best workflow to minimize space and efficiency maybe?

J

Jonathan12uiz

Well-known member
I've got the Lpowell 40mbps AVCHD & 35mbps mjpeg settings on my GH13.

So theoretically I should be able to get a max of 40mbps in AVCHD and a steady-ish 35mbps in mjpeg.

So Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy) should be more efficient to use.

Here are their ratings:

- Apple Prores 442 (HQ) - 220mbps
- Apple Prores 442 - 147mbps
- Apple Prores 442 (LT) - 102mbps
- Apple Prores 442 (Proxy) - 45mbps

Since the clips bitrates are max 40mbps... Isn't PROXY the MOST efficient workflow to use?

How much data does it really upscale to when you choose HQ over Proxy or LT?

if proxy is the way to go, then I could easily edit my footage on a 2GB ram dual core iMac.

correct right? anyone?
 
Compression is a tricky beast. Here's the problem.

You are recording in a highly efficient long-GOP codec. It saves so much space because rather than each frame of video carrying all the data, it only carries a fraction of the data for most frames. ProRes is not like that. It expects to have FULL data for each frame. And as such, If you give ProRes the same bandwidth you do AVC, the quality is going to be FAR lower. So while ProRes Proxy might be efficient, it lacks the bandwidth required to accurately represent the information it's being asked to contain. I would conservatively estimate that you need at least 3-4 times the bandwidth in ProRes as you would in AVC, this if you had a 40mbps AVC file, I would expect at 120-160mbps ProRes file to be sufficient to not degrade the footage. Not surprisingly, ProRes offers a choice right in the middle of that range. And.. it's the standard ProRes. If oyu were shooting with something like a movie camera that was already full frame and maybe at 100mbps, then something like ProRes 220 would make sense.

But I encourage you to do the legwork yourself. Encode some of your 40mpbs to each of the ProRes rates, and do a difference on the timeline and see how they come out. I did this with DNxHD, which is nearly identical to ProRes, and came to my own conclusions.
 
PerroneFord said:
Compression is a tricky beast. Here's the problem.

You are recording in a highly efficient long-GOP codec. It saves so much space because rather than each frame of video carrying all the data, it only carries a fraction of the data for most frames. ProRes is not like that. It expects to have FULL data for each frame. And as such, If you give ProRes the same bandwidth you do AVC, the quality is going to be FAR lower. So while ProRes Proxy might be efficient, it lacks the bandwidth required to accurately represent the information it's being asked to contain. I would conservatively estimate that you need at least 3-4 times the bandwidth in ProRes as you would in AVC, this if you had a 40mbps AVC file, I would expect at 120-160mbps ProRes file to be sufficient to not degrade the footage. Not surprisingly, ProRes offers a choice right in the middle of that range. And.. it's the standard ProRes. If oyu were shooting with something like a movie camera that was already full frame and maybe at 100mbps, then something like ProRes 220 would make sense.

But I encourage you to do the legwork yourself. Encode some of your 40mpbs to each of the ProRes rates, and do a difference on the timeline and see how they come out. I did this with DNxHD, which is nearly identical to ProRes, and came to my own conclusions.
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thanks for the information man... I really didn't know all that about compression. It just seemed logical to me... LOL.

I will take your advise and log and transfer the same clip in different prores settings to see which one I will stick with for the time being on my imac until i get my macbook pro.

thanks for the info...

also would you know what I would have to set my timeline setting to if each clip is a different prores series? i'm thinking to set the timeline to prores 422 (hq) and then just dropping the lower quality clips on that timeline.
 
Jonathan12uiz said:
also would you know what I would have to set my timeline setting to if each clip is a different prores series? i'm thinking to set the timeline to prores 422 (hq) and then just dropping the lower quality clips on that timeline.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I'm not an FCP guy. Best direct that to someone more familiar with the program. :)
 
suicdekng said:
or you can just use Premiere Pro and not have to screw with any of that =P
Click to expand...

eh. I started with premiere pro... worked with it till cs3... i like premiere pro, but I like fcp a little more. plus with the machine that i'm editing with, native editing is a no no. lol. I have nothing against other editors, i've just come to like fcp.
 
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