Warp Stabilize Breaks Proxy Playback

[ShaneMcG]

• Issue - When using proxies, they work fine but after I stabilize a clip it no longer uses the proxy file, making playback laggy. 
• Adobe Premiere Pro version number: v24.6.1 b2
• Operating system - Windows or macOS, and which version of those operating systems?
• System Info: CPU, GPU, RAM, HD:
  • Windows 11 PC

  • CPU i7-11700KF

  • GPU 3080

  • RAM 64gb

  • Hard Drive internal m.2

• Video format: h264 MP4 (but also others as well, sometimes our cameras are mixed) and I tried proxies as h264 quicktime and prores.
• Workflow details: I typically import MP4 footage, interpret 59fps to 23fps for slow mo, then proxy. This didn't work in past versions but now it seems to. After cutting some clips I apply warp stabilize to them, at which time the proxy files don't display any more, even with the proxy toggle on and off, no change. I made proxies at 1/4 and with the watermark just to be sure. I also tested on footage that was NOT interpreted to be sure that isn't the mix up, proxies still disappear.
• Steps to reproduce - (Very important!) Very simple, so same steps as above.
  
• Expected result - After stabilizing it should be stable but still using the proxy file for playback.
• Actual result -  Proxy isn't used, raw footage is, which plays back laggy.

[Ann Bens]

Its not a bug its by design. Warp Stabilizer does not use proxy files it used the original files.

Alternative you can stabilize clip and then Render and Replace.

[ShaneMcG]

Alright, seems like a really bad "design" though. Would be useful if it could use the RAW files to stabilize but replace the file or stabilize data with the Proxy at least for playback. This kind fo design flaw makes me want to just go back to transcoding instread of proxies - but even transcoding has it's cons.

[Ann Bens]

I don't use proxies as my original files are intra frame.

This design has been ever since Adobe introduces the in-app proxies.

[R Neil Haugen]

They are different video files ... think about this.

How does Warp work? The computer analyzes the file, and based on framesize/rate, makes hundreds to thousands of typically per-frame computations to get a "stabilized" image.

Which massively increased the project file size, as projects of course only exist as metadata. 

Proxies have different frame-sizes! So therefore, it would have to re-analyze for that framesize, doubling the metadata of the clip.

No, you do not want that to happen!

And Ann has by far the best advice for Warp workflows:

1) apply Warp and the analysis process

2) check and adjust results as needed

3) do a full render & replace to new media to get rid of the project overhead, project bloat, and computer slowdowns.