what is the difference in created files for proxy and optimized media?

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Level 1

26 points

what is the difference in created files for proxy and optimized media?

Here`s what the fcpx help file reads on optimized and proxy media,

Create optimized media: This option transcodes video to the Apple ProRes 422 codec format, which provides better performance during editing, faster render times, and better color quality for compositing. If the original camera format can be edited with good performance, this option is dimmed.
Create proxy media: This option creates video and still-image proxy files. Video is transcoded to the Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy) codec format, which provides high-quality files useful for offline editing at the original frame size, frame rate, and aspect ratio. Final Cut Pro creates medium-quality (one-half resolution) proxy versions that increase editing performance. Video proxy files take up considerably less disk space, which often means you can work on a portable computer instead of a desktop computer that has significantly more memory and processing power. Still images are transcoded to either JPEG (if the original file doesn’t have alpha channel information) or PNG files (if the file has alpha channel information). Still-image proxy files facilitate faster processing and rendering when the original image is very large.

I`m still a little confused on the difference between the 2. is this correct below?

optimized media creates a copy of your clips and puts them in a folder on your drive (your events folder you created), that 422 version gives better performance and faster render times. This is for video only.

proxy media also creates a copy of your original source files, both video and still image photos,

and puts it in a folder on your drive at one half the resolution of the original source files.

I`m trying to use up less disc space with duplicates, and wondering if its enough to just create proxy files and not optimized media.

is the main difference that proxy is far lower resolution and works on photos as well?

Or for overall faster performance would I choose to create both proxy and optimized media?

(I cannot see why I would use both?).

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), 2.3Ghz, i7, 16GB ram, 256GB flash

Posted on Jan 7, 2013 2:29 AM

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Answer 1

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,010 points

Jan 7, 2013 2:47 AM in response to snappler

It depends on what format your original media is. There are some instances in which you might want both, though most likely you would choose one or the other.

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Answer 2

snappler Author

Level 1

26 points

Jan 7, 2013 3:21 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Tom if I could ask you several questions,

in terms of the lowest file size choosing only "proxy" would produce less duplicates correct?

because optimized also creates a copy of the original source files is that correct?

In terms of faster performance, using both optimized and proxy would produce theoretically a better performance?

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Answer 3

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,010 points

Jan 7, 2013 3:30 AM in response to snappler

"in terms of the lowest file size choosing only "proxy" would produce less duplicates correct?"

Yes.

"because optimized also creates a copy of the original source files is that correct?"

Yes.

"In terms of faster performance, using both optimized and proxy would produce theoretically a better performance?"

Yes, but at the cost of a lot of drive space.

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Answer 4

Jan 7, 2013 6:42 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Please forgive me, I'm a "noob" to this community and to FCX editing. I've been using Final Cut X pretty much since it came out, but haven't always ran the program in an optmized way. I recently edited an 80-minute movie and lost a lot of hard drive space due to the optimized media creating a copy of the original source files. I should have used proxy and was aware of the option to use it, but wasn't familiar enough with it to want to give it a try. I just bought a new iMac and even though I maxed out the processor and graphics card (and will probably max out the RAM through third-party sticks), I want to ensure the system will run well with FCX for 3-4 years so I'll definitely be utilizing proxy much more often!

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