MacBook 2017 i7 - enough power for 30 min 4k video?

[UKmacman]

I would like to upgrade my early 2015 mbp i5 with 16gb ram for a top spec MacBook. I have done the maths and for single core it is probably 22% faster and for quad core 9%. Not massive gains I know. It adoes not make financial sense to upgrade or technical sense in all honesty but I do like the weight etc of the MacBook.

I am not a power user but from time to time I will want to edit some video and could have clips up to 30 min in length. Maybe in 4k. Does anyone with the MacBook 2017 have real world experience of if this will work and if so how easy would it be? I've seen the YouTube videos doing 8k etc but what is it like in the real world?

I went into the apple shop and opened iMovie and played a 30 second clip full screen on an m3 model and every transition stuttered. It didn't make me confident.

Any thoughts anyone?

 

[donster28]

Assuming you're using Final Cut Pro X, the 2017 base MB (M3) handless 4K great, specially now in High Sierra. Adding transitions is always gonna tax the MacBoook (even on a base 2017 iMac 27) and for some reason, putting transitions on a 4K edit will make your playback stutter. A solution to this is to use Proxy Media. You'll have to sit through it while it converts your footage to proxy but editing with transitions will be buttery smooth after, even on the M3 MacBook.

I believe this will improve once Final Cut Pro X gets updated with HEVC support, which unfortunately it lacks at the moment.

Now you mentioned, iMovie...I do not think it has a 'proxy' function so if you're gonna use that instead of Final Cut, you're gonna have to contend with the stutters at the moment.

I hope this helps.

 

[UKmacman]

Yes this is helpful. I am not sure I want to start using proxy media but I guess worst case it will be faster (albeit not much) than I have now.

 

[donster28]

Yes this is helpful. I am not sure I want to start using proxy media but I guess worst case it will be faster (albeit not much) than I have now.

It will be a faster, lag free editing, believe me. Just make sure you swith back to the original media before “sharing”.

 

[UKmacman]

Just read your last comment again. I mean I probably won't use proxy media or transcode. I would like to keep it simple so iMovie with either Sony 1080p or 4k of it can handle it. If I am only doing smaller edits from time to time you still think it can handle it?

 

[donster28]

Just read your last comment again. I mean I probably won't use proxy media or transcode. I would like to keep it simple so iMovie with either Sony 1080p or 4k of it can handle it. If I am only doing smaller edits from time to time you still think it can handle it?

It’s gonna be a hit and miss. Arranging footage in the timeline will be ok but once you start adding transitions, it will stutter.

Now, as I mentioned earlier, HEVC might improve this but we wont know until Final Cut (or iMovie) supports it.

For simple dropping of footage to arrange them is fine with the base 2017 M3 MacBook.