Advantages to using Sony VAIO for video editing from Sony DVC?

I have a Sony DVC camcorder (the mini-DV tapes) and I'm in the market for a new notebook. One of the things I'd like to be able to do with the new computer is transfer video from my Sony camcorder to the notebook, do some video editing, and then burn to DVD for playing on a standard DVD player.

I'm considering a VGN-FW390 as one of several options (along with the HP HDX16t, the Dell Studio XPS 16, and some others).

Is there an advantage to doing with the Sony VAIO notebook in terms of its ability to connect with and transfer video from my Sony camcorder? I'm pretty sure any of the laptops will work, but I'm wondering whether the process is faster, easier, or has any other advantages using the Sony laptop.

Any advise would be appreciated - thanks!

 

Nope, no advantage as the interface is universal. As long as you have a firewire port, you are good to go with most of the mini DV camcorders of today's market. Your camcorder should have a 4 pin connection on it or its dock and your laptop will have a 4 pin connection. Some of the older/smaller laptops do not come with firewire, so you can always use an express card to connect up. The firewire cable is usually $20.

Laptop wise:
Sony is very good, but expensive as well. For general video editing your are looking for a laptop with a mid to high end processor, a mid range graphics card, 3+ GB of ram, and a 7.2k hard drive. If you fill out a FAQ, we can give you some more suggestions

 

Thanks gengerald.

I was thinking about an HP HDX16t. My current (old) laptop is an HP/Compaq NC6000 and I've had it for years and it's served me well. It's just ancient and needs updating. Plus, there are things (like the digital video editing) that I want to start getting into now.

Here's my FAQ answers:

1) What is your budget?
- around $1,200

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: decent experience with HP and Dell
b. Dislike: none really, but I'm a little leery of buying a brand I haven't heard of before.

5) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
- work stuff (just multitasking with lots of Office/email/Adobe windows, and Citrix)
- video editing and burning to DVD
- light gaming (RTS like Battle for Middle Earth and Empire at War series)

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
Mostly it will stay at home, and simply be moved around the house. Travel with it a few times a year max.

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games or types of games?
see above, RTS games

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Not very important since usually will be plugged in.

9) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
Don't mind ordering without seeing it in person.

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Using Windows XP, don't really have a preference but want to stick with the PC side of things, not Mac.

Screen Specifics

11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
c. WSXGA+ – 1680x1050 sounds good to me ... actually that brings up a question I have -- if I order a laptop with a higher resolution screen (e.g. WUXGA - 1920x1200) can I just lower the resolution if things look too small?

12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Don't really care, I would prefer matte but it seems everything is moving toward glossy these days.

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Not really.

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Buying is ASAP; hope I can squeeze 5 years out of it before it starts to seem too slow, like my current HP.

15) How much hard drive space do you want; 80GB to 500GB? Do you want a SSD drive?
Even though I plan to do a lot of video editing, I'm planning on burning those to DVD and archiving them off the notebook. So I'm thinking that a 250GB hard drive is enough.

16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
Yes, need to be able to play and burn DVDs and CDs; don't need Blu-ray

What do you think of the following HP XD16t configuration?

– Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
– Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9400 (2.53 GHz)
– 16.0" diagonal High Definition HP Ultra BrightView Infinity Display (1920x1080p)
– 6GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
– 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
– 250GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
– Webcam + Fingerprint Reader with HP Imprint Finish (Fluid)
– HP Color Matching Keyboard
– Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card
– LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
– No TV Tuner w/remote control
– 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery

 

Well, this thread should probably be moved. On the other hand, there is one minor advantage of using Sony laptop if you don't have any video editing software what-so-ever. The Sony always shove its video editing stuff down you throat as part of the package/bloatware. It's not that great (it was at about 7, 8 years ago), but it works.

 

Very true. For amateur usage, Vista works great. It will automatically recognize the device and choose a program to run. The new Movie Maker is actually not as bad as the XP version. Nothing replaces a full fledged suite though.