MP 7,1 Best fcpx export codecs for a 7.1 Mac Pro?

[rondocap]

What is your favorite and best export codex, like pro res, on a powerful Mac Pro?
Goal is to reuse b roll in a file format that’s easy to digest

Pro res likely the best- but large file sizes. Is h265 the best compromise?
For some reason h264 and h265 barely stresses the Mac Pro, but some long export times- so might not be using it to the best ability.
Dual w5700x and 24 core

 

[randy85]

I would keep it prores if you intend to put the footage back into editorial at some point. You can bump down from 4444 to HQ/422/LT to save space if needed.

H265 will probably be visually very good, but as a good working practice I would only use it as a delivery format.

 

[rondocap]

I would keep it prores if you intend to put the footage back into editorial at some point. You can bump down from 4444 to HQ/422/LT to save space if needed.

H265 will probably be visually very good, but as a good working practice I would only use it as a delivery format.

That makes sense, when reusing the footage and if it is h265, does seem to slow down the speed of the render/export as opposed to it being in prores.

If I open h264 or h265 in fcpx and export it to something else, it seems like the system resources are barely used and it takes longer, as opposed to pro res which seems better optimized.

 

[randy85]

Prores is very easy to decode so that's why it's good to work with. H265 has small file sizes but is very intensive to decode. You have a very good computer though, so really it should still work fairly well.

 

[h9826790]

If I open h264 or h265 in fcpx and export it to something else, it seems like the system resources are barely used and it takes longer, as opposed to pro res which seems better optimized.

Because the GPU has a hardware video engine which specifically deal with H264 / H265. Therefore, only very little CPU resources are required.

This is entirely normal when HWAccel is working.

 

[DFP1989]

My first question would be what are your source files? If you’re working with H264 files from the beginning, you’re not going to see a lot of benefit storing them as ProRes files.

 

[rondocap]

My first question would be what are your source files? If you’re working with H264 files from the beginning, you’re not going to see a lot of benefit storing them as ProRes files.

Source files red raw or prores raw usually, canon raw as well

 

[DFP1989]

Then I guess is depends on how much flexibility you need with the files going forward, and how much storage you want to commit.

If space isn’t the leading concern then ProRes422 and up, if it is and future projects won’t be affected by the less flexible format (for grading, etc.) you’d save a lot of space with HEVC.