ProRes 422 LT or H264 source clips?

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Level 1

4 points

ProRes 422 LT or H264 source clips?

For a particular editing project each video clip has been provided to me in two codecs: H264 (straight from the camera) and Apple ProRes 422LT (I think these have been produced from the original H264 clips via Compressor). I now need to start editing in FCP X. The question is which set of clips should I load into FCP X? The 422LT clips are four times the size of the H264 clips and so will gobble up disk space. Is their any advantage is using them, rather than the H264 clips with proxy files created by FCP X for editing?

Many thanks for any comments.

Final Cut Pro X, 10.2.2

Posted on Mar 26, 2016 5:15 AM

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Answer 1

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,805 points

Mar 26, 2016 5:31 AM in response to beemerbiker

If you have a newish computer, with fast CPU and GPU, then there's probably no need to use the LT files. You also shouldn't need proxy files either, unless you're doing a large multicam project.

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Answer 2

Russ H

Level 7

22,432 points

Mar 26, 2016 5:31 AM in response to beemerbiker

So it really depends on your system. If it's a fairly recent Mac and you're not working with multiple streams of video in a multi cam project you'll probably be OK with the original media.

Russ

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Answer 3

beemerbiker Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 26, 2016 5:33 AM in response to beemerbiker

OK, thanks for those two comments, Tom and Russ. I'll give it a crack with the original H264 files. And I'll delay producing proxies if and until FCP X starts frame dropping. Though my Mac is not that new (27" late 2011 model).

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Answer 4

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,805 points

Mar 26, 2016 5:39 AM in response to beemerbiker

H.264 is only the codec. Complete file information would be important. Are they .mts? You can use them, but not a good idea. Complete specs for video and audio would be good.

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Answer 5

beemerbiker Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 26, 2016 5:53 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Tom, according to QuickTime, the original camera files are H264 1920x1080 (audio = linear PCM/48kHz) at 50 Mb/s in MOV containers, as saved in a Panasonic GH3 camera.

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Answer 6

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,805 points

Mar 26, 2016 5:56 AM in response to beemerbiker

TThat's perfect. Should be good with that if your computer is recent.

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