Apple ProRes Explained: What It Is, When to Use It, and How It Compares to H.264
Apple ProRes is one of the most widely used video codecs in professional post-production—but what makes it special? In this video, I’ll break down what ProRes is, how it works, the different ProRes formats, and when you should (or shouldn’t) use it. We’ll also compare ProRes to H.264 and explain why H.264 is the better choice for most video deliveries, including YouTube uploads.
https://quicktutorials.blog/2025/03/09/apple-prores-explained-what-it-is-why-it-matters-and-how-it-compares-to-other-codecs/
📌 Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:41 TLDR - What is ProRes? What’s it used for?
02:56 Why is ProRes so popular?
03:44 Which ProRes codec should you use?
06:50 ProRes data rates
08:04 Variable Bit Rate
09:08 ProRes RAW
09:45 Reasons to use ProRes
💡 Key Takeaways:
• ProRes is optimized for editing, not delivery. It offers high image quality and smooth playback but produces large file sizes.
• H.264 is better for online delivery (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo) because it’s highly compressed while maintaining great visual quality.
• Streaming platforms re-encode everything, so uploading ProRes won’t improve your final YouTube quality—it’ll just slow down uploads.
• ProRes comes in different versions (Proxy, LT, 422, HQ, 4444, XQ), each balancing file size and quality differently.
• Windows users often use DNxHD/DNxHR as an alternative to ProRes.
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#AppleProRes #VideoEditing #H264 #Filmmaking #VideoProduction #ProResVsH264
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