[Mikebethesda]

Chris – I’m at msobota@fco.com I don’t see an email for you.

Mike

[Mikebethesda]

OK – Thanks Ken. Your post if very helpful.

Mike

[Mikebethesda]

OK – I’m glad I’m asking for help on this.

I currently have one HVX200 and a GL2. In a few months I’ll have a second HVX200 and I’ll retire the GL2.

I’m producing training videos for the office and these videos need to be on DVD. In addition, I have a dream of a business that produces training and family videos.

Since the current technology is moving quickly to HD, I want to be in a position to begin producing in HD as soon as there is a reliable method to output HD to a DVD style media.

I guess I’m really unclear on what the cards do.

I don’t have a deck like the AHJ-HD1400 and I don’t use a monitor other than the Dell 24″.

Thanks.

Mike

[Mikebethesda]

OK – I have been worried about editing the DVCPRO HD footage in FCP and wanting to make sure I have the horsepower so that I’m editing instead of being frustrated by dropped frames and bugs related to dealing with the gigs of data.

I had been reading about problems from the Seagate 750gb in a Raid Zero set so I was figuring I would stick with the 500’s but I appreciate the feedback. Have you been using the 750gb Seagates? I really want a stable system.

I agree with using the stock 250gb drive as my boot-system-application drive but I’m still wondering whether two Raid Zero pairs with the Hitachi 500’s might not be a very fast and stable setup. Then I’ll backup to an external eSATA tower.

I guess I’m worried that if I purchase the 4 750’s and then decided that I needed to run Raid Zero pairs, that the 750’s are not good candidates for a setup like that at this time.

Do you use one of the Kona cards?

Mike

[Mikebethesda]

After further research, I’m beginning to refine my ideas on the purchase – here is where I am with it.

Buy the base Mac Pro with 2.66ghz/250gb/512mb. If the ATI Radeon XT1900 is available I’ll get that (+$249)

4x1gb RAM from OWC $899

Remove the stock 250gb drive and install a WD Raptor 10,000 rpm 150gb w 16mb buffer ($277 from OWC) as the boot drive in the second optical drive bay. I’ll get the necessary parts (power y connector, sata cable, mounting bracket) from OWC

Purchase 4 Hitachi 7K500 16mb buffer SATA drives in bays 1-4 and create two Raid 0 pairs. $197 each from OWC

Run a SATAe cable out of the Mac Pro to a SATA backup tower. Maybe choosing a hot-swappable solution – probably not.

Purchase either the Apple 23″ Cinema display $999 or the Dell 2407WFP for $719.

I’m still looking for suggestions.

Thanks.

Mike