Unlocking turnkeys: plug it in, power it up and edit. That's the promise of a turnkey editing computer.

Just two years ago, editing computers were highly specialized machines manufactured by a few dedicated companies. Standardized sub-$30 IEEE 1394 (FireWire) cards and the overwhelming dominance of Mini DV in the consumer space have changed all that. Indeed, including IEEE 1394 right on the computer's motherboard is almost a standard feature these days.

Turnkey Specialists

Technically, any computer with FireWire and basic editing software already loaded on it when you unpack the box is a turnkey. Compaq, HP, Dell, Gateway, Apple and dozens of others build systems that edit video. These system integrators deal with huge volumes and can offer significant discounts. Due to the wide range of products and services that they offer, however, it is tough to find video experts at these companies (although they surely exist). If you have done your research and know what you need, customizing a general-purpose computer may save you some money.

Companies that focus on video editing build more complex and specialized turnkeys. These companies build tightly integrated computers specifically designed with video in mind. In general, the smaller companies that build these machines may be more experienced with video, may be in a better position to make recommendations and may have more accessible technical support.

Capture

The video capture card is the heart of any turnkey solution. The most basic capture card is not a video capture card at all, but is instead a data transmission protocol: IEEE 1394 (a.k.a. FireWire, a.k.a. i.LINK). Yes, you can use it to transmit video data from a camcorder to the computer, but it is not defined as a video-specific feature. A more useful video capture solution would be one that can digitize analog audio and video from an RCA jack (composite) or an S-video jack (component), in addition to DV.

Another feature to look for is a breakout box. A breakout box is a cable that brings all of the connections to the front of the computer, instead of leaving them in the relatively inaccessible rear. The most elegant breakout boxes snake their way through the computer and snap seamlessly into the front of the case in one of the hard drive bays. Others are thick cables you can place on top of the computer case or even stretch up to the desktop.