ProRes 422

3Apple ProResApril 2022 Introduction Apple ProRes is one of the most popular codecs in professional post‑production. The ProRes family of video codecs has made it both possible and affordable to edit full‑frame, 10‑bit, 4:2:2 and 4:4:4:4 high‑definition (HD), 2K, 4K, 6K, 8K, and larger video sources with multistream performance in Final Cut Pro. This white paper provides in‑depth information about the ProRes family of codecs, including technical specifications and performance metrics. For information about Apple ProRes RAW, which brings to raw video the same great performance, quality, and ease of use that ProRes has brought to conventional video, see the Apple ProRes RAW White Paper. 4Apple ProResApril 2022 Apple ProRes is a codec technology developed for high‑quality, high‑performance editing in Final Cut Pro. Apple has licensed ProRes to select companies for use in specific products and workflows. In some instances, unauthorized codec implementations have been used in third‑party software and hardware products. Using any unauthorized implementation (like the FFmpeg and derivative implementations) may lead to decoding errors, performance degradation, incompatibility, and instability. For a list of all authorized ProRes licensees and developers, and for licensing information, see the Apple Support article Apple ProRes and ProRes RAW Authorized Products. If you’re using or considering purchasing a product that encodes or decodes ProRes, and that product is not on this list, contact Apple at [email protected]. Authorized Apple ProRes Implementations 5Apple ProResApril 2022 Apple ProRes Family Overview Apple ProRes codecs provide an unparalleled combination of multistream, real‑time editing performance, impressive image quality, and reduced storage rates. ProRes codecs take full advantage of multicore processing and feature fast, reduced‑resolution decoding modes. All ProRes codecs support any frame size (including SD, HD, 2K, 4K, 6K, 8K, and larger) at full resolution. The data rates vary based on codec type, image content, frame size, and frame rate. As a variable bit rate (VBR) codec technology, ProRes uses fewer bits on simple frames that would not benefit from encoding at a higher data rate. All ProRes codecs are frame‑independent (or “intra‑frame”) codecs, meaning that each frame is encoded and decoded independently of any other frame. This technique provides the greatest editing performance and flexibility. A variety of cameras can now capture and record a wider gamut of color values when working in log or raw formats. You can preserve a wide color gamut and high dynamic range (HDR) by recording with the ProRes log setting on certain cameras such as the ARRI ALEXA or transcoding from the RED® camera’s REDCODE® RAW format. Final Cut Pro 10.4 or later can process images in wide‑gamut HDR and output HLG or PQ ProRes files in the Rec. 2020 color space. This results in deeper colors with more detail and dynamic range. For more information on HDR workflows, see HDR and Wide Color Gamut in Final Cut Pro. With Final Cut Pro 10.3 or later, you can also export ProRes files inside an MXF metadata wrapper instead of exporting .mov files. This makes the exported video file compatible with a wide range of playback systems that rely on the MXF standard for broadcast and archiving. 9Apple ProResApril 2022 Properties of Apple ProRes Codecs Data Rate The ProRes family spans a broad range of data rates to support a variety of workflow and application purposes. This section describes how ProRes data rates compare to each other and to the data rates of uncompressed video. The section also illustrates how frame size and frame rate affect ProRes data rates. Finally, the text includes information on the variable bit rate (VBR) nature of the ProRes codec family. Data rates of ProRes formats The bar chart below shows how the data rates of the ProRes formats compare to those of uncompressed, full‑width (1920 x 1080), 4:4:4 12‑bit and 4:2:2 10‑bit