Any suggestions, do I really need a 4k screen on my next laptop or should i just go with a better full hd laptop? I edit with after effects if that helps with suggestions.

Thanks, Dave

If you want to do it right, get a Retina Macbook Pro.
Everything else will be a compromise.

I have to agree.  On one hand, it is really a wonder the specs they can get into a laptop these days.  The Macbook Pros and other high-end laptops certainly rival even the beefiest desktop machines now.  I actually have a really nice MSI gaming laptop with about the same specs as the top tier MBP(around the same price too).  I use that as my second PC and multimedia server when I'm not traveling.

When editing large videos, you want a fast processor and the more ram the better(I would go with at least 16gb).  You may also want to consider a good graphics card as editing software like FCP and AE can use the GPU to process effects, etc.  The better the specs, the faster the editing/rendering.  The MBP comes in many flavors and you get what you pay for.

You also want to consider HDD storage.  Most high-end laptops and MBPs come with an internal SSD drive, but typically not more than 512gb max.  4k video takes up gobs of HDD space.  You may want to consider a fast external high capacity drive.  It doesn't have to be SSD(not cheap), but definitely 7200rpm minimum with fast r/w speeds.  A good NAS(Network Attached Storage) running in RAID 0 can offer tons of storage with really fast r/w speeds(again not that cheap).

Cheers gents, my budget was around £1000 to £1500 ($1500 to $2300) I know very little of macs as I have always used a PC.

My personal recommendation is that if you are used to a PC environment, stick with that.  AE is pretty much the same on both OSs, but Premiere and FCP are a bit different.

Here's some links that might give you some ideas on what's out there.

http://www.adkvideoediting.com/laptop.asp
http://www.sagernotebook.com/ind ... amp;selected_cat=13

and for reference, this is my gaming laptop I was telling you about, the MSI GT70.  It is a beast, and the prices have come down a lot on it since I got it.

http://www.msi.com/product/nb/GT780.html#hero-overview

Don't just take my advice though.  Keep asking around and also check out forums like https://www.avforums.com/forums/laptops-netbooks.375/

Good luck!

Have to say that the Mac Book pro with retina display is the cats ass when it comes down to portable video editing.  I was not able to afford the version I wanted http://store.apple.com/us/buy-ma ... /A&step=config# . Although I would not have to purchase new adobe software, I would have an issue with supporting software like Vegas.

For my portable editing lab I needed something small and powerful, I opted for a dell XPS 13".  Screen is fantastic (still not a retina display) and rendering time is reasonable.  Best part it was only $1000

My 2 cents worth, hope it helps.

My MacBook Pro will not handle 4K video.  I built a PC just for that purpose.  Hate it but I had no choice.

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2014-12-6 11:30
My MacBook Pro will not handle 4K video.  I built a PC just for that purpose.  Hate it but I had no  ...

Which Macbook pro you have? Phillip Bloom uses a MacBook pro with retina display on 4K. Would you elaborate?

I do not have the retina display.

6 Core, 4GHZ overclocked, water cooled PC with 32Gig of ram, 1TB SSD and 8 TB of spinning drives for my editing system. I also have a 27" NEC multisync calibrated monitor. I am just fine editing 4K video in Premiere. It's no laptop but it has the power to handle the 4K.

The 2012 MacBook Pro Retina with 16GB of Ram works great with final cut pro but it can be a little choppy.  I've used it for the last few months with the Phantom 2 & GoPro Hero 4 Black and 4K videos.  If you'll be doing a lot of editing, the iMac with 5K is a super sweet machine!

Scott
http://www.youtube.com/DoctorRennie

Any laptop are now enough powerful for 4k editing, except may be if you just need some titles ! but it is not really editing even the new mac pro in his basic configuration is not powerful enough for full 4 k editing with color grading and applying differents effect.
May be same Tahoe_ed build your home PC what can be the cheapest solution but not so cheap as well !

I opted to get a dell xps 27 inch instead of laptop

Here's my advice:

There's really no point in getting a Mac unless you REALLY want the higher res screen, which you're probably not going to notice unless you put your nose right up to it, OR, you really want/need to edit with Final Cut (Apple only).

If you're doing your editing in Adobe Premiere or Avid (or whatever you use), you will do just as well with a Windows PC. Remember that aside from the OS, a MacPro/MacBook Pro is really just another expensive PC with nice parts and a custom OS.

On another note, I would definitely not recommend video editing on an SSD. They have a finite number of write cycles per block, so you'll shorten the life of the SSD by doing video editing (which uses a lot of writes) on it. Better to use spinning disks for video, however they're much slower.

The solution, which I've seen quite a few editors do, is to have a RAID 0 setup for editing, and an SSD for your OS. If you're on a laptop, that's not a problem these days as long as it supports USB 3.0, Thunderbolt or eSATA. You can even get a (sometimes pricey) "portable" RAID 0 external rack that can connect by USB 3.0/TB/eSATA and it will be pretty much as fast or faster then what's in your laptop, with oodles of space.

That said, the other things to look at are video card and processor. Laptop manufacturers often skimp on the video card. If using Premiere, you'll want NVidia, since Premiere only supports CUDA. This helps with your video playback and rendering by leveraging the GPU as well as the CPU.

For CPU, Core i7 is best. I got a great HP Envy Touchsmart 17" for around $1200 last year, with 16GB of RAM and a Core i7. The HD is slow, but the way I looked at it was that I could update the HD later, making this a smoking machine at some point.

Definitely go for the highest res you can get (HD, or 1920x1080 at a minimum), just to have space in your chosen editor. That or dual monitors.

Really though, you can edit video (including 4K) on pretty much anything, as long as you don't mind the wait and/or choppy video while editing. The rendered video will be the same no matter what you use. I don't have RAID0 or SSD for my HP yet, but I do editing on it (as opposed to my larger desktop) because it has an NVidia GPU, and the Mercury Playback engine likes CUDA/NVidia. I just do all my editing, then set it up to render overnight. Works fine.  

Any professional input is truly appreciated.

I have been researching laptops for two weeks straight, and have info overload.  I have even tried emailing manufacturers directly (MSI,ASUS) with my requirements and intentions with no replies.  Of course the main focus I have is to edit video taken mainly on the Inspire while mobile.  I would say I know more about computers than average, but not an expert.

My budget is around $1500 - $2000

Looking for the 4th gen i7 processor
16GB RAM
I wish to stick with windows OS, it is what I know and do not wish to leap into a mac.  Also do not want a HP (past issues)
I have mostly narrowed down the brand to an ASUS or MSI but am not set on it.
I also see a lot of the newer models offer a SSD for the OS and a raid setup for storage, as mentioned above
Mostly been looking at ASUS ROG models and MSI GT models, although they are "gaming" they meet most of the requirements

As i said, im not an expert so if anything I stated above is wrong, please tell me!

It sure would be great if someone with experience could jump in and say "this make and model is exactly what you need for that price range"!!!

i am hoping to be able to get buy for now with my basic macbook pro..no retina display. i have a samsung t.v. that i have used to mirror my laptop..but i think i would need to use the hdmi cable and thunderbolt directly. i am planning on getting final cut pro soon and making do for now.
if anyone has suggestions other than a new mac with a retina display i am all ears.

gunnell_s.msn Posted at 2015-1-30 11:30
Any professional input is truly appreciated.

I have been researching laptops for two weeks straight ...

Have to disagree about HP. I too had bad experiences, but I bit the bullet and got an HP TouchSmart Envy 17.3". It's got a very sturdy design (lots of aluminum), i7, 1TB HD, and a second bay for the SSD I'm eventually going to put in it. $1200 at Future Shop on sale. Had it for 1.5 years now, and no issues whatsoever. There wasn't even a lot of HP bloatware on it. Only thing slow is the HD, but like I said, I can add an SSD in the second bar. I do hate the keyboard, but I talked to a friend who repairs HP's, and apparently I can get a different (non-French Canadian) keyboard for it. I prefer a large screen for video editing, and that's where the Mac's fail. No 17".

As others have said, you can get a USB 3.0 RAID enclosure external, which should fly doing video.

If you're using Premiere (absolute best for Windows), then make sure you have a good NVidia card. CUDA makes a big difference with playback. (Even though I'm a long-time ATI fan).

gwhiz2k Posted at 2015-1-30 14:14
Have to disagree about HP. I too had bad experiences, but I bit the bullet and got an HP TouchSmar ...

Appreciate your input!  Since I have the budget and have the opportunity to buy something new it would be nice to get something that doesnt need upgrades or customization right from the start.  

Good to hear HP has done away with some of the bloatware, it was crazy!

My i5 laptop can not handle 4k but my Galaxy Tab 8.4 can

This is what I have for portable work, very solid machine
http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-15-9530/pd?oc=dncwx1603h

pidetectives.ya Posted at 2015-1-31 04:43
My i5 laptop can not handle 4k but my Galaxy Tab 8.4 can

sorry to burst your bubble, but your galaxy tab can handle 2k max

if you wanne edit 4k get a 4k screen laptop. I sold my Macbook Pro Retina 15 inch 2014 model. And got the Lenovo y50-70 4K edition. Almost the same price, quicker and has 4K. Editting works great and the screen is amazingly good!

pidetectives.ya Posted at 2015-1-31 04:43
My i5 laptop can not handle 4k but my Galaxy Tab 8.4 can

hahahahahaha my nose blows a sudden...

I'm looking at the Lenovo Y50.  It has an i7, 512 SSD, 16gb RAM, 4gb Nvidia GTX 860m AND a 4K display.  Currently on sale till Wednesday for $1399 . . . . Cant beat that price . . . any input is appreciated
http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/lenovo/y-series/y50-uhd/