One Mean Post-Production Machine (In Your Own Bedroom or Briefcase)

Morgan Paar
March 2005

You've heard it before, but I'll say it again: there has never been a better time to be an independent/low-budget/guerrilla videographer than now. Increased competition in both the video hardware and software industry means you get a lot more power for a lot less money compared to a year ago, and a lot more choices, too. But that makes buying a bit more work. This is why we have put together this buyer's guide of computer video products: to help you make informed purchase decisions that can help you achieve your video goals.

As usual, Videomaker has scoured the globe for the hottest new equipment, fresh out of the labs and hot off the conveyer belts, and has organized the findings into an easy-to-read grid. Let's begin with a little background on each of the categories.

If you doubt the plausibility of using a laptop as a powerful editing tool, consider that moviegoers are paying over $9 to see Tarnation, which was edited entirely on a laptop. Editor Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now, The English Patient) cut the initial versions of Cold Mountain on one in Romania. And NBC news has been using portable editing suite solutions since 2001.

A "turnkey" editing laptop comes with all the hardware and software you need to edit digital video. You simply turn the key (or in this case, press the "on" button) and you have all the power and technology you need to cut the next version of Spy Kids. These systems are not as powerful as their dual 3.2GHz desktop cousins are, but the power gap is quickly narrowing. It's hard to resist the appeal of being totally portable. These briefcase turnkey systems are starting at less than $1,000. Add to this internal DVD burners and S-video out for hooking up to a television or projector, and you have one less excuse for hitting the road to edit or show your work.

Although a blender or toaster could help you feed yourself through the long hours of post-production, these are not the appliances we are talking about. Appliances in the video-editing world are turnkey, PC-free, all-in-one editing solutions. Their main advantage is they do one thing and do it well--edit video--without the many problems that arise because your PC also runs word processors, Internet browsers, games, music applications, etc. No chance of an Internet worm shutting you down hours before deadline, or your MP3 library hogging your entire hard drive. Their strength is also their main limitation: they only edit, so you have to buy a computer to do the rest. It's a matter of preference (and pocketbook).

Just about any computer you buy today will let you capture your digital video and audio via FireWire. But what if you want to capture something from the analog world? Before reaching for your credit card, check to see if your digital camera has "pass through" which enables analog devices to be run through the camera to be digitized. If it doesn't, you'll need a video capture device. Check the grid for the one that is right for you.

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