Category: Hardware / Workflow

You drag a 4K file onto your timeline. You hit play. Your laptop fans scream like a jet engine, the video freezes, and the audio loops like a broken record.

Your first instinct is probably to open the Apple store and look at a $3,000 MacBook Pro.

Stop. Before you max out your credit card, you need to learn the most important workflow for editing on older hardware: Proxies.

Why Your Laptop is Choking

It isn't just the resolution (4K) that hurts your computer; it is the codec. Most cameras shoot in H.264 or H.265 (HEVC). These are highly compressed formats. To play them back, your CPU has to do millions of math calculations per second to "unzip" the video frames.

If you are using an older machine (like a 2017 MacBook Air or an old PC), it physically cannot do the math fast enough.

The Solution: Proxy Workflow

Proxies are low-resolution, easy-to-play copies of your raw footage.

• Original File: 4K, H.264, Heavy.

• Proxy File: 720p, ProRes Proxy, Light.

You edit using the buttery-smooth Proxy files. When you are done and hit "Export," the software automatically swaps back to the high-quality Original files for the final render.

You can edit a 4K feature film on a 10-year-old laptop if you use proxies.

How to Create Proxies (Premiere Pro)

1. Import your 4K footage.

2. Select the clips in your Project Bin.

3. Right-click > Proxy > Create Proxies.

4. Choose a format. QuickTime > ProRes Low Resolution Proxy is the industry standard for smoothness.

5. Adobe Media Encoder will open and create the files in the background.

6. The Button: In your Program Monitor, find the button that looks like two rectangles with arrows (Toggle Proxies). Click it so it turns blue.

Congratulations. You are now editing 4K footage on a computer that struggles to run Chrome tabs.

When Should You Actually Upgrade?

Proxies solve the playback issue, but they don't solve everything. You should consider buying a new computer if:

• Render times are unbearable: Proxies don't speed up the final export.

• You do Heavy VFX: After Effects and Fusion need raw RAM and GPU power; proxies won't help much there.

• Time is Money: If creating proxies takes 4 hours before you can even start editing, that is lost time.

Summary

Don't let gear acquisition syndrome (GAS) stop you from creating. If your playback is stuttering, don't blame the laptop—blame your workflow. Create proxies, toggle them on, and keep cutting.