You Can Edit 4K Video on a MacBook Air (With a Red Rocket)
Since you can't even play 4K video on any PC, most of us would not automatically come up with an idea to edit 12-megapixel resolution video on a Macbook Air.
However, a demo published by Dave Helmly, in charge of tech sales of Adobe's pro audio and video products, shows that it is possible.
Helmly used a flagship Macbook Air with an Intel 1.8 GHz i7-2677M processor, which retails for $1700. The 4K video quickly overwhelmed the dual-core processor and its four threads. However, the video, apparently recorded with a Red One camera, ran in real-time via a Thunderbolt-connected Red Rocket accelerator and transcoder card. The Red Rocket card is key to getting 4K video to be played at 30 fps on a PC and can be purchased for $4,750.
It's important to note that Helmly went with the Apple hardware, but on the OS side it's running Windows 7 in boot camp. Helmly explained to Gizmodo on his choice:
No real reason I chose to show it running under Windows 7 other than I've been surprised that we haven't seen any demos of Windows running TB before now. It actually works pretty good in it's current beta state. That said the Mac OS kicks @ss running the same config. Please keep in mind that half the battle is getting alpha/beta Windows 7 64bit drivers for each TB device. All TB devices need drivers at some level. All necessary Mac OS driver are already shipping.
The Mac + TB is really last years news and we all want more TB peripherals to start shipping and to start showing Intel and PC makers that there is lots of interest on both sides and it will benefit all TB users. I have no preference on OS and use both everyday.
4K video is still an emerging standard and out of reach for mainstream customers. The Red One camera, which supports recording formats up to 4.5K at 4480x1920 pixels, is currently sold for $25,000. YouTube began supporting 4K videos in mid-2010. An example can be seen below (but you'll have to blow it up to original size if you want to see it in all its glory).
So the hard work was done by an external device, the hardware is basically an Intel based ultrabook, regardless of the manufacturer the only thing that makes it Mac is the OS, and that was replaced with Windows 7
Well done, nice job
Because of the available Thunderbolt connection?
So the hard work was done by an external device, the hardware is basically an Intel based ultrabook, regardless of the manufacturer the only thing that makes it Mac is the OS, and that was replaced with Windows 7
Well done, nice job
one, I remember the 6970 was quite OK with 3x1080P, I think the 7970 will be the same with 4x1080P
The 7990 would be excellent as the 6990 was excellent with the 3x1080P so the 7990 should be excellent with 4x1080P
read the benchmarks
actually the 7970 can play it (don't know about editing)
To my knowledge there is no option for a Thunderbolt connection on a PC. That was my point.
The point is mobility.
You can't take a big workstation with you. This thing you can travel with.
Very simple; in a few years 4K will come to the consumer market. And it would be nice if you can watch Baby's fist steps in 4K then.
Look at all the teenagers running around, when Dad gets out their digital Baby pics in (then) 640x480 they cringe. Oh Dad... nice memory, but what a crappy resolution.
In other words, even if we can not VIEW the resolution yet (within our budget, as monitors that can ARE available); it would be smart to record in as much resolution as we can. The displays will catch up !
The terminology (4k) comes from the Video world, not the computer world.
IT folk count lines, Video folk used to count lines in the analog days and switched to vertical resolution when going digital. Nothing misleading, simply another way at looking at thing.
Like Europeans drive in km/h and liters and Yanks in miles and Gallons :-)
My calculator says 4480*1920 = 8.6MP, not 12.
Not true. The Nvidia GT 520's video engine can playback 4k video, the output however is limited to 1080p.
Why not 4096x2160? It's about the same amount of pixels (slightly more) and it makes more sense.