Hello,
I have a recording from Zoom webinar (4 hours worth). It is in .mp4 format. Should I import the .mp4 file into Vegas pro and make a proxy or, convert it into ProRes4444 with a video-converter software before importing into Vegas pro (21)? Which is better for smooth editing and which is better for exporting? Thank you
Zoom video is low resolution mp4. Neither a proxy render nor a ProRes intermediate is recommended or necessary.
You may get an "inefficient editing format" popup notice, but that is only a byproduct of Zoom's long GOP length, which is in excess of 300 frames (the warning threshold). You can either ignore the warning, or transcode in Shutter Encoder or Handbrake, both are free utilities.
Thank you! This is useful to know!
While on the topic, if it was a high resolution video which of the two options I mentioned in my question (convert to ProRes 4444 before hand or, import and then create proxy video?
Thank you!
@naren17 said: "While on the topic, if it was a high resolution video which of the two options I mentioned in my question (convert to ProRes 4444 before hand or, import and then create proxy video?"
You seem to be getting the cart before the horse. You've given no evidence that you have a problem editing "high resolution video" or that you have video with a higher color depth.
Post Mediainfo report for your Zoom video and any other "high resolution video" and everyone will have a better idea how to answer your question.
Follow this procedure: https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/faq-how-to-post-mediainfo-and-vegas-pro-file-properties--104561/
Background
I edit UHD 4:2:0 video virtually every day and I don't need to create proxies or convert to another format to make my task easier.
Thank you!
It is good to know that the video from Zoom could be edited directly on VP21!
However, I have another video clip shot with my mobile phone at 8K. I had struggled to edit this (naturally). What would the best workflow for this would be: convert it to ProRes beforehand and then import or, import and then create proxy? Thank you
General
Complete name : D:\webinars\megha\20230827_095203.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42 (isom/mp42)
File size : 5.53 GiB
Duration : 10 min 1 s
Overall bit rate : 79.0 Mb/s
Frame rate : 24.000 FPS
Performer : Samsung SM-N986B
Encoded date : 2023-08-27 08:02:06 UTC
Tagged date : 2023-08-27 08:02:06 UTC
com.android.version : 13
Video
ID : 1
Format : HEVC
Format/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding
Format profile : Main@L6@Main
Codec ID : hvc1
Codec ID/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding
Duration : 10 min 1 s
Bit rate : 78.7 Mb/s
Width : 7 680 pixels
Height : 4 320 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Rotation : 90°
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 24.000 FPS
Minimum frame rate : 23.936 FPS
Maximum frame rate : 24.071 FPS
Real frame rate : 24.000 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.099
Stream size : 5.51 GiB (100%)
Title : VideoHandle
Language : English
Encoded date : 2023-08-27 08:02:06 UTC
Tagged date : 2023-08-27 08:02:06 UTC
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
mdhd_Duration : 601404
Codec configuration box : hvcC
Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 10 min 1 s
Source duration : 10 min 1 s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 256 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 18.4 MiB (0%)
Source stream size : 18.4 MiB (0%)
Title : SoundHandle
Language : English
Encoded date : 2023-08-27 08:02:06 UTC
Tagged date : 2023-08-27 08:02:06 UTC
mdhd_Duration : 601359
With that phone video, you are in an entirely different neighborhood. The decision to use a temporary Proxy (which literally means standin or surrogate) or a digital intermediate (ProRes) which is a replacement high resolution file from which you directly render and archive, depends on time comparison, project length, and system performance as well as what you might plan to do with the project later.
Test. Test. Test. There is no Best, except what you determine.
Thank you. I understand now that it is not a simple one or the other.
For best results you would transcode outside of Vegas because it's been my experience Vegas can't see all the frames with variable frame rate while transcoders can. So if you import the video directly and create a proxy you will see some duplicate frames in final encode that won't be there if you made a transcode and brought that into Vegas.
Insightful! Thank you!
Upload a one-minute sample file to a cloud drive from the phone, share the link here and others can model a recommendation with different tools for you.
For zoom you can only edit safely in VEGAS if you select optimize for editing in the Zoom recording settings "Optimize recordings for 3rd party video editing."
Zoom will make a conversion for you. Without that I had all kinds of crashes with more than one track of Zoom footage (tried to make the speaker's face bigger with the presentation on a track below it- had all kinds of issues using the unoptimized file even with Intel QSV handling decoding which normally works great in VEGAS).
Thank you john-dennis and RogerS.