First Proxy Project

[MyerPj]

I'm doing a new project and was planning on using the Cineform proxies. I've played a bit with them, my footage was shot at 4k 100Mb/s. I noticed I needed to use the 1280 x 720 preset. I see the files sizes are about the same as the original footage.

I see the preference to use the default Cineform proxies here, however in casual testing I can see little to no quality difference in the timeline. I see the option to add perhaps a watermark to the proxies, and also discovered the burned in timecode. Also, I see the option to scale down the quality of the Cineform codec, defaults to 4, was thinking 3 might produce some smaller files.

My main question perhaps is how do I play a .mov (Cineform) file on my Windows 10 system. Seems there are two options. Install QuickTime with or without the (problematic?) viewer? Or perhaps the GoProCineFormDecoders-1.2.0.127? I’m loath to install anything on my edit machine that is not needed… any tips would be appreciated.

Also:

Should the default proxy file size be about the same as the original 4k with nearly the same bit rate

Will creating a custom export based on the Cineform preset adding the timecode to the proxies (instead of a watermark) still be in the “recommended” range?

thanks very much

mp

[Jeff Bugbee]

Regarding how to playback Cineform, I recommend MPC-HC:https://mpc-hc.org/

Super lightweight, no extra installs, can handle just about everything.

As for proxies, we transcode down to a 3,000kbps H264 (with uncompressed audio so no audio conform). I'm not exactly certain how the Cineform quality levels translate but I would start at 1 and test up from there. We also use a watermark in order to tell the difference between source and proxy footage.

[Ann Bens]

My main question perhaps is how do I play a .mov (Cineform) file on my Windows 10 system

I use vlc with Kolor | CineForm VLC Plugin on windows 10.

I noticed I needed to use the 1280 x 720 preset. I see the files sizes are about the same as the original footage.

Yes that is a downside, but the bright side is you can edit without lag or whatever.

The only downside i find using proxies is when you use a lot of Warp Stabilizer as that used the original footage and not the proxy file.

[R Neil Haugen]

You're not needing a small file size for proxies from 4k/up and especially long-GOP media; you need a file type that plays back very smoothly while editing. Nothing creamier for playback than Cineform. They're about as many kb on disc as the files they are made from largely because the Cineform is intraframe ... every frame is complete, just lightly compressed.

Long-GOP media only has complete frames around every 9-15 frames, with some types (drones, GH5, GoPro cams especially) it can be a lot longer. In-between the camera stores data sets of the pixels that have moved since the last complete frame, will move before the next complete frame, or ... both! It's vastly more complex and demanding of cores/threads/RAM for de-encoding & then decompressing. But the file size on disc is amazingly small.

Neil

[MyerPj]

Thanks Ann Bens​, I'll give the Kolor Cineform plugin a try today, I've been using VLC as my main viewer so that should be good. I take it then stay away from QuickTime.

jeffb94256237​ Jeff, the MPC-HC doesn't play the proxy files either, gave that a try yesterday. Missing codec, etc...

R Neil Haugen​, thanks Neil, I see the point now, well explained!