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Level 1

9 points

Macbook Pro Retina - un-useable with FCPX?!!

Getting very frustrated here, I have about 50gb of mixed Sony RX100 Mk3 footage and Drift Ghost S footage I am bringing into FCPX, latest version, all updated software, no cleaners installed, media running off external USB3 1TB drive. Imports all fine, (no images, just video at 1080 and 60fps into a 30fps timeline), but is just painfully slow to move anything, scrub etc. Simply scrolling through the clips that were imported, goes a few clips then spinning wheel for 60 seconds before repeating, same with even touching the timeline - spinning wheel again and again. Left overnight to render - have performance over quality and background render off and on (makes no difference either way.)

Have tried new projects, libraries, everything, it's just totally un-useable? I have trashed preferences time and time again to no avail.

The Macbook is a late 2013, 8gb ram, 512gb SSD hard drive, retina etc... Have reinstalled FCPX, repaired permissions etc.

iMovie was so much better, even for a 50gb project, can anyone add some insight before I ditch this rubbish program that cost me $399 and go back to iMovie? Thanks in advance... Andrew

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Aug 30, 2015 4:29 PM

22 replies

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,185 points

Aug 31, 2015 6:51 PM in response to Troutboynz

still says they are all H.264.

WHat at does it say at the bottom of the inspector? Do you see green dots for proxy and optimized? The playback will use optimized or proxy depending on what you have selected in the viewer.

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,185 points

Aug 31, 2015 6:54 PM in response to Troutboynz

If you imported the AVCHD medua into correctly it is processed exactly the same as in iMovie and handled the same way. FCP is a far more complex application and requires much greater overhead but the media handling for AVCHD itself is the same.

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,185 points

Aug 31, 2015 7:08 PM in response to Troutboynz

What did you do inside a compound clip? Did you export proxy?

Troutboynz Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 31, 2015 7:09 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

You may be right, I just used the SD card from the Sony (main camera) and inserted into Macbook, find the files through AVCHD - Private - Stream and copied them over. I will try and import direct from camera and see it it preserves the file structure for any change. I only have 'original' as the transcode option, proxy and optimize are red triangles and stay that way even after it lets me 'apparently' convert.

No, did not export proxy, can't make proxy files.

Cheers

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,185 points

Aug 31, 2015 7:20 PM in response to Troutboynz

Insert the card into the MacBook and use the import function and select the card in the import window sidebar. Do not drag and drop the files from the card onto the computer.

If you want to transcode, after you import select the files, right-click and choose optimize and/or proxy. It doesn't sound as if the media was either optimized or proxied.

I only have 'original' as the transcode option

Not sure where you're seeing this. When you open the transcode window you should se this

The FCP section in the YT video looks very low res, like it came out of a proxy project or the compound was the wrong resolution.

Troutboynz Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 31, 2015 7:39 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Just done a test and you are right, cable connected, I have set prefs for optimize on import direct from camera and it shows as optimized in the info panel. says the codec is still H.264. Linear PCM still, should this not say ProRes?

Yes, that first 4mins was a bit jerky as well, looks quite sharp to me though, I thought Proxy would be far worse quality? All a learning curve for me. Thanks

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,185 points

Aug 31, 2015 7:54 PM in response to Troutboynz

TThe Info inspector displays the original media from which everything is processed. The bottom of the inspector shows what's been made from it.

Macbook Pro Retina - un-useable with FCPX?!!