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General discussion

Mac For Desktop Video - Should I Switch?

Mar 31, 2008 4:28AM PDT

Hello...

I know the topic may open up a can of worms of various opinions, but I am looking for a good objective review or information.

I started my Windows Desktop Video adventures with Pinnacle Studio but got tired of the bugs and poor audio sync. I've been using Adobe Premiere 3x for Windows XP/Vista for a good while now and I have never had a major problem with it (only a few quirks with the timeline.) But call me gullible, I am intrigued by the renewed interest in Mac.

I did video editing on the Amiga years before Mac/Windows even thought it about it. But I've been a Windows person since 3.1

Basically, I am looking for something reliable, stable and considered the best way to go for desktop video. I may not need the total power of a full Premiere or Final Cut suite. I just want something stable, fast and reliable.

Thanks,
Brian

Discussion is locked

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My thought
Mar 31, 2008 1:23PM PDT

Brian,

I've had a 17" iMac G4 for years and one of my primary functions is to edit family movies from my camcorder and record TV programs, edit out the commercials, and save them to DVD for watching on vacations, etc. My computer is not the new Intel version, but at this time, I don't need it. Many, if not all of the new Intel Macs, come with iLife8, which has a "dumbed-down" version of the Apple edit program called iMovie8. I bought and installed iMovie6 on my computer and it is rock-solid and for the most part does 95% of what I need. The next step up would be Final Cut Express. The great thing about the package of Mac programs called iLife is that all the programs "talk" to each other, so you can access material from one program to another without the need to actually launch the other programs. It's brilliant that when in iMovie editing a video, you can access iTunes and all of your music and sound effects, easily place them, move them to match and lock-to video, then easily add titles and transitions. I must have edited and burned over 100 DVDs using iMovie and either iDVD or Roxio Toast, all without any glitches. For easy in-home use, iMovie6 is brilliant. Ask me questions about iMovie and I'll be happy to answer.

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More on iMovie
Mar 31, 2008 9:58PM PDT

As mentioned, all new Macs come with the iLife 08 suite of programs, which includes iMovie08.

So many users of the old version of iMovie complained about the "backwards step" that Apple made iMovieHD (iMovie 06) available, gratis, to those who had the 08 version installed.

P