[Dom Silverio]

Notice the benchmark for video…

2 different CPU platform
2 different OS
2 different PROGRAMS!!!

Does Apple even realize what a benchmark is?

[Dom Silverio]

This often discussed in the Avid Xpress Pro forum.

https://www.avid.com/community/forums/Forum38/HTML/007994.html

[check the links inside the threads also].

FYI – Brian Williams is one of the Avid engineers.

I can confirm HT does benefit single CPU P4 systems. A very long cross dissolve would take me 22 seconds to render without HT and about 18.5 with it on.

[Dom Silverio]

[Ron Lindeboom] “(and will no doubt increase market share because of the dual-boot ability)”

Not quite Ron. First, there are no signs that Apple will be changing business model, so the prices of the new ‘G6’ will relatively be the same I suspect.
That means to dual boot, you need to buy an Apple box.
The same hardware limitation you had with G5 will still exist – proprietary hardware with drivers support based on what Apple dictates. Plus not to mention, you will still need another copy of your software.

I think the market share will increase because of Apple shedding some of its ‘niche market’ image by using the ubiqitious Intel brand. More curious users will try them out. Beyond that, who knows.

But there is a downside of supporting x86 – malware. Codes are now easier to cross platform. Hopefully, Apple will be careful.

I don’t think Microsoft sees Apple as a customer either. Any threat to their Windows OS, is not a customer. Apple’s move if anything, will be perceived by some as a backdoor maneuver to penetrate Windows market share.

Maybe someday, Apple will have the balls to compete with Microsoft and become a software company – which they truly are.

[Dom Silverio]

Actually, if you have a single CPU setup, Avid recommends using HT. It a slight affect on render times.
For dual Xeon systems, it should be disabled.

[Dom Silverio]

Well Cinewave was dead before the Avid purchase was announced.

Xpress Pro can go straight to tape with DV25-DV100 in RT without hardware- although you are limited by the CPU to 2-3 streams.

Although as much as I like Canopus, Edius’ RT comes with a hefty price – lack of keyframing. Even I would prefer no RT than lack of keyframes. At least you can render with non RT systems.

G5/FCP can do RT out as long as you have a dual CPU and adequate RAM – up to a point. Alpha will no go out RT. Only Cinewave was able to do that with FCP.

[Dom Silverio]

And don’t forget that FCP does not really play alpha channels in RT.

[Dom Silverio]

Current Symphony is SD only.
HD version will be later this year.

[Dom Silverio]

What kind of system are you running? Your drives?

Something is wrong with your system since I see 4-6 streams everyday in a 6 way stripe xw8000.

[Dom Silverio]

Don’t worry too much. It is the OS that is the heart and soul of the Mac platform.

[Dom Silverio]

The Rt is dynamic – meaning it depends on several factors like drive sustained speed, CPU, RAM, complexity of video, type of FX, FX paramters, etc.

When they indicate the number of streams, most companies, this means statice Picture-in-Picture FX.

With a HP 82000 dual CPU, 2GB of RAM, and an 8 way SCSI stripe, you should be able to push 5-8 layers of PiP in full quality mode.