What the heck is ProRes 422?

Everyone involved in the nonlinear video editing is heard of Apple’s ProRes codec but what exactly is it? What are the technical specs and the pros and cons of it?

ProRes 422 is a high-definition lossy video compression format developed by Apple for use in post production. It was introduced in 2007 with Final Cut Studio 2 and is comparable to Avid’s DNxHD codec which has the same purpose and uses similar bit rates. Both are DCT based, and are therefore simpler to decode than distribution oriented formats like H.264.

ProRes 422 can be used for a wide range of applications, and will fit flawlessly into demanding editing and effects workflows. With ProRes 422 inside Final Cut Studio 2, there is now a better choice for ensuring that all creative work maintains its original, pristine color and detail—from capture all the way to final viewing.

FEATURES

• The quality of uncompressed HD at data and storage rates lower than uncompressed SD.
• Performance comparable to or better than the existing HD codecs in Final Cut Pro.
• The ability to work with HD on slower drives, and with more users on shared storage.
• Maintains superb quality even after multiple encoding/decoding generations.
• Full-width 1920-by-1080 and 1280-by-720 resolution.
• 4:2:2 chroma sampling.
• 10-bit sample depth.
• I frame–only encoding. Ensures consistent quality in every frame and no artifacts from complex motion.
• Variable bit-rate (VBR) encoding. “Smart” encoding analyzes the image and allocates more bits to complex frames.
• Two target HD bit rates. Normal quality is targeted at 145 Mbps, and high quality (HQ) is targeted at 220 Mbps. Except in the case of unusually complex material, actual bit rates are typically 5 to 10 percent lower than these targets.
• Low bit rates increase equipment affordability. You can edit more streams with more real-time effects on slower drives, or have more users accessing the same media over Xsan. And performance increases as you increase the speed of your storage infrastructure.
• ProRes 422 produces video indistinguishable from uncompressed HD that needs less storage space than uncompressed SD video. If you have been waiting to jump into high-quality HD editing because of the costs of storage and archiving, this is an opportunity for new business without the added cost of new equipment.
• Even MacBook Pro laptops can use ProRes 422 to play back full-quality HD in real time. Attach a 23-inch or 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display—or even a high resolution projector—and play back high-quality HD in the field during the shoot or at a client’s screening room.
• Excellent full-size and blazing 1/2-by-1/2-size decoding speed. For more effects and more streams in everyday editing, ProRes 422 is perfectly suited for the Dynamic RT capability in Final Cut Pro.
• Impressive encoding speed. Capture ProRes 422 in real time from any HD-SDI source.

As Apple announced the new version of Final Cut Pro, introduced also the new version of ProRes codec with major advantages.

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