rMBP 13.3" Video Editing?

[Zeraus7]

Hello,

I am looking at getting a laptop for some video editing. I'm 14 and have a budget of $1400, I really like macs because of the operating system and the overall quality of the computers. I would mainly be using FCP (not sure what the current one is) and also a little bit of Adobe After Effects. I won't be doing any crazy video editing or anything just some home vids with possibly a few filters on the videos and stuff like that. I have seen the 3D text tracker on After Effects and would like to use that a little bit/every now and then.

Now, the laptop I am looking at is this..

13.3" 2014 MacBook Pro Retina - Refurbished for $1359

• 2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz) with 3MB shared L3 cache

Memory

• 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3L onboard memory

Storage

• 128GB flash storage1

Graphics

• Intel Iris Graphics

Would this be able to do what I mentioned before? The video quality I would be editing in is from my gopro at 1080p 60fps and/or 720p 120fps.
I live in Australia so prices are in AUD.

Thanks

 

[yjchua95]

Hello,

I am looking at getting a laptop for some video editing. I'm 14 and have a budget of $1400, I really like macs because of the operating system and the overall quality of the computers. I would mainly be using FCP (not sure what the current one is) and also a little bit of Adobe After Effects. I won't be doing any crazy video editing or anything just some home vids with possibly a few filters on the videos and stuff like that. I have seen the 3D text tracker on After Effects and would like to use that a little bit/every now and then.

Now, the laptop I am looking at is this..

13.3" 2014 MacBook Pro Retina - Refurbished for $1359

• 2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz) with 3MB shared L3 cache

Memory

• 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3L onboard memory

Storage

• 128GB flash storage1

Graphics

• Intel Iris Graphics

Would this be able to do what I mentioned before? The video quality I would be editing in is from my gopro at 1080p 60fps and/or 720p 120fps.
I live in Australia so prices are in AUD.

Thanks

Well, if it's just some basic video editing with iMovie, then it should suffice. But 128GB is definitely not enough.

You should have at least 256GB.

I'm also based in Australia. Have you looked at refurbs yet? Refurbs are bloody good.
Take this one for instance: http://store.apple.com/au/product/F...nch-macbook-pro-24ghz-dual-core-intel-core-i5

Performance wise, it's almost identical. I'd suggest you save up more and reserve a budget of around $1500 or so.

 

[SHEEPOS]

http://store.apple.com/au/browse/h

Hello,

I am looking at getting a laptop for some video editing. I'm 14 and have a budget of $1400, I really like macs because of the operating system and the overall quality of the computers. I would mainly be using FCP (not sure what the current one is) and also a little bit of Adobe After Effects. I won't be doing any crazy video editing or anything just some home vids with possibly a few filters on the videos and stuff like that. I have seen the 3D text tracker on After Effects and would like to use that a little bit/every now and then.

Now, the laptop I am looking at is this..

13.3" 2014 MacBook Pro Retina - Refurbished for $1359

• 2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz) with 3MB shared L3 cache

Memory

• 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3L onboard memory

Storage

• 128GB flash storage1

Graphics

• Intel Iris Graphics

Would this be able to do what I mentioned before? The video quality I would be editing in is from my gopro at 1080p 60fps and/or 720p 120fps.
I live in Australia so prices are in AUD.

Thanks

http://store.apple.com/au/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_pro/13

get this model with 1tb external hard drive cheap once from jbhifi or eBay

 

[yjchua95]

http://store.apple.com/au/browse/h
http://store.apple.com/au/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_pro/13

get this model with 1tb external hard drive cheap once from jbhifi or eBay

There's several models there. I already referenced a late-2013 2.4/8/256 for the OP.

A non-retina is out of the question. The lack of a retina display, heavier weight, mediocre iGPU and no SSD makes it a big no. Besides, when you upgrade the RAM and SSD to match that of the rMBPs, it's already almost the same price as one.

 

[Zeraus7]

There's several models there. I already referenced a late-2013 2.4/8/256 for the OP.

A non-retina is out of the question. The lack of a retina display, heavier weight, mediocre iGPU and no SSD makes it a big no. Besides, when you upgrade the RAM and SSD to match that of the rMBPs, it's already almost the same price as one.

The model I was talking about was a refurb from Apple, I don't mind the 128gb storage because my parents have an external hard drive which they said I can have. (It's 2TB) this is the link to the computer - http://store.apple.com/au/product/F...-26ghz-dual-core-intel-i5-with-retina-display

What I really want to know is if this will be able to do what I said.

Thanks

 

[mpfuchs]

Get the 256GB. You want to store all files from a project you're working on to be on the local hard drive, for read/write speed reasons. Once you work on a bigger project, 128GB might not cut it.

 

[DHagan4755]

I've edited AVC HD video in Final Cut Pro X & did some chroma key with the 13-inch MacBook Pro retina. It worked like a champ. No issues. Other than getting at the least the 256GB SSD model you should be just fine.

 

[yjchua95]

The model I was talking about was a refurb from Apple, I don't mind the 128gb storage because my parents have an external hard drive which they said I can have. (It's 2TB) this is the link to the computer - http://store.apple.com/au/product/F...-26ghz-dual-core-intel-i5-with-retina-display

What I really want to know is if this will be able to do what I said.

Thanks

It won't, because of the tiny SSD. All the files that you'll be working on should be stored locally for performance reasons. Working on files externally will not do.

Once your project gets larger, 128GB will be absolutely tiny.

 

[Zeraus7]

It won't, because of the tiny SSD. All the files that you'll be working on should be stored locally for performance reasons. Working on files externally will not do.

Once your project gets larger, 128GB will be absolutely tiny.

Ok, I did not think that would be a problem. I have read up a little bit on this laptop for video editing and people have said the screen is too small, the CPU and GPU are not powerful enough. I have found this rMBP 15.4" model which would take me 2 months to save for, but what do you guys think about it?
http://store.apple.com/au/product/F...-20ghz-quad-core-intel-i7-with-retina-display

Thanks

 

[SHEEPOS]

Ok, I did not think that would be a problem. I have read up a little bit on this laptop for video editing and people have said the screen is too small, the CPU and GPU are not powerful enough. I have found this rMBP 15.4" model which would take me 2 months to save for, but what do you guys think about it?
http://store.apple.com/au/product/F...-20ghz-quad-core-intel-i7-with-retina-display

Thanks

I have the same model bought it for $1849 Australian last January

 

[DHagan4755]

I have read up a little bit on this laptop for video editing and people have said the screen is too small, the CPU and GPU are not powerful enough. I have found this rMBP 15.4" model which would take me 2 months to save for, but what do you guys think about it?

Jeez man you post asking for advice & then you don't read what we've written here. I wrote that I edited a chroma key project in HD in Final Cut Pro X on the 13-inch retina MacBook Pro without a problem. If the retina 13-inch MBP model I used two summers ago could do a chroma key project in FCP X, certainly the version out now can do it. Let me repeat: it's more than capable of editing HD video in Final Cut Pro X. Screen size is subjective. Most editors want the 15-inch for the larger screen real estate and quad core processor. Hell I've edited HD in FCP X on an 11-inch MacBook Air. It's all in how fast the complex editing & compositing renders. Since you wrote you weren't doing any crazy video editing, that implies time is not a money factor here, and for most people this would be more than adequate.

 

[Zeraus7]

Jeez man you post asking for advice & then you don't read what we've written here. I wrote that I edited a chroma key project in HD in Final Cut Pro X on the 13-inch retina MacBook Pro without a problem. If the retina 13-inch MBP model I used two summers ago could do a chroma key project in FCP X, certainly the version out now can do it. Let me repeat: it's more than capable of editing HD video in Final Cut Pro X. Screen size is subjective. Most editors want the 15-inch for the larger screen real estate and quad core processor. Hell I've edited HD in FCP X on an 11-inch MacBook Air. It's all in how fast the complex editing & compositing renders. Since you wrote you weren't doing any crazy video editing, that implies time is not a money factor here, and for most people this would be more than adequate.

Sorry man, I think that I accidentally scrolled past your past and missed it. So you had no troubles? What's a chroma key project?

Thanks

 

[zettabyte]

You're right at the boarder line where it would be worth upgrading to something with higher specs. Like everyone is saying here...you will want more HD space and perhaps more RAM.

The i5 is okay and can get the job done. The retina screen is a must.

I do heavy video and photo editing on my rMBP and do this for a living.

 

[Zeraus7]

You're right at the boarder line where it would be worth upgrading to something with higher specs. Like everyone is saying here...you will want more HD space and perhaps more RAM.

The i5 is okay and can get the job done. The retina screen is a must.

I do heavy video and photo editing on my rMBP and do this for a living.

That must be cool doing that for a living. I just saw what setup you have and it seems crazy! Do you edit for a company or something?
I thought that this would be a good laptop to kind of "start off" with. I could always get a high end Mac later on if I start to get serious in video editing. Me and my mates, we bodyboard down the beach and take the gopro down and film. We actually get pretty good footage. Also just other things we do, it would be cool to make little edits from them.

 

[Badrottie]

14 year old knows how to save money very well. Anyway, 128GB is ok but you can use cheap external hard drive with 1TB and USB 3.0 to store and work from there. If you are thinking about playing hardcore games, forget about rMBP and spend money on both Xbox One and PS4.

 

[Zeraus7]

14 year old knows how to save money very well. Anyway, 128GB is ok but you can use cheap external hard drive with 1TB and USB 3.0 to store and work from there. If you are thinking about playing hardcore games, forget about rMBP and spend money on both Xbox One and PS4.

Haha, I am the only one out of my friends that actually saves their money. Anyway, I was thinking about storing videos I'm not editing on to an external hard drive. I won't really be playing games on it, maybe just some from the App Store.

Thanks

 

[yjchua95]

Haha, I am the only one out of my friends that actually saves their money. Anyway, I was thinking about storing videos I'm not editing on to an external hard drive. I won't really be playing games on it, maybe just some from the App Store.

Thanks

Generally it should be fine, but sometimes, the videos that will be used in your project can take up a lot of space. So I'd save up for a 256GB if I were you.

Processor wise, the 13" retina is fine for general video editing. As long as it isn't anything heavy (just home videos and the likes of it), it'll do.

 

[Zeraus7]

Generally it should be fine, but sometimes, the videos that will be used in your project can take up a lot of space. So I'd save up for a 256GB if I were you.

Processor wise, the 13" retina is fine for general video editing. As long as it isn't anything heavy (just home videos and the likes of it), it'll do.

Awesome, thanks for all your help guys. I just wanted to clarify that it would be capable

 

[yjchua95]

Awesome, thanks for all your help guys. I just wanted to clarify that it would be capable

It would be, aside from the tiny SSD.

 

[DHagan4755]

Chroma keying is where you take the green (or blue) out of a background and replace it with something else. What I'm getting at is this was really complex for a computer to do not too long ago. The fact that it can be done now on an 11-inch MacBook Air is amazing, never mind the 13-inch retina. Of course, software has improved too, and Final Cut Pro X helps. At the end of the day, if you're not doing anything too crazy, the only real thing you'll have to worry about is the size of the SSD.

 

[Zeraus7]

Chroma keying is where you take the green (or blue) out of a background and replace it with something else. What I'm getting at is this was really complex for a computer to do not too long ago. The fact that it can be done now on an 11-inch MacBook Air is amazing, never mind the 13-inch retina. Of course, software has improved too, and Final Cut Pro X helps. At the end of the day, if you're not doing anything too crazy, the only real thing you'll have to worry about is the size of the SSD.

Oh ok, so like green screening? I've always wanted to do that... So that would cool to do. If this Mac can handle that it can definitely be capable for me.

Thanks

 

[ColdCase]

So, you can make any mac work, especially if patient. Videos take much space

Internal vs external drive performance differences will basically show up in scrubbing, when you are scrolling through a video to find edit points. Working your project with the video library internally will be less frustrating, but external is OK if you are patient.

The screen is kinda small, but again useful. Although you should get a retina as you plan, a inexpensive external 27 or 30 inch monitor will work better, especially if you have a lot of clips. But you can save up for that later. The reason most here are recommending at least a 256GB internal is that updating the internal drive later may not be doable or may be very expensive... depending on model.

But the computer you picked out will work nicely.

If you don't need the computer to be portable, also look at refurb iMacs. Those typically offer better video editing performance for less money.

 

[Zeraus7]

So, you can make any mac work, especially if patient. Videos take much space

Internal vs external drive performance differences will basically show up in scrubbing, when you are scrolling through a video to find edit points. Working your project with the video library internally will be less frustrating, but external is OK if you are patient.

The screen is kinda small, but again useful. Although you should get a retina as you plan, a inexpensive external 27 or 30 inch monitor will work better, especially if you have a lot of clips. But you can save up for that later. The reason most here are recommending at least a 256GB internal is that updating the internal drive later may not be doable or may be very expensive... depending on model.

But the computer you picked out will work nicely.

If you don't need the computer to be portable, also look at refurb iMacs. Those typically offer better video editing performance for less money.

Thanks for the help, very useful. Unfortunately ther are no refurbished iMacs in stock at the moment (Australian Store)

 

[yjchua95]

Thanks for the help, very useful. Unfortunately ther are no refurbished iMacs in stock at the moment (Australian Store)

Just stick with a 13" rMBP with 256GB SSD and you'll be fine.