Which MacbookPro for Qlab running sound & vision to one screen: 13" or 15"?

[Karola]

Hi all

I'm planning on buying a 2016 Macbook Pro so that I can run QLab on it for a small theatre show. There'll be sound mainly - but possibly some video - and it'll be going to one screen on stage, mirrored from the computer.

Should I get a 13" or 15" - for the show to run comfortably?

The 13" 2016 models have an Intel Iris Graphics 540 card, the 15" models, Radion Pro 450 with 2 Gig memory. Would the Iris one do?

I could increase the 13" to a i7 processor and the RAM from 8 to16, if necessary. Would 8 suffice? 

Re drives, the standard drive for the 13' is a 256GB PCIe-based SSD - not just the 15" = but that can be boosted to 512 +. But would 256 be OK?

If I have to get a 15" so be it, but if I can get a 13" to run audio and video that would be my preference.  

Basically I don't want to over spec it and my preference is to get the one that is enough but not spend more than what I need to. I may be wrong but I think I can only increase the RAM on purchasing. 

Many thanks for any advice. 

http://www.apple.com/uk/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro (link to UK store).

[Andy Lang]

Hi Karola,

I replied to your email directly to us at support, but will duplicate what I said there, for the benefit of anybody else watching this thread here. We do not recommend the 13”, or any model with Intel graphics, for more than the most basic of video needs. It’s far too easy to exceed the limited capabilities of the integrated graphics and shared RAM. If you’re running video, you’ll never regret going with a model that has a dedicated graphics card. I have the top of the line 13” from a year ago as my personal laptop, and I can definitely get it to drag a bit if I try to layer a couple videos, especially if I start adding any transparency into the mix. There’s also the matter of pushing it that hard kicking the fans into high gear at times, which isn’t the most desirable thing in a show environment.

As far as hard drive space goes, as long as it’s an SSD, it’s simply a matter of how much space you’ll need for your media. The amount of space on the SSD doesn’t affect running the show, so long as you can fit what you need in the space you have. You’d have to be doing a lot of very high resolution video for 256 to not be enough for a single show.

As for RAM, I would absolutely get 16 GB if it’s within the budget. Again, more RAM is something nobody ever regretted having!

The other way I usually explain it is that the 13” and smaller models are designed primarily for paperwork, email, web browsing, and occasionally watching a movie from Netflix or Amazon. They’re designed to be compact, lightweight, and just powerful enough for those tasks. More processing power means more battery power, which means more weight. So performance is usually the compromise, since they both want to minimize battery weight and, with what battery weight they do have, want to maximize battery life between charges. The higher end 15” models are the ones that have more power, and are targeted more at creative professionals doing audio and video work.

-Andy

—
Andy Lang
@SoundGuyAndy
sup...@figure53.com

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[Mark Valenzuela]

Just to chime in on one small point - as of the release of the Retina MBP's, RAM is now no longer user replaceable, because it is soldered onto the motherboard. So whatever option you choose now you will be stuck with. As Andy said, DEFINITELY get 16gb, you won't regret it. 

The hard drives, however, can be upgraded, although they cost a premium because they're a proprietary design by Apple, for size and speed purposes (they no longer come in an enclosure, or with a normal SATA connector). So with that decision, you could always choose the 256gb option, which most likely will be fine for a show computer, and if necessary upgrade the SSD down the road. 

Good luck!

Mark 

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[Pruitt]

Andy's recommendations carry far more weight than mine, and sticking with the quad processors and dedicated graphics of the 15" is always a good choice if you can afford it. But I'll also let you know that I've been running Qlab since version 1, and running shows off of 13" Macbook Pros for years and after the 2012 models, rarely if ever, run into any sorts of limitations for what I need to do. I've run as many as 3 video projectors + the Qlab screen off my current 2014 13" Macbook Pro with an i7 processor and 8GB of memory. A few times a year I might have to tweak how a particular cue loads, to prevent stuttering, but that's all I've really ever run into. Now if I consistently ran those kinds of multiscreen shows, or shows that demanded a great deal of processing, I'd definitely purchase a 15" or an iMac to run them, but I don't run into problems nearly as often as one would expect from reading this forum.

Which is just to say, if you know you're only running one screen and honestly can't afford the 15", my experience is that the 13" pros can be solid machines. This is also born out by the fact that a lot of the touring shows I work with spec mac minis for video in their riders, which are basically the same architecture as the 13" pros, if I'm not mistaken. I will also say that I pay close attention to file types and work hard to balance between file sizes and image quality. Most video designers will send out 1080p files that are several GB, even if the projector is only capable of 1280 x 800, and it's not unusual for those large files to cause problems, but that's a different issue altogether.

Just my two cents. Definitely listen to the guys from Qlab first.

-s

[talkingtobrian]

I would also like to offer my perspective, since I am in the same boat of needing to purchase a new computer.

The old wisdom of buy the biggest and best you can is certainly valid, because you get the most life out of it. And Apples tend to live a looong time. I am a very heavy Qlab user, and my design computer (and what I use to run smaller/simpler, one-screen shows) is a 2008 MBP 15" maxed out with 4 GB and I believe 256 GB of SSD HDD.

As I look at a new machine and don't have a lot to spend, I'm leaning towards saving a little money, knowing how much I can still push my crazy 8 year old laptop running Mountain Lion. If I have to do something bigger, then they have a budget for a computer. (My main school has a Pro tower...I run lots of multi-screen designs there, for instance.)

Just my thoughts. Advice welcome. The thing I am sad about is that only some of the current line of PRO laptops have discrete graphics cards. My 2008 does.
-Brian

[Dave Tosti-Lane]

Consider a refurb. As the new ones roll out, Apple has more refurbs rolling in.
Right now for instance I see a refurbished 2015 15.4 with 16g and 1T
flash drive and Radeon R9 M370x graphics card for $2629 US

Dave Tosti-Lane

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[Mark Valenzuela]

If budget is tight, which it seems it is, in addition to considering refurbs as Dave mentioned, I’d consider used MBP's. You can find ones with warranties from places like OWC or Microcenter. I recently sold a Late 2011 15” MBP (non-Retina), and although it’s a 5 year old computer, it still benchmarks higher than every 13” MPB ever made, is user upgradeable to 16GB of RAM and an regular laptop SSD (which is absolutely critical, IMO), and has a discrete graphics card. The mid 2012, which is the last 15” non-Retina MPB that Apple made, is a slight bump up in spec from that one.


Don’t get me wrong, I think the 15” Retina’s are really nice computers, but they are significantly more expensive than the non Retina’s. I’d argue that the last two generations of non-Retina’s are more bang for your buck in terms of performance than the first couple of generations of 15” Retina’s.


Of course, get the best computer you can afford. But definitely go for a slightly older 15” MBP over a comparably priced newer 13”.




Good luck!
Mark

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