Relink Source or Regenerate Proxies When Proxy Goes Offline in Premiere Pro

The goal is to maintain uninterrupted, real‑time playback of a 4K H.265 timeline in Premiere Pro when the associated low‑resolution proxy file becomes unavailable, while the original full‑resolution source remains online and usable for final rendering.

Constraints include limited GPU decode capability, potential latency if the proxy itself is a compressed format, and version‑dependent hardware decode support in the Mercury Playback Engine. The workflow must avoid dropped frames or stalled playback, preserve the ability to relink to source media for a clean final render, and not compromise RAW or log color pipelines that depend on the original sensor data. It is unclear whether Premiere Pro will automatically fall back to the source file when a proxy is missing, or if manual intervention such as relinking or regenerating proxies is required, and what trade‑offs each option introduces for playback performance, project integrity, and final output quality.

Does Premiere Pro automatically switch to the full‑resolution source when a proxy is offline, or does it stall playback until the proxy is restored? If manual action is needed, is relinking to the source preferable to regenerating proxies in terms of maintaining project links and avoiding media‑offline errors? How does each choice affect storage usage, playback smoothness, and the fidelity of the final rendered master?