Mts to ProRes or other options

Converting the files to .mov for editing allows me to import to FCXP but i still get the choppy playback. I understand this is due to the h.264 compression.
I read where i should convert to the ProRes so i can edit smoothly. The problem i am having is that i am working with a 30-35 minute Avchd file and when you decompress it, the file is going to be huge!

I am learning on the fly working with my church. only been doing this a couple months. When dealing with normal 1080 hd i made it fine but we bought a new 4k video camera and trying to learn just how to deal with the size of the files. Our primary use of the files right now is to upload to you tube and web site. Should i just record in 1080 and forget all the size issues or is there a solution for working with such a large 4K file.

Choppy playback is usually due to system and drive limitations. 4Kis very demanding, and requires top of line equipment and fast drives.

Import in to FCPX then have it create a proxy file. Switch to proxy, edit your material then when you're don't switch back to original media for export.

Then have FCPX delete the generated (proxy & render) files and you'll have all your space back.

Thanks to both of you for the answers.
Dave-EP, that is the method i am currently using, I was just wondering if there might be a better way.

Tom i do agree that my system is being stretched. Using a MBP early 2011 with 8GB Ram and only 512MB graphics. I really hope to get new imac soon... I hear some type of update coming wednesday.

You don't need to convert .mts to .mov.
FCPX does the job.
Just DON'T move the .mts out of its folder structure.

Villagenut wrote: Converting the files to .mov for editing allows me to import to FCXP but i still get the choppy playback. I understand this is due to the h.264 compression....When dealing with normal 1080 hd i made it fine but we bought a new 4k video camera and trying to learn just how to deal with the size of the files. Our primary use of the files right now is to upload to you tube and web site....

4k is demanding for the highest-end systems. You have a 2011 MacBook Pro with 8GB and 512MB GPU, probably with a 5400 rpm spinning drive. It's actually amazing it works at all.

Converting to ProRes helps the CPU side of the equation but makes the I/O side worse, since the files are much larger.

For your application (web uploads) I don't see the need for 4k. If there is any archival value to 4k you could save the camera native files, edit using proxies and export to H.264 at 720 or 1080. OTOH if there is no archival value and you don't need the "reframe in post" feature of 4k, it would be easier to just record in 1080p.

You'll need a top-spec iMac to handle 4k more effectively, possibly including a Thunderbolt disk array.

Would ClipWrap help with these?

Conceivably, however ClipWrap works in different modes. The fast "rewrap" mode doesn't change the encoding, so I doubt editing on the same hardware would be any faster. If you tell ClipWrap to transcode to ProRes 422, that's no different than just letting FCP X optimize it on import.