What are the various devices needed to get HD SDI into a MBPro? And further...

I'm looking to get a Laptop either PC or Mac that can do three things. Live WF/Vect scoping of HD-SDI, use something like Playback Pro or QLab , or if there is one, a PC equivalent for show playback and third, the ability to edit using Premiere Pro's MPE(mercury playback engine). Hopefully, the laptop is at $1,000 or under and can and probably will be bought used. I'm a little nervous about the newer MBPros as I've heard they are having build quality issues, and the are a bit pricey, a 2011 15" MBPro seems to fetch around $1,500.00, especially if it has the Radeon card that is approved by Adobe for the MPE in PPro. Any thoughts?

If you just need to get basic HD-SDI in, you can use something as simple as a Blackmagic Mini Recorder ($139), connected via thunderbolt.

I can't say that we've heard of any build issues with the newer macbook pros, and they're great performers. I certainly wouldn't recommend buying a machine without thunderbolt, at the bare minimum.

Others can probably chime in with other recommendations on good Premiere configs.

-Colin

If your MBP has Thunderbolt, you can use an AJA Io Xt or one of several Black Magic Intensity or Ultra Studio products, or Matrox MXO Mini Max.

If you just need to get basic HD-SDI in, you can use something as simple as a Blackmagic Mini Recorder ($139), connected via thunderbolt.

...which doesn't ship for another month, according to the backorder list that I'm on.

We've heard that Adorama has already shipped at least one batch.

Thanks Colin--up until a few days ago even the BM site was listing it as not being on sale yet, but they have since updated. BH is indicating backorder until 11/15. But Adorama seems to have them in stock. Good info.

or rather: Adorama lets you place the order and then an hour later emails you to say that its backordered. sigh.

As OP, I apologize for the delayed response, I've been slammed on back to back shows. Thanks for all the info. I'm assuming that for my specs, at the very least a 2011 MBPro is needed, guessing $1,200 or more. So how come, when you want your laptop to do merely everything, it always costs more? ;-)

Understand that I was looking at a USB 3 computer, an MSI that met my requirements that was only $700 used, but there is no Playback Pro wquivalent software for the PC. This all, BTW, is for my work as a Video Engineer/TD/Hi-Rez switcher for live events.