applying effects too slow

[Michal S.]

Hey,

so I am editing some 4k footage, already got it down to 1/8 res, preview file format (in sequence settings) to P2 1080i and made 1080p proxies (which also took ages to encode in Media encoder)..

I've also pre-render the in and out points. I get a fluent playback, but with adding effects (color correction) I have to wait couple of seconds to even see the result of my changes. And immediately as I move a slider, the green bar above the timeline turns to red again. WTF ?

I am editing on a Macbook Pro Retina and usually things are pretty fast..

Usually things are pretty fast so I guess I must be doing something wrong here ?

[R Neil Haugen · Accepted solution]

That's not a hardware beast there ... older, slow CPU, older GPU, very minimal amount of vRAM ... and you don't list your disc setup. If you're running a single spinning disc, well ... that would really just be icing on the cake. Throwing in heavy effects like Warp Stabilizer or Lumetri is just really over the top.

PrPro is now built for 3rd generation SSD drives ... it's happiest with them. For good or ill, and if you've got them, it's very good. Especially still having a good newer SSD for the system/program drive, another for media & projects, you can get by. The USB3 connection to say a Samsung T3 external gets you pretty close to an internal SSD sustained speed, and no other externals Bill Gehrke has test results for come close over USB3.

If your 4k is DSLR or drone mov or mp4, it's Long-GOP media, which is a total bear on the CPU, RAM, and cores/threads to decompress for playback. Which is why proxies are good ... BUT ... so many choose a bad codec for proxies. It's not small file size that matters, it's easiest/less file compression, plus the compression type, that matter.

So some of the users around here routinely transcode 4k long-GOP mp4/mov (or even AVCHD) media into Cineform YUV, DNxHR, or ProRes named exactly the same as the original clips. Originals go into the Archive file, transcodes go into a working file. They ingest the transcodes, making 1/2 or 1/4 frame-size probably Cineform YUV proxies, and work away.

At the end of the project's processing, they move the project file & assorted assets into the archive file with original media. And dump the transcodes & proxies, which can be replaced at need.

They get faster, smoother editing ... save storage disc space. Win-win.

Neil

[KlokwerksVideo]

Have to agree with Neil here. Cineform is the way to go. Also, I would agree that your Mac is underpowered for a real time 4k workflow with lumetri color effects.