Is a MacBook Pro enough for editing HD Video?

So after 2 days of trying to get our PNG video saved and burned I am about to give up on Sony Vegas and my HP. I am sure it is operator error but have not been able to find anyone that could really help.

So is a MacBook Pro with the following specs enough to edit video on? Not looking to do "broadcast" level work but like most willing to spend if something is significantly better. Trying to have just one machine to travel with and use at home with an external monitor for doing the videos.

• 2.66GHz Intel Core i7

• 8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB

• 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm

• SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

• MacBook Pro 15-inch Hi-Res Glossy Widescreen Display

• Backlit Keyboard (English) & User's Guide

Shooting Sony HC9 and eventually the Nikon D400 or whatever they come up with.

What version of Lightroom? Is Express enough to match (or be better than) Sony Vegas Platinum?

Any input on upgrades, changes basic concept welcome as I have just about had it with Vegas.

Thanks

Totally!!

That spec Macbook you ordered is plenty.

Seeing as your editing HDV footage from a HC9 you could get by with I-Movie HD ( also known as I-Movie 6 ) as an editing program.

It is lot more traditional in layout and feature rich by comparison to the dumbed down versions of I-Movie that ship with current machines.

It will meet every nearly every need you have for home movies and distribution.

Sounds great. My spousal unit has the same video setup and has happily plugged away on her older MBP. Certain tasks in FCP take a while, but I found it to be quite tolerable even with some big files. The wall you will run into is hard drive storage. If you have a set place to work at home with your monitor and define a good archive procedure, using an external drive with your setup won't be a problem. Her idea of archiving is, all the files and images I've created in my life at my fingertips wherever I happen to be, so she carts her MBP from room to room with an external drive dangling beneath. Years of photos have filled the internal drive and all the video resides on the external drive.

I have nothing to say about software options, ever.

If you are going to use the MacBook Pro, unless you plan on using Soundtrack Pro, do not install that app as it takes up quite a bit of hard drive space on your boot drive. Never fill any drive more than 85%. Since the new Studio 3 doesn't include Live Type, that is good as I would have advised against that as well. Besides, you can do almost anything in Motion that you could have done in LiveType.

Steve

Thanks all. The advantage of having the better half shooting video is she is all for anything that gets it up on the wide-screen faster. Is there an external drive people prefer?

Both Lacie and G Tech make good portable drives for capturing in the field. You would have to look at the size of the drive that you want. Also, Other World Computing, makes a great drive.

Steve