3 years ago I was what I would call a Normal regular Liquid User.
I did not make a living with Liquid, but I did get some cash returns from time to time.

I found the easiest and cheapest solutions to hardware and software demands.

I had 1 computer on which I did my emails, played some games, installed hundreds of trial versions of applications (often deleting them later - leaving hundreds of rogue .dlls everywhere).
It was a Jack of all trades computer!
I ran into problems from time to time..... who wouldnt with such a mix of applications and remnants of applications.

When I migrated to MC (at the special offer of 1995USD -  yes, that was the bargain price I was more than happy to pay - even when I see the bargains that users have been offered recently - I have no regrets at having paid that price back then) I knew that I had to begin thinking "dedicated editing platform".

It wasnt easy but I managed to scrape together enough cash to invest in a home built system that had the main components as close to Avids recommendations as possible.

With Liquid I had sometimes problems with DVDitProHD, when I started using the dedicated system, I no longer had those problems.

Today, on my MC5 boot disc*, I have: MC5, Adobe CS4, Camtasia Studio, Sonic BD Powerstation, AvidFX, BCC Filters, SonicFirePro, Particle Illusion -  and that is basically all I have there.

When I read all of the problems that have been appearing on the forums recently I wonder how many of the problems are being posted by Liquid migrants who, like I had in the past, have cluttered computers and who are installing AvidDVD into such a cluttered environment.
Maybe none of them are doing this. Maybe everyone is using a computer dedicated to MC and a few related applications and plug-ins. I very much doubt that!

Believe me, as one who has been there and done that, if you install professional applications on a general computer that is already cluttered with games and remnants of applications you are almost certain to run into problems.

As a side note: saying that Vegas or Premiere or Studio or Ulead DVD etc. are working fine is no measurement of how healthy your system really is.

Do you want to have MC running together with a few important applications?
Then you should get a dedicated computer for it!
It doesnt have to be a certified system!!

But it does have to be a new system, where you install MC and the other applications into a completely clean environment.

Then and only then can you expect your applications to have a reasonable chance of working as they were intended.

Think about it. Then dismiss me as a ranting loony if you like. That is your choice.

Regards,
Douglas

 

PS.  MC5 boot disc* - in the early days of computers, when hard drives were way too expensive, the Dual boot set-up was used to be able to access different OSs.
Nowadays, many people have (as I have) discovered the exchangeable drive caddy systems. I have actually 5 different hard drives, each with a different OS. By swapping them before booting up I can have access to different set-ups.

 

 

 

drbgaijin:

Today, on my MC5 boot disc*, I have: MC5, Adobe CS4, Camtasia Studio, Sonic BD Powerstation, AvidFX, BCC Filters, SonicFirePro, Particle Illusion -  and that is basically all I have there.

Other than that I run OpenOffice, The Gimp, WinRAR, WinFF, VLC; avoid funny media/DVD players, iPod/mp3 players management software and multimedia file converters as they may very well conflict with Avid.

drbgaijin:

many people have (as I have) discovered the exchangeable drive caddy systems.

I don't use this on my main system at work, but on my home system I have a 1 TB disk sliced into two partitions (You can have more) with different operative systems (linux for personal use, Windows for occasional MediaComposer use): no need to turn off/remove caddy/insert another caddy, just a reboot and a boot manager to select which OS to run.

luca.mg:

avoid funny media/DVD players, iPod/mp3 players management software and multimedia file converters as they may very well conflict with Avid

This can cause some big problems with AvidDVD

luca.mg:

no need to turn off/remove caddy/insert another caddy, just a reboot and a boot manager to select which OS to run.

The only downside, Luca, is that if the drive fails -  you have lost all your OS's in one swoop.
(Of course if you have a ghost of the drive..... you can recover yourself.....)

If an interchangeable drive fails.... you still have your other ones to fall back on.

Regards,
Douglas

 

drbgaijin:

luca.mg:

no need to turn off/remove caddy/insert another caddy, just a reboot and a boot manager to select which OS to run.

The only downside, Luca, is that if the drive fails -  you have lost all your OS's in one swoop.
(Of course if you have a ghost of the drive..... you can recover yourself.....)

Well yes, but there's a but: I keep my data in separate drives, a mirrored couple for the linux personal stuff, external HDs for the occasional MC work, so if the drive fails I just loose my operative systems, not an issue with linux which can be ran from a CDROM drive and installs in 20 minutes overloaded with all sorts of software, in case of disaster I can run my favourite software and access my data with ease until a new drive comes in, while I do keep a clonezilla image of the Windows partition, as reinstall and fine tuning it's always a painful operation.