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Is it possible to upload .avi files on a Mac using Adobe Premiere Pro (and other PC compatibility issues)?
Hi. I’m a Mac girl. I bought a PC to edit on using Adobe Premiere Pro so I could be compatible with my client who convinced me that if I were to buy a new Mac instead, I would have to re-upload all of their footage (as they generally upload as .avi files using PCs). In addition to the fact that re-uploading would add hours of time to my task, the studio prefers .avi files so that footage can be passed off easily to other (PC) editors.
Now that I have the PC, I am frustrated and want my Mac back! And I’m now convinced that listening to a “PC” person was very silly, as what do they know about what a Mac can do (just because their PC can’t read .mov files does not mean a Mac can not deal with .avis!)
So now I’m looking into buying a new Mac on which I hope to edit with (using Adobe Premiere Pro CS5), rather than this PC I’m now using. Can I expect the upload (and editing of footage) to .avi files to be a problem? What other compatibility issues might I face? There is also the concern of using an external hard drive (where we store footage for studio use) and the possibility of finding one that can be used with both Mac and PC for easy transfer (and not FAT 32 format as that would limit file transfer size). Does anyone know anything about this or have any suggestions?
Thanks!
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5 Replies
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Hi Gretchen,
I think your frustration mostly comes from the fact that you are used to the Mac interface. It is very difficult to get used to a new OS if you “grew up” on another, but in this field, you’ll likely have to juggle with both.
A couple of misconceptions as well, both PC and Mac can read AVI and Quicktime files, you just need the right software. For a quick playback on either OS, I would recommend a copy of VLC. Premiere does support a ton of formats on both interfaces, including AVIs.
I don’t think anyone who’s been on both platforms for a while could honestly tell you that one is better than the other these days, and if you are going to stay in this field for a long time, I’d recommend you get to like both 🙂
The advantage you would have in getting both is first a backup machine (they do break down on both sides), and an easy way to ingest whatever is thrown at you.
Vince Becquiot
Kaptis Studios
San Francisco – Bay Area -
Hi Vince,
Thanks for your response. I can already work on both platforms. As it is I work on both Mac and PC and have both, but it’s true, I prefer working on the Mac OS and am currently considering buying a new Mac which will support CS5 (my current Mac is too old). My urgency to buy a new Mac is because I’d prefer to work on the Mac and I currently can not edit on the Mac that I have while taking advantage of the latest software. So with that said, the question is, what kind of complications can I expect while working with my main (PC based) client? Do you expect I will still be using my PC with this client whether I buy a new Mac or not? If so, then I guess the need for me to buy a new Mac is not that urgent after all. Also if you know of any external Hard Drives that work on both platforms (without FAT32 formatting), please let me know. As of now, I’m not sure if one exists. But that alone would enable our studio to work cross platform much more easily. Thanks for your insight!
Gretchen
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You can always go from one machine to another. You should not have any issues on the Mac side either, but keep that PC close by, or get Win 7 on a new Mac with Boot camp (best of both worlds).
There are solutions that make the hard drive compatibility issue mostly old news. On the PC side, Mac Drive, and on the Mac side, I have been using Mac Fusion very successfully for the past year.
Cheers,
Vince Becquiot
Kaptis Studios
San Francisco – Bay Area -
Perfect! Thank you! ( : (New Mac here I come! he he)
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You’re welcome, BTW, it’s not Mac Fusion, it’s MacFuse
Vince Becquiot
Kaptis Studios
San Francisco – Bay Area
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