Dual-Resolution Linking in Media Composer 2025.6: Proxy and High-Res in One Clip

Media Composer 2025.6 introduces dual-resolution linking, a feature that allows a single clip to reference both its high-resolution version and its proxy media at the same time, without the need to manage separate bins or parallel sequences. Switching between resolutions is done by right-clicking the play button, which lets the operator prefer either format at any point during the session.

The difference from the traditional offline/online workflow is structural. In the conventional model, the editor cuts with proxy media, and the sequence then requires a relink, either automatic or manual, to the high-res files during conform, before delivery to color or finishing. That process means maintaining two sequence states and accepting an explicit transition point between offline and online. Dual-resolution linking replaces that model with an internal dual reference inside the clip itself: two pointers, one active for the proxy and the other for the high-res media, which can be switched without moving data or rebuilding the sequence. According to Avid, the operator can play media “with the high-resolution media or proxy preferred, at any time.”

In operational terms, this linking approach can help assistant editors and post supervisors review original high-resolution material selectively, for example to check focus, inspect VFX detail, or validate color, without leaving the proxy environment or performing a formal relink. For a team working remotely with RAW or UHD over NEXIS, the mechanism can support a proxy-based editing workflow under limited bandwidth while still providing access to the original when review requires it, without duplicating the sequence or creating a parallel project.

The feature is available for Media Composer Ultimate and Enterprise licenses, both in on-premises environments and in remote instances running on Avid NEXIS. Avid describes it as “ideal for bandwidth-sensitive environments,” which places its use in scenarios where connectivity is limited or costly: remote locations, DIT operations with restricted uplink, or distributed edit rooms. In terms of formats, the source confirms support for HD, 2K, UHD, and RAW, but does not specify which codec combinations are valid for both resolutions simultaneously. It is not explicitly confirmed, for example, whether a ProRes proxy combined with ARRIRAW or DNG high-res media works without additional constraints.

Several operational details are not specified in the published documentation. The source states that the operator can “create lightweight proxy media from the clips in the bin or sequences,” but does not clarify whether that generation happens internally in Media Composer, whether it requires an external tool such as MediaNet, or whether automatic transcoding is built in. The documentation also does not describe how the mechanism behaves in nested sequences, whether the dual-reference state persists through AAF or XML exports, or how it is handled in shared projects with Remote Indexing enabled. Teams evaluating this feature for their pipeline should verify those points, especially codec-specific behavior and export handling, before relying on it for a production delivery workflow.

Version 2025.6 includes other features outside the scope of this piece, including improvements to the Transcript Tool with PhraseFind indexing.

For further coverage of tools and technical decisions in professional post-production workflows, see Studio35’s Publications and Resources.

• What's New in Avid Media Composer 2025.6 — Avid Resource Center