Question
Should I choose Proxy Media or Optimized Media? What is your recommendation and what is the difference?
Answer
We recommend using proxy media.
Supports proxy media from version 17.
Proxy Media was added to address the shortcomings of Optimized Media and is an upward compatible feature. You can also use proxy files created by cameras or other systems with "Proxy Media Link", so you can start working immediately.
In addition, there is a lot of information on the Internet that encourages the use of optimized media, but most of it is information before the proxy media function was installed, so there is no problem in reading this information as proxy media.
The official recommendation is to use proxy media. (Perhaps for this reason, the [Playback]-[Delete Optimized Media] menu in version 16 has been removed in version 17.)
overview
DaVinci Resolve has two mechanisms for using lightweight media for editing in order to reduce the load on the PC during editing.
They are Proxy Media and Optimized Media. Proxy Media is an upward compatible function of Optimized Media and has been installed since version 17.
Difference in function
| proxy media | optimized media | |
| Quality settings | Yes (same settings) [File]-[Project Settings] "Optimized Media & Render Cache" in "Master Settings | Yes (same settings) [File]-[Project Settings] "Optimized Media & Render Cache" in "Master Settings |
| Media quality when creating | Yes (same settings) | Yes (same settings) |
| Save destination setting | Set for each project [File]-[Project Settings] Work Folder " in "Master Settings | Common settings for all projects Set in Preferences [DaVinci Resolve] - [Preferences] "Media Storage" |
| Created media confirmation | 〇 It is saved as a file based on the material file name in the location of "Save destination setting" | × You can make an assumption based on the update date, but you can't specify if it really applies |
Using proxy media (proxy files) from cameras and other systems | 〇 Link with "Proxy Media Link" | × |
| Change of media used | 〇 Link with "Proxy Media Link" | × (Since only one can be set, there is no concept of changing) |
| the created lightweight media on other systems | Yes (saved as a generic file) | × (Saved in an encrypted proprietary format) |
| Delete created media | 〇 Delete the file based on the material file name in the "save destination setting" location | × You can make an assumption based on the update date, but you can't specify if it really applies |
Supplement: Reuse of already created lightweight media and capacity reduction
By using "Proxy Media Link", existing proxy media can be reused, which is expected to shorten the creation time of lightweight media. If you move a source file for which lightweight media has already been created, you will need to create optimized media again if you want to use optimized media again. By using , you can start working in a short time and avoid creating duplicate files, so you can expect to reduce disk space.
Reference article
