When You're Buying Digital Video Editing Equipment, Protect Yourself. Caveat Emptor!

A recent calamity here at the Midwest Test Facility reminded me of lots of the letters I get from you, dear readers. What editing system to buy? Which is best? Woe is me, what should I do?

Many of you have heard me mention the Midwest Test Facility from time to time here on Digital Video Editing.com. Recently, calamity struck our serene lab out here on the wind-swept prairie. While we were busy in SleazeVille for NAB, a pipe inexplicably burst back here at the office, spreading water all over the place and making a gigantic mess. Thank goodness all our computers and networking facilities were undamaged.

But there was about $12,000 in damage done to the physical plant. I learned when you submerge a water heater, a heating/air conditioning system and a water softener, they tend to be ruined for all time. Suddenly, it was time to become an expert on air conditioning efficiency, SEERs, grains of hardness in water, typical water usage, and most importantly, insurance procedures. I had no idea where to turn, what system would be best, or what would save me money in the long run. All this confusion reminded me of lots of the letters I get from you, dear readers. What is the best editing system to buy? How much should I spend? Woe is me, what should I do? There are lots of parallels between this awful situation I'm in and one in which you may find yourself when you're ready to buy a new digital video editing system.

Let's draw some parallels. I know nothing about plumbing, pipes, air conditioners and such. All I know about water heaters is that you don't call them hot water heaters, because that would be redundant, now wouldn't it? So I had to trust my plumber completely. Bad idea. This weasel turned out to be in this for himself, not for me, and engaged in practices that my insurance agent called "questionable". The comparison here is that when you're buying digital video editing equipment, it helps to have an expert on the case, working on your behalf.

Maybe you're already an expert. But it's more likely you're a talented editor who doesn't have the time to keep up with all the latest and greatest video equipment. You know everything there is to know about in-points and out-points, when to use music and when to have silence, when to insert a cutaway, when you need an establishing shot. But you don't have all the latest model numbers of the flashiest editing systems memorized, you can't recite feature lists of editing software, and you don't curl up in bed every night with catalogs and brochures for editing systems. That's when (after visiting this Web site, of course, for all the latest news and views) you turn to a trusted value added reseller (VAR) to help you make sure the stuff you choose will all work together in perfect harmony. That's the key piece of advice here: Let someone put together a system for you who does this every day, and will stand behind it.

Make sure your buying decisions are the best they can be. First, ask about that reseller. Has everyone who's been served by that company walked away happy, or just walked away? Here's where networking with your editing colleagues can be a tremendous help. Make sure your reseller will accept a return and give you your money back if something doesn't work as advertised. Ask about warranty information. Check with everyone you know who has an editing system, asking where they got it and are they happy with it. As you get closer to making your final decision, visit a production facility where they're using an editing system exactly like the one you're considering. Talk to the person at the controls, asking about ease of use, technical problems, and the learning curve for that particular device. Above all, don't take advertisements and sales staff too seriously. Some of them will say anything to get your money, however far from the truth.

One final tip: After you buy, make sure your equipment is insured. Also be sure it's insured for replacement value. If it's not, two years from now, some insurance predator might say, "Oh, that computer is now worth about $200, that's what we'll pay you." And, in the unfortunate event your equipment is damaged, ask the insurance company for permission before you (or some overzealous, aggressive salesperson) replace anything. If you don't, they may not pay a cent. Finally, save the damaged equipment and let the insurance adjuster see its remains, even if it's completely soaked or burned beyond recognition.

Things are slowly getting back to normal here at the Midwest Test Facility. As the last water is pumped out, and everything is replaced, I only wish that I had picked a more trustworthy VAR for all this equipment we had replaced. Learn from my experience!

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