What is the best Mac,HD camera and LCD and HDTV displays for video editing?

Q. I need advice on a good Mac configuration for HD video editing and animation. Money is no factor but it doesn't have to be the most expensive stuff, I just need it to be powerful so I don't have to buy a new one for a few years. I also need advice on 2 good displays for editing (I suppose a wide DELL model monitor and a wide HD video editing display) and a couple of good HD cameras.

A. In regards to your question about HD cameras, I'd like to recommend you look at Panasonic cameras. I use the HVX-200A, which is an incredibly versatile camera. It shoots HD footage to P2 memory cards, which allows for quick ingestion into your NLE. You can also check out the Panasonic HMC 140 or the HMC 150. They are cheaper than the HVX and shoot HD to SD cards, rather than P2 cards. You can read the following articles which discuss my first impressions with the HVX

http://blog.parcentertainment.com/2007/09/first-impressions-of-the-panasonic-hvx200/

http://blog.parcentertainment.com/2008/01/hvx-200-some-considerations/

http://twitter.com/ParcHDVideo

Original Question

Is it possible to play a video signal from a laptop on a television?

Q. I have video files on my laptop that I want to play on a television screen. Is it possible to play them on the television without burning to a DVD and using a DVD player? Is there anything like a USB to RCA cable that could export the video signal as if it were from a DVD or VHS player? Would I need a special program to do this?

Thanks.

A. If you buy the proper VGA cable you can hook up the laptop to an LCD tv and act as a giant monitor...its pretty awesome. However if you do not have an LCD TV you're options are somewhat limited. If your laptop has S-video out or something like that you could go that route. I'm aware of products that convert s-video to RCA but I'm not sure about USB. Check out some consumer level video editing solutions you may find what you're looking for with one of those. Or if your laptop has firewire and you have a camera that has firewire you may be able to pass the signal through the camera to the TV. I'm not sure how tech savy you are.

Cheers

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