Video Card - How Important?

[KLWarford]

I am having a computer built and have to pick out a graphic card. How important to video editing is the graphics card? When I read reviews on graphic cards they all talk about gaming. I don't play computer games. I use Premiere 6.5 for mostly simple editing (enhance, slow down, speed up, enlarge, etc) but with some very large files. It has been a hobby but lately I am using it more and more for work. Do I need to spend the bucks for the best card I can afford or is my money better spent elsewhere? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Lloyd Warford

 

[NurseMSIC]

In almost all respects, the graphics card you use will be of no relevance at all.
Its purpose is to display the image on your screen, and nothing in video editing is processed by a graphics card, it's simply a regular 2d image the same as using Windows or any non-specialised program (by that i mean games or specific 3d CAD stuff etc).
The 2d ability of graphics cards has been more than sufficient for over 5 years as far as i'm aware, so buy absolutely any card over 10 dollars and it will work.

That said, some cards do have a slightly better image quality than others just the same as different TVs have different image qualities. This does make looking at the screen better in the long run, but again most recent graphics cards all do this well too. I guess if you want a name then Matrox is what i hear to be the most 'safe bet'.

One final point - some graphics cards (like the one i bought) do include some extra niceties to get video into your machine, ie direct analogue inputs etc, but a specialised capture card may be a better bet if you wanted to do that seriously. And since you said you use Premiere 6.5, you probably use firewire and DV anyway? So capture choices might not be relevant.

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[Rubberbband]

Almost any card will do ya! Check out Ati's line of cards. Supposedly their video/2d image quality is better. I'd stay away from their All-in-Wonder line. It's really meant for amateurs so get yourself a nice video capture card.

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