Casablanca Editing Appliances vs. Laptops

[TimKennelly]

Final Cut Pro is a good product, but it has it's issues just like all the rest.

Just jump on a Mac or FCP forum.

[PaulBusta]

Some of the problems the other editing applications have to put up with is related to the shear amount of number crunching they do for the programs they use, some are as high as 64 bit. Out systems on the other hand only have to crunch 8 bit programs.

[CKNewman]

8-bit programs? Say it ain't so....

[JohnKleban]

I want to know your secret of the "rock solid" system, though. I've lost numerous projects over the years on my Kron

Hi John,

I know from remarks made years ago, some Kron owners had nothing but problems. Now, whether your lost projects' issues are related to your specific Kron's hardware and the new Smart Edit updates, I don't know (perhaps?). I had an Avio, then went to the Prestige. The Avio was solid for me and the Prestige has been outstanding. I have 6 removable hard-drives, some with SE6 on them and some with SE7. The only thing I remember not to do with my SE6 drives in use, is to not use the clipboard feature; as my SE6 version is the one with the migrating scene bug if one uses the clipboard feature. Once I can clear these couple of drives, I'll have SE7 on everything. Thus far, I haven't had any issues.

Also, I know some swear up and down on shutting off on an empty project, but I've never done that and won't start now - I don't think that is necessary at all. I guess on occassion, I do sometimes intentionally jump out and into the video record window and back out after doing a lot of editing (as I was told years ago that forces a "hard save"), but that really is about it. My unit is on pretty heavily during the day, so it gets it's wear and tear. Anyway, wish I had more info to share with you; oh, and when I do install new SE versions on my drives, I do a complete install, not just an update.

[JPaul]

The only thing I remember not to do with my SE6 drives in use, is to not use the clipboard feature; as my SE6 version is the one with the migrating scene bug if one uses the clipboard feature.

I'm using OS 6.2c and have never had a clipboard problem with my Kron+.

[johnneumann]

Final Cut Pro is a good product, but it has it's issues just like all the rest.

Just jump on a Mac or FCP forum.

Easier said than done, Tim.

They ain't exactly leaving MacBook Pro's with Final Cut Pro sitting on the counters at the public library!

You want FCP? (Or an MS machine?)

It's a big commitment one makes with a lot of information and reputation on faith.

I do like one point that got made more than once here. If it's about cranking out lots of product, ie a productive professional videographer, than an MS machine is the way to go because for these guys "time is money" and they can't be bothered with a steep learning curve or complex processes. Anything you do for several hours a day has to be easy easy easy - and attractive while you're at it.

For the occasional video hobbyist, price has a lot to say and picking up something like FCP, even at a thousand bucks, might make sense especially if the guy already has a newer computer.

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And regarding the advice re shutting down on an empty project: NOT ME!

My last two destructive crashes came about as a result of switching between projects!

Go to the new project, all is well. Revert to the previous project, "...couldn't load project data...".

Waaaugh.

Twice in one week!

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Someone mentioned artifacting in HD, a feature I don't expect to use for some time. But I remember artifacts around fonts and just clunky fonts in general.

Have the text fonts and resolution evolved much since my SE4 Kron of '01...?

Many of my old fonts still look rather cartoonish. To get clean, crisp text like what one might see in a Hollywood movie, the font choices are few (there are some) and you're limited to small size. I've always felt like the fonts were the weak link in my machine and stuck out poorly in my finished videos. Being just a clip, arrange, and render hobbyist, my videos would look great if it wasn't for those clunky home-made letters on the screen. Grainy edges to the letters, 80's era computer like fonts that you'd never see in a real movie or even in a Powerpoint presentation or such. They sort of remind me of those multi-colored "WordArt" fonts you get in MSWord. Those never had any place other than in a Christmas letter or a motivational quote to hang in one's cubicle.

I just picked up SE6, but haven't installed it yet. At this moment I'm still in SE4. I wonder if the text has changed any since the old days.

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Thank you again to everyone who posted their thoughts. I learn so much from you guys.



-JOHN

[TimKennelly]

Um, John,

Reread my post, I said forum, jump on a forum, which is easy to do.

You will see users have issues with FCP, just like every other editor, none are perfect.

[johnneumann]

Um, John,

Reread my post, I said forum, jump on a forum, which is easy to do.

So you did.

Heh heh. How did I miss that?

Maybe we need to use bigger fonts around here or something.

[jimmeeker]

Hello,

You can make your fonts on this forum any size you like. Just go to the top right hand corner of this screen and you will find a light colored letter A with an up arrow and a down arrow flanking it. Just click this item and the fonts can be changed to your requirements. The letter A is located just below the Search box in the lighter blue area just above where your name appears.

[johnneumann]

Awright, awright.

I didn't really mean I need a bigger font.

Saying I need a "bigger font" was my way of dodging responsibility for the brain-gas that caused me to miss Tim's suggestion of visiting competing forums, not hardware, to see that other platforms have problems, too.

I can see my screen juuuust fine. I just couldn't for that one moment when the word forum showed up in the text.


Musta been a font issue or something.