Video Post Production Suite
How to Choose a Non-Linear Digital Video Editing System
Top four things to look at:
- Video quality
- Audio capabilities
- How long it will take to learn the system
- System Requirements and compatability
- Company reliability and technical support
Video Quality
The quality that your system produces is imperative when working in video production. If you can't make a high quality master tape you will not be able to make professional quality copies later. Instead you would have to make as many copies as possible before you start your next project and most people do not have the time for this sort of hassel. The system should be able to digitize footage from a betacam SP tape and go through the editing and printing to tape process without a noticable loss in Video or Audio quality. In the end the system should at least be able to produce the same or better quality video than what you will be shooting on.
Test the quality out when you are preparing to buy. Get the salesperson to show you a comparison of quality from your original tape to the same tape after going through the system. Watch for people trying to sell you systems that digitize at the "highest quality" but don't actually print to tape at that quality. Once you are in the store you are succeptable to alot of computer mumbo jumbo from the salespeople so don't let them tell you something without seeing it with your own eyes.
Audio Capabilities
Any system that you consider buying shoud have CD quality (44Khz or better) audio capture capability. You will want to have at least 4 seperate 16 bit, CD quality audio channels that are processed in real time. To be safe, look for a system that is equipped with 3 pin, stereo, audio XLR input/output connectors which are used in most professional situations.
How long will it take to learn the system
The system you buy should operate quickly and intuitively. You should not find yourself overwhelmed with a complicated interface or unnatural feeling methods. Things should be laid out in a manner that makes all of your different clips, effects and editing functions. This is not rocket science. Once you have completed the tutorials that come with the program, you should have a good working knowledge of how the system generally works. The best thing to do is to get the salesperson to show you a bunch of things about the program. If he/she gets confused and needs to refer to the manual or someone else, go somewhere else. If the salesperson doesn't understand the system, they are either a terrible salesperson or the system is just too complicated.
System Requirements and Compatability
Before you consider buying, check the system requirements to see what each system can or can't do. For details on system requirements for several different Digital Video editing systemsclick here. Also, try to picture how the machine will fit into your available space or editing suite. Most professional systems will be stackable with a breakout box that has inputs and output on the front and back and can therefore be placed just about anywhere. This sort of stuff becomes more important as you get busier and have clients visiting your suite. You want to look and be organized. We recommend getting a Mac with Quicktime capability so that you can take advantage of the numerous effects software that is available from companies like Adobe.
Company Reliability and Technical Support
In the end, this is where you are going to find the most diversity. At 4 am when you are putting the last touches on your video to be viewed at 9 am, the last thing you need is for a problem to arise. You want to make sure that the company that produces your system has a good reputation just as importantly, good technical support. Check user groups and online press releases to find out what people are saying about the system you are looking at. A good thing to do before you invest is to get the support phone numbers and try calling them and see if someone answers and how helpful they are. Some companies have automated telephone systems while others don't seem to answer the phone at all, and definitely not at 4 in the morning. Make sure that you can get help when you need it and you will avoid alot of stress and frustration in the long run.