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After Late-2019 Specifications

Any Mac computer sold after Late-2019 contains all the necessary CPU, GPU, RAM, and SSD storage to support 1920×1080 HD playback. These systems run MacOS 10.15 (Catalina) or greater and require 64bit application compatibility. The efficiencies of 64bit MacOS processing combined with the new frameworks we use in our 64bit “X” versions, allow the use of less powerful computers for high-performance playback. Any Mac sold after Late-2019 will work very well with our “X” versions.

PlaybackPro Plus X – 64bit

HD

Recommendation for 1920 x 1080 resolution or lower.

Current Version:

Hardware:

  • CPU:
  • Apple Silicon – M1 or better,  Intel CPU – Dual-core i3 or better
  • Graphics:
  • AMD, Nvidia, or Apple Silicon graphics with at least 512 MB of video RAM
  • System RAM:
  • 8+ GB
  • Storage (in order of preference):
  • Internal SSD
  • SSD external drive connected via Thunderbolt or USB3
  • NOTE: Apple Fusion drive is NOT recommended

Software:

  • OS:
  • macOS Catalina (10.15.x) – Sequoia (15.x)
  • Recommended Codecs:
  • H.265/HEVC with variable bit rate between 15-30 Mbps
  • ApplePro Res 422 (standard)
  • H.264 encoded with variable bit rate between 15-30 Mbps
  • Container:
  • .mov or .mp4

4K UHD

Recommendation for 4k UHD 3860 x 2160 resolution or lower.

Current Version:

Hardware:

  • CPU:
  • Apple Silicon – M1 or better,  Intel CPU – Quad-core i5 or better
  • Graphics:
  • AMD, Nvidia, Intel, or Apple Silicon graphics with at least 1GB of video RAM
  • System RAM:
  • 8+ GB
  • Storage (in order of preference):
  • Internal SSD
  • SSD external drive connected via Thunderbolt 2+ or USB3+
  • NOTE: Apple Fusion drive is NOT recommended

Software:

  • OS:
  • macOS Catalina (10.15.x) – Sequoia (15.x)
  • Recommended Codecs:
  • H.265/HEVC encoded with variable bit rate between 30-40 Mbps
  • ApplePro Res 422 (standard)
  • H.264 encoded with variable bit rate between 30-40 Mbps
  • Container:
  • .mov or .mp4

Before Late-2019 Specifications

Mac computers sold before Late-2019 had combinations of CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage options which may or may not have been ideal for 1920×1080 HD playback. These systems all came with macOS 10.14 (Mojave) or earlier which support our proven 32bit applications. We have listed recommended hardware in the table below.

Many Macs from this era still remain reliable playback computers and they may be able to update to the latest version of macOS, but as the saying goes, “Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.” We fully acknowledge the external pressures and company requirements to upgrade macOS versions but each version of macOS has more demanding resource requirements which can impact overall system performance.  In many cases, if possible,  it makes sense to keep an aging system on an older version of macOS because its performance was better tuned for the hardware available at the time.

PlaybackPro – 32bit

HD

Recommendation for 1920 x 1080 resolution or lower.

Current Version:

  • PlaybackPro 2.4.0

Hardware:

  • CPU:
  • Quad core i5 or better
  • Graphics:
  • Dedicated (AMD or Nvidia) with at least 512 MB of video RAM or or 2019 Intel UHD
  • System RAM:
  • 4+ GB
  • Storage (in order of preference):
  • Internal SSD
  • SSD external drive connected via Thunderbolt or USB3
  • 7200 RPM drives connected via USB3 or Thunderbolt
  • NOTE: Apple Fusion drive is NOT recommended

Software:

  • OS:
  • macOS 10.10 – 10.14.6 (Mojave)
  • Recommended Codecs:
  • ApplePro Res 422 (standard)
  • H.264 encoded with variable bit rate between 15-30 Mbps
  • Container:
  • .mov
  • QuickTime components:
  • 3rd party QuickTime components like Flip4Mac for .WMV encoded files may be added to a system to allow for expanded playback options however it is still advisable to stay with the recommended codecs

4K UHD

Recommendation for 4k UHD 3860 x 2160 resolution or lower.

Current Version:

  • PlaybackPro 2.4.0

Hardware:

  • CPU
  • Six core i7 or better
  • Graphics:
  • Dedicated (AMD or Nvidia) with at least 1GB of video RAM or 2019 Intel UHD
  • System RAM:
  • 8+ GB
  • Storage (in order of preference):
  • Internal SSD
  • SSD external drive connected via Thunderbolt 2+ or USB3+
  • NOTE: Apple Fusion drive is NOT recommended

Software:

  • OS:
  • macOS 10.10 – 10.14.6 (Mojave)
  • Recommended Codecs:
  • ApplePro Res 422 (standard)
  • H.264 encoded with variable bit rate between 30-40 Mbps
  • Container:
  • .mov

PlaybackPro Plus – 32bit

HD

Recommendation for 1920 x 1080 resolution or lower.

Current Version:

  • PlaybackPro Plus 3.8.1

Hardware:

  • CPU:
  • Quad core i5 or better
  • Graphics:
  • Dedicated (AMD or Nvidia) with at least 512 MB of video RAM or 2019 Intel UHD
  • System RAM:
  • 8+ GB
  • Storage (in order of preference):
  • Internal SSD
  • SSD external drive connected via Thunderbolt or USB3
  • NOTE: Apple Fusion drive is NOT recommended

Software:

  • OS:
  • macOS 10.10 – 10.14.6 (Mojave)
  • Recommended Codecs:
  • ApplePro Res 422 (standard)
  • H.264 encoded with variable bit rate between 15-30 Mbps
  • Container:
  • .mov
  • QuickTime components:
  • 3rd party QuickTime components like Flip4Mac for .WMV encoded files may be added to a system to allow for expanded playback options however it is still advisable to stay with the recommended codecs

4K UHD

Recommendation for 4k UHD 3860 x 2160 resolution or lower.

Current Version:

  • PlaybackPro Plus 3.8.1

Hardware:

  • CPU:
  • Six core i7 or better
  • Graphics:
  • Dedicated (AMD or Nvidia) with at least 1GB of video RAM or 2019 Intel UHD
  • System RAM:
  • 8+ GB
  • Storage (in order of preference):
  • Internal SSD
  • SSD external drive connected via Thunderbolt 2+ or USB3+
  • NOTE: Apple Fusion drive is NOT recommended

Software:

  • OS:
  • macOS 10.10 – 10.14.6 (Mojave)
  • Recommended Codecs:
  • ApplePro Res 422 (standard)
  • H.264 encoded with variable bit rate between 30-40 Mbps
  • Container:
  • .mov

Before Late-2019 Recommended Apple Systems

Early 2019
Clip Resolution App CPU Graphics
MacMini
HD1 PlaybackPro3 3.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 Intel UHD Graphics 630
HD1 PlaybackPro Plus4 3.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 Intel UHD Graphics 630
4k UHD2 PlaybackPro3 3.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 Intel UHD Graphics 630
13-inch MacBook Pro
HD1 PlaybackPro3 2.7GHz 4-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655
15-inch MacBook Pro
HD1 PlaybackPro3 All Models
HD1 PlaybackPro Plus4 2.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 Radeon Pro 555X with 4GB of GDDR5
4k UHD2 PlaybackPro3 2.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4GB of HBM2 memory
4k UHD2 PlaybackPro Plus4 2.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4GB of HBM2 memory
21.5-inch iMac
HD1 PlaybackPro3 3.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 Radeon Pro 555X with 4GB of GDDR5
HD1 PlaybackPro Plus4 3.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 Radeon Pro 555X with 4GB of GDDR5
4k UHD2 PlaybackPro3 3.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 Radeon Pro 555X with 4GB of GDDR5
4k UHD2 PlaybackPro Plus4 3.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4GB of HBM2
27-inch iMac
HD1 PlaybackPro3 3.0GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 or greater Radeon Pro 570X with 4GB of GDDR5
HD1 PlaybackPro Plus4 3.0GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 or greater Radeon Pro 570X with 4GB of GDDR5
4k UHD2 PlaybackPro3 3.0GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 or greater Radeon Pro 555X with 4GB of GDDR5
4k UHD2 PlaybackPro Plus4 3.6GHz 8-core 8th-generation Intel Core i9 Radeon Pro Vega 48 with 8GB of HBM2
2017 iMacPro
HD1 PlaybackPro3 All Models
HD1 PlaybackPro Plus4 All Models
4k UHD2 PlaybackPro3 All Models
4k UHD2 PlaybackPro Plus4 All Models
2012 MacPro
HD1 PlaybackPro3 3.5GHz 6-core Intel Xeon or greater Dual AMD FirePro D500 GPUs with 3GB of GDDR5 VRAM
HD1 PlaybackPro Plus4 3.5GHz 6-core Intel Xeon or greater Dual AMD FirePro D500 GPUs with 3GB of GDDR5 VRAM
4k UHD2 PlaybackPro3 3.5GHz 6-core Intel Xeon or greater Dual AMD FirePro D500 GPUs with 3GB of GDDR5 VRAM
4k UHD2 PlaybackPro Plus4 3.5GHz 8-core Intel Xeon or greater Dual AMD FirePro D700 GPUs with 6GB of GDDR5 VRAM
(1) up to 1920 x 1080
(2) up to 3840 x 2160
(3) PlaybackPro version 2.4.0 or greater
(4) PlaybackPro Plus version 4.0.10a or greater