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4k video will not render on timeline

early 2011 MBP

MacOS 10.13.6 High Sierra

FCPX 10.4.6


Hello,


I have used fcp often to edit 1080p video. The rendered clips (Prores 422 LT) run flawlessly on my older computer. I would now like to edit some 4k video. I've created a 4k project file, but when I import 4k video to the timeline, no white dots appear above the video to indicate the clip is being rendered. If I make any change to the clip (color correction, frame size, transform, opacity.... anything) the white dots appear and the clip gets rendered to Prores 422 LT. If I import 1080p clips to the same timeline, the white dots appear and the clip gets rendered.


Any idea what may be causing this? How can I troubleshoot this and find a solution?

Shawn's 13" MacBook Pro

Posted on May 2, 2022 1:40 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 2, 2022 1:51 PM

Sounds quite correct. 4K in a 4K project doesn’t need to be rendered. HD in a 4K project will show the dots because the image has to be scaled. Don’t render unless you need to render for good playback.

4 replies

May 2, 2022 2:07 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thanks Tom. I think I've been confused about render files. I did a bit more research after reading your reply, and you are correct. I was under the impression a render file would be created to any file that could not be played back smoothly (ie: 4k on a 2011 mbp). Turns out, render files are only created once any change is made to the clip.


I guess I need to look into using proxy files or optimized media, which I've never used before. I just loved how seamless the rendering process is. No proxy files, done automatically in the background, etc... I wish there was a way to force rendering of a 4k clip on a 4k timeline.

4k video will not render on timeline

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