There’s a lot of confusion about the three different media types in Final Cut Pro X: native, optimized, and proxy.
Native media is the format shot by your camera. For example, AVCHD, H.264, DV, and HDV are all examples of native media formats.
Optimized media is always ProRes 422. When the “Optimize Media” checkbox is checked during import, FCP X transcodes, which is a fancy way of saying it “converts,” your media from its native format into Apple ProRes 422.
Proxy media is always Apple ProRes 422 Proxy. Proxy media creates a reasonably high-quality media file, but at about 1/4 the size of ProRes 422.
When you import media from either a file or camera, you have the ability to optimize it, or create proxy files.
You also have the ability to convert media after you’ve imported the files. Simply select the clips in the Event Browser that you want to transcode and select File > Transcode media.
Either way, here are your options:
What’s “reasonable image quality?” Generally, the higher the bit rate of the media, the better the image quality. For this reason, since ProRes 422 has a much higher bit rate than ProRes Proxy, the image quality is potentially better. This is especially true if you are doing color correction, green-screen keying, or lots of image manipulation. However, if you are simply capturing and editing consumer-grade camera images, without many effects, you may not see any quality difference at all between optimized and proxy media.
Creating proxies or optimized media always makes a copy of your camera source files. Both optimized and proxy media will have better performance than the camera native formats.
You can select one option, both, or none. Depending upon which options you select, you could have up to three copies of your media files stored on your system:
1. Camera native
2. Optimized
3. Proxy
Duplicate media files are not necessarily a bad thing and FCP X will track them properly; however, multiple copies do require more disk space.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Not all camera formats require optimizing. If the Optimize option is grayed out, it means that the camera format is already optimized and would not benefit if converted into ProRes 422. (DV and AVC-Intra are two examples of already-optimized media formats.)
NOTE: For the geeks among us, optimized formats are those that are stored in an I-frame format.
My general recommendation is to always optimize media. Purchasing an extra hard disk will more than pay for itself in the time you save during editing.
SWITCHING BETWEEN FILES
To switch between native, optimized, or proxy files in your Project go to the Final Cut Pro > Preferences > Playback tab.
Click the radio button for Proxy to edit using Proxy files.
Click the radio button for Original/Optimized to edit using anything else.
You can change this setting whenever you want, however, you can’t have a mix of some Proxy and some Optimized files in the same Project at the same time. Proxy and Optimized files are stored in different folders in the same Event folder.
(By the way, I thought whether you selected High Quality or Better Performance in this preference pop-up menu, your output quality will always be the same – high quality. However, see Jason’s comment below.)
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142 Responses to FCP X: Native vs. Optimize vs. Proxy Media
← Older Comments Newer Comments →-
Mike T. says:
October 29, 2012 at 9:38 am
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Rick says:
October 29, 2012 at 12:26 pm
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Lennard says:
November 18, 2012 at 12:20 pm
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Iain Anderson says:
November 18, 2012 at 8:57 pm
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Lennard says:
November 19, 2012 at 3:41 am
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Iain Anderson says:
November 19, 2012 at 4:29 am
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Lennard says:
November 19, 2012 at 6:26 am
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JC says:
November 25, 2012 at 7:18 pm
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Rick says:
November 25, 2012 at 8:05 pm
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Larry Jordan says:
November 25, 2012 at 10:59 pm
← Older Comments Newer Comments →Achile & Larry,
I believe there is a workaround way to only create proxy files of media used in your project/timeline.
1) In the Project Library window, you can choose to DUPLICATE your project, and choose the option “Duplicate Project + Used Clips”. This will make a new EVENT folder in both FCPX Event Browser and the Finder. This will duplicate all of your used media in the timeline – the entire clips, not just the portions of clips you cut down in your timeline. However, This will be MUCH less media than your original entire Event.
2) Now, you can select the newly created Event in Event Browser, Right-click, and choose “Transcode Media”. You can now create Proxy Files of the clips used in your edited project only.
3) In Preferences, Choose “Use Proxy Media” to switch your timeline clip media linking to the new proxy files.
To note, this will not save you space as it will create original media duplicates as well as new proxy files all within the newly duplicated Event folder. HOWEVER, this may be a solution for some looking to get better PERFORMANCE in their editing by using Proxy files – without needing to TRANSCODE ALL of the original media, just used clips. This will be less taxing on the system, and enable better real time playback of multi-cam etc. When you want to finalize your edit in full quality, simply select the radio button in Preference – “Use Original or Optimized Media”. This will switch your timeline back to the source clips for mastering.
Somebody please let me know if there is any flaws in this method. Thanks!
In addition to Mike T’s suggestion, you can save space if that is a priority. If you follow Mike’s suggestion of creating a new project with it’s events, that will probably save you a lot of space.
You can save even more space if necessary, if all your media is in FCP X “camera archives”. If so, follow Mike’s workflow, creating proxy media. Then delete all the “original media”, and “optimized media” in the new events folder created when your duplicate project. You can then edit the project using only the proxy media. When you are finished you can regenerate the “original media” and the optimized media if you wish by reconnecting to the camera archives for final processing at output.
Lots of cautions here:
1. Make sure all your media is really in camera archives
2. The camera archives are backed up
3. If at all unsure, backup the new events folder before deleting the media out of it.
I am not sure where non video media gets stored, like sound files, graphics files, and animations. Be careful not to delete them.
Is it true that it is not possible to share (export) in native?
Because when i import only native files (H.264) and i want to share i see in the list; “source apple pro res”.
I thought Source = Native.
So FCP is always transcoding?? Even if i want to work in native??
Not quite. You don’t have to transcode to play back, but exports default to the Render codec, probably ProRes 422. You *can* force the export codec to H.264, XDCAM, or a few other formats with the Master File export option, but some kind of transcoding is probably going to happen at some stage. It’s very fast, though.
Thank you, but i am still wondering.
Is it true that there is no option “export (share) in native”?
Because when i choose share (master file) the list starts with “source apple pro res”.
And apple pro res is not the source. My native files are AVCHD.
When you export a Master File, you can choose the codec (including H.264, as used in AVCHD) but no, not “native”. The Same as Source option references the Render codec, which is ProRes. “Native” could only ever apply if no changes were made to the video — no color changes, no effects, no transitions at all. You can’t avoid at least one very minor generation loss.
Thank you Iain,
Hi everyone,
Lots of great discussion here. I just wanted to confirm that my workflow makes the most sense. I’m shooting DSLR on two Canon 7Ds. I’m editing on a MacBook Pro that’s a couple years old. So my thought is to drag the .mov files off the memory card into a folder on my external drive. (My master files.)
Then I’d import those into FCPX and click optimize media AND create proxy files.
I’d edit using the proxy files. (Plays so much nicer when editing on my MacBook Pro, especially when using multicam.)
When done, I’d switch my preferences to use optimized files and export as such.
So essentially, I’ve got 3 versions of each clip. Not ideal in terms of storage space but can live with it if it makes sense. I guess what I’m wondering is: IF I’m editing with the proxy files, am I gaining anything by creating optimized versions of those files as well? Would I be better off creating proxy files and leaving ‘optimize files’ unchecked? Because then it’ll just relink to the original files from the camera. (Which are in H264 I guess. – Really chugs when trying to edit it but if I’m not editing them and only linking back to them in export, does it matter?)
Thanks to anyone who can add some insight!
JC
JC-
I think you would be better off if you created Camera Archive from the original card and create originals from that. You can always reload from the Camera Archive.
When you import the files from the camera, does FCP create a new copy, the “Original Media”, maybe not in the original format?
For final output, “original media” or optimized media should give you full quality.
Rick
JC:
I don’t have a problem with your workflow. The benefit for camera archives is for storing media. Since you want to edit, a camera archive won’t help, or hurt.
I’d suggest doing what you plan to do.
Larry