Help with Apple ProRes 422

I've been editing rushes from a Canon 5D Mark II (1920x1080 30P) which have been downscaled & transcoded to 720x576 using the ProRes 422 codec.

The reason I downscaled:
1. The final composite is only being placed on a SD DVD.
2. My machine isn't quit the powerhouse and thought by downscaling, my system would run much smoother.

Having now spent a few days cutting, I've hit a wall of frustration.

My system specs:
Processor - 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory - 4GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Drive used: External WD 1TB Drive connected via USB2

I honestly thought by downscaling from 1920x1080 to 720x576 (using the ProRes codec) I'd eliminate the load on the CPU and drive, and seriously thought it would be as smooth as editing DV footage.

How wrong was I...!

Trying to scrub through a clip on the timeline has almost proven impossible.

Where am I going wrong?
1. CPU speed
2. RAM
3. or the External Drive

All comments are appreciate.

How full is the drive? Give us a percentage.

Also USB 2 (whilst capable) is my LAST choice for editing.



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

You know, I once thought the same thing and then found that reducing the size of the image didn't reduce the load as much as keep the quality looking better at the same bitrate. The problem with your footage is that the ProRes codec is still running at too high a bit rate.

Your system is plenty fast - the problem here is your drive. USB2 is terrible for editing video because it has trouble maintaining a constant stream of information (which is why FW is still better).

I think the other issue here is that your files, while now Prores, are still progressive files, while DV tends to be interlaced. It's much less information to handle.

I'd just get a faster drive. FW800 at least. You can always repurpose your current MyBook to be a backup drive.

That's my 2 cents

----------------
"What do you mean there's no undo?"

Matthew Celia
matt@fcpguru.com
www.fcpguru.com