Help! Proxy files are huge.

[DV2017]

Hi,

I'm new to Premiere and a problem with Proxys is driving me insane.

When I convert my video files to Proxys the Proxy files are 10x the size of the original files.

I'm mostly working with .avi or .mp4 files 3/4gig in size. Because my machine is old i want to convert these to smaller Proxy files.

However when I convert them I end up with a 24gig Proxy file!

I have tried using GoPro Cineform with the quility turned down to one and the resolution at around 1280(I've tried various resolutions)

I've also tried the ProRes 4:2:2 preset with the same resulting massive proxys files.

Even if I test something simple like a 7mb rip from youtube the Prozy file ends up at 23mb.

I've created Proxys from files like these countless times in FCPX without any issues so I don't think the files are the problem.

I'm obviously doing something wrong but I can't figure it out.

Any help would be much appreciated.

I'm working on the latest version of Premiere Pro CC

[Wes Howell · Accepted solution]

The proxy formats you've mentioned are high quality intermediate codecs.   It sounds like your source files are more compressed than both Cineform or Prores 422.  

For the smallest proxies, you could create H264 proxies at a lower resolution.  There is an included preset for that format.  You could also create your own custom proxy presets. Prores LT is a good option if you are on a Mac

[DV2017]

Thanks Wes, maybe that's the case. I'll try h.264 now and see how I get on.

Isn't Pro Res LT a high quality codec too? I.e. wouln't using that also lead to large file sizes?

[Wes Howell]

Happy to help.

Prores LT is lighter than 422 for sure.   Many options.  Of course you can also reduce frame size as well.

[R Neil Haugen]

The proxy files presets that are Cineform and such rather than H.264 are used precisely because of the file-size difference: playback with them is vastly better on most machines over using especially camera/device H.264 file because they put far less load on the computer during playback.

Cineform, ProRes, DNxHD/R codecs have complete frames for every frame, just compressed.

H.264 is long-GOP interframe ... there's only a complete " i-frame " every 9-30 frames or more ... in between are data sets referenced to the frames either before or after them ... requiring a ton of CPU/RAM forth-and-back work for every frame.

Most who use proxies do so for the editing process, then of course dump them afterwards.

Neil

[gregs36393508]

You'll have a vastly better experience editing with ProRes than h.264. I notice it most when scrubbing: ProRes is seemless, whereas h.264 its jittery. 

Regarding encoding time, I bought an external GPU, and the encoding time dropped by 2/3.

[Jim_Simon]

the Proxy files are 10x the size of the original files.

That's normal, and precisely what allows then to play so well.

Don't fret about this, just get a larger hard drive.  You can get 8, 10, even 14 TB hard drives these days.

[DV2017]

Thanks for the replies everyone, very helpful.

I've started to have some more success with this but still running into issues.

I'm now converting 4096x2304 Pro Res apch files from a blackmagic camera. The files are around 23gig.

I'm using the Pro Res 422(Proxy) preset. I have dropped the resolution to 1024x576.

I've maintained the FPS at 25, field order at progressive, the aspect at square pixals and the depth at 8bpc.

The quality slider is greyed out so can't be adjusted.

The resulting files come out at around 400mb which is ideal.

The problem is the time this takes. A seven minutes clip is taking 6 hours plus to encode!

My machine is old but not that slow!

Is there anything I can do/any setting I can change to speed up this encoding process?

Thanks in advance.

[Jim_Simon]

I'm now converting Pro Res  files

You shouldn't have to.  ProRes files play fine, they don't need proxies.

[DV2017]

They're 4096x2304 Pro Res apch files. They definitely don't play back fine on my machine at their current size

[Jim_Simon]

What's the bottleneck, hard drive?

[DV2017]

Thanks for the responses here, guys. I'm still struggling with a few things but the info on this thread has been very helpful.