Digital Video on a Mac

All Macs are supplied ready for digital video, with iLife, a suite of creative applications including the iMovie video editing program.

Buying a Mac

Even if you’re only a part-time lecturer or student, you may be able to qualify for Apple’s lower education prices.

iMac and Mac mini

There are several configurations available at different prices. The size of the hard disc and the amount of RAM are more important than the processor speed.

The Mac mini is the cheapest option if you already have PCs: it’s a computer only, which you can use with a standard PC screen (VGA) and USB keyboard and mouse.

iMacs have large flat panel screens and the option of very large, hard drives for video and multimedia work.

Desktop

If you are a demanding user, you may want a Mac Pro desktop computer where you buy the monitor separately. They are fast, very expandable (eg you can fit an analogue capture card), and you can get them built to order with the specification you need.

Professional users recommend two or more separate hard drives: a relatively small drive for the system and software, a much larger drive for capture, and possibly a third drive for rendering.

Laptops

The basic 13 inch MacBook White (now only available to educational establishments) is the cheapest portable option. It doesn’t have a Firewire socket so you can’t use it with tape-based cameras.

The very light MacBook Air comes in 11 and 13 inch versions. It has no disc drive and only limited connectivity.

MacBook Pro

For serious video work, particularly if you have tape-based cameras, you will need a MacBook Pro. These come in 13, 15 and 17 inch versions. The 13 inch size is adequate for iMovie but you’ll need the bigger screens for Final Cut.

Memory

It’s best to install at least the recommended memory for an editing program, rather than the minimum – video editing is demanding on memory.

Travel

You need at least a neoprene sleeve to protect your Mac laptop. For travelling with sets of laptops, we use the lockable, wheeled Peli range of cases with customised interiors.

Which software should I use?

iMovie ’11 – part of the bundled iLife suite – is a powerful program, though it’s a bit less easy to use for younger children than the old iMovie HD. It’s more than adequate for most school use. For more sophisticated editing and compositing (working with video layers) you can use the new, redesigned Final Cut X which has a similar interface to iMovie. The older Final Cut Express and Studio have now been discontinued. If you want a program with a more traditional interface Adobe Premiere Pro is an alternative.