BebuLamar

What kind of PC power do I need to edit 4K video? My PC's are OK for still but I don't think they are good enough for video especially 4K.

chemsaf Loc: San Diego

I just ordered a custom build from Puget Systems designed to handle Premiere Pro. It has I9 CPU, 94Gb RAM, Nvidia video.. About $4000.
Neal

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

A bit overkill. I also use Premiere Pro but bought an HP gaming machine with 16 G RAM and a 4 G video card. Very pleased with the performance. Would be happier if I could run the OS and programs off of my SSD.

If OP uses something less powerful than Premiere Pro, he might get away with a less powerful machine.

chemsaf Loc: San Diego

For 4K and room for growth, I went with the more powerful. Seriously considered a 8K capable machine but decided to put money into 32 inch View Sonic monitor.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I thought my machine would be fast enough for video but found out later that it really isn't. I have a Dell with 7th gen i7 processor, 24gb ram, 4gb video, 1TB SSD and USB3.1 ports. Not fast enough. Before rendering the video and just working with clips, it's jerky. To render a 4 minute video it takes something like an hour. Disappointing!

I think to do video you might want to look into a higher end "work station" computer. I'd probably look at something with more than a 4 core processor - like maybe 8 cores or more. I'm not sure that the Intel i7 or i9 processors are really up to the task.

I might look into something like this: https://www8.hp.com/ca/en/campaigns/workstations/z820.html

It has the next generation Xeon 16 core processor and the latest graphics processor.

https://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/hp-z8-g4-workstation-p-7bg86ut-aba-1

This one has 16 core processor

BebuLamar

Thanks all. The Puget system would be too expensive for me. I want to edit the 4K video shot with my Iphone. Also I don't want to use Premiere Pro because I don't use it often enough to pay the monthly fee. There would be months go by before I use it again.
My need are:
1. To convert the *.mov files into a 4K format that can be played via USB drive on my Sony Bravia 4K TV.
2. To assemble edit from separate segments and to cut parts that I don't want.
3. To overlay the audio tracks recorded separately.

I do not want of need special effects, fancy transition etc... nor that I really need to make adjustment to the video files like color balance, brightness etc..

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

This tells you everything you need to know, and where you can make tradeoffs with less impact on overall performance.

https://www.pugetsystems.com/recommended/Recommended-Systems-for-Adobe-Premiere-Pro-CC-143/Hardware-Recommendations

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

BebuLamar,

You question is simple and brief. I'm not sure I can make my answer to that standard!

One more item on the list for me is that it has to be portable due to frequent travel. I use laptops.

I bought the first small (for travel) 4K camera I could, the Panasonic LX100. I later added a Panasonic GX8 to my kit. The point being I've been editing 4K video for a several years.

My first 4K editing computer was a $1900 ASUS "Republic of Gamers" model that worked for a few years until I broke something in it. I replaced it this year with a $1100 Lenevo Legion, also a "Gamer". The ASUS came from B&H. The Lenevo came from Costco. "Gamers" seem to be the poor man's graphics work station.

Both computers share a few features. (1) a higher speed i7 CPU, (2) 16 GB RAM, (3) a primary SSD for programs and video projects, (4) a larger HDD for storage and (5) an Nvidia GPU graphics card.

For editing software I took a guess several years ago with Premiere Elements. It is now in the 18th version. I started with the 9th version. Retail is about $100 but will typically go on Black Friday sales for around $60. The current version is called "Premiere Elements 2020". All Adobe software has free trial options. The biggest competitor to Adobe in the under $100 market is CyberLink PowerDirector.

Adobe, and third parties, provide exceptionally good tutorials. There is a good six part series on YouTube that covers the basics.

You did not say what computer you have, but Premiere Elements may work for occasional editing on it. That's what free trials are for.

I'm very happy with how my laptop system with Premiere Elements works with 4K video. I also have Premiere Pro from the subscription and am learning it. My system works well with it too. For "home video" work, I think the Elements version is the better option. Both will put your finished video on a USB drive, do the edits and cuts and will overlay (or even provide) audio tracks.

Because you are using an iPhone you have to be aware of one detail. Apple provides the default option of recording in the codec called HEVC or H.265. More common in most cameras is H.264. (There are complicated licensing agreements involved.) Premiere Elements 2020 on a Mac uses the Apple supplied codec. On a Windows PC you have to add the codec to the operating system. Oddly, Microsoft sells it for $.99 in the Windows Store.

The H.265 codec is only important because it compresses the files further. If there is a noticeable difference in picture quality, it is very hard to detect. iPhones have the option to record in a H.264 "compatibility mode" that uses the so very common H.264.

The H.265/HEVC ability was only added to Premiere Elements in the recent 2020 version. I couldn't wait to "test" it. I borrowed a couple of iPhone HEVC clips and shot some of my own with an Android phone. Once I bought the 99 cent codec, all went very well.

What you want to do has become routine for me. Let me know how and if I can help.

BebuLamar

My most powerful PC is probably the Dell laptop with a seventh generation i7, 16GB RAM, 1TB M.2 SSD but it doesn't belong to me so I prefer not to use it.
My desktop is quite old, it's an HP Z600 with 2 Xeon 5620 2.4Mhz, 12GB RAM and 1TB HHD.
I also have a Microsoft Surface with an i5 and 8GB RAM.
None of these would work sufficiently for 4K I don't think.
How is Premiere Element? I think I would want to try that. My TV is compatible with *.move files but some how it doesn't work with the files created by the Iphone. That is when I try to play it from a USB drive connected to the USB port on the TV.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

"My TV is compatible with *.move files but some how it doesn't work with the files created by the Iphone".

Try changing the settings in your phone. The .mov files in a new iPhone will be defaulted to using the H.265/HEVC codec inside. Switching to "compatibility mode" will use H.264 and your Sony will probably work. My understanding is that only very newest of TVs have H.265 built in.

There is a excellent, free, public domain video conversion program called Handbrake. It will convert whatever you have into the most standard format of all, an MP4 with H.264 inside. It won't do any editing.

You may very well be able to do all your editing in your phone, save a final file on your phone and then export it to your computer/USB drive. There are lots of iPhone editing apps.

BebuLamar

I found out why! The TV only supports 4K in MP4 with H.264. For the *.mov it only supports 1080p max. So I have to convert the files to MP4/H.264.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

"How is Premiere Elements?" Wonderful for making "home videos". The vimeo link in my signature below has some of my work. All of it is from Premiere Elements.

There is a common concept that "professional" video editors make better video quality. It is only true that they have a lot more tools and complexity in them for people that make big, long movies and TV shows where teams have to collaborate.

Premiere Elements has every tool, feature and capability that any one person, one computer video producer can use.

Please don't spend any money on it until you personally do the free trial. You download it directly from Adobe. It works for a few weeks and is the "real thing" in every way. It puts a big watermark in your work until you pay for a serial number. With the serial number nothing changes. You continue with the same software only without the watermarks.

For an efficient lesson and overview on how it works, please watch this eight part series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG18DktkToI

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

In photography, the last three letters of the file name mean something specific. In videography it is far more confusing and complex. The last three (MOV, MP4, WAV, etc) are "containers" full of variables. Primary are the video codecs and audio codecs.

I've not done it, but you "should" be able to convert a proprietary Apple 4K video file to a 4K, H.264 generic file with Handbrake. Your Sony TV should play that well.

BebuLamar

Thanks I will try that first!

Hamltnblue Loc: Springfield PA

At the moment the best processors for video editing are the AMD 3000 series, specifically the 3800x and 3900x. They are 8 and 12 core.
For video, load up with 32 gig of ram as well.
For video card, get the best your wallet will allow.
Many other configurations will work just fine, but will take longer to process, often a lot longer.
Good Luck