Hi guys, I'm about to buy a new computer. Many of you have most likely been in the situation where you must make a decision about buying a desktop vs a laptop. I have thought of a Imac 27" 5K with 4GHz, 16GB RAM and a 256 GB flash drive. Then on the laptop side I have considered a Macbook Pro 15" 2016 mod, you probably know the spec if you are a Mac user. I know this laptop can't view video in 4K, but how is the Macbook when it comes to render 4K, using after effect in adobe premier, so on and so fort? If the Macbook is "good enough" I would probably go for a laptop because of the benefit regarding travelling. Unfortunately it's not possible to find a single review on a 2016 Macbok linked to 4k editing. What is your opinion, anybody into this?

Kind regards,

Ken

The MBP R works (Ian Cresswell who edited the X5R clip on this site worked with a 15 n MBP on the road)  but two things. If you do much 4K editing, you'll want a bigger screen unless you have eagle eyes and color isn't important. Seriously, there is 8x as much data per frame  to deal with compared to 1080p. So second, you'll want a RAID array as well unless all you are doing is short clips of a minute or less.

Mike-the-cat Posted at 2016-4-30 14:23
The MBP R works (Ian Cresswell who edited the X5R clip on this site worked with a 15 n MBP on the ro ...

Thanks Mike-the-cat, I can see your argument. I was thinking if the Macbook P is good enough when it comes to perfomance, I can always upgrade with a thunderbolt screen later. It's not an Imac, but then I have the freedom to edit on the go. I will work for the most part on 5-6 minutes video clip. I agree with you regarding raid array, it's a must.

Ken

ken.myrvang Posted at 2016-4-30 16:40
Thanks Mike-the-cat, I can see your argument. I was thinking if the Macbook P is good enough when  ...

You might want to wait until June when the new Skylake processors are put into this years models. I understand that the GPUs will also be refreshed.

My macbook pro works great

I have both. It is easier with the iMac. The end result is the same.

Forget the processors you need the biggest ssd you can afford. I easily edit 4K on my MacBook Pro but it only has 256gb (I bought it while I was purely a photographer) for video I would recommend 1tb ssd. If it's too expensive then get a cheaper external ssd. Also the 5k iMac is amazing to edit on with the huge screen! I have it with. 1tb fusion drive which works well. Enjoy!

I use the 2015 Macbook Pro Retina 13" to edit 4k from my Inspire 1 and sony mirrorless. It lags now and then when viewing in preview but once I proxy it in Final Cut Pro X it plays smoothly.

Romi Posted at 2016-5-4 08:17
I use the 2015 Macbook Pro Retina 13" to edit 4k from my Inspire 1 and sony mirrorless. It lags now  ...

What file type do you choose when exporting to use with final cut ?

Romi Posted at 2016-5-4 08:17
I use the 2015 Macbook Pro Retina 13" to edit 4k from my Inspire 1 and sony mirrorless. It lags now  ...

What file type do you choose when exporting to use with final cut ?

Phoenixaerial Posted at 2016-5-5 14:45
What file type do you choose when exporting to use with final cut ?

When importing and editing I transcode to 422 Proxy using the built-in import feature in FCPX. When exporting to web, I just do H.264

Hi guys just a quick question.

let me know if this is smooth for 4k videos. should i get this?

MacBook Pro Retina
Processor: Intel Core i5 2.7 GHz
Memory: 8 Gb 1867 MHz DDR3
Graphics: Intel Iris Graphics 6100 1536 MB


so that I have reference which one to get.

Thanks!

I just recently moved to Mac for my 4K video editing. After testing on a loaned 13" MacBook Pro from a couple of years ago I ended up buying a 2016 model (Touchbar, Core i7 2.9 Ghz, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD & the Radeon Pro 460 GPU). I use Final Cut Pro X and have had no performance issues. My only "issues" are related to learning a new OS and NLE. I currently transcode H.265 footage into ProRes 422 for editing using Brorsoft and then render in H.264. In the future I will be shooting in ProRes right from the Inspire 2. I hook to my big monitor and Gig Ethernet while at home but still have the portability of a laptop. So far I am happy with my purchase.

While I do not have a 5k iMac, I have an the previous gen that cannot display 4K, my Mac Book Pros have always been great. I recently upgraded to the late-2016 version which only increased the production speed and efficiency.

The late 2015 MBP was pretty fast with the i7. The newer MBP is blazing fast with the upgraded video card.

Just be cautious as to your connections when upgrading to a machine that uses USB-C. Not all your connections may be as simple as you think. I can confirm that the USB-C to TB2 connector works great with a dock to connect to monitors and stuff. It won't port video in directly without the dock though.

I own both and both are great. I don't think I could single out either one.

ken.myrvang Posted at 2016-4-30 00:40
Thanks Mike-the-cat, I can see your argument. I was thinking if the Macbook P is good enough when it comes to perfomance, I can always upgrade with a thunderbolt screen later. It's not an Imac, but then I have the freedom to edit on the go. I will work for the most part on 5-6 minutes video clip. I agree with you regarding raid array, it's a must.

Ken

I'm on a Macbook Pro (2013) and a Thunderbolt screen.  Works fine.  You should also learn about aliasing in Premiere (if thats what you are using).  Speeds things up.