integrator.

I think the nMP is actually really well-priced for what you get. Dual-GPU and PCIe-attached solid state storage come standard. The problem is that the configuration options available are very limited.

If you are willing to spend more, you can get more with a PC. Do you want support that comes to your office instead of lugging your Mac to the mall? HP offers it. Have an application like Octane Renderer that requires CUDA? You’re stuck with AMD D-series in a nMP, but you can put any GPU you like in a PC. Have a CPU-bound task? With the Mac Pro being single-socket, you can buy a PC that’s literally twice as fast at some tasks by buying a dual-CPU PC.

Walter Soyka
Designer & Mad Scientist at Keen Live [link]
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
@keenlive   |   RenderBreak [blog]   |   Profile [LinkedIn]