Video-editing with ATI-X1900 or Nvidia 7800GTX ?

[Artic_Kid]

I'm interested in doing some video-editing work using a gaming graphics card (ATI-X1900XT or Nvidia 7800GTX). However, the video-editing software from Avid doesn't list those on their qualified list of tested video cards. Instead they list the various professional "Quadro" cards from Nvidia (such as NVidia QuadroFX 1400 PCI Express, NVidia QuadroFX 1300 PCI Express, Nvidia QuadroFX 1100 AGP 8X, NVidia QuadroFX 500 AGP 8X or NVidia Quadro4 980 XGL AGP 8X.)

If I understand it right, the video card must be capable of OpenGL. Yet I believe the Nvidia & ATI gaming-drivers now handle OpenGL. And I suspect the new high-end gaming graphics cards can handle the video editing.

Does anyone have insight into whether these gaming cards will work for video-editing (say using the Avid software)? (I suspect that Avid just hasn't gotten around to testing/qualifying any of the gaming cards for their software.)

[fuddam]

dunno about Avid in particular, but have been editing DV professionally for years, on cards as crap as an ancient Kyro II 64MB.

Those QuadroFX cards would be good for rendering 3D work, or compositing, but generally normal NLE editing doesn't require such grunt.

I have used Premiere Pro, FCP and Vegas (my current NLE of choice). If needing real clarification for Avid in particular, have a snoop around the DV Doctor forums, or the Creative Cow or DMN.

[Artic_Kid]

I have used Premiere Pro, FCP and Vegas (my current NLE of choice). If needing real clarification for Avid in particular, have a snoop around the DV Doctor forums, or the Creative Cow or DMN.

Thanks fuddam! Those are great sources. It sounds like a good gaming-video card will do most of the tasks needed for non-linear-editing (especially if it can do OpenGL).

Though the more advanced features (e.g. 3D rendering) remain unsettled. I'm looking for answers in those forums, but so far nothing definitive. I see ATI was made a permanent member of the OpenGL standards committee, which presumably will mean their drivers will meet the OpenGL spec. But again, nothing definitive.

[ExceededGoku]

I heard that the Quaddro range is just the same as the enthusiast card but with different bios, this is most likely wrong :S. Anyway I would definitely go with the 7800GTX as the CCC is terrible and buggy and the 7800GTX is a good all rounder card.

[shaithis]

You could convert GeForce cards into Quatros when they first came out (a few resistors and a BIOS flash), not sure if this still holds true.

[kojak71]

Not sure about Avid, but with all the other NLE applications I've used, they haven't utilised the computational power of a GPU. The only exception to this I know about is in Canopus Edius, it's transition application (Xplode) can take advantage of 3d cards, but it only it to reduce the jaggies (i.e. it applies anti-aliaising) of the transition during rendering. The only other demand an NLE application can make on a card is to deal with overlay modes which is used to display clips on a monitor. There is a new(ish) NLE app called 3dEdit which does use the GPU, but I haven't used it.

It's funny how Avid list the Quadro as the minimum spec requirement on a PC, but on a Mac it lists an nVidia GeForce4 as a minimum requirement.