Surface Pro 4 for video editing, good?

pass11

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Surface Pro 4 for video editing

I'm looking at the Surface Pro 4 (maybe Surface Book) as a good portable, light and compact editing PC. Also to replace my aging Desktop.
The config. of SP4 I'm looking at is core i5 (don't think the i7 adds that much power over the i5, though I maybe wrong. Also think memory is more important), 16GB and 256GB for $1499.

Anyone think this could work out well?
Anyone with experience using a surface as a primary editing machine?

For comparison, the Surface Book config. I'd looking at is the 512GB/Core i7 - 16GB/dGPU (why cant a personally config Microsoft?) for $2699. That's a huge jump in price, though I get that dGPU but its not as portable.
Any ideas of feedback welcomed
 

TheNerosam

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Re: Surface Pro 4 for video editing

I've got an i7 SP3 which I use for game/app development as well as video editing in adobe premiere which works flawlessly (and on a 4k monitor). Did a bit of after effects a few times and used dynamic link to load compositions directly into premiere. There was no hiccups from what I remember. A surface book with a dGPU would improve it further such as rendering times and real time previews but its good for what Ive used it for.
 

Karen LePage

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Re: Surface Pro 4 for video editing

I started out with an sp3 with the i5 but returned it within a week (thank you Best Buy) for an i7. Both were 256gb and I found the i7 to be worth the price difference. I use Illustrator with astute graphics plugins, and photoshop, indesign and a CAD program (Optitex) all open at the same time because I switch between them constantly. I use my surface pen to draw right on my screen (which baffles and dazzles my mac-loving fellow artists) in illustrator to complete technical illustrations. I use the dock at home, and the battery lasts long enough to work on the road for the day.

I am not a gamer, so I can't answer anything about gaming performance, but I can say I'm ironically a little disappointed this sp3 is still top notch because I am drooling over a surface book which I can't justify.

Why would you think a sb is less "portable" than an sp4?
 

pass11

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Re: Surface Pro 4 for video editing

First things first,
thank you Best Buy
, never ever heard this statement before. lol. Thanks for posting your experience. That's pretty much what I wanted to hear, lol. The fact that it works so well on those heavy duty programs is amazing. I will be editing using adobe suite, which from what you said should work great, but don't want to pay Surface Book money. lol. With that being said, Surface Books dGPU is awesome sounding and I absolutely want a one. But if the SP4 works so well and cost less... I think it may be the right choice, no?

I wont be gaming on it, I have a Xbox one for that, which I don't even use for gaming anymore. Mostly for TV and Netflix like things.
Now don't get me wrong, I think the Surface Book is portable but its not as slim or light as the SP4 with a type cover. Being agile with all the equipment I have to carry for my normal job is important
 

pass11

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Re: Surface Pro 4 for video editing

Great, thanks. I primarily edit using adobe suits, so if it works well on the SP3 it should be fine on a SP4. I may look at the core I7 because
I started out with an sp3 with the i5 but returned it within a week (thank you Best Buy) for an i7. Both were 256gb and I found the i7 to be worth the price difference.
 

Andy_Elvis11

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I'm thinking the same. I ideally want a SP4 (I'm Using a S3 at the moment and I love it).

I have a MBP for my 'major' editing. That'll live away at work, but I want to get a SP4 and the dock and link a couple of monitors up. I'm hazing about the i5 / i7 and the 8gb / 16gb models.

It seems that the i5 / i7 arguement has been answered for me, it's just the RAM. I'm only going to be doing mainly light edits on my surface (assembling) photoshop and ableton music software and i'm just not sure what to go for.

It'll become my 'main' PC, where as my old mac will be strictly turned into an editor.

Anyone have any advice for myself?
 

sanshiro

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Re: Surface Pro 4 for video editing

Why would you think a sb is less "portable" than an sp4?
Hi Karen,

The Book is twice as heavy as the SP4 (or 1 kg. for SP4+kb vs 1.5 kg. Book), almost twice as thick, and has a larger footprint being a 13.5" screen device. I am also drooling over the SB but I have been using hybrids for a long time and the SP4 is the best form factor for me.
 

DCProjMgr

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I did video editing on my SP3 i7 (with Sony Vegas Studio). I found that the i7 gave it a bit more pep during editing. But what I really wanted was to cut down some rendering time. That should have been the i7's strong suit. But in the real world render times on the SP3 i7 model were only slightly improved over the i5. See my message here for the explanation of why this happens.

Since the Skylark i5 outperforms the SP3 i7, I would start out with a tricked out SP4 i5. See how that performs for you. And watch for reviews and benchmarks SP4 i7. At this point we don't know if it will hit the same throttling issues as its predecessor.
 

Uilleam Gilvoni

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Hello, would the Surface Pro 4 i5 4GB RAM be enough to cut and unite some videos of 1 hour long each (1080p)? The only thing I need to do is to unite 4 of this 1hour videos and make a 4hours long one.
 

Uilleam Gilvoni

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Hello, would the Surface Pro 4 i5 4GB RAM be enough to cut and unite some videos of 1 hour long each (1080p)? The only thing I need to do is to unite 4 of this 1hour videos and make a 4hours long one.

or maybe an Surface Pro 3 i7 would perform better?
 

boltman2013

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Hello, would the Surface Pro 4 i5 4GB RAM be enough to cut and unite some videos of 1 hour long each (1080p)? The only thing I need to do is to unite 4 of this 1hour videos and make a 4hours long one.

or maybe an Surface Pro 3 i7 would perform better?
Avoid like the plague SP3i7 due to throttling issues that they cleared up in SP4, go with i5 SP4
 

onlysublime

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a 4 hour 1080p30 (I'm assuming 30 fps) will be awful to edit with 4GB.

however, if you are just uniting 4 videos, there are lots of software that can do that and it wouldn't be painful. but if you're really editing (with cuts, titles, effects. etc.), you can't do it with 4 GB.
 

zkyevolved

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I'm sorry to bring this thread back to life, but I'm getting BSOD while editing videos with Premiere... Can anyone recommend some software that actually works with the SP4 as of right now (that has a trial, too, so I can make sure it works).

Thanks! :)
 

onlysublime

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I'm sorry to bring this thread back to life, but I'm getting BSOD while editing videos with Premiere... Can anyone recommend some software that actually works with the SP4 as of right now (that has a trial, too, so I can make sure it works).

Thanks! :)

Premiere Pro CC has a trial.
 

Nabiscuit

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Yeah, but I'm getting this when I use Premiere Pro CC :(

I was getting these on my i7 SP4, as well. Upgrade your video drivers to the new Intel Beta Iris drivers...

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/do...a-Graphics-Driver-for-Windows-7-8-1-10-15-40-

I was also noticing that if you change display scaling any at all during your PC session, it would cause the system to Blue Screen much more frequently.

I don't have the Surface Dock, because I had an SP3 before this, so I'm still using the SP3 Docking Station with SP4 Docking Station Spacer to make things more secure... I have also seen the BSOD many times while booting up Premiere while utilizing the multiple monitors through the Dock...

That seems to have been fixed with the new Drivers update.

The main issue that I'm still having with the SP4 is that while watching video or on a webpage that has a bunch of banner ads using the Edge browser also seems to lock the system up and throw a BSOD. I've been using Chrome as the default with no issues, since.
 

Joniwe

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How do I add music, filters, overlays, elements, transitions, etc. to my video? Any recommended tools? I saw some online say Video Editor, Video Converter Ultimate and more. And I've looked up to some guides too. Here's the one that I found useful:
How to Add Effects to Video on PC
 
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