Editing directly with 2K proxies. . . what are we missing?

[Daniel Browning]

Prores is so far the highest quality off-line format with the least hardware requirement.

Prores is decent, considering that it's based on the older DCT-style compression used in MPEG-2. However, a more modern wavelet-based codec, like Cineform, yields higher quality for less processor and disk bandwidth.

RED is not a 4:2:2 camera, so it's a mistake to throw away half of the color information with brain-dead (and ancient) chroma subsampling. *Any* type of compression (even 4:4:4 DCT) would retain information more efficiently.

Furthermore, Cineform supports 12-bit RGB (4:4:4) files today (and RAW in the future). The difference in quality is striking. Not to mention the ability do a 4K *online*.

Of course, all that is moot unless you have the time and determination for the current workflow workarounds (DPX intermediates, etc.). So Prores has the better RED workflow today. Cineform's Mac support is still pretty new, too. Looking forward to the SDK, though.

 

[Mathieu Marano]

Is it possible to edit a quick offline with the 2K proxies in a 2K sequence in FInal Cut and output to a 2K display using a Kona 3? When I do that I get a picture but as soon as I put a 2K proxy in a 2K timeline it's asking for render or won't update the image on the monitor .

 

[Emery Wells]

Is it possible to edit a quick offline with the 2K proxies in a 2K sequence in FInal Cut and output to a 2K display using a Kona 3? When I do that I get a picture but as soon as I put a 2K proxy in a 2K timeline it's asking for render or won't update the image on the monitor .

Why use 2k for an offline? Better performance with a 1k.

 

[Mathieu Marano]

It's a client's request. But how do you get better performances? It's all unlimited RT. Are you able to play 2K proxies in a 2k sequence?