Proxy file quality changes with crop size

gabgilson wrote on 5/29/2021, 2:56 AM

Just got a drone with h265 codec (Air 2S). My PC won't play the files smoothly, no surprise. So I've been using manual proxy files - created in Vegas. But I've noticed a very odd thing - which there's probably a very simple explanation for!

If I switch to Preview mode, I see a really low quality proxy view, it's very pixelated and hard to see anything in the footage, quite hard to edit with. If I crop the clip, the proxy suddenly jumps up dramatically in quality. The clip is 5.7k, so the full width is 5472. The quality change happens at exactly 5430. 5431 is jaggy, 5430 is much less pixelated and much easier to edit with. Project is set to 1920 by 1080.

I know the final render isn't affected, but I'd love to know how to get the higher quality proxy view without having to crop each file? I've tried a screen shot to show the difference before and after, not sure it'll show in a small image. Vegas 18 latest build.

Comments

Yelandkeil wrote on 5/29/2021, 7:15 AM

Try:

in the preview window, right mouse click -> uncheck: Adjust size and quality for optimal playback

Musicvid wrote on 5/29/2021, 3:49 PM

Project is set to 1920 by 1080.

A proxy really isn't intended to provide a high quality preview experience, just a viewable one (meaning full frame rate).

If your output is to be 1920x1080, why would you want a higher resolution preview?

RogerS wrote on 5/29/2021, 10:57 PM

Does it look bad when using preview/full vs preview/draft or auto?

3POINT wrote on 5/30/2021, 1:23 AM

Proxies are always XDCAM files with 1280x720 resolution at 23,976 fps.

When using Proxies, project settings should be equal to the original footage.

Proxies are being used for preview when preview is set Draft or Preview,

Originals are being used preview is set to Good and Best.

For a good and smooth preview experience with proxies set preview to Preview Full.

For a good and smooth preview experience with originals set preview to Best Auto.

gabgilson wrote on 5/31/2021, 4:10 AM

Thanks for all for thoughts and suggestions. I found the answer - as stated above, if the project is set to the same resolution as the highes resolution clip (5.7k in this case) then you get a higher quality proxy showing. Selecting Preview (Full) gives a better proxy than Preview (Quarter, Half or Auto) for me also. So, to get the best quality proxy showing, always put your project to the same resolution as your highest resolution clip, and select Preview (Full). The result is a view of the proxies that's almost good enough to grade with - and certainly makes for much more enjoyable editing than the pixelated blur I was faced with when I started this thread.

RogerS wrote on 5/31/2021, 6:13 AM

Glad you figured it out. Those are both best practices. Personally I grade at best/full but do judge projects in motion at preview/full. Pixelated blurs are hard to do much of anything with.