How to create a horrible low res proxy version for PP?

[Deaf_Guy]

I just started experimenting with the proxy feature in PP.  I use an underpowered laptop with 8 GB and have to use this system because the company I work for will not buy me anything else.  We have a DSLR camera that at highest res shoots at 1920x1080.

We don't shoot in 4K or anything like that.  The laptop I have does a decent job with timeline scrubbing and all other programs closed.  Of course, I'm always looking to "help" the system work even better so I thought of the proxy because sometimes scrubbing does stutter and freeze the timeline.  But maybe I'm expecting too much of proxy if I'm not going to be doing anything in 4K?

What I was hoping was to keep the proxy ingest files very very low res but the same dimensions (1920x1080).  I don't care if the footage looks pixelly and horrible as long as the 1920-x1080 remains and as long as I can quickly scrub the timeline.  That way if I build effects but my proxy files are not the same dimensions as the raw footage, there'll be no letterboxing with the proxy files.

Can someone recommend the terrible low res proxy version preset and keep the 1920x1080 dimensions?

Thanks for any assistance.

[excited_Genie16B8]

I was hoping was to keep the proxy ingest files very very low res but the same dimensions

Resolution and dimensions mean the same thing.

Use only the included GoPro Cineform presets.

[Deaf_Guy]

OK I have a 1920x1080 MOV clip of a jet landing at Reagan Airport.  The raw file (I don't know if it's camera original because I downloaded it from our footage stock service) is 250MB.

So I then used that proxy setting (Go Pro) and it created a proxy of 750MB.  Isn't that defeating the purpose of proxy?

I found on YTV a tutorial of a guy who makes lots of good tutorials and he went in and made an ingest preset with YTV settings so I tried that and the proxy file is down to 43MB.

Call me crazy but wouldn't the low res 43MB be more practical to use as a proxy file compared to the 750MB version?

[excited_Genie16B8 · Accepted solution]

The purpose of proxy is to make editing easier.  Smaller files isn't part of the equation.

So...if the proxy media works better, then no, the purpose hasn't been defeated.

On a side note, small files are often difficult to edit because they're so heavily compressed (small).  Easy to edit files are very often larger files.

[Deaf_Guy]

I DO agree with you on that. I have noticed the MOV files working great on the timeline vs the compressed files.  Thanks.

[chrisw44157881]

what do you think of using prores LT proxy or the DNx145/DNxHR LB at 4.31MB/sec.? the quality is much lower but its still intra wavelet so would be fast and really small file size.

[chrisw44157881]

i found this. I don't know how accurate the numbers are. some seem to match the white papers on the codecs.

Mb/sec. for wavelet codecs.

Apple ProRes (VBR):

Proxy - 36

LT - 82

422 - 117

422 HQ - 176

4444 - 264

4444 XQ - 396

Avid DNxHD (CBR):

DNxHD 36 - 36

DNxHD 80 - 80

DNxHD 115 - 115

DNxHD 175 - 175

DNxHD 175x - 175

DNxHD 350x - 350

GoPro Cineform (VBR):

Low (1) - 64

Medium (2) - 77

High (3) - 89

Film Scan (4) - 104

Film Scan (5) - 170

[R Neil Haugen]

Thanks, Chris ... very useful data.

Neil

[Deaf_Guy]

Is this important in relation to my post?  What if any would help me create a lower res proxy that works well on timeline?

[excited_Genie16B8]

what do you think of using prores LT proxy or the DNx145/DNxHR LB

I think there is no need.  Cineform works great.

If you're still worrying about file size, get a larger hard drive.  Editing takes lots of room.  Better to accommodate that need than try to work around it.

[Deaf_Guy]

OK no problem with stick with Cineform.  Thanks.