Things to Avoid in Your Editing Computer

You will spend more time with your computer editing station than you will with any other piece of equipment during production. Editing, and the associated post-production tasks, is the most time consuming part of any digital film or video because that is where the film really comes together. To make this process more successful there are certain things you should avoid in your editing station.

There has been a lot romanticized about editing on laptops recently. If you are a video journalist working in the field who needs to be able to edit together video quickly to send it off to broadcast then a laptop editing station is a good idea. For any other reason a desktop is better. No laptop is going to have the power and space that a desktop will. For a comparable price all desktop computers are of a higher caliber than a laptop, and though notebooks are developing quickly, desktops are doing so faster. You are not going to get the size of image or quality of sound needed to make aesthetic choices in your editing. You really need large monitors and a good computer stereo attachment to get the full feel for what you are actually working with. Since you need full focus, and the ability to plug in peripherals, there is no need to move around while you are editing. It is just an unnecessary piece of technology that will only hinder you while you are working.

Money needs to be spent on getting two computer monitors, both with very good color and resolution. It is best to get newer LCD monitors, but if CRT is all you can afford get the highest rating you can. Audio is going to need to be based in absolute clarity, so make sure to compare computer speakers. Standard speakers will not do for precise audio production.

It is best to avoid computer parts that may be subject to interference. The truth is that your editing space will become cluttered with notes and equipment and you need to have everything tied together well. Stay away from wireless keyboards and mice because they tend to get their reception deflected easily and you will have to change the batteries really often in the mouse. That is not another expense you should have to incur.

Do not choose computer parts simply by their brand names but instead by their specifications. If you need to update things, such as your processor and RAM, then do so according to the specifications of your editing software and without concern to names. Remember, there is no reason to pay more to Intel for the same thing that AMD offers less expensively.

One of the last things to remember is that cluttered or damaged computers will not give you the performance you require. Before going ahead on a big project make sure that your machine is up to the task.