PC vs. Mac for color grading

[Amada Daro]

We're about to invest in a new machine park running mainly Avid + DaVinci linked together with Avid Nexis and some standalone Avid/Premiere stations.

A bunch of HP Z840 seems like a good solution for us, but I would like to hear your opinion on the main differences between PC and Mac's in general for post production setups?

[Thomas Singh]

You will get much more bang for the bucks by going the HP route. Cheaper and more power.

The graphic card requirements can vary between the editing apps and color correctors (Avid wants that, and Resolve wants that) so if you e.g want to run both on the same machine you can benefit from a HP Z840 as it got more slots. Alternatively buy an Cubix Expander for the Mac.

Nexus, Interplay and most third part solutions run on both.

[Bruno Mansi]

Having worked with both PC and Mac operating systems over 35 years, I've never quite understood why some are so partisan towards one OS or the other. They're similar enough for me to not bother which OS I'm on when I'm moving files/collecting mail/etc, and once I'm using an application like Resolve or Avid, everything is pretty much identical. The most problem I have when switching is getting my left -hand fingers to change from Ctrl-Z to Command-Z.

For me it's really about the hardware. So for Avid, you can pretty much use either system as Media Composer doesn't put that much of a strain on resources. Most of the Z series workstations will work well and you'll have enough expansion for extra drives/RAID cards/output cards. With Mac, you're probably looking at something like an iMac with Thunderbolt ports for your storage etc.

When we talk about Resolve, You really do need a powerful workstation with lots of up-gradability and PCIe slots. Unfortunately this is where Apple's product line-up  falls short. The Mac Pro trash-can is the only one that can approach the necessary performance that is required for serious colour work. However, it's high price, old technology, non up-gradability and ongoing problems with heat-related issues make it (in my opinion) a non-starter. Your only real option is going PC, and that means a high-specced Z840 is the minimum you should be looking at. Many people on this forum have spent the extra money on more custom-built solutions which can really extract the best from today's top performing hardware.

[Sjors Krebbeks]

As an IT professional I can tell you that the choice usually boils down to taste and what fits your requirements. 

I do however recommend looking into compatibility if you wish to switch from one platform to another (You might have to rebuy licenses, which can increase the costs). That said, Windows based PC's are highly customizable and cheaper to upgrade in the future. - In my eyes the Windows route would be a more secure investment for the long term. 

 

[Mike Leisegang]

Interesting comments.

Well, if you want 5 plus Quadro x6000 GPU's it makes a difference.

Yes, if you're doing work that's so complexed it takes 48hrs to render with all that, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE.

It's chalk and cheese as the saying would go.

 

[Bruno Mansi]

17 hours ago, Mike Leisegang said:

Well, if you want 5 plus Quadro x6000 GPU's it makes a difference.

Yes, if you're doing work that's so complexed it takes 48hrs to render with all that, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE.

It's chalk and cheese as the saying would go  

Name any product in Apple's current line-up that will take just one Quadro P6000

How about a product that'll take one GTX 1080Ti?

To any TV/film professional who needs a well-specced workstation, that makes a difference. Whether it's a 48 hour or a 48 minute render, it all makes a difference. That's why some have resorted to building 'Hackintoshes', so they can have the Mac workstation that Apple should be making.

 

 

[Mike Leisegang]

Exactly!

[BerendDeMeyer]

As I have a full Apple ecosystem with cMP's 5.1 & 3.1 I'll for sure - unless Apple will/can come up with serious model-updates for the PRO users - change to the HP Z840 Workstations!

Buying new licenses? Sh*t happens, but everything for a good and excellent video ecosystem! 

You all have a great 2018.

Lechaim!

Edited December 31, 2017 by BerendDeMeyer
Typo's

[Mike Leisegang]

The very best to you too.

Z840, great machine, configured properly will give you a trouble free life!. Don't forget Nvidia.

[MsGeeky]

Monitors have really good color science in its display. But standing today, I would say it is more of an inclination for Mac which makes apple users say that to avoid what we call in marketing post-purchase dissonance. PC provides a lot of flexibilities to you in terms of upgrading/ customizing your setup which can become very costly in a Mac. If you are willing to use Final Cut Pro X for color grading then Mac will be the choice since it is not available for windows. Adobe premiere pro runs on both and is also widely used for color grading. One of the other popular softwares is Da Vinci Resolve. It is supported by both Windows and Mac.