Rob Mclain
Forum Replies Created
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It’s a 2011.
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Yes, the graphics card it comes with is on the list.
Good idea on trying the 30 day trail.
I am going run FCP7 for a while on it, I know that will work as I used to run it on a older system just fine using Apple Pro Res. Just planning ahead to the day when FCP7 is no longer supported, but by that day FCPX may not work on this system either. Either way I will have a great computer at my desk. To bad half of it will be dedicated to Windows 7 to run all of our dental apps.
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Jamie,
Thanks that is exactly what I was looking for. I did not wnat to have to create all of the text files.
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I too was in need of an upgrade and was very seriously looking into the iMAC. The thing about it that scared me the most was the need to upgrade again and being stuck in a dead end box. I am not sure what your budget is, but after a lot of thought and searching I decided to go with a MAC PRO refurb unit from apple’s site. Quad core units come up a least once a week, and they sell them for $2149, just $150 more than the iMAC. Now, I know the iMAC is a faster machine, but how much time are you really going to save? Also, the pro is a unit that you can always upgrade. The refub units come with 3 gigs of RAM stock, but cheap enough to upgrade through non apple sites. You can pick up hard drives from new egg at very low prices. If you are running off a G5 you more than likely already have a monitor.
I am now running a 2.66 quad core, 6 gigs of RAM, 2 TB internal striped raid, with Final Cut 7. I paid $3661 for the setup. It more than fast enough for running HD compressed and uncompressed. I am getting 325/335 mbs speed on my internal raid. The fastest I would be able to get over firewire 800 raid would have been 75/80 mbs. Even if you were using ethernet raids you will be pressed to get speeds over 110mbs. Not to mention, once you start really looking at a decent ethernet raids, the costs go way up.
I think you will find once you get all of your add ons to the iMAC, and spend money on the external firewire raid, the costs are really only a matter of a couple hundred dollars. As much as I wanted that amazing 27′ monitor just did not think it would be worth it in the end.
Hope that is of some help.
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John, what type of editing are doing with the graid? What codecs? How many streams? Any issues with dropped frames or slow render times?
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Walter, thanks for taking the time to go over this with me. I have looked at WeibeTech’s website and at various other Raids sold by companies such as G-Tech, Other World, and Caldigit. In all of the tests done there does not seem to much difference between a four bay, and two bay drive in terms of speed. G-Tech Raid actually has the fastest numbers. It has write speeds in the lower 80s and read speeds in the upper 60s/lower 70s. I guess my question how will this effect my workflow? I really want the ability to work in ProRes both SD and HD multiple streams and effects. I plan on digitizing my HDV/DV footage to ProRes as this is a much better codec all around to work in. More than likely will have to do a daisy chain during the capture process. I would hate to have such a fast and powerful machine as this only to be slowed down by the external drive. At the moment I only have a $2800 budget so the Mac Pro is not an option.
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Thats is good to know. I was always under the impression that FW 800 was only fast enough to handle ProRess 422 SD, not streams of 1080 ProRes 422 HQ.
I also work in a shop where we I have the ability to capture, and layback to every format under the sun. That is why I am looking at the iMAC. All I really need is a system to do the edits and create a file/project that I can output elsewhere. I will however need to burn to Blu-Ray and DVD but I could always move what I need to the iMAC’s drive and burn from that. I might even be able to daisy chain for a external burner, or for DV footage.
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Thanks for the info guys. I will give Small Tree a call on Monday. However, after looking at their website I have a strong idea that they are going to be out of my price range. I am just a one man shop working out of my home cutting side projects. I have a feeling I am just going to have go with the Mac Pro with internal RAID.
I highly doubt I would get the speeds I need over FW800 g RAID.
If only Apple would have put in a port for external SATA everything would have worked out with the iMAC.
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This is a great idea, and much cheaper than the $700 raid card. Looking at Apples website I see they are selling the 1 TB sata drives for the low cost of $300. Likes like I am not having apple ship the drives and buy them elsewhere.
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Yeah, thats what I meant. Every link and button on the project has “not set” on override.