Post Processing Software Recommendations

[PatR]

I looked into setting up an external GPU yesterday and decided that in the long run it would be better to buy a desktop that had a good graphics card, lots of memory, and multiple fast processors. Laptops, unless designed around providing a superb gaming experience, do not generally provide the best graphics processing for video. For less than the cost of a great gaming laptop a much more expandable desk top can be had.

 

[Sensor This Aeronautical]

Great thread all! I'm searching out post processing equipment and software right now and am very intrigued with DaVinci Resolve 14. Will it also serve to edit still photography? Thanks!

 

[PatR]

Good question since many of the video editors are useless for stills.

 

[Eagle's Eye Video]

I will be upgrading my computer by the end of September, and am looking forward to trying out
DaVinci Resolve... it won't even install on my current desktop... not surprising as it was a mid-line
computer... when purchased in 2009... and BTW I run Photoshop CS2

 

[Windluv]

Just to do the post processing on Davinci, I picked up one of these about 2 months ago (discontinued now) :

Amazon.com: CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Ultra GUA570 Gaming Desktop - AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz CPU, 16GB DDR3 RAM, NVIDIA GTX960 2GB, 2TB HDD, 24X DVD+-RW, Win 10 Home: Computers & Accessories

The difference is incredible. I have been using laptops for years, and am now back to the desktop, and thoroughly enjoying it.

 

[FlushVision]

Great thread all! I'm searching out post processing equipment and software right now and am very intrigued with DaVinci Resolve 14. Will it also serve to edit still photography? Thanks!

As far as I recall from using Resolve 12.5, you can include still pictures, so I expect Resolve 14 will be able to too. I never tried it but I recall seeing that it was possible.

 

[TimboSlice]

I use Vegas Movie Studio. 80 bucks at Sweetwater or download trial version for 30 days. It's a 4k editor with lots of bells and whistles but please pay attention to what PatR wrote because hardware is everything. I started with a system that wasn't up to 4k processing. 800 bucks later I've got a working system. I'm using Asrock MB, i7, 16gb memory,4 gb video card, 2 2tb drives, and upgraded to 700 watt PS. In the end it's very frustrating because it's barely enough. I've got my eye on asus x99 mb, 64gb, upgrading the 2600k i7 to an 8 core, twin 390x (8gb), bigger ps - gee whiz it never stops! -M

You're so right - it never ends. My $1,000 drone is now going to cost me at least that much in computer and software upgrades!
Geez, indeed!!

 

[PatR]

After that you get to add more for extra batteries, a few SD cards, and a multi terabyte secondary storage device. The drone is the cheap part...

 

[TimboSlice]

I looked into setting up an external GPU yesterday and decided that in the long run it would be better to buy a desktop that had a good graphics card, lots of memory, and multiple fast processors. Laptops, unless designed around providing a superb gaming experience, do not generally provide the best graphics processing for video. For less than the cost of a great gaming laptop a much more expandable desk top can be had.

As I am reviewing this thread - I had not even thought about buying a desktop - but why not? I do all of my editing sitting at my desk (overlooking the lake, which can be distracting, but I digress) I am now on a quest for a laptop that can handle my new "post processing" needs! Giddy Up!
t!

 

[jcommstudios]

Fairly new to the drone world but I have been doing 4K video for the past few years. What I do is shoot in 4K then use the Borsoft encoder to take it to 1080P30 for the edit/color grading in Premiere Pro. I then create a high level h264 for web delivery or 1080 mpeg2 for broadcast. Shooting in 4K future proofs your clients footage! Eventually we will be there. 2 of the 3 major networks still broadcast in 720p60!

 

[YuKay]

I don't know much about the dark side but on a Mac you can edit 4k video perfectly well on a computer which isn't capable of playing the video back at full resolution.

Final Cut Pro X lets you do all the edits in low resolution proxies and when you're done applies all the metadata to the original 4k footage.

To see it in all its glory, you would have to play the final video back on another device, such as a 4k TV -- or you could get yourself a Retina iMac which is capable of editing and playing 4k video…or go crazy with the new iMac Pro which will even edit and play 8k video when it comes.

 

[PatR]

There are times I almost think the “accessory” makers are the ones urging companies to make and sell multirotors. Just think of all the batteries, SD cards, action cams, gimbals, external storage devices, faster computers, monitors, HDMI and other cables, and post processing programs being sold along with the aircraft. It all works out to serious money.

 

[jcommstudios]

I don't know much about the dark side but on a Mac you can edit 4k video perfectly well on a computer which isn't capable of playing the video back at full resolution.

Final Cut Pro X lets you do all the edits in low resolution proxies and when you're done applies all the metadata to the original 4k footage.

To see it in all its glory, you would have to play the final video back on another device, such as a 4k TV -- or you could get yourself a Retina iMac which is capable of editing and playing 4k video…or go crazy with the new iMac Pro which will even edit and play 8k video when it comes.

Dark Side lol. Same thing on windows with Premiere. 4K w/ 1080 proxy files. Output to what ever you want. Since nobody can take delivery at 4K (or very few request it). I encode my 4K with the Brorsoft converter to 1080p30 at the original bit-rate. Gives you robust files in whatever codec you choose pro-res, mpeg2 etc. The whole 4-8K thing is getting a bit ridiculous. Unless you are working on a movie delivery is going to be 1080. Most clients don't even have Blu-ray players to play back. Perfectly good waste of HD video to create a DVD. IMHO.