Computer build question..

I have determined that my iMac with i5 cpu, 16GB of 2400Mhz DDR4 ram and a Radeon Pro 560 4GB video card is insufficient for my requirements of editing 2.7GHZ 60fps video.
Has anyone here built a PC or a Mac recently for 4k video editing, if so..would you mind sharing the specs with me?

Look for posts by Carsten Sellberg, he is giving some of the best advice regarding computer parts you can find.
Strictly PC, though. But since you are open to both platforms, you can save heaps of money.

Thanks...I’d like to build something that will still do the job when 5k replaces 4k...if possible

5K has already been around for years, the early Red cameras did that. But it's never going to be a presentation format, it's meant for oversampling and is working quite well in a 4K timeline on hardware that can handle 4K.

The next step up might be 8K, but that is 4 times as much load on the machine. Do you want to invest at that level?

No. I shoot with a GoPro mounted on the front of my motorcycle helmet..thats it. What I make are very simple records of my rides - hardly Cecil B. DeMille...and the resolution is limited by Youtube - I dont view them directly on a TV or by projection.

I'm guessing you're shooting with H.265?

H.264 & H.265 are generally light on space but heavy on compression and complexity which can take a performance hit on any computer when Decoding - especially h265. Many of the older computers also don't have adequate hardware optimizations for these codecs. If you transcode your footage to something low complexity like CineForm, you will observe immediate and significant performance gains with the footage in Resolve.

Ok..I googled Cineform.
Do I convert my H.264 footage to Cineform using a program before I import that footage into Resolve?

The files that I have now are MP4...

You could do that, or you could generate Optimized media inside Resolve

Thankyou!!!

No. I shoot with a GoPro mounted on the front of my motorcycle helmet..thats it. What I make are very simple records of my rides - hardly Cecil B. DeMille...and the resolution is limited by Youtube - I dont view them directly on a TV or by projection.

I ride a Moto Guzzi myself and I've used both a GoPro and a Sony RX0 on the bike. I don't think that YouTube motorcycle channels are about resolution. The vast majority of people watch YouTube videos on a phone, sometimes a tablet. Your own YouTube analytics probably show that. That said, Royal Jordanian, among others, films and uploads at 4K/60fps and encourages his viewers to watch in 4K, although I'm pretty sure that a large majority of them actually watch in 1080p HD or 720p.

In your position, I would take a look at the M1 chip Mac minis that Apple launched today. Matched with iMovie or Final Cut, one should easily handle your 4K GoPro footage. The optimisation of Apple's current hardware and applications is real and makes a performance difference, although I expect that DaVinci Resolve would be fine too. I use a loaded 2018 Mac mini, a UHD monitor and both DaVinci Resolve Studio and Final Cut, but for other reasons. That's serious overkill for GoPro motorcycle YouTube videos.

Here's a video that Royal Jordanian made last year about DJI and GoPro. What he says about his editing needs is spot on. With 1.4 million subscribers, he's obviously doing something right. Personally, I think that it's his style, not technical stuff. I know Winnipeg very well. Great to see a participant here from that part of Canada.

Thanks for the feedback...I’ve tried iMovie and just don’t like the interface - its hard to learn, which is too bad because it probably will do everything I need or want. I havent managed to upload anything to Youtube yet...Ive been busy trying to figure out which format is best to shoot in - given that I want maximum stabilization..and in the process learning of the inadequacies of both my PC and my iMac. I have the budget (approx. $2500) to upgrade either the iMac or the PC
Davinci has the benefit of having a free version, though I’m not opposed to buying it - but I really dislike subscription software like Premiere Pro.
Since you know Winnipeg, you know that twisty roads are few and far between, so most of the editing is cutting out boring sections and inserting a dissolve. All of this started because I have a trip to Scotland to ride the NC500 booked and paid for..I wanted to document it, so the delays caused by Covid are giving me time to experiment & learn.

I’ve been to the Outer Hebrides (I have family on Lewis) and would love to ride the North Coast 500.

For $2500 you’ll have no problem getting a computer, Mac or Windows, that can handle 4K GoPro footage. However, I would do a test with your current iMac. I only have the Studio version of DaVinci Resolve, but my understanding is that the free version has limitations that may adversely affect rendering, and maybe playback, of your 4K/60fps footage. If this is the problem, spending more money on a computer isn’t going to fix it. It’s worth finding out whether you have the same problems that you’re experiencing on your iMac, whatever they are, with iMovie. You could also test with Final Cut Pro, which you can use on a trial basis for 90 days.

A comment based on my own experience with motorcycle filming... Your GoPro will take care of the video. To my mind, the bigger issue is sound. If you want to emphasise the bike’s sound, I would do what RJ does and use a separate audio recorder and microphone. As he showed in a video that he made two or three years ago, he syncs by filming a beep on his bike’s horn. Very simple. If you want to record yourself narrating while riding, it’s a matter of experimenting with mike placement in your helmet. As you may know, there are lots of YouTube videos about how to set up a helmet mike. Personally, I think that using a good lavaliere, rather than a $25 Amazon special, is key. I will never understand why people spend hundreds of dollars on a camera but spend next to nothing on a microphone.

The North Coast 500 is going to be a great ride. I’m jealous

We visited Mull in 2018, and the Outer Hebrides in 2019..
I first booked my NC500++ for May of 2020..cancelled due to Covid..rebooked for Sept. of 2020..cancelled due to Covid..rebooked for May 6 of 2021. You are welcome to my .gpx file of the NC500 that takes “B” roads whenever possible for uploading to a Garmin..my route leaves from Edinburgh because thats where I pick up the rental motorcycle from.

I’ll download Final Cut Pro and try it today. I have tried iMovie, I didn't seem to choke on large file sizes, I just got frustrated with the interface, not intuitive - for me.

I’ve watched hundreds of hours of motorcycle videos..I’ve decided to avoid the entire sound issue by simply laying in music in post, using sub-titles and very occasionally recording narration using the GoPro and an external mic. then laying it in as a track in post.
If buying the paid version of Resolve is one of the necessary ways to deal with the issue, then thats not a problem..

I’ll download Final Cut Pro and try it today.

If you decide to explore Final Cut beyond an initial look, I can recommend Ripple Training's Core Final Cut course. They may have a discount for Black Friday: https://www.rippletraining.com/products ... -training/

Ripple is also a Blackmagic Training Partner and offers a similar course for DaVinci Resolve: https://www.rippletraining.com/products ... -training/

I am looking for information to edit *K footage on an Imac Pro with 8core,64gb ram, and Vega 64 graphic card with 16gb ram. Is that enough to edit 8K and if not what work around is there using DaVince Resolve?
I using 8k RED footage.

Thanks for the good tips!

I posted a computer build query here:
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=124099
. . . and am awaiting components. Recently watched a YouTube video where a guy showed before and after GoPro audio where he ran a mic (camera was on a car) into a wheel well nearest the exhaust. Night and day difference!

Anyway, with regard to the computer build, by budget was higher than yours but the basics are similar. And one ting I have learned is this; the Studio version of resolve handles H.264 better than the free version so I'd believe this alone makes it worth purchasing. Also, it's my understanding the latest version, 17, includes the Speed Editor, a $300 product. I am planning on buying this myself (but am saddened they didn't make a 'deal' for the keyboard, instead - thus proving I'm merely a greedy consumer who is never satisfied).

Because high end video cards for a PC build will not be available for at least 2 months I bought a 27” iMac..

27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display

3.6GHz 10-core 10th-generation Intel Core i9 processor, Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz
64GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory
Radeon Pro 5700 XT with 16GB of GDDR6 memory
2TB internal SSD storage
8TB external HD storage

It’ll be here in 2-3 weeks.
Anyone got a spare, legitimate DaVinci Studio licence for sale, cheap?

No spare key, sorry. But that sounds like a nice computer, good job!

Anyone got a spare, legitimate DaVinci Studio licence for sale, cheap?

BMD Resolve Studio 17 perpetual license with free upgrades for $299. That's very cheap. Plus free Speed Editor hardware too, a $295 value.

BMD Resolve Studio 17 perpetual license with free upgrades for $299. That's very cheap. Plus free Speed Editor hardware too, a $295 value.

Those prices are in U.S dollars, Canadian price is about $450.00..and while I agree that it’s still not a lot of money for the powerful features, it doesn’t hurt to ask!

It's nothing to me now, but there have been times when it's a lot. Then again, BMD offer a free license version to which I say, thank you Grant Petty, well done, mate!

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Anyone got a spare, legitimate DaVinci Studio licence for sale, cheap?

There should be a fair number of people who purchase DaVinci Resolve Studio, but who already have the application and just want the new Speed Editor that comes with the purchase. As far as I know, there is nothing preventing those people from giving the license code to someone else. Given where you live, it might be worth making some local enquiries.

Personally, I hope this doesn't catch on. Why not? It's because the folks at BMD have made us a very generous offer with the Speed Editor deal (free when you buy a license to Resolve Studio 17). Thus, doing this strikes me of effectively kicking BMD in the teeth as the return for their long standing support (free Resolve Studio upgrades). Please, I get on my knees and beg of you . . . pause and consider whether such a scheme is a proper for you to thank them for their years (and ongoing) of generosity. And not just because fair is fair, but because it's not right.

The speed editor promotion swung the deal for me, so this morning I ordered a copy of ‘17 with the included speed editor..

Good for you . . . now back to me doing my happy dance!

The computer finally arrives tomorrow - Wed.Dec.2... I called the DaVinci Resolve reseller and was told that the Speed Editor was back ordered to April 4, 2021..(!!) ..and that no, I could not have the key for the software download beforehand because it was bundled with the speed editor.
I decided on the 27” iMac, paying almost $5800.00 CDN for it instead of buying a PC for $3500.00 because the video card for the PC was back ordered until early March, so this is a royal pain where the sun don’t shine.

I called the DaVinci Resolve reseller and was told that the Speed Editor was back ordered to April 4, 2021..(!!) ..and that no, I could not have the key for the software download beforehand because it was bundled with the speed editor.

It isn't clear what stage your discussions with the reseller are at, but if you have proof of purchase, I would suggest calling Blackmagic support. I'd be surprised if they won't do anything to fix this. It sounds like there must be a lot of people in the same situation, so presumably Blackmagic has, or is rapidly developing, a policy on how to deal with this.

In your place, if they won't give you a license I'd cancel the transaction (if it has happened) and go to a different NLE. Based on earlier posts, it sounds like you have a three month trial of Final Cut. If this can't be fixed, maybe just go with Final Cut and be done with it. I imagine that it performs rather well on the latest 27" iMac.

I found a reseller in British Columbia who will sell me a registration key..and will ship me the Speed Editor when he gets it..When I called my local dealer to cancel he understood, but said he was still working on it and suggested that I hold off cancelling for 1 day..slow progress, kinda