ProRes footage is still choppy in viewer (not in canvas)

Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

ProRes footage is still choppy in viewer (not in canvas)

Posted by Emily Hauze on March 6, 2011 at 4:53 pm

Hi all,

Wondering if anyone has some quick advice for me — I have converted a bunch of footage into Apple ProRes 422, which I understand should work well in Final Cut Pro, but the playback in the viewer is still extremely choppy. I can deal with it as is, but I’m wondering if there’s a better way this could work. Any advice would be welcome!

In case it’s relevant: I’m running FCP 6; the footage was originally shot on a Canon VIXIA, then converted from its original .mts files into quicktime, then compressed to ProRes for interlaced material (not HQ) using Compressor.

thanks!
~Emily

Jeff Greenberg replied 15 years, 6 months ago 4 Members · 5 Replies
5 Replies

Zane Barker
March 6, 2011 at 7:20 pm

What kind of drive/s are you using for your media drive? How is it connected? And how is if formated?

**Hindsight is always 1080p**
Emily Hauze
March 6, 2011 at 8:52 pm

Thanks for writing, Zane —

Those things you ask about are definitely suspect. It’s an old computer running OS 10.4, and the external hard drive is attached via USB. All of my media files are on said drive. I would suspect all that more strongly if there weren’t other footage that I have (much higher quality, in XDCam) that runs perfectly — from the same hard drive. Do you think the drive/connection is still the problem? I’m hoping to upgrade soon anyway.

thanks,
Emily
Chris Tompkins
March 6, 2011 at 9:22 pm

You shouldn’t edit off USB drives.

Chris Tompkins
Video Atlanta LLC
Zane Barker
March 7, 2011 at 12:23 am

[Emily Hauze] “the external hard drive is attached via USB. All of my media files are on said drive”

Ill bet money thats the problem.

USB works in bursts of data, therefore it has problems keeping up with the constant data rates needed for video editing.

**Hindsight is always 1080p**
Jeff Greenberg
March 7, 2011 at 11:13 am

[Emily Hauze] “other footage that I have (much higher quality, in XDCam) that runs perfectly”
Actually, your XDCam stuff requires less demand than ProRes.

Download the AJA speed test to measure the drive speed – It has to be about twice what XDCam is for it to work.

Two workarounds:
If it works in the timeline you could always just drop the footage there and blade away what you don’t like. Sloppy? yes…but workable.
Another thought: why not transcode to XDCam? Ideal? No, but we know it works.

Best,

Jeff G

Apple Master Trainer | Avid Cert. Instructor DS/MC
Come See me speak at NAB!
Compressor Essentials from Lynda.com
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