Difference between ProRes HQ and ProRes

muroshi

Well-known member
For final cut 6.0.6 there are two codecs to choose from: ProRes HQ and ProRes. What's the difference among them and which one is recommended?
 
HQ is a higher bitrate (220 mbps), in comparison with ProRes (standard) at 147 mbps. Since 145 mbps is the most you can get from a DSLR (with a 1-2 second recording limit...) I would suggest using standard.
However in Final Cut Pro 7 you can select two new codecs, LT and Proxy, both of which are better suited to working with DSLR material due to their lower bitrate (which is more inline with what you actually shoot at).
 
Just for information if someone else wants to know about this. I found following list. Prores quality goes in this order from lowest bitrate to highest(ie lowest quality to highest)

1. Prores Proxy
2. Prores LT
3. Prores
4. Prores HQ
5. Prores 4444

There seems to be no visible difference among Prores LT and Prores.
 
HQ is a higher bitrate (220 mbps), in comparison with ProRes (standard) at 147 mbps. Since 145 mbps is the most you can get from a DSLR (with a 1-2 second recording limit...) I would suggest using standard.
However in Final Cut Pro 7 you can select two new codecs, LT and Proxy, both of which are better suited to working with DSLR material due to their lower bitrate (which is more inline with what you actually shoot at).

If you use HQ you can push color grading more, where normal pro res falls apart. Please do more research everyone

thanks
 
Well, since they're all 10-bit 4:2:2 codecs, you're going to see pretty much the same ability to grade the footage regardless of which codec you ultimately decide because they all use the same subsampling. Yes it's true that higher bitrate will be able to contain more information in order to perform better whilst grading the footage, but the fact is that the source material is only 45mbps, so there is little use in using anything above standard. LT is my preferred codec for editing 5D footage, but I will use proxy if I need to edit on my laptop.

Just to clarify, my previous statement is only in regard to lower bitrate recording devices such as DSLRs.
 
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