Looking to buy a computer system for video editing?

I want to be able to edit high definition digital video. I've been looking around for a computer system that would work the best for accomplishing this. Anyone have suggestions??


It needs to also be able to play some games, nothing crazy like hardcore gamers require.


I was looking at the Gateway LX or FX series.





Any thoughts? Can anyone help me?



You did not tell us the source of the high definition video. If you are editing high definition video - HDV or AVCHD - MovieMaker cannot deal with these formats directly.





Most computers made in the last 2 years should be fine (perhaps even older - but that will depend on your patience during rendering). You will need a minimum of 2 gig RAM - more is better. You will likely need a minimum of a 500 gig drive that is used ONLY for the video data project files. Do not use the hard drive that has the system start-up on it. Sony Vegas or Adobe Premier generally float to the top for Windows.





If you are using a miniDV tape based camcorder and capturing HDV, you will connect the camcorder's DV port to the computer's firewire port. Be sure the computer has a Firewire port since you are getting the computer. Firewire, IEEE1394 and i.LINK are all the same thing. If you don't re-use the tapes and just lock then, the tape is the archive.





If you are using a flash memory or hard disc drive (HDD) based camcorder, the AVCHD files are very highly compressed - and while you will use USB to copy the files, the next step is to decompress them (usually done by the vuideo editor when the clip is imported). Then you have extra steps for making backups and archive files, so the percieved time savings essentially goes away.





You also did not go into how you are expecting to playback the high definition video... With miniDV tape, just export the finished project back to the camcorder - then use the camcorder as a playback deck connected to a HDTV. I don't think you have this option with flash memory or HDD camcorders. All other playback options (export to computer-readable high definition video file, export/render standard definition to regular DVD blank, export high definiton to regular or BluRay blank DVD for playback in BluRay player or PS3) are available.




I've been using my iMac for almost a year now and love it! Video editing is a breeze. Just my opinion, but I wouldn't go back to a pc. Try checking out a Mac and talk to some people who use them and see what you think.




Windows Movie Maker is easy and worth going back to a PC. You can do TONS of cool things with it...