Use the Finder 'Encode Selected Video Files' Context menu option to access the 'Convert' routines currently built into all recent Mac operating systems. E.g., If you need one of the other ProRes family codecs (e.g., 422 HQ, 422 LT, 422 Proxy, or 4444), the normal workflow is to buy Compressor or one of the 'Pro' editor apps and install. After recently updating Premiere on my Mac, none of the Apple ProRes 422 options are showing up when exporting under Quicktime. I haven't had this problem before and my footage was imported as ProRes 422 HQ. Has anyone else experienced this or have a solution? Or do I need to redownload the presets?.

1. Apple Prores Codec For Windows
2. Apple Prores 422 Codec Download
3. Prores Codec For Windows
4. Apple Prores 4444 Xq Codec Mac Download
5. Apple Prores 4444 Xq Codec Download Mac

[ Updated: Nov. 19, 2020, with more details on proxy files. ]

Here’s a question I get almost every day: “I’m shooting [insert name of video format] what version of ProRes is best for my project.”

ProRes is an excellent codec for editing and finishing. It is 10-bit, which means it provides 1,024 shades of gray or shades of each color per pixel. It has a high bit-rate, which means it retains excellent image resolution. However, there are six versions of ProRes, each of which vary in bit rate (and file size). In order of bit rate and potentially image quality, these are:

• ProRes Proxy
• ProRes 422 LT
• ProRes 422
• ProRes 422 HQ
• ProRes 4444
• ProRes 4444 XQ

Which one is best for your project? Based on my research, conversations and experience, here’s what I recommend.

NOTE: From an audio point of view, all six versions of ProRes have the same excellent, uncompressed audio quality.

[UPDATED] PRORES PROXY

ProRes Proxy is designed to create small file sizes providing very efficient editing. It is not optimized for image quality. ProRes Proxy files CAN be full frame (i.e. the same frame size as the original file). However as implemented by Apple, proxy files are 1/2 the resolution of the master file to reduce file size. So, a master file of 1920 x 1080, creates a proxy file of 960 x 540.

With FCP X 10.4.9 and later versions, we can now choose proxy files that are 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 the resolution of the master file using either H.264 or ProRes Proxy. Smaller files have reduced quality, but are ideal when media needs to be shared between remote editors.

ProRes Proxy is the best choice for:

• Multicam editing with more than four cameras
• Initial editing to reduce storage requirements while the story is still being shaped
• Computers with small or slow hard disks
• Editing where reduced storage or improved performance are more important than image quality
• Sharing files between remote editors

The proxy file resolution may be reduced, but FCP X is designed to display it at the same frame size as the original file. This allows Transform and Cropping effects, among others, to be applied to a proxy file, yet still translate perfectly when switched back to the master file.

NOTE: Here’s a tutorial on the new Final Cut Pro X proxy workflow in version 10.4.9.

PRORES 422 LT

ProRes 422 LT is a format that I don’t use at all. While it has good image quality because it includes every pixel in the image, I find it too hard to create, given how other ProRes options are integrated with Final Cut Pro X.

I definitely don’t recommend setting render files to ProRes LT. Higher bit rate versions are a much better choice.

If I were to archive a standard-definition video project, I’d consider this format. I probably wouldn’t use it, but it would be worth considering. Why consider it? Because ProRes 422 LT generates the smallest file size of all the high-quality ProRes formats.

PRORES 422

This is the default and workhorse video format for all optimized media in Final Cut Pro X. It is an excellent balance between image quality and editing efficiency.

ProRes 422 is the best choice for:

• All 8-bit video formats (including AVCHD, H.264, MPEG-4, DV, DVCPro)
• I would also recommend it for DigiBeta files as well

The trade-off for using ProRes 422 is that the files are large; about 1 GB per minute. However, when I’m editing, I want the best image quality with the fastest performance. I’ll compress the master file down into something small for distribution after all the editing is done.

PRORES 422 HQ

This is the best format to use when your camera actually records ProRes 422 HQ. File sizes are bigger, however, about 1.5 GB per minute.

The only difference between ProRes 422 and ProRes 422 HQ is the data rate. And, unless you are using really good lenses with really good lighting, you won’t see a difference between ProRes 422 and 422 HQ.

What you will see is that your hard disks are filling up faster than normal.

PRORES 4444

The difference between the 422 family and the 4444 family is how they deal with color. Image resolution is the same between the two. 422 color sampling creates one color value for every two pixels. 4444 color sampling provides a color sample for each pixel.

The reason you don’t need this higher-quality color sampling for video is that almost all video cameras use 422 color sampling, which means that you don’t improve your color by converting camera images to 4444; you just move it into a larger color space.

ProRes 4444 is the best choice for:

• All video that originates on the computer (screen captures, Motion projects, After Effects projects, Photoshop sequences)
• All video that requires an alpha channel (transparency)
• All video shot by a camera that shoots ProRes 4444 or RGB images

PRORES 4444 XQ

This is the newest member of the ProRes family. It is a very specialized, high-quality format that is designed for cameras more than post.

ProRes 4444 XQ is best for:

• Any camera that shoots ProRes 4444 XQ, such as the Arri Alexa.

If your camera doesn’t shoot this format, converting your files into this format won’t get you anything.

Here’s an article I’ve written on this codec that explains things in more detail.

SUMMARY

In short, here’s what I recommend:

• Use ProRex Proxy only for multicam editing, never for output
• Use ProRes 422 for anything you shoot with a camera
• Use ProRes 4444 for anything shot using RGB color space or files that you created on the computer

Following these guidelines can decrease your stress and your hard disk requirements, without damaging your image quality

by Christine Smith • 2020-11-20 17:07:54 • Proven solutions

ProRes is one of the most preferred and used codecs in post-production environments. Although the footages compressed using Apple ProRes are large and occupy more disk space, they allow flawless video editing experience as long as the program you are using is good enough. Your computer meets the minimum, if not recommended, hardware requirements. That said, here are ten important things about ProRes that you may not be aware of, but you should if you are looking forward to making a career in film editing.

Part 1. Brief Introduction to ProRes

ProRes is a codec that compresses RAW footages in a way that the file size is significantly reduced, but the picture quality remains nearly lossless. If a video has been recorded using any other compression-oriented codec such as H.264, H.265, etc., the file size maybe even lesser. However, such clips might put overhead on the GPU and the processor during playback or editing using any post-production tool like Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Premiere Pro, etc. Therefore, to make things work smoothly, these clips are transcoded to ProRes. After they are fine-tuned as required, the final videos are exported back to a globally recognizable format such as MP4, M4V, etc. using high compression codec mentioned above.

At the time of this writing, the members of the Apple ProRes family (in ascending order) are ProRes 422 Proxy, ProRes 422 LT, ProRes 422, ProRes 422 HQ, ProRes 4444, and ProRes 4444 XQ.

Part 2. 10 Important Things about ProRes You Should Know

Apple Prores Codec For Windows

1. Inception and Vendor

ProRes was first released in the year 2007 by Apple along with Final Cut Studio 2. Post its inception, the codec has been available in all the versions of the application that Apple rolled out. The reason why Apple ProRes was developed was the flaws and delays that post-production processes caused. ProRes significantly compressed the RAW footages while retaining the detailed information they contained, thus keeping the picture quality intact.

2. Impact on Performance

Although ProRes compresses the RAW videos, these files are still larger than those compressed with other codecs like H.264 or H.265. Because of this, unlike the latter two compression types that give overhead to the GPU during playback and editing, ProRes clips allow maximum utilization of hardware resources as no processing is required to decompress the videos when they are opened in a post-production tool or media player.

3. Encoding Type

ProRes uses I-frame encoding. This means that each frame of a video is compressed individually, and this compressed frame is sent to the display unit during the playback or for the post-production process. This is different from other coding methods that use GOP (Group of Pictures), where multiple images are grouped to form a frame displayed on the screen. Needless to mention that videos encoded using the I-frame method occupy comparatively more space on your storage device.

4. Platform Dependency

After its first release, ProRes has been highly in demand. That said, although an Apple proprietary that was initially available only for Mac computers and programs, considering the flexibility and ease of access it offers, Adobe joined hands with the vendor. The codec now also supports Creative Cloud applications such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Adobe Media Encoder. Not only this, but many other third-party programs also support Apple ProRes nowadays as well, and even though they cannot use the codec directly, they can still re-encode the videos to ProRes format on Windows PCs.

Wondershare UniConverter - Best Video to ProRes Converter

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5. Supported Devices

Apple Prores 422 Codec Download

The fact is, most capturing devices like action and video cameras record the footages in High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) format in 4K resolution, Full HD, HD, or less, and the extension of such files may be MP4, MOV, etc. that majorly depend on the device type and/or users’ preferences. However, some latest recorders like those are now capable of recording the videos in up to 8K resolution and directly in Apple ProRes format. This eliminates the additional step that the professionals had to take to transcode the footages to ProRes for post-production tasks.

6. Formats and Specifications

At the time of this writing, ProRes supports all types of resolutions, i.e., from basic to the highest one that the current technology supports, e.g., SD, HD, 2K, 4K, 5K, and 8K. Depending on the ProRes version you choose to transcode your footage to, the framerate may vary, and so does the resolution and the size of the file. To give a slight hint, the lowest specifications for a file that the youngest ProRes sibling (ProRes Proxy) offers is 720 x 486 at 23.98fps (frames per second) with 10Mbps (megabits per second) data rate. Likewise, the maximum specifications using ProRes 4444 XQ can be 8192 x 4320 at 60fps with 16970Mbps (without Alpha). It can be well-assumed that these files are gigantic in size and occupy a lot of space on your disk.

7. Variable Bitrate

ProRes is smart enough to regulate the bitrate as per the activities the frames have. For instance, if there are many movements in a video, the codec assigns the maximum bitrate. Likewise, if a frame has more stationary sequences with almost no movements, ProRes allocates lesser bitrate to it. This method is technically called Variable Bitrate or VBR and helps save a decent amount of storage space.

8. ProRes vs. RAW

As mentioned earlier, even though ProRes compresses the videos, so they occupy less space while maintaining the optimum picture quality simultaneously, the files are still pretty large compared to those compressed with H.264 or H.265 codecs. The same concept applies when comparing ProRes and RAW footages, where the latter files are lossless and remarkably large. Therefore, they are compressed using the former codec, ProRes, to make them economic on the storage without losing the detailed information each frame of the clip contains.

Prores Codec For Windows

9. Not Only for Final Cut Pro X

Although ProRes was released along with Final Cut Studio 2 in 2007 and has been an integral part of the program ever since, today, the codec is no longer limited to FCPX only. Because of the display quality, it offers post-compression, and the swiftness the hardware devices show during the playback. While editing the videos for final distribution, ProRes is now considered an industry-standard format and has been adapted by many third-party post-production tool vendors, including Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Media Encoder, and some of the action recording device manufacturers like Atomos, Panasonic for AU-VREC1, GoPro for Fusion Studio, etc.

10. 10-bit Codec

Unlike others, Apple ProRes is a 10-bit codec. This means that the files compressed with ProRes will have more room for information, especially for color grading, allowing you to add more details while applying VFX or any other special effects to the footages. This is yet another, if not the major, reason why most professionals transcode the footages to ProRes and then compress them back using H.264 or H.265 codecs once they have added all the filters and effects the post-production process.

Apple Prores 4444 Xq Codec Mac Download

Conclusion

Apple Prores 4444 Xq Codec Download Mac

Regardless of the post-production tool you use to edit the videos, Apple ProRes is something you must definitely try before you begin working on the footage. Although the codec can now be used on Windows computers using certain editing applications such as Adobe Premiere Pro, you get the best performance and optimum results from ProRes with the Mac version of the video editing tool FCPX or Wondershare UniConverter.