Video edit systems have become remarkably accessible to the common Joe and struggling indie movie maker. Whether you are planning to do wedding and event videography, or are making a feature length movie, your edit system investment could range from several hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. We want you to be smart about your investment. Systems like these are seldom a "you get what you pay for" ordeal. It is often a nightmare as unpleasant as purchasing a used car. It is quite possible to do it right, however, if you happen across the right system provider. To ensure a safe and smart investment, let's consider the following...

Whatever you do, don't try to save money by having your good friend or relative build the system for you. Building computers and building PC based edit systems are two completely different animals. I've personally met an engineer from IBM who couldn't seem to get his own system to edit video properly. He did everything right, but edit card manufacturers are consistently mistaken about their own system installation instructions. Even the manufacturers call integration experts who build turnkey systems to find out how to properly install their own components. Video computer systems are so picky and weird, it takes someone who specializes in video systems to get it even close to right. Don't believe me? That's ok, many people don't heed that advice and end up spending twice as much having the system rebuilt by experts just because they wanted to save a few bucks. Spend the extra couple of dollars and buy a turnkey system (ready-to-edit-system) with a very long warranty from video system experts.

As you investigate possible providers for your editing needs, be sure you completely
understand what their support policy is like. Get an idea of how long it takes them to service a system. The only thing more embarrassing than a system failure in front of a client, is having to service your own system while the client waits. You've spent a lot of money, and you deserve a system that works or gets serviced expeditiously should it fail. Beware, many turnkey providers don't provide any kind of service policy. Some will only provide 30 days of support and will charge for service beyond that. Stay away from these guys. There are many companies who will provide several years of full support, and will even include application support in some instances. The better the support policy, the more you can trust that the system will do what they claim it will do. After all, the turnkey provider is married to the system for as long as the warranty or service policy lasts.

Make sure the turnkey system provider has professional editors on staff to answer your application questions, or to provide training. Many edit systems are very difficult to learn, and some are very easy. If you are unfamiliar with the edit interface, make sure they provide training on that system. Ask what systems the editors on staff personally own and where they got them. Ask them if the system was difficult to learn. Remember also, the turnkey edit provider who does not have editors on staff cannot properly test the systems they sell.

Investigate the functionality of the system. Ask other turnkey edit system providers questions about the functionality of the system to make sure the provider's promises are accurate. Don't get a system just because of a brand name. Avid, for example, has a very difficult interface to learn and is remarkably inefficient in many situations; but it has a fashionable high-dollar brand name that some edit places will still swear by. Believe me, the cost doesn't make it better. Ease of use, functionality, and reliability (or support policy) are the main things to look for.

Speaking of pricing, an honest dealer will provide upfront pricing, and will let you know what major components in the system cost (ex. codec/capture cards, break out boxes). Keep in mind, the provider needs to make some profit. After all, he will be supporting your system for the next several years.

When you have the information you need, call around and compare pricing,
support policies, and editing staff availability. An imbalance of these three areas should be unacceptable. Be patient. Take your time as you investigate your next purchase, and only make your purchase when you are absolutely confident with the provider's offer. If you want to know more or need some advice, call us at 713-271-3195 or toll free at 1 (866) HD Studios.