QUICK ADVICE NEEDED, Mac Pro for Video Encoding

[dezza.1985]

Hi Everyone,

I have been after a mac pro for a while however realise that I cannot justify the cost for my use. All I do is encode video's into iTunes and run iTunes to my apple tv.

I have been given an opportunity to have a Power PC, Dual 1.8ghz, 4GB ram, 1TB for £100.

My question is, are these machine worth going for anymore, I realise that photoshopping is still good with these machines but are the processors still man enough to encode videos? For example I would like to be able to do an avi to mp4 in under 25 mins as thats what my windows media centre is currently doing it in?

This opportunity won't be around for long so any quick advise would be great!!

Thanks

Derek

 

[dynaflash]

No. Its not a question of whether or not it can "still" encode videos ... its a matter of the disappearance of current software that is still supported like HandBrake no longer supports the PPC chip. Some other software still may but expect any existing support to drop off very rapidly.

 

[LostSoul80]

You can always sell your Mac Pro and buy an iMac, if anything.

 

[mchalebk]

Even if software support wasn't an issue with this machine, I suspect it would be very slow. My dual 800 MHz PowerMac used to take a day to do what my 2008 MacPro does in about 30 minutes (Handbrake). I think you would be very unhappy with it.

 

[dXTC]

The previous-gen Mac minis can run circles around the Mac Pro indicated in the OP as far as HandBrake goes. They run quieter and are not yet obsolete as far as software is concerned.

The reason I'm suggesting previous-gen is that the current Mac minis have no optical drive, which would mean additional cost for an external optical drive (critical if you're planning to HandBrake lots of DVDs).

 

[mike457]

Hi Everyone,

I have been after a mac pro for a while however realise that I cannot justify the cost for my use. All I do is encode video's into iTunes and run iTunes to my apple tv.

I have been given an opportunity to have a Power PC, Dual 1.8ghz, 4GB ram, 1TB for £100.

My question is, are these machine worth going for anymore, I realise that photoshopping is still good with these machines but are the processors still man enough to encode videos? For example I would like to be able to do an avi to mp4 in under 25 mins as thats what my windows media centre is currently doing it in?

This opportunity won't be around for long so any quick advise would be great!!

Thanks

Derek

I just had a similar machine, which I was using to encode an audio project. Basically, I bought it cheap, knowing that it would be slow, so that it could work away while my main machine (an i7 iMac) did other stuff. It worked fine at this, but, honestly, it was significantly slower than my iMac would have been. At encoding video, it would have been A LOT slower than your windows media centre. In the days when I did use a G5 dual 1.8 to encode video, a full day for a standard-length movie would not be unheard of. For processing video, you're much better to save your money. BTW, I think you mean a Powermac rather than a Mac Pro.