Optimized media workflow

Feels like a dumb question, but I'm a little confused about the proper workflow for using optimized media. I usually work with AVCHD footage and for some of my projects I transcode the footage before starting to edit. My workflow has been this:

-import clips from an SD card
-once imported, create optimized media
-start editing

For all the simple short projects things went fine, but any time I had a little more effects and titles, FCPX became really slow. This made me suspicious and I started looking what kind of media I'm working with. When I take a look of my clips in the inspector it looks like this. (used a GoPro clip for the screenshots, usually working with AVCHD from FS100)



So both original and optimized media are available, but the Codecs box says H.264. In other words, FCPX made optimized media but the clip on my timeline is still original H.264 media.

When I go to Finder, find the optimized media, drag that file into my event and then add it on my timeline, inspector looks like it should, codec being Apple ProRes 422



What am I missing here? When I work with optimized media, Inspector should say ProRes 422 in its Codecs section, right? Do I need to re-import my footage from Finder after creating optimized media? I always thought once optimized media is created, FCPX will automatically use that when I throw clips from the browser into my timeline (unless choosing to use proxy, since the options are either proxy or original/optimized).

The inspector always shows the original media information not the playback media. Frankly I wouldn't bother optimizing in most cases.

AL...
Your short workflow can be made even shorter if you select to optimize media upon import, rather than importing and then taking another step to transcode to optimized media. But, as Tom said, I wouldn't bother optimizing unless you cannot obtain smooth editing performance with the native footage. AVCHD tends to edit fairly well without optimization.

Tom Wolsky wrote: The inspector always shows the original media information not the playback media. Frankly I wouldn't bother optimizing in most cases.

I see, now it all makes sense. Although I still think that's easily misleading, you have optimized media in your timeline and the inspector just says H.264. Anyway, thanks for the reply Tom!

dgwvideo wrote: AL...
Your short workflow can be made even shorter if you select to optimize media upon import, rather than importing and then taking another step to transcode to optimized media. But, as Tom said, I wouldn't bother optimizing unless you cannot obtain smooth editing performance with the native footage. AVCHD tends to edit fairly well without optimization.

Thanks, I'm actually aware of that already. Definitely the fastest way to do it though. I usually do a lot of color grading which is why I've been preferring optimized media. Maybe I should give working with original media another try.

Thanks for the help guys.

This maybe insultingly obvious so apologies but just make sure you've selected work from optimized media from the viewer window.

What is 119,88p? Is this slo mo 120fps from go pro?

That is just the frame rate of 119.88 FPS which go pro footage seems to be calculated as an exact figure (rather than rounding to 120 FPS). FCPX must read the rate this way. I have seen this commonly with go pro content.