Laptop to play 4k videos

ben501

I'm thinking of replacing my old laptop as I'd like to use it to watch 4k videos. The old laptop (about 9 years old) is still in good condition, but just doesn't have the power for 4K. I did consider converting videos with Handbrake, but maybe it's time to get something a little more modern.

I had a look at refurbs as it won't get used that much I thought it could be a better option. The first one that caught my eye was a Dell Latitude E7240.
I would prefer a 256GB SSD, but the smaller one would be enough, and would encourage me to not collect as much junk.

I though I read somewhere that anything from about 2015 should be okay, but hopefully the Dell being a higher spec would work too. If I've understood this page correctly, it agrees.

Does anyone know if the Dell would be suitable, or if I could get a better (thinking longer term future proof, recommendations welcomed) laptop for a reasonable price. I wouldn't mind paying £400, and did briefly look at another Dell, but that's probably overkill.

The only limitation I can think of is that I hope to use it with an old external monitor that only has a VGA socket, so the laptop would need one of those, or a connector/signal that can be adapted.

baza52

4k via VGA? is it even possible to get 4k resolutions over an analogue connection

neilmcl

2 clear issues with your choice of laptop, firstly it's a Full HD screen so not capable of showing content at 4K, and second, it's only a 12" screen so even if i could display 4K it would be pretty much wasted on it.

TBH, it's pretty much a waste of time getting a laptop to watch 4K videos, you'd need a much bigger screen to take full advantage of the greater resolution.

motorguy

ben501 wrote: »

I'm thinking of replacing my old laptop as I'd like to use it to watch 4k videos. The old laptop (about 9 years old) is still in good condition, but just doesn't have the power for 4K. I did consider converting videos with Handbrake, but maybe it's time to get something a little more modern.

I had a look at refurbs as it won't get used that much I thought it could be a better option. The first one that caught my eye was a Dell Latitude E7240.
I would prefer a 256GB SSD, but the smaller one would be enough, and would encourage me to not collect as much junk.

I though I read somewhere that anything from about 2015 should be okay, but hopefully the Dell being a higher spec would work too. If I've understood this page correctly, it agrees.

Does anyone know if the Dell would be suitable, or if I could get a better (thinking longer term future proof, recommendations welcomed) laptop for a reasonable price. I wouldn't mind paying £400, and did briefly look at another Dell, but that's probably overkill.

The only limitation I can think of is that I hope to use it with an old external monitor that only has a VGA socket, so the laptop would need one of those, or a connector/signal that can be adapted.

?

Why are you concerned about watching 4K videos on what amounts to an HD screen?

And likewise, can VGA cope with 4K?

You can get HDMI -> VGA adapters by the way for a few pounds, so no VGA port shouldnt be a show stopper.

that

try this player as it works better than vlc on some files
https://mpc-hc.org/

baza52

that wrote: »

try this player as it works better than vlc on some files
https://mpc-hc.org/

Pointless having a player if the laptop and the monitor cannot handle 4k resolutions

that

baza52 wrote: »

Pointless having a player if the laptop and the monitor cannot handle 4k resolutions

Not really pointless. On the small screen of a laptop you probably will not notice the difference between hd and 4k, and if it plays then it is a plus

my 7 year old laptop and incorporated monitor cannot handle the files created on my mobile through vlc, but they play with the above software.

baza52

that wrote: »

Not really pointless. On the small screen of a laptop you probably will not notice the difference between hd and 4k, and if it plays then it is a plus

my laptop and monitor cannot handle the files created on my mobile through vlc, but they play with the above software.

Of course they wont notice a difference. As the laptop only has a full HD screen they will never get 4k displayed on it and neither will they get 4k on a monitor via a vga connection.

It would be like trying to watch a film in full HD on a non HD tv.

As for VLC not playing certain files its more than likely a codec issue.

that

but they may have a watchable picture on the screen, rather than something that stutters, or remains black

baza52

that wrote: »

but they may have a watchable picture on the screen, rather than something that stutters, or remains black

But it wont be in 4k which is what the OP wants.
They might as well just grab a full HD copy to watch. The files will be a lot smaller as well assuming they will watching rips from the net.
I have several 4k films and i would say the average size is around 50Gb so much larger than a full HD version.

ben501

that wrote: »

but they may have a watchable picture on the screen, rather than something that stutters, or remains black

This.

baza52 wrote: »

But it wont be in 4k which is what the OP wants.
They might as well just grab a full HD copy to watch. The files will be a lot smaller as well assuming they will watching rips from the net.

I am not particularly concerned about the quality, I simply want to be able to watch the videos 'straight out of the box'.

Apologies if I get the terminology wrong, but if I understood it there would be no need for me to ask. The codec is, I think H264, so not an issue. I was of the impression that it was just the graphics cards & processors of older machines that did not have enough power. I'd also seen comments that suggested the monitor would still work, but would only at 30Hz.
As mentioned in the OP, I could convert the videos to a smaller resolution, but prefer not to. The 4K files take up enough room. I don't want to delete them, so having extra files will just eat up more storage space. The original files are only available in 4k, so buying HD is not an option.