Seeking RECOMMENDATION: Least CPU & GPU-load proxy format

RedRob-CandlelightProdctns wrote on 3/17/2022, 7:35 PM

Hi! Really reallllly could use some Proxy optimization tips here... I've wasted too much time experimenting.. hoping someone here might have a magix bullet.

I build my proxies (swapping primary for proxy, then swapping back during finishing stage) and do post-Multicam finishing on a machine with an AMD Radeon RX470 and Core i7-7700K CPU. But my beloved/partner does the main editing (9-cams) on a laptop that IS using GPU but isn’t able to keep up with the load. Her laptop is:

I7-7700HQ, base speed of 2.8 but running 3.6GHz while playing the MultiCam (MC)
Internal video card is Intel HD Graphics 630. Also has AMD GPU in the box which Vegas is using (per Prefs -> video tab)
Playback is only giving 1.4fps.. unacceptable for editing
Windows 10 Performance Monitor shows GPU @ 74%, (Video Decode) CPU @55%

So my question is:

What would YOU recommend as the Proxy format for a 9-up multi-cam edit, given the above, so we can get semi-smooth playback for editing?

I use Vegas18 still. I also use FFMPEG to build my proxies, 720p30 .mpeg4, and it appears to build slightly different .MP4 files based on what the source file was. Does anyone else here use FFMPEG to build consistent highly efficient proxies that won't box down my AMD GPU?

I know there are different tools.. KwikProxy, Vegasaur, etc. to help swap them in/out. That's not my question -- it's specifically about formats/codecs and parameters, and getting those built.

Thanks for any wisdom...

Comments

RogerS wrote on 3/17/2022, 8:06 PM

Not sure if hardware decoding can handle 9 AVC streams at a time. I have the same CPU and iGPU as that and use the 720p XDCAM proxies Vegas builds itself. Haven't tried multicams with 9 cameras, though.

RedRob-CandlelightProdctns wrote on 3/17/2022, 8:24 PM

Not sure if hardware decoding can handle 9 AVC streams at a time. I have the same CPU and iGPU as that and use the 720p XDCAM proxies Vegas builds itself. Haven't tried multicams with 9 cameras, though.

The image quality is just SO poor using the default Vegas proxy encoding -- then shrink that down to a 3x3 grid and I found it to be problematic. Trying again using a "baseline" profile to see if that makes a difference.

RogerS wrote on 3/17/2022, 9:11 PM

Even on preview/full it looks bad, or are you forced to use a draft setting? I find it acceptable on a HD screen.

RedRob-CandlelightProdctns wrote on 3/17/2022, 9:22 PM

Even on preview/full it looks bad, or are you forced to use a draft setting? I find it acceptable on a HD screen.

I may give the built-in one another look but I remember there was a reason I was looking for alternatives (and a reason KwikProxy and others are used). Maybe it was just the incredibly long time it took to build the proxies.. or their somewhat larger sizes? (but I'd rather accept larger size if it meant preview speed was good)