Not another Intel vs. AMD Debate!? (This Time, It's About Video) - Big Boys Bully Buyers
(Page 5 of 7 )
Well, not really bully them but if they don't offer AMD based solutions the buyer has no choice. Some of the main workstation manufacturers are Intel-only shops. Big names in workstations like Dell don't build ANY AMD computers, workstations or servers. If you want to buy a workstation from them you can have any flavour as long as it's Intel. Fujitsu-Siemens is now making some limited Opteron based workstations, but you'll have trouble finding one on their site for all the Intel clutter. The same applies to HP.
Go to the sites of video editing hardware manufacturers, most of them have a detailed list of what they recommend you use their products with. For lower end products they may not be that fussy but with the higher end products the chances are that they will be very, very specific and very biased toward Intel. The VT[3] mentioned above is a good example. The manufacturer, Newtek, has approved seven different chipsets for workstations using that card. And they are all Intel. In fact many manufacturers will blatantly insist that you use an Intel workstation and refuse to sell you the product if you don't. They go even further: if you go into production level video editing products like the better Avid programs they'll specify an Intel PC from a particular manufacturer (like Fujitsu/Compaq etc) and even specify which model number of that manufacturer's Intel workstation you need to buy. Some, like Avid, take that yet another step. You can't buy the Adrenaline FX or DS|HD individually. Avid will actually integrate
them with an HP workstation, and you have to buy the bundled product. For those of you betting on what type of processor it is, well -- the workstation is an Intel Xeon box.
There seems to bean obvious opening for a smaller player to jump into system integration using the professional products on AMD platforms, but the barrier to entry is high. It takes a lot of time, skill and experience to get the products working on a platform that they haven't been designed for. Note also that the really expensive cards aren't sold by themselves, and manufacturers' websites often don't even have prices. The only way you can buy the product 
is by signing up to an agreement stating that you will tow the line and use only what hardware the card manufacturer specifies.
Customers always want several more simultaneous streams. They want actual real-time rendering. They always want more complexities in the composites. And they want system stability. For this they rely on the solution provider for advice. The solution provider has signed up to card manufacturers' restrictions to use only Intel kit. They have experience only with integrating the professional products into Intel kit. They are better placed to support Intel kit (spare parts, in-house technical skills etc. being factors). Their advice to the client will be influenced by this. Another good reason they would prefer you used Intel is because a lot of the software is actually optimized for Intel workstations.
Next: Being quick to sue does pay off >>
More Computer Processors Articles
More By Clinton
