In reply to a post by zyborg47:

In reply to a post by 12eason:

Yuk. Over-speced on most parts, and then no graphics card.

Why is it over speced?

£90 on a psu meant to run 3+ graphics cards for a start, and an extra £10 on 1600mhz memory. The case is huge and over priced (and ugly). I don't see the point in getting a pricey am3+ board with an am3 processor either. If you wanted to upgrade in future, you could just replace them both. The system is a mish-mash basically.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

true they are 27inch and they are the higher price range, but still Benq.

Size doesn't really matter, it's whether it can be calibrated well. If it can't, how does your friend know his video will look good on another screen?

In reply to a post by 4M2:

Thanks Adrian, sorry just one more question: do you save the Vegas SFK project files (I don't mean the rendered videos) to a folder on the SSD or to the Seagate?

SFK or VEG files?

SFK files are for the audio, they come originally from soundforge, I presume they are there for compatibility if you want to import the audio into soundforge and also helps to import the audio into Vegas quicker. I don't know where they are stored as they seem to vanish,

VEG files are the project files, I store them in a folder called Vegas project files on my segate drive, then at the end of the edit I transfer the whole lot to a external drive.

I have started to back some up to Blu-ray, save space on the external drive.

In reply to a post by 12eason:

£90 on a psu meant to run 3+ graphics cards for a start,

It is a good value power supply and for the price for a modular system is worth the money, I did also if you look at the links pointed to others in the range.

sure a 875watt PSU may seem like a over kill, but at least you got the power to use.

and an extra £10 on 1600mhz memory.

Why not? more head room if they want to oveclock or get a better CPU at some point.

The case is huge and over priced (and ugly)

Over priced and huge? It is small and a good price for what you get. Plenty of expansion and plenty of space for air to move around, the build quality is fantastic.

you think that is huge, look at this. A mate of mine got one of those, I was not going to pay that much and did not really want something that large which is why I went for the one I have got, some build quality, but at a cheaper price.

As for Ugly, I don't think it is ugly, it looks robust and should last for years.

I don't see the point in getting a pricey am3+ board with an am3 processor either. If you wanted to upgrade in future, you could just replace them both. The system is a mish-mash basically.

Better board, better chipset, so should get a bit better performance out of it than a AM3 board even if you are still using a AM3 chip.

The idea of getting a AM3+ board is that when the prices of the new AMD bulldozer chip goes down, it is supported. My board is a AM3 and as such can not support the new chip, so if I want to update, I once again have to get another board and chip.

Ok it does support the new chip, but only if Asus decide to update the bios and I can't see that happening and then it will not support some features of the chip

As I said it was a idea and the Op could take what he wanted or not, just something to get him started.

I am happy with my machine, ok I am a bit annoyed that the AM3+ sockets came out after I got my board, but it is not a huge problem.

In reply to a post by 12eason:

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

true they are 27inch and they are the higher price range, but still Benq.

Size doesn't really matter, it's whether it can be calibrated well. If it can't, how does your friend know his video will look good on another screen?

I think he knows what he is doing, he have been in the business for many years, working as a cameraman for the BBC, doing freelance camera work for other T.v stations. Decided to go it alone when he lost his job.


Calibrating a monitor cheap or expensive is the same, no difference, he calibrated mine for me as well.

anyway, i think you also forgetting that the OP is a armature at this and don't need to spend hundreds on a monitor he don't need unless he wants to.

I know what monitor I would like, but at over a grand I think it will stay where it is.

You are basically just admitting that i is overspeced. You just like the fact that it is overspeced. Personally, I'd prefer to save some of that money you are blowing on supporting kit and spend it on the things important to video editing work; processor, video ram and monitor.

Adrian,

Appreciate the correction: actually I meant to say .vf files (Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10.0 files) which are probably the same as your VEG files in the Vegas projects folder.

I always wondered what SKF files are, which are actually auto saved in the same folders as the source media on my pc - thanks for the info

12eason,

I like to use two monitors for editing: one for the editor interface which includes timelines, media, small preview window etc. etc. and the other for full screen preview. It is the quality and the accurate calibration of the second monitor, running full screen, that is more important for me - as long as there are no blown highlights, there is detail in shadows and the colours are true, when playing my template test clip, then I'm happy (a graphics driver update can mess all that up though!)

The first monitor's brightness can be turned down if editing for long periods but the second monitor can retain the correct level of brightness for preview continuously.

In reply to a post by 12eason:

You are basically just admitting that i is overspeced. You just like the fact that it is overspeced. Personally, I'd prefer to save some of that money you are blowing on supporting kit and spend it on the things important to video editing work; processor, video ram and monitor.

Video ram will not help that much to be honest, I have 512MB of ram in my video card and it does what it is suppose to do, My mates machines which is over specced have a ATI card in with 1GB of VDDR4 ram in and yet he notices no difference than when he had a older card in it.

Processor, in video editing is important, more cores are better for the rendering, but withhardware based rendering the CPU is becoming less important, thankfully sony have got on the bandwagon with their new Vegas 11.


what makes you think that the LG monitor is better than a BenQ for video editing?

the system I put together is made to last a few years, not for 12 months and then you have to think about updating again. I don't know what sort of video editing you do even if you do any at all, but i know that my machine will cope with what ever I can throw at it for the next five years or more, the case I will never have to buy again, I hope.

The PSU will take what ever I can throw at it if it lasts. I had a 450watt PSU from Corsair, It was just below what I needed and the machine would crash when ever the CPU started to render.

In reply to a post by 4M2:

Adrian,

Appreciate the correction: actually I meant to say .vf files (Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10.0 files) which are probably the same as your VEG files in the Vegas projects folder.

Never knew that Vegas movie studio had different format, I wonder if they can be loaded into Vegas pro. someone wants me to do some bits on a video she is working on with VMS because i got some plug in with some effects she likes.

Um, have to have a look

Just had a look and it is in the list.

that is good news, mind you once it is imported into Vegas pro and changed, then it will not be able to go back into VMS I doubt and anyway she don't have the plug-ins I do.

I always wondered what SKF files are, which are actually auto saved in the same folders as the source media on my pc - thanks for the info

Or SFK files even

i have no idea what it stands for, I presume the first to letters is either Sonic foundry or Soundforge.

i must admit when I heard that Sony was taking over the development of Vegas, I had visions of them mucking it up, but to give them their due they have built into into a great video editing software and bringing out the cut down version is a fantastic idea.

The main problem with Vegas is that it if not what I call user friendly, the GUI is a bit strange, but I think it is one of the best editors on the market.

I know that Avid is better, but it costs a lot more and need one hell of a machine to run and is more for the broadcasting market than home/semi pro users.


I struggled with Premier for over 2 years, never again.