Please help me choose - Macbook Pro 16 for video editing

[Shul1994]

Hello everyone,

I am planning on getting a Macbook pro 16 inch base model i7 or i9.
I mostly do 4k video editing on Premiere Pro. I use after effects as well occasionally. I also add a lot of mogrt files to my videos (which I have found to slow the playback massively).
I am considering to start using Final Cut Pro once I get the macbook.
I really wanted to know how the timeline playback is like on either of the base macbook pro 16 inch models?
I am not really bothered by the render times and what not. I just want a smooth editing experience.

I am fairly new to video editing, so I am sorry if all this sounds a bit silly !
Thanks a lot!

 

[lclev]

Well here is my 2 cents. I recently purchased and am now returning a 13” MBP. Why? Because I ordered the i7 with 16GB of memory then edited some short HD 1080 video projects in Premiere Pro. The editing process was amazingly smooth. Timeline scrubbing was perfectly smooth. But when I encoded it took 22 minutes to do a 4 minute video. It really maxed out the memory and iStat showed it using 11GB. I just felt I needed to future proof and the extra memory should do that so, I ordered one with 32GB.

I do the occasional 4K project but so far I have not had a lot of request for that. I work with what they provide and it is mostly HD. My first 4K project a few years back pushed me from Premiere Pro CS6 to pay for CC. I also edit on a very beefy Windows PC that is my main editor so Final Cut Pro is not practical for me but, I have used Final Cut Pro. It has a several differences that made it ackward for me when I am so use to Premiere. It is a great product just not for me.

If you really plan to do significant video work especially in 4K get the fastest processor, best video card (if that is an option) and most memory you can get. I say this from a lot of experience and having had a lot of computers over the years that I used for video editing.

I have a friend who works from home and creates content for a TV station. They just upgraded her to the 16” i9 with 64GB of memory, the 8GB video card PLUS a very nice 4K apple monitor. She had previously been provided with a maxed out 2015 iMac. She says the new 16” MBP blows her old iMac out of the water. It is soooo much faster. She does a bunch of After Effects projects.

If you plan to create content for several years to come I suggest get the most you can afford now. I know you said rendering and encoding time is not an issue but trust me, it will when you wait all night for something to encode and find out it is now what you wanted. ;D.

As I said - just my 2 cents worth!

Lisa

 

[usagora]

I agree with Lisa. Don't cut corners, because once you get your MacBook Pro, there's no way to upgrade the RAM or CPU (you can always add external SSD and GPU, but that adds bulk/complication to your setup). Especially considering that you're new to video editing, that means your editing will only get more complex as you grow, not less (and you may change your mind about not caring about rendering time as you do more/longer projects!). Maybe take a look at this video to help you decide: