Re: FCP > Premiere users...should I wait for CS 6?

Yes, I know...and it's Adobe's corporate philosophy that nothing should be transcoded intermediately just as Apple's is that everything should be transcoded to ProRes...

Let's be honest, there are situations where either approach is just not adequate, efficient, or a good fit. There are advantages and disadvantages to both and i don't advocate one way of thinking over the other if the situation you have calls for an alternative.

Sure, it's not like a "smart render" direct transfer of the frame material. Adobe-designed preview files overall to be just that, and that's why they default to fast, small, and "good enough" MPEG 2 I frames. However, FCP users can create a mastering workflow by setting up sequences for it and specifying the preview render codec, thereby generating preview files in that codec.

But the effect will scale depending on what you're doing with the footage of course. Heavy effects should be a substantial difference in encode time if you're using preview files as the single frame transcode will still be quicker than re-building all the effects...

If you have a 30 second spot, it might be difficult to get much of a delta, but there is a difference.

What sort of tests have you done? Are you strictly outputting to a master clip? Are you feeding a transcode process? (edit timeline to H264...that sort of thing?) Is the source material ProRes already?...or is it some camera format and you're 'previewing' to ProRes?

I'd be interested in knowing more about this as it seems like some of the FCP>PPro hurdles are real, but some items seem like they simply stem from not being able to think creatively about how to use the feature set in PPro in ways that might be originally unintended, but would still meet many former FCP user's needs...

TimK,
Director, Consultant
Kolb Productions,

Adobe Certified Instructor