What’s the Most Efficient Premiere Pro Workflow for H.264 Footage

[FOediting]

Hi All, 

I’m editing 4K 59.94p H.264 footage (MP4 4:2:0) from the Canon R6 in Premiere Pro 22.2 (stability reasons), and my final exports are almost always H.264 for social media platforms. 

As H.264 isn’t Smart Rendering-compatible, I’m trying to figure out what the most time-efficient and practical workflow is for this kind of footage. I prefer not to use proxies as I find them cumbersome.. 

My key questions:

1. How do you typically handle native H.264 4K 59.94p footage like this?
2. Do you transcode on ingest, and if so, to what format?
3. Are there workflows that allow using rendered previews during H.264 export, or is that only possible when exporting in intermediate formats?

The goal is to minimize export time without compromising too much on quality or storage overhead.

Curious to hear how other handle the workflow for H.264 footage.

Thanks in advance!

[JonesVid]

As a starter it would be useful to know the type of system you are editing on and specs, which might affect the approach.

You say you have stuck on Version 22.2 for what specific reasons?

Brain dump

4K H264 60fps should be capable of being handle on modern platforms without Proxies.

My usual workflow these days is footage from my Panasonic S5 II in H265 4K 50 fps 4-2-0 10 bit.

I adopted Smart Rendering quite a while back and use Quicktime ProRes 422 as my Previews.

I render sections of my project as I go along, saving previews.

For export my 13900K  Intel iGPU is enable to allow Hardware decoding (Quicksync).

NVidia 4080 Super splits between decode and encode tasks on export.

You must use 'Match Sequence Previews' as your export format, in this case ProRes 422.

Export is reasonable fast as all complex previews are ready to use a export progresses (tick User Previews)

I like to create a ProRes master like this once all editing is complete which I can archive on a very large Harddisk and also on a second disk as back up.

Once you have this master you can create whatever format you want to export using Media Encoder.

Again,  Export is very fast if using Hardware for encoding to H265 - or in your case H264 4-2-0 8 bit.

In conclusion, I am using a hybrid Smart Rendering workflow as I am not converting all my footage to an Intraframe format like ProRes 422 at the start,  just using the Previews as high quality sources during export to speed things up.

Alternatively you could just do a simpler process and export with basic  iFrame Previews which must be rendered during export to full 4K 60fps H264.

This will involve a slower export whilst any previews/effects you have used are ready to export along with basic H264 footage.

Some users like to transcode all clips from H264 to ProRes (or similar) to give a much smoother editing experience.

H264 is  known as Long GOP (Group of PIctures) format which is compressed, often making frame accurate editing trickier on slower machines.

Useful read on Community 

https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-discussions/the-difference-between-intraframe-like-prore...

Once you have that ProRes Master you can also make minor edits and tweaks to it (if required) without having to re-render a whole project which would be the case if you are just using iFrame Previews.

As I am now just doing Video editing as a hobby,  the Hybrid Smart Rendering technique works for me at present.

If you are working with 4K 60fps footage you will ideally need plenty of storage space for media storage, projects/previews and backups.

[FOediting]

Hi @JonesVid , thanks for your elaborate and clear insights about your workflow using H265 codec 4K footage. Now, based on your explanation, I wanted to confirm if I understood the Smart Rendering workflow correctly for similar use with Canon R6 footage (4K 59.94p, H.264 4:2:0).

Here is how I would apply it:

1. Import

• I import the original Canon R6 H.264 footage (MP4 4:2:0) directly. No proxies or transcoding.

2. Sequence Settings

• Create a sequence that matches the source resolution and frame rate, e.g. 3840 x 2160 at 59.94p.

• Under Video Previews:

  Preview File Format: QuickTime

  Codec: Apple ProRes 422 (or 422 LT)

  Resolution: Matches the sequence

  I enable Maximum Bit Depth and Maximum Render Quality

3. Timeline Editing

• I render sections using Sequence > Render In to Out. This generates ProRes 422 preview files matching the sequence settings.

4. Export

• In Export Settings:

  Format: QuickTime

  Codec: Apple ProRes 422

  I check Match Sequence Settings

  I also check Use Previews

If I understand correctly, this workflow will allow Premiere to directly use the preview files during export, even though the original media is H.264. That should significantly speed up export and maintain quality, since the previews are already rendered in ProRes. Defintely going to try this out! I always merely accepted the fact that H.264 requires longer rendering as I refused to work with proxies.. Thanks again for your clear and helpful insights!

Regarding the Premiere Pro 22.2 version. 

I avoid updating frequently. My general rule is simple: if it works, don't fix it. Most of my editing work involves direct response ads and promotional content for platforms like YouTube and Meta (Facebook and Instagram). I do not use dynamic linking with After Effects, heavy keyframing, or long-form timelines. My use case is focused, so stability matters more to me than the latest updates.

From experience, updates often introduce unexpected issues. For example, I recently tested version 25.3 and ran into timeline playback lag using the exact same project settings that perform smoothly in 22.2. Very odd behavior. I created a post about it here: https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-bugs/anyone-else-getting-playback-lag-in-premiere-pro-25... 

System context:
I have been editing on an HP ENVY x360 Convertible 15-cn0xxx, paired with an external 4K monitor.

Specs:

• Intel Core i7-8550U (4 cores, 8 threads)
• 32 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce MX150 (4 GB VRAM) and Intel UHD Graphics 620

This setup has worked surprisingly well for 4K editing in 22.2. It has been a compact and reliable workhorse for what I do. That said, I am starting to feel that it may be time for an upgrade. With newer versions of Premiere demanding more resources and AI-powered features becoming more common, I am likely moving to a desktop build with at least 16 GB VRAM and a RTX 40 or 50 series GPU.

[Kevin-Monahan]

Yes, you're on the right track by adding more firepower to your system with a beefier GPU. As time goes by, system requirements are more stringent in most cases. I am a huge fan of smart rendering (as is JonesVid). Let us know if you need more guidance with the workflow.

Thanks,
Kevin

[RjL190365]

Your desktop plans are on the right track, especially since your current laptop's GeForce MX 150 has absolutely no hardware H.264 or HEVC decoding or encoding capability whatsoever (it is, after all, based on a low-end GT 1030 with hardware decoding permanently disabled at manufacturing level while the hardware encoder is completely absent in the GP108 chip that it uses). This forces all decoding and encoding back onto the CPU – straight to the main cores of your 8th-Gen Intel CPU proper.

Under the above circumstances, Premiere Pro 25.1 and later are not suitable for use with that laptop because of the decoding and encoding priority of these newer versions of Premiere Pro: In your case, everything will be sent entirely to the CPU, in software-only decoding and encoding mode because Premiere Pro prioritizes discrete GPUs over integrated ones. And if it detects an installed driver for the GPU which lacks hardware decoding and encoding support, your system would become permanently locked to software-only decoding and encoding for H.264 and HEVC.

And Intel has placed all driver support for all pre-11th-Gen CPUs into legacy support three years ago, which means that there will be no new feature support for these older iGPUs while only critical security fixes will continue.

[FOediting]

Thanks so much for the detailed technical explanation.  This really helped me connect the dots.

It now fully makes sense why Premiere Pro 25.3 gave me severe playback lag while version 22.2 ran buttery smooth on the same system. Your insight about the MX150's GP108 chip lacking H.264/HEVC hardware decoding/encoding, and how newer Premiere versions prioritize discrete GPUs over Quick Sync, really clarifies my issue. I’ll summarize your findings in my other thread so I can mark that one as resolved: https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-bugs/anyone-else-getting-playback-lag-in-premiere-pro-25... 

On a related note, I’m in the process of upgrading to a desktop and wanted to ask your thoughts on GPU choices. I’ve been filtering systems with at least 16 GB of VRAM, and found some strong contenders in the €1500–2000 range.

I mainly use Premiere Pro for editing 4K H.264 footage for social media ads and content mostly short-form, no heavy After Effects or dynamic linking. Simple cuts, basic transitions, light keyframing and color correction.

A few questions I hoped to get your input on:

• How do you feel about AMD GPUs like the 7800 XT in Premiere workflows, especially vs. NVIDIA RTX cards in the same price class?
• I know NVIDIA has CUDA support, but is it really that big of a practical advantage compared to AMD 7800 XT? Because AMD have some really price-friendly 16GB VRAM options!
• Is the difference between 12 GB and 16 GB VRAM really that significant bottleneck for my kind of work? Or does it only matter in heavier workflows (multicam, RAW, AE comps)?

Would really appreciate your thoughts before I pull the trigger. Thanks again for your support and time. 

[RjL190365]

For that budget go with the RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB card, especially if you're going to also work with 10-bit 4:2:2 H.264 or HEVC video footage and/or run After Effects on a frequent basis. Here's why:

• Radeon GPUs are restricted in hardware to 4:2:0 hardware decoding/encoding no matter what. No 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 hardware support at all.
• After Effects performs relatively poorly in OpenCL compared to in CUDA.

That narrows your choices down significantly.

Alternatively, if you can live with only 12 GB of VRAM, then the RTX 5070 is a good alternative. (The RTX 5070 Ti is even better, but its current price is outrageously high for what it is.)

[JonesVid]

Hi @FOediting 

Yes your playback of guidelines was fine but I do not set Max render depth and bit depth on the previews. 
This demands more from your system and for me see no change.

Thanks to @RjL190365 for pointing out a major restriction on your current platform which does not support Intel Quicksync.

Your upgrade plans are certainly going to payback with a much faster workflow and export.

One point in the export is that if you select the dropdown options of 'Match sequence previews',  Premiere automatically populates the QuickTime format etc.

I've also tried ProRes 422LT and that works fine too.

Good luck with your new build. The 5060 GPU sounds a good option. 
I would go Nvidia GPU route personally. 

[RjL190365]

Actually, the Intel CPU in that laptop does support Quick Sync. It's the Nvidia GPU that supports neither NVDEC nor NVENC, and that the way current (recent) versions of Premiere Pro operate, Premiere's GPU detector currently gives up once it detects a driver for the GPU that it prioritizes.

Because of this, the OP has no hardware encoding at all, and he has no hardware decoding for H.264. And assuming that HP did not disable the integrated Intel UHD Graphics in that laptop, only HEVC will be hardware-decoded, and only in 4:2:0 color space.

[JonesVid]

OOps - sorry for incorrect info on the i7-8550U processor.

@RjL190365 is correct this has of course has the iGPU but with the 620 Graphics engine. 

This would explain why Premiere 22.2 was still working OK for you on H264.

As already concluded, an upgrade to a Desktop will be a good step to speeding things up.

With the NVidia 5000 series GPUs now being pushed quite heavily, I would have expected to see some discounting on 4000 series but from what I see in the market (in UK) this is not happening quite yet and prices are still holding up.