Comments

busterkeaton wrote on 9/22/2005, 1:45 PM
You need to give more info for anyone to help you. What is the price of that system and what does it have? Do you just a barebones machine for basic editing:capture, logging, simple cuts? Do you just want the lowest price machine to do the job? Do you want to be able upgrade this machine or would you just buy another cheap machine in a few years.


For a basic machine I just looked at a Dell and for $919 you can get a Pentium 4 Processor 521 w/HT 2.80GHz, 512 MB memory, 80 gig single hard drive with a 19" Dell Ultrasharp monitor. That's a decent machine with a fantastic monitor, you'll probably want to steal the monitor for your machine. Dell is having a special on LCD monitors (probably have some new monitors coming out). Add a external hard drive to move between your machine and hers and that should get the job done. Dell's are not good for upgrading since they use proprietary motherboards and power supplies. But if you are not a tinkerer, they do the job. So I would say the compusa would have to beat that to be a good buy.
cervama wrote on 9/22/2005, 2:46 PM
My apologies I didn't state the machine.

Sony Vaio VGC-Rb49Gn2

Pentium 4 3.8ghz HT
1GB DDR/ 250 GB SATA HDD
DVD +/_RW dual layer/ DVD Rom
ATI Radeon x300 128 MB
Windows xp media center 2005

Tiger Direct has it for $919
Can I find something else cheaper that's better for editing?

Thnx, MAC
busterkeaton wrote on 9/22/2005, 4:12 PM
If you are willing to look at refurbished machines, Sony has a few Vaios under $800.
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_ATOSearch-Start?CategoryName=cpu_RefurbishedRB&Dept=computers&Series=RB%20Series&FET=BSTOCK&ComType=D

The Tiger Direct machine you mention certainly has the power for editing. I think most folks would prefer XP Professional to Media Center. I assume the Tiger Direct is without a monitor right? Remember that the Dell I quoted for around that price has less power and memory, but a top of the line 19-inch monitor.

Are you going to do full editing on this machine or just basic and then move over to your good system? Are you going to use an external hard drive or will you need to install a second internal drive?

cervama wrote on 9/22/2005, 4:17 PM
I probably will be using it for editing as well mostly for rendering and I will us an external HD.
winrockpost wrote on 9/22/2005, 4:21 PM
..........Is this a good buy to get her started?
In my opinion ,unless freight is a bunch, pretty decent buy
fldave wrote on 9/22/2005, 5:05 PM
Not sure about XP media edition, but XP standard originally did not have multi-processor support. Have to go with XP Pro for that. So if you go HT, go Pro.

Careful with Tiger Direct, ResellerRatings.com only has them at 6.4 out of 10. Used to be good, but these graphs indicate problems as of late...

http://www.resellerratings.com/seller_rating_history.pl?id=1983
riredale wrote on 9/22/2005, 5:37 PM
Maybe I'm missing something here, but unless you're getting into HDV, pretty much ANY machine will be a great platform for editing with Vegas. I run Vegas on both my desktop (AMD 2000+, a real dinosaur) and a cheapo Dell laptop with just a 1.6GHz Celeron. Both systems work great; anything you buy today will be probably 2x faster, even a $399 machine.
JohnnyRoy wrote on 9/23/2005, 5:24 AM
> Windows xp media center 2005

Avoid Windows XP Media Center like the plague! I’ve read numerous stories about it not working with various video hardware and software. It’s just not worth the problems its causing. Get XP Home if you have 1 processor or XP Pro if you have two.

~jr
frazerb wrote on 9/24/2005, 3:27 PM
Can you be more specific on XP media center problems? Is there a problem with Vegas itself, or certain peripheral hardware and software?
JohnnyRoy wrote on 9/24/2005, 5:45 PM
No problem with Vegas itself. I wish I could be more specific. This is from what I have read about different products that don’t work and reminding myself to stay away from it. Here is one example: DV Rack support stated that they don’t work with XP Media Center. Sounds like it just hasn't been tested. I say, why ask for trouble? If you are serious about video editing, get XP Pro and save yourself a lot of headaches with variations like Media Center that might or might not work or are not even tested. I use DV Rack a lot so this is why I remember that reference.

~jr
jrazz wrote on 9/24/2005, 7:15 PM
About Tiger Direct. I buy from them constantly for my computer business and as of lately (the past couple months) they have been restructuring their warehouses and changing their shipping methods. During this time, there shipping went from 3 days for me to 7 days. Now, everything is back on track and as for customer service... I have never had a bad experience. I even had a problem with a processor (no returns are accepted) and contacted them about it and they took it back. I also just bought two NEC monitors from them that are flat panels. one is fine with no problems and the other had 2 pixels that were dead. I called Tiger and they said to give NEC a call but if they wouldn't make it right to contact them back. I called NEC and they said that there had to be a cluster of 5 dead pixels for them to take it back. I called Tiger back and told them what they said and they took it back with no problems.
cervama wrote on 9/26/2005, 12:00 PM
I have XP Pro on mine, can I buy a license to upgrade the xp media center?

Or can I just upgrade without a license? Is there a limit on how many pc's I use it on?
busterkeaton wrote on 9/26/2005, 2:44 PM
XP media center is not an upgrade. Especially not in the eyes of a video guy.

It is a competing version of XP. That is it's full blown operating system with all the regular licensing.
Serena wrote on 9/26/2005, 3:32 PM
XP home is all you need for single machine HDV editing. If you wish to build a home computer network then XP Pro is useful.
epirb wrote on 9/26/2005, 3:41 PM
I Have Xp media center on my main editing PC.
A Viao 820g actually....
A couple of things to note:
Vegas runs fine on XP MC as do most all other programs one problem I do have is my Contour Shuttle Xpress , when plugged in will not allow my monitors to go to sleep/shut off at my set time of 20 mins.
After much investigating and diag I have concluded that it is the media center edition, I think somehow the drivers make it think your watching tv or a movie on the PC. Unplug the shuttle , monitors turn off fine.The S/P XPS works fine on my other machine and Laptops w the same drivers software etc.
But as Jonny Roy said the problem is many S/W companies and developers do not test there product w M/C and it does have some different drivers and thing from XP home or Pro. So there is a possiblity of conflicts.
I would like to make it a dual boot machine w Xp Pro ,maybe, if i could get XP pro lisc cheap,

As far as the machine goes if the one you are looking at is the liquid cooled design like mine. They are very quite and I never have a high cpu temp even when Im putting to the test with vegas renders.
On the other hand, the motherboards are proprietary, and you have a very limited amount of PCI slots, (something that bumms me out) the other spots aon the board are for funky sound card interfaces and soemthing else Im not sure what the slot is called.

Regarding Tiger Direct, I know the owner personaly , and they really do try and treat there cust very fair when it comes to wty and such. there stuff is mainly overstock and stuff either discontinued or about to be. SOmetimes he has Great prices other times you can find it cheaper.But over all the are very reputable, they did just go thru restructuring of somethings but they should be back on track.
If anyone in this forum ever has a bad experience w/ T D themselves drop me an email and i will bend the owners ear and do what I can for my fellow editors.

HTH's
cervama wrote on 9/28/2005, 9:28 AM
Thank You all for your replies.

Is good to know that I have my brethern here helping out. Specially us rookies in the business.

My other question I don't think was answered, was if I have XP Pro on my other turnkey system, Will I be able to install on the Sony Vaio to overwrite the XP Media Center?

Thanks again for the response.

MAC
rextilleon wrote on 9/29/2005, 11:34 AM
You will need another copy of Xp----and I would recommend that you do a fresh install of the operating system on the Vaio.
cervama wrote on 9/29/2005, 12:41 PM
When you mean a fresh install what does that mean? Another copy the old one won't work on it. Or is it because copyright?

Forgive my ignorance.

MAC
busterkeaton wrote on 9/29/2005, 2:11 PM
The software is only licensed per one machine. So the copy you have in use on another machine, will not work.

A fresh install means you wipe the hard drive clean and start as if you were putting the computer together for the first time.