Premiere timeline are laggy even after I use proxy files

[Sebastian4002]

I started a new project in Premiere and the video was really laggy even after I changed the playback resolution to 1/8 and disable high quality playback. So I tried making a proxy file but the video is still lagging even after I enable it.

The first video was a 2h long gameplay video, recorded with Nvidia Shadowplay at 130k bitrate.

The video turend out at a variable refresrate so I had to convert it to a mkv in handbrake. Video still at 130K bitrate. For some reason Premiere would not open the file, so I had to convert it again with OBS Remux to a mp4.

Now Premiere would open the file but it was very laggy so I made a proxy file of it, and even on the playback lowest setting it was still lagging.

I tried to insert just the proxy file directly into Premiere and then it worked perfectly.

I did the exact same thing with 2 files, only difference one being 2 minutes and one 2 hours and the same result.

The first file specs are 100Gb sizes, 4K, 130,000kbit/s. 2 hour long and mp4.

The proxy file specs are 65 Gb in sizes, 1080p, 82,000kbit/s, 2 hour long and Mov-file.

(The proxy file worked perfectly on its own in Premiere, and the same configuration has worked before in another project)

My computer specs are…

• RTX 2080 Ti

• Intel i7-9700F 3.00GHz

• 32,0 GB RAM

• Nvme ssd

I have tried 2 versions of premiere, version 22,5 and Beta 23,0. Same result in both.

I have restarted my computer, deleted media catch, remade the proxy files 2 times and nothing works.

The CPU and Memory usage in Task manger are only around 30-50% when it playbacks

I have no effects or anything else in my timeline, just the video files. So I really don’t know what else to do, and I don’t know how much of this information is useful but I figure the more the better.

[Jeff Bugbee]

What codec? Can you post the MediaInfo specs of a file in Tree view?

130MB/s is huge for what is probably an interframe H264 codec.

[Sebastian4002]

Here is a video showing the problem 

And I think a got a solison by turning off Gpu acelerasion but that just souns wrong and potesial for more problem down the line, but it seme to work for know with nothihng els in the timeline

I am not sure exactly what you whan me to do, but here is the file

None proxy file...
Type: MPEG Movie
File Size: 101,17 GB
Image Size: 3840 x 2160
Frame Rate: 60,00
Source Audio Format: 48000 Hz - Compressed - Stereo
Project Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 32 bit floating point - Stereo
Total Duration: 01:51:14:31
Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1,0
Alpha: None
Color Space: Rec. 601 (NTSC)
Color Space Override: Off
Input LUT: None
Video Codec Type: MP4/MOV H.264 4:2:0
Variable Frame Rate Detected

Proxy file...

Type: QuickTime Movie
File Size: 64,67 GB
Image Size: 1920 x 1080
Frame Rate: 60,00
Source Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 16-bit - Stereo
Project Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 32 bit floating point - Stereo
Total Duration: 01:51:14:29
Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1,0
Alpha: None
Color Space: Rec. 709
Color Space Override: Off
Input LUT: None

[Jeff Bugbee · Accepted solution]

This is MediaInfo https://mediaarea.net/en/MediaInfo

You can get a lot more information from this than what Premiere gives you.

But even from Premiere, we can see your source file is H.264 and VFR. Potentially interframe as well, the trifecta of terrible video settings for Premiere editing.

Personally, I'd transcode to an intermediate codec like Prores 422 and skip proxy editing all together. That way your source video will play and edit well and you don't have to bother toggling proxies. This would solve your VFR playback issues as well.

[PrimeEdits · Accepted solution]

Hey i finally found a solution that actually works, 

Step 1: make sure "toggle proxies"  is On,

Step 2: go to the project pannel, and right click on you media that you created the proxies for, then "Modify" >Interpret Footage, 

Step 3: in the dialog, there is a section called "Frame Rate", select " Assume Framerate", and set it to whateever your sequence framerate is, for example 60fps,30fps, etc...

Original Reddit post where i found the solution: https://www.reddit.com/r/premiere/comments/x65hvd/playback_lag_with_proxy_files_details_in_comments/

[geradm]

Thank you for this! Been having this issue for months with proxies made from OBS recordings. The original media was showing up as 60.0002 fps, as soon as I changed it to 60fps it was smooth as butter with ProRes proxies. 

[PrimeEdits]

glad it worked for you 😄

[Nick Ha]

what in the heck??? how does this work so well and why does having misaligned FPS cause so much problems in the first place

this desperately needs to be looked at, which probably means it never will be

[Athan26892648di72]

THANKSSSS!! I had exact same issue and my frame rate was showing up as 60.0002. changed to 60 and now it works like a charm. Absolute life saver! Don't know how you found that reddit post.

[PrimeEdits]

luck i guess XD

[Brandon3077379898jw]

This was the issue and now it is buttery smooth.  Thanks so much for the solution.

[BHODES]

Wow....been pulling out my hair on this one.  My issue was only with drone FTG.  This fix worked!  Soooooo dumb.  

[BHODES]

....and thank you PrimeEdits!!

[bsnagger]

This works -- until I sync the footage with the sound I recorded on my Zoom F4, then it lags again. The sound is 24-bit, wheras the camera sound is 16 bit. Could this be the problem?? It doesn't make sense to me why this would happen.