This is the third of your videos in which you have shown the pros, cons, and tradeoffs of the base M4 Mac mini in real world situations. Great work, eminently useful, and the sub-10 minute duration is really appreciated. Subscription earned.
Very good video. You actually did tests that matter. Everyone knows these computers get decent rendering times since the introduction of Apple silicon. But the playback and ability to use effects is what matters most now. Well done.
I have a Blackmagic 4K and I film in BRAW. I want this system but I want to make sure it will suit my needs. I don’t shoot action films. Mostly drama, documentary, and some music videos.
Awesome stuff. I was able to cut, grade and render the 6.2k open gate 10 bit 422 h265 of the Fuji XM5 in DaVinci on my old entry level M2 Pro MBP without using any proxies. Sure its not RAW but recent macs can handle these tasks easily.
Hey - thanks for the video and appreciate your work man! Quick question, what would be the reason for doing it this way rather than by using proxies that can just be switched on and off as needed?
You can totally do proxies, however it’s an extra step that a lot of users including myself don’t want to take, especially when it comes to the raw files because you won’t get to use the raw tab and change the raw settings on those clips until you switch back from using proxy media
Hi Geoff, Fantastic episode, mate. You are really helping people make a purchase decision between the base and the pro model. Could you also provide some information about the noise reduction performance of the base model? Thanks.
So just simple straight forward drone videography/photography with cleaning up and color coding the mini 4 with external SSD is more than enough computer correct@ReachFilms
Nicely. Done. Have you tried the HDMI port to your monitor from the M4 Mac mini ? I'm having continuous black flashes for about .5 sec before returning :( I even rebooted the monitor. Thanks
See what 2 things you can also do are generating optimized media and choosing playback to performance, although basic suggestions but a bit more effective than reducing the timeline quality as a whole.
Hi Geoff any chance you can do a video comparing the new Mac mini M4 vs the M4 iMac? I'm considering the 10 core GPU M4 iMac since the studio display is so expensive but am not sure if the performance is comparable to the base Mac mini.
Howdy, thanks for the review; that is exactly what I needed clarification on. Is it possible to test the same process on a mini M4 Pro? What hardware should be in m4 pro for normal FX usage?
As an MMM2Pro owner, I can say that even on a 4k timeline I can definitely add a lot of effects and still have smooth playback with 4k and even 6k footage, but it has to be effects that aren't too heavy on the system like Glitch transition, NR, Relight, and a few others, but for this small beast it takes a lot to bog it down, and then it's time to size down my timelines, and then it's a whole different playing field. Here, i can throw tons of effects, as long as I do User render cache when needed, if not things start bogging down particularly if I have NR on this clip, on that clip, in the Group Nodes, on another clip, and use the grain and halation in Film Creator that I have on 10 clips, and magic mask in several nodes, and more. So in conclusion the Mac Mini M2 and M4 pro line are incredible and can handle even Red footage and or 8K footage quite comfortably. It's not the Max line but it's not far away from it.
@@ArslanUnic Definitely. However for using Fusion, it might get slower, but that's more due to the fact that Blackmagic Design, from what I've heard, hasn't redesigned and re-optimized Fusion for these new systems. However Fusion also will also run very well. But I can for sure say that the Color Page does great, and what I've done so far in Fusion has been very smooth. Where it could present some issues is perhaps with 3D rendering, or very taxing effects but those are few and far in between. I'm not a 3D creator, but I do compositing and grading a lot so with the MMM2 Pro with 10 Gigs of CPU / 16 of GPU I am very impressed.
Thanks for the Video, it's possibly the only real world test of basic M4 for Video editing with resolve. Right now i'm doing video editing with my Resolve Studio with an ... Macbook M1 Air 16GB and i have some problems when adding effects or Noise reduction. Looking to upgrade to a Desktop (!) mac mini and i was wondering what to choose. I was heading for the base model M4 Pro 12C/16G 24GB and i would like to ask you if you believe that solution is Ok for an serious (not top) video editing without stuttering. i'm mostly do BM Raw footage. Did you ever tried the M4 pro BASIC 12C/16G 24GB model as you did with M4 basic mini? What's your opinion? Excuse my long post. Thanks in advance
I’d love to know the MacMini handles scrubbing through the vision with a speed editor? Playing vision is usually pretty easy but scrubbing back and forwards really taxes most computers. Cheers.
You do very helpful videos . Thanks for that. If we do crazy masks in the face, or mask for 2 people etc , voice isolation, color grade ,video stabilizer in 4k 10 bit format from sony a7 iv , the mac mini m4 pro will be fine? Do you believe it can handle it for export and all will be good?
If in 1080 then you go to 4k and it can transfer the mask correctly then yes. If it can’t transfer the mask correctly then at that point I would look at the m4 pro
It would probably do better on the m4 pro, I was monitoring my ram usage and it was still around 13-14gb with no effects going and having lag in the 4k timeline. So it’s not maxing out the ram
You've mentioned using Dehancer. This is one of my biggest problems when exporting my work, as I ALWAYS use dehancer (grain, halation, bloom, etc). Would you happen to know how does the mini m4 handle 4k prores with dehancer? Both editing and exporting...
I haven’t exported a large enough project to accurately compare its performance to a more expensive M4 machine. However, it appears to handle the Dehancer plugin, but your primary challenge seems to be editing in 4K because Dehancer makes the footage challenging to run on a 4K timeline on the Mini.
i couldn't afford the m4 pro, so i just got the base model. im setting it up with your links for the owc ssd and the 2tb stick thing to put inside. I edit music videos with a lot of tracking and masking, so i hope to be able to do it with this, despite you saying i can't :) i do one small project at a time. no deadlines, so i hope to be able to make it work. i'm not ultra fussed about having to scrub through on 4k or even 1080. it'd be cool if you did a little test in the meanwhile, of masking and the kind of rap video effects--my enclosure wont arrive until the 28th so i have to wait until then because you said i should do everything at once, together, at the beginning.
I use Ecamm Live Pro and it can only do 4K 60 so I play the 6k or 8k and it is compressed and downsampled to the 4k and it looks awesome. That is why I haven't bought Final Cut Pro, Davinci Resolve or Adobe. I have on weaker computers to resolve the studdering and juddering in the video just go to a smaller resolution. Cheers!
@@dilltakespics4849 It really depends on the drive you are using, if you are using the OWC that would be overkill, if you were using a T7 then yeah that would be a good idea
@@postmanpilgrim I don’t want to create proxies as when you do that you lose all raw controls of braw and R3D footage which is a huge advantage to using the raw formats. Proxies is better suited at this point for much older systems that won’t even be able to handle the method I use here
Oh crap im sorry i thought it was Fcp my bad! I get hardly playback unless i wait for transcode then if add anything has to render w maxed out 2020 intel mac 7500 bucks . Just hard to beleive speed or smooth anything. Great video. Thank You
Is it true that video editors need MacBook Pro Rather than MacBook Air? While both model come with M Chip what makes the difference mainly for video editing? Kindly make a reply. I am so confused whether I need to grab an Air or Pro. 🙏
It all depends on your specific work flow, when you create proxies you lose the raw controls, some users don’t care while others do. This is a solution for those that do.
Do you need to make the changes with Mac Mini M4 Pro with 14‑core CPU, 20‑core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 64GB unified memory, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI port, two USB‑C ports, headphone jack 🤔. This is the reason I bought the top of the line Mac Mini M4 Pro with the specs in the first sentence.
@ 4k 10bit is something a codec has in it. Many different camera offer different codecs that are easier or harder to edit. Sony is different from canon which is different from GoPro or dji
I played 4 4K videos from a downloaded Insta 360 X3 and 10 tab's of RUclips playing 4K video content simultaneously. My M4 Mini Pro 14/20 64GB video playback didn't stutter or slow down and the fan didn't even come on, that's impressive imo.
@@sugriv3405 I know but I used the Apple 10% discount with a $250 CC cashback. Which dropped the price combined by $600 bucks off MSRP, I upgrade every 6+ years so I believe I'm future proofed to go the distance.
Me cuesta creer que alguien que tenga o rente una RED Komodo, trabaje con una computadora que, si bien es muy buena, para esos codecs + efectos, le costaría más trabajo.
I used the footage from the Komodo as an example of what the computer is capable of with higher end codecs. As you can see from the video, I’m not telling red owners to buy a base model Mac mini
@@ReachFilms Claro, lo entiendo. De hecho el video me sirve, pues uso codecs de cámaras mucho menos pesados que una RED. La M4 es muy tentadora, puedo tener mucha potencia a bajo costo.
I'm a novis. Please explain why one even need to edit in 6K or 8K when almost no one can watch the result unless you're watching it from a monitor of the same caliber. Almost everyone is on 4K. Why do so many creators waste money on very expensive cameras when no one can see the end result as intended? Is there even a reason?
It has to do with tracking and effects, if you are shooting with a 6k or 8k camera masking and tracking will have to be done in the native resolution for the best results
@@ReachFilms Thank you for responding! I've always been wondering about it. As I said... I'm no expert.. and I'm not trying to be a smart ass. Just curios :)
@@KingZero69 nah dude that workflow isn’t for everyone especially when you are using the raw tab. Also you gotta think not everyone is in the same position as pros and need to make their gear work. This has helped a lot of people just check the comments. 99% of these people won’t deal with proxies. Again you do you and proxies do serve a purpose.
There are way worse codecs, specifically canon raw and CDNG. But due to its complexity is why I’m showing how it performs on a base model m4. For the price it’s pretty special
Sir thank you for consistently covering the base model of this M4 Mac Mini. You've been very helpful for all of us on a budget!!
You're welcome! Glad I could help!
This is the third of your videos in which you have shown the pros, cons, and tradeoffs of the base M4 Mac mini in real world situations. Great work, eminently useful, and the sub-10 minute duration is really appreciated. Subscription earned.
I appreciate your support!
Very good video. You actually did tests that matter. Everyone knows these computers get decent rendering times since the introduction of Apple silicon. But the playback and ability to use effects is what matters most now. Well done.
I'm blown away by these machines...might pick one up soon.
It’s a solid machine, as a pro buy one as an extra but for your uses you may want an m4 pro
One of the best Mac Mini videos on RUclips. Thanks 😎
Wow, thanks!
I have a Blackmagic 4K and I film in BRAW. I want this system but I want to make sure it will suit my needs. I don’t shoot action films. Mostly drama, documentary, and some music videos.
Awesome stuff. I was able to cut, grade and render the 6.2k open gate 10 bit 422 h265 of the Fuji XM5 in DaVinci on my old entry level M2 Pro MBP without using any proxies. Sure its not RAW but recent macs can handle these tasks easily.
Nice work!
Hey - thanks for the video and appreciate your work man! Quick question, what would be the reason for doing it this way rather than by using proxies that can just be switched on and off as needed?
You can totally do proxies, however it’s an extra step that a lot of users including myself don’t want to take, especially when it comes to the raw files because you won’t get to use the raw tab and change the raw settings on those clips until you switch back from using proxy media
Hi Geoff,
Fantastic episode, mate. You are really helping people make a purchase decision between the base and the pro model.
Could you also provide some information about the noise reduction performance of the base model?
Thanks.
Thank you!! It’s kinda in the same league as using effects, if you really need to do it, do it in a 720p timeline. Otherwise go for the m4 pro
So just simple straight forward drone videography/photography with cleaning up and color coding the mini 4 with external SSD is more than enough computer correct@ReachFilms
@ as long as you don’t need heavy effects then yes
The Mac Mini M4 is a little “Hulk” .. a great tool .. however you have to know how to use a tool correctly … great video, thumbs up
Nicely. Done.
Have you tried the HDMI port to your monitor from the M4 Mac mini ?
I'm having continuous black flashes for about .5 sec before returning :(
I even rebooted the monitor.
Thanks
Yeah I use it for my monitor that is a tv, have no issues
See what 2 things you can also do are generating optimized media and choosing playback to performance, although basic suggestions but a bit more effective than reducing the timeline quality as a whole.
Great video mate. Any recommendation on how much of ram is needed for 4K editing 422 10bit? I’ll do speed ramps, colour grading and effects.
@@rakhithamanchanayaka6271 if you are ok with the 1080p method you can go with 16, if you want to future proof yourself go 24
Hi Geoff any chance you can do a video comparing the new Mac mini M4 vs the M4 iMac? I'm considering the 10 core GPU M4 iMac since the studio display is so expensive but am not sure if the performance is comparable to the base Mac mini.
Thank you for the suggestion! I am working to see how I can get my hands on the base model m4 iMac and base model Mac mini m4 pro
Howdy, thanks for the review; that is exactly what I needed clarification on. Is it possible to test the same process on a mini M4 Pro? What hardware should be in m4 pro for normal FX usage?
Unfortunately I don’t have any thunderbolt m4 pro, but that hardware it has is way more gpu cores, twice the amount on the non base model m4pro
As an MMM2Pro owner, I can say that even on a 4k timeline I can definitely add a lot of effects and still have smooth playback with 4k and even 6k footage, but it has to be effects that aren't too heavy on the system like Glitch transition, NR, Relight, and a few others, but for this small beast it takes a lot to bog it down, and then it's time to size down my timelines, and then it's a whole different playing field. Here, i can throw tons of effects, as long as I do User render cache when needed, if not things start bogging down particularly if I have NR on this clip, on that clip, in the Group Nodes, on another clip, and use the grain and halation in Film Creator that I have on 10 clips, and magic mask in several nodes, and more. So in conclusion the Mac Mini M2 and M4 pro line are incredible and can handle even Red footage and or 8K footage quite comfortably. It's not the Max line but it's not far away from it.
@@kmal16 is 24 gigs of RAM with 12cpu and 16gpu enough for Davinci using FX?
@@ArslanUnic Definitely. However for using Fusion, it might get slower, but that's more due to the fact that Blackmagic Design, from what I've heard, hasn't redesigned and re-optimized Fusion for these new systems. However Fusion also will also run very well. But I can for sure say that the Color Page does great, and what I've done so far in Fusion has been very smooth. Where it could present some issues is perhaps with 3D rendering, or very taxing effects but those are few and far in between. I'm not a 3D creator, but I do compositing and grading a lot so with the MMM2 Pro with 10 Gigs of CPU / 16 of GPU I am very impressed.
Thanks for the Video, it's possibly the only real world test of basic M4 for Video editing with resolve. Right now i'm doing video editing with my Resolve Studio with an ... Macbook M1 Air 16GB and i have some problems when adding effects or Noise reduction. Looking to upgrade to a Desktop (!) mac mini and i was wondering what to choose. I was heading for the base model M4 Pro 12C/16G 24GB and i would like to ask you if you believe that solution is Ok for an serious (not top) video editing without stuttering. i'm mostly do BM Raw footage. Did you ever tried the M4 pro BASIC 12C/16G 24GB model as you did with M4 basic mini? What's your opinion? Excuse my long post. Thanks in advance
I’d love to know the MacMini handles scrubbing through the vision with a speed editor? Playing vision is usually pretty easy but scrubbing back and forwards really taxes most computers. Cheers.
So glad I’m following you, thanks!
I'm glad you find the content useful!
You do very helpful videos . Thanks for that. If we do crazy masks in the face, or mask for 2 people etc , voice isolation, color grade ,video stabilizer in 4k 10 bit format from sony a7 iv , the mac mini m4 pro will be fine? Do you believe it can handle it for export and all will be good?
If in 1080 then you go to 4k and it can transfer the mask correctly then yes. If it can’t transfer the mask correctly then at that point I would look at the m4 pro
Would the lag after colour grading be improved with pro processor or more ram on the base; or both?
It would probably do better on the m4 pro, I was monitoring my ram usage and it was still around 13-14gb with no effects going and having lag in the 4k timeline. So it’s not maxing out the ram
Great video, but why would enybody edit RED raw on an entry level mac mini?
Really was more to use as example
You've mentioned using Dehancer. This is one of my biggest problems when exporting my work, as I ALWAYS use dehancer (grain, halation, bloom, etc). Would you happen to know how does the mini m4 handle 4k prores with dehancer? Both editing and exporting...
I haven’t exported a large enough project to accurately compare its performance to a more expensive M4 machine. However, it appears to handle the Dehancer plugin, but your primary challenge seems to be editing in 4K because Dehancer makes the footage challenging to run on a 4K timeline on the Mini.
This was helpful, Thanks
I appreciate you watching!
i couldn't afford the m4 pro, so i just got the base model. im setting it up with your links for the owc ssd and the 2tb stick thing to put inside. I edit music videos with a lot of tracking and masking, so i hope to be able to do it with this, despite you saying i can't :) i do one small project at a time. no deadlines, so i hope to be able to make it work. i'm not ultra fussed about having to scrub through on 4k or even 1080. it'd be cool if you did a little test in the meanwhile, of masking and the kind of rap video effects--my enclosure wont arrive until the 28th so i have to wait until then because you said i should do everything at once, together, at the beginning.
I hope you have a great experience with your new setup.
@@ReachFilms thank you!! I can't wait to use it.
I use Ecamm Live Pro and it can only do 4K 60 so I play the 6k or 8k and it is compressed and downsampled to the 4k and it looks awesome. That is why I haven't bought Final Cut Pro, Davinci Resolve or Adobe. I have on weaker computers to resolve the studdering and juddering in the video just go to a smaller resolution. Cheers!
Wouldnt running 2 external ssd’s speed up playback? I.e. one to host video files and one for cache? I just got the mini pro and I'm blown away.
@@dilltakespics4849 It really depends on the drive you are using, if you are using the OWC that would be overkill, if you were using a T7 then yeah that would be a good idea
MacBook 16m1pro basic type
Which one is better than the m4 basic type?
Is it worth adding on MacBook?
Photoshop Capture One Da Vinci Resolve
If you are coming from a MacBook Pro and this will be your main computer, I would go for the m4 pro version minimum
@@ReachFilms Thank you so much for your quick response
In premiere you can lower the quality or create proxies. Old this be a solution here as well?
@@postmanpilgrim I don’t want to create proxies as when you do that you lose all raw controls of braw and R3D footage which is a huge advantage to using the raw formats. Proxies is better suited at this point for much older systems that won’t even be able to handle the method I use here
So the footage of playback was all rendered before you showed playback correct? No dots above timeline🤷Thank You
Are you normally used to Adobe premiere?
Oh crap im sorry i thought it was Fcp my bad! I get hardly playback unless i wait for transcode then if add anything has to render w maxed out 2020 intel mac 7500 bucks . Just hard to beleive speed or smooth anything. Great video. Thank You
should i get thiw mac mini or an m2 macbook air? is the m2 too old for updates and more?
The m4 is much more powerful, I would wait for the m4 air if you really need a laptop
Is it true that video editors need MacBook Pro Rather than MacBook Air? While both model come with M Chip what makes the difference mainly for video editing? Kindly make a reply. I am so confused whether I need to grab an Air or Pro. 🙏
@@anzuzbid5994 it all depends on the cameras you are using
What about creating proxies?
It all depends on your specific work flow, when you create proxies you lose the raw controls, some users don’t care while others do. This is a solution for those that do.
Nice & Thanks :)
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks
No problem
Sir can you suggest me a good m.2 nvme storage in budget and enclosure in budget just buying my mini m4 base model my main work is video editing
Check out my SSD video, the OWC one is the best and isn’t much more expensive than the competition
That's only 4 footage but what about Hundreds of footage with 10 bit who do weddings or any projects...? Will that work smoothly...?
Can be nice a review doing real time color correction with masks and power Windows stuff
If you plan on doing that, much better off going for the m4 pro version
Where can I find out more about this Star Trek movie, please?
It’s available on Axanar.com it’s called the Icarus Manuver
Do you need to make the changes with Mac Mini M4 Pro with 14‑core CPU, 20‑core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 64GB unified memory, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI port, two USB‑C ports, headphone jack 🤔. This is the reason I bought the top of the line Mac Mini M4 Pro with the specs in the first sentence.
It depends, for the most part no? But if you are dealing with 6k or 8k footage you may still have to
Is it possible to export 8K footage?
Yup it will just take longer to export on the base model
Using proxy it's can smooth?
Yup but no raw controls on the raw files when doing proxies
How about Premiere?
I wouldn’t recommend it for base model Apple computers it uses too much ram just from the creative cloud running alone
@ yeah. Seems right. Also 16 is a bit low.
My mac M2 will be so laggy if I have some grades and motion. I think M4 is not different, mayber M4 Pro with 32G Ram will do job better.
It really depends on the resolution you’re working with and the complexity of your edit.
@@ReachFilms I am working with 4K 10 bit footage. I think it's standard in 2024.
@ 4k 10bit is something a codec has in it. Many different camera offer different codecs that are easier or harder to edit. Sony is different from canon which is different from GoPro or dji
I played 4 4K videos from a downloaded Insta 360 X3 and 10 tab's of RUclips playing 4K video content simultaneously. My M4 Mini Pro 14/20 64GB video playback didn't stutter or slow down and the fan didn't even come on, that's impressive imo.
68gb 😮😮
That is kinda out of Budget pc topic
@@sugriv3405 I know but I used the Apple 10% discount with a $250 CC cashback. Which dropped the price combined by $600 bucks off MSRP, I upgrade every 6+ years so I believe I'm future proofed to go the distance.
Me cuesta creer que alguien que tenga o rente una RED Komodo, trabaje con una computadora que, si bien es muy buena, para esos codecs + efectos, le costaría más trabajo.
I used the footage from the Komodo as an example of what the computer is capable of with higher end codecs. As you can see from the video, I’m not telling red owners to buy a base model Mac mini
@@ReachFilms Claro, lo entiendo. De hecho el video me sirve, pues uso codecs de cámaras mucho menos pesados que una RED. La M4 es muy tentadora, puedo tener mucha potencia a bajo costo.
I'm a novis. Please explain why one even need to edit in 6K or 8K when almost no one can watch the result unless you're watching it from a monitor of the same caliber. Almost everyone is on 4K. Why do so many creators waste money on very expensive cameras when no one can see the end result as intended? Is there even a reason?
It has to do with tracking and effects, if you are shooting with a 6k or 8k camera masking and tracking will have to be done in the native resolution for the best results
@@ReachFilms Thank you for responding! I've always been wondering about it. As I said... I'm no expert.. and I'm not trying to be a smart ass. Just curios :)
✌...
PROXIES exist for a reason lil bro… if ur editing footage directly as it came off ur camera, ur a CLOWN 😂
@@KingZero69 nah dude that workflow isn’t for everyone especially when you are using the raw tab. Also you gotta think not everyone is in the same position as pros and need to make their gear work. This has helped a lot of people just check the comments. 99% of these people won’t deal with proxies. Again you do you and proxies do serve a purpose.
i dont know how these guys review with 4 5 footages on timeline. take 200 300 video files and test it.
Sometimes all it takes is one clip to break the timeline
To be fair, RED Raw is horrible to work with in post, even in more powerful computers.
There are way worse codecs, specifically canon raw and CDNG. But due to its complexity is why I’m showing how it performs on a base model m4. For the price it’s pretty special
Dehancer is crap!
Definitely an opinion!