Apple Final Cut Express HD: Getting Started - Manual (Page 39)

Chapter 3 Capturing Your Video 39
Determining How Much Disk Space You Need
Before you begin capturing, it’s a good idea to make sure you have enough disk space
on your computer. The amount of disk space you need depends on the length of your
captured video and the length of your finished project. Use the table below to estimate
how much space you need.
A good rule of thumb to determine how much space you need is to multiply the
amount of space needed for your captured movie by five.
For example, if you capture a tape that’s approximately 60-minutes long:
• 3.6 MB/sec. video data rate x 60 seconds = 216 MB/min. x 60 minutes = 12960 MB
needed for project files.
• 12960 MB x 5 = 64800 MB needed for project, render, cache, and other files.
Round off 64800 MB to 65 GB to be on the safe side. This is the amount of disk space
you’ll need to allow for just this one project. If you plan to work on multiple projects at
the same time, estimate the amount for each project and add these numbers together.
Once you have figured out how much space you need, you can verify your hard disk
space to make sure you have enough room for your finished project.
To verify your hard disk space:
m Choose File > Capture (or press Command-8).
The amount of available hard disk space is displayed at the top of the Capture window.
For more information on setting up external drives as extra scratch disks, see
Final Cut Express Help, Chapter 4, “Specifying User Preferences, System Settings, and
Easy Setups.”
DV data transfer rates 30 sec. 1 min. 5 min. 10 min. 30 min. 60 min.
3.6 MB/sec.,
DV-format video 108 MB 216 MB 1.08 GB 2.16 GB 6.5 GB 13 GB