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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

What Mac to buy ?

S

Stephane Marino

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Hi,

I just sold my 2010 iMac 27'' and I am now wondering what Mac to buy ?!
The Mac pros are dinosaurs, the iMacs are 17 months old now and there are those new Macbook pro with retina...
A lot of people seem to be happy with the MBPr...

What would be the best solution to edit 4K ?

Thanks !
 
There are a number of threads on this very subject here on RU, however it does involve digging through the mud as some people get really riled up especially when Mac V Windows rears its ugly head.
 
well he clearly wants an American brand quality product, so no reasons to discuss Windows, or the horrible reviews for the new OS (posted on yahoo news).

I too am in the same situation, on the market for a new Mac

The MBP's and the Airs are the only options to buy if you want fast ports. USB3+TB=totally bi winning...:yesnod:

Rumor sites say a 13 inch MBPr is coming out the 23rd of this month, might be worth waiting a week if you can, or just buy and return, Apple has a 14 day policy anyway...
 
If you prefer a desktop, get a maxed out Mac Pro and add a Red Rocket. If you like mobility, get a maxed out Macbook Pro. If you can somehow wait, put it off until next year when Apple might upgrade the Mac Pros. At this point any Mac won't be amazing for dealing with 4K, so that's the trade-off if you absolutely want to use the Mac OS.

I am in a similar boat and am leaving an 8-core Mac Pro for a fast PC until Apple updates the pro line... my feeling is the money you would spend on any Mac right now isn't smart if you really need a setup for working with 4 or 5K. It wasn't an easy or impulsive choice either, I've been working on Macs w/ Adobe software since around 1994. A Mac vs. PC debate is irrelevant if you need something that works the best for your needs.
 
FWIW:
I can easily edit 4k on my retina MBP using Premiere Pro albeit at 1/4 resolution, which is way better than my 2009 MBP using FCP.
 
My late 09 mac mini with usb2 externals can do 1/16 playback on 4k (or firewire 800 depending what drive I am using)... but the ports are a nightmare for copy pasting mags (I own a 256gb). that is why I think a Mac laptop is the way to go, getting a desktop from them right now is insane since all the models are super out of date. plus all the models besides the mac pro are an island GPU/PCI slot wise, so I'd rather wait for the new Mac Pro if I can make it... I am booked on a gig using other peoples gear so I can squeeze by for the time being. I want an Air for portability and copying mags and a 2013 Mac Pro for renders I think, but I might just keep putting it off depending how long this gig goes for
 
My config works like a charm for my post prod with Epic :

Macpro Quad Core 2,66 Ghz
32 GB RAM (in 2x 16GB)
512 SSD SYSTEM
3 TO SATA 3
NVIDIA GTX 285
eSata card extension
Bluray burner 50 GB/Disc (to save the footages)
30" monitor

All I can say is : put the Maximum in RAM memory and take an SSD for the system.If you can, add 3 SSD with 960 gb each, I will do it soon.

SSD IS THE KEY.:yesnod:
 
You can use any Mac for editing RED footage, there are dozens of case studies that show this, save for the new third-party Modbook Pro which could be a little cumbersome in practice for video editing. If it helps anything, I'm actually considering a quad-core Mac Mini to replace my 2007 Mac Pro for video editing purposes and I edit various formats.

For overall speed, you'll be looking at the Retina Macbook Pro, the Mac Pro, and the iMac. The Retina Macbook Pro and Mac Pro can edge out the iMac when you add the nVidia GPU factor as that accelerates many creative applications more so than AMD, if just a tad more. There are Thunderbolt solutions to consider for adding RED Rocket(s), external RAIDs, video editing hardware, and even some PCI Express slot expansion chassis to add other devices.

I think what it comes down to is what you want out of your system and how you work. A Macbook Pro can be greatly beneficial for portability's sake as you can offload and edit on set with relative ease. On one shoot I was on, the cinematographer had a great time putting together clips and testing out looks during break periods and it helped to look out for any blocking and continuity issues for the director as well.

It's hard to tell what Apple could announce by the end of the month so the general rule of thumb is if you can wait then wait, never know if they'll announce just what you're looking for.
 
Keep in mind that the Retina MBP used with the latest updates from Adobe may lead to constant crashing. CS6 has been pretty consistently unstable for a large number of users when trying to use CUDA as opposed to OpenGL. Not Apples fault, but still frustrating. When it isn't crashing though, the Retina MBP can handle anything I throw at it without struggle. That is until I get into some more intense graphic based projects. If you are considering an iMac I would wait until they re-up the line. It should be coming soon. Same goes for the Mac Pro line. It is outdated and not worth the investment at this point. The Mac Mini should be getting a bump soon but lacks strong graphics processing.

At the moment the Retina MBP is probably the way to go. You get 2 Thunderbolt Ports and 2 USB3 ports for faster data rates, which help a lot for editing red footage from an external source. Apple sucks right now.
 
Heads up, Apple is introducing new products next tuesday. Likely the iPad mini and 13" rMBP. But I've also heard rumblings of new iMacs and Mac Minis. As far as I know the Mac Pro update is still set for 2013.
 
Jarek Zabczynski said:
Heads up, Apple is introducing new products next tuesday. Likely the iPad mini and 13" rMBP. But I've also heard rumblings of new iMacs and Mac Minis. As far as I know the Mac Pro update is still set for 2013.
Click to expand...


+1 Might see some new iMac lovin'. That said, I have both the 2011 iMac with 20GB RAM 3.4GHZ Quad Core i7 and Macbook Pro Retina 2.6GHZ with 16GB of RAM and they both rock the RED-Adobe 5k workflow. Next purchase will be a PCI-E to Thunderbolt enclosure and a Rocket, and I'll be flying.
 
Has there been any news on the fix for unstable CS6?

I updated a couple of days ago and It is next to impossible to edit in Premiere now.

So disappointing.
 
Chris Harless said:
Has there been any news on the fix for unstable CS6?

I updated a couple of days ago and It is next to impossible to edit in Premiere now.

So disappointing.
Click to expand...


I ran the update too, and it is slightly more stable, but still crashes several times a day. My projects now all start with 'copy of copy of copy of copy of copy of copy of copy of copy of copy of copy of'

I give up.
 
Drew Baird said:
I ran the update too, and it is slightly more stable, but still crashes several times a day. My projects now all start with 'copy of copy of copy of copy of copy of copy of copy of copy of copy of copy of'

I give up.
Click to expand...


Same Here....dozens of copies of my project.

I am almost ready to give up and go back to FCP7 with transcoded files....EXCEPT THAT.....

I am getting random black frames when i try to export ProRes Files out of RedCine-X.

This is a new issue that just started today. Footage looks fine when scrubbing in PremierePro (when not crashing) so
i know its not corrupted clips.

It's always something! :banghead:
 
Hmm. I tried CS6 Premiere but I ended up returning to FCP X. I think my problems with FCP X originally laid in me trying to edit H.264 files instead of Pro Res (which I actually didn't know). I am a fan of FCP X since it is cleaner and easier (even though I've been a Premiere user and a FCP user forever).

Then again, I think After Effects is more powerful then Apple's Motion.

Anyhow, I edit with a Macbook Pro Retina. I found using a Maxed out iMAC 27inch was simply not ME. Too big, too hot and still not as powerful as I expected.

Anyhow, love the 15inch but wish it was a more powerful 17inch.
 
For the record, my MBPr needed a CUDA update. I went ahead and updated, and haven't had any issues yet... Fingers crossed, perhaps Nvidia was the problem and not Adobe... We shall see.
 
UPDATE: The CUDA update made it worse.... My screen has started turning magenta and pixelation for about 3 seconds before returning to normal, and not playing the video. This is frustrating. That is all for now.
 
new iMacs next week...i am expecting usb 3 in addition to the thunderbolt ports, faster processors (still single processor, still 8 cores), faster memory (i doubt more slots), would not be surprised if they dropped the dvd drive....no retina display...yet...too expensive....definitely more ssd/multiple ssd options.....faster video cards with hopefully at least one custom option (4gb ram!?)
the imacs really are no different then the mbps now....just with a larger screen and more room for memory and less limitations on power (better video cards)...
i am looking into the sonnet tempo/redrocket combo, unless the built in video of the new iMac is a big step up (which i doubt)....
 
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