We won't cover intermediates in this article, since they aren't relevant in non-professional video workflows. Intermediates sit somewhere between low-quality proxy media and original quality raw files. Proxy files aren't the same as intermediates, which is another term you'll see mentioned in many offline video editing workflow tutorials. Color grading your footage, or applying post-processing effects like warp stabilization, can also significantly impact performance. Even machines that don't struggle with 4K playback can choke under load when editing multiple files at once. Some video editors are particularly resource-intensive, requiring a lot of RAM and a healthy scratch disk. If your computer is old, mid-tier, or designed purely for web browsing and spreadsheets, offline video editing can be a game changer. When you're ready to export, you replace the proxy files with their corresponding raw files. You essentially create low-quality copies of your high-quality raw footage, then use those low-quality 'proxy files' during the editing process. Proxy editing, also known as offline editing, is a technique used in video editing to make large files more manageable. That said, with a bit of preparation, the right video editor, and offline video editing, you'll be able to edit 4K footage on nearly any machine. Even brand-new mid-range laptops can still struggle to play 4K files, let alone edit and grade. The added resolution gives you more options when editing your footage, and it'll still look great in years when 1080p is old news.īut you might not be able to edit high-resolution video footage on your current hardware. If you have a 4K-capable camera or smartphone, it makes a lot of sense to shoot all your videos in 4K quality.

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