I have two hard drives, let's call them HD1 and HD2. My OS, WinXP is
on HD1, as is Pinnacle 9. Now, I know it's better to import the video
files from my camcorder to one or t'other of Hd1 or HD2, and during a
Pinaccle render to output the files to one or t'other.

Which config is the best away around please?


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In message , Bryan Bellis
writes

I have two hard drives, let's call them HD1 and HD2. My OS, WinXP is
on HD1, as is Pinnacle 9. Now, I know it's better to import the video
files from my camcorder to one or t'other of Hd1 or HD2, and during a
Pinaccle render to output the files to one or t'other.

Which config is the best away around please?

If you have two hard drives, it's best to:

1. Arrange the faster drive to be HD2 (in your notation). Also
this drive should be NTFS rather than Win32.

2. Set up your video capture/editor to capture to HD2, and to use
HD2 for temp files (that most editors use for rendering).

If you have only one hard drive, then you'll have to live with it, but
the drive that holds the video (for capturing and for rendering) should
be NTFS.

Some people will assert that with a single hard drive you should
partition - something to which I don't subscribe because the disk head
still has to seek across the whole of the drive between partitions. The
hard drive driver also has to re-read the partition file index each time
the head moves from one partition to another.

Also, some will argue that you *must* have and use a second drive, which
(if you have a relatively modern 7200 HD) isn't essential.

--
Tony Morgan
http://www.camcord.info

On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 20:11:32 +0000, Tony Morgan
wrote:

In message , Bryan Bellis
writes

I have two hard drives, let's call them HD1 and HD2. My OS, WinXP is
on HD1, as is Pinnacle 9. Now, I know it's better to import the video
files from my camcorder to one or t'other of Hd1 or HD2, and during a
Pinaccle render to output the files to one or t'other.

Which config is the best away around please?

If you have two hard drives, it's best to:

1. Arrange the faster drive to be HD2 (in your notation). Also
this drive should be NTFS rather than Win32.

2. Set up your video capture/editor to capture to HD2, and to use
HD2 for temp files (that most editors use for rendering).

If you have only one hard drive, then you'll have to live with it, but
the drive that holds the video (for capturing and for rendering) should
be NTFS.

Some people will assert that with a single hard drive you should
partition - something to which I don't subscribe because the disk head
still has to seek across the whole of the drive between partitions. The
hard drive driver also has to re-read the partition file index each time
the head moves from one partition to another.

Also, some will argue that you *must* have and use a second drive, which
(if you have a relatively modern 7200 HD) isn't essential.

Sorry Tony, I should have been more specific. Both HD's are Seagate
7,200 both are NTFS, HD1 is on IDE1 with HD2 on a RAID (that's because
I have a DVD Writer on IDE2 and I don't want more than one device on
each cable.

Pinnacle and the OS are on HD1. Thus, thought I think you answered
mostly already, do I import AVI's from the camcorder to HD1 or HD2,
and to I render my output MPEG to HD1 or HD2??

What's the optimal way around please?

In case it comes up, I have 1 gig RAM on a AMD 3000+ system and 128
megs video RAM, not that it's relevant to the question.

Forget the partition issue. For video purposes I want to use different
HD's as above.


--
Bryan Bellis.
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On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 19:09:15 GMT, Bryan Bellis
wrote:

I have two hard drives, let's call them HD1 and HD2. My OS, WinXP is
on HD1, as is Pinnacle 9. Now, I know it's better to import the video
files from my camcorder to one or t'other of Hd1 or HD2, and during a
Pinaccle render to output the files to one or t'other.

Which config is the best away around please?

Doesn't matter. Windows and program files are safely in RAM. All
the disk has to do is accept video. While rendering, there is
indeed data being read, rendered data being written. But disk
transfer speed is hardly a limiting factor. Consider how long it
takes to copy a large file from one drive to another. Now consider
how long it takes to render a video file. The speed you get data on
and off disk doesn't come into the equation.

"Tony Morgan" wrote in message
...
snip

Also, some will argue that you *must* have and use a second drive,
which
(if you have a relatively modern 7200 HD) isn't essential.


No, but you would have to be a tight arsed not to considering the
price of heard drives now, what's that Tony Moron, you only use one
HDD....

"Laurence Payne" wrote in
message ...
snip

Doesn't matter. Windows and program files are safely in RAM. All
the disk has to do is accept video. While rendering, there is
indeed data being read, rendered data being written. But disk
transfer speed is hardly a limiting factor. Consider how long it
takes to copy a large file from one drive to another. Now consider
how long it takes to render a video file. The speed you get data
on
and off disk doesn't come into the equation.

Yes, the operation where most errors happen is when capturing video,
rendering isn't (and doesn't have to be) real time, any HDD
bottle-necks can be dealt with by the software etc. - the same is not
true when you have an external source being played out IYSWIM.

Tony Morgan wrote:

Some people will assert that with a single hard drive you should
partition - something to which I don't subscribe because the disk head
still has to seek across the whole of the drive between partitions.

Partitioning a single drive is more about keeping data separate from the OS.
Some people fix a buggered OS by trashing the drive and reinstalling -
keeping the data on a separate partiton makes it safer to do that.


--
Wally
www.artbywally.com/FiatPandaRally/index.htm
www.wally.myby.co.uk

In message , Bryan Bellis
writes
Pinnacle and the OS are on HD1. Thus, thought I think you answered
mostly already, do I import AVI's from the camcorder to HD1 or HD2, and
to I render my output MPEG to HD1 or HD2??

What's the optimal way around please?

If possible, all programs/OS on HD1 and all video on HD2. If you are
able to specify, all temp files on HD2. Having said that, I'm told that
some video editors don't give you the option.

In case it comes up, I have 1 gig RAM on a AMD 3000+ system and 128
megs video RAM, not that it's relevant to the question.

Not with that amount of RAM. When someone has marginal RAM, then it can
be an issue which can be avoided by not allowing anything to run in the
background (Norton is terrible for eating free RAM). For general
consumption I always recommend that EndItAll is run before any video
work when there's a memory issue - but you're obviously OK.

Forget the partition issue. For video purposes I want to use different
HD's as above.

I only mentioned the partition issue for anyone else lurking.

And to round off, I'm told that defragging isn't so important with NTFS
drives, though I do it because is speeds things up with my Acronis
backup program.

--
Tony Morgan
http://www.camcord.info

In message , ":::Jerry::::"
writes
No, but you would have to be a tight arsed not to considering the price
of heard drives now, what's that Tony Moron, you only use one HDD.

When are you going to contribute something (anything) useful to this
newsgroup.

All you're capable of is personal abuse.

But then it obviously must do something for your ego, and get rid of
some of the aggression in your personality. Do you have any friends?

--
Tony Morgan
http://www.camcord.info

In message , Wally
writes
Tony Morgan wrote:

Some people will assert that with a single hard drive you should
partition - something to which I don't subscribe because the disk head
still has to seek across the whole of the drive between partitions.

Partitioning a single drive is more about keeping data separate from the OS.
Some people fix a buggered OS by trashing the drive and reinstalling -
keeping the data on a separate partiton makes it safer to do that.

Also it helps with backups. But IME few people seem to bother - at least
not with SOHO machines.

--
Tony Morgan
http://www.rhylonline.com