by Christine Smith • 2020-09-23 19:58:59 • Proven solutions
Are you searching for a ProRes codec for Windows? If so, here you will learn everything about the ProRes family, such all its variants, its advantages, and disadvantages, how to get an Apple ProRes Windows computer can use, and most importantly, why do you need a ProRes file in the first place. After reading this, you will have the answers to all the questions mentioned above, along with the process of converting ProRes codec for Windows that can be used for post-production tasks.
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Part 1. What Is ProRes
Developed and released by Apple Inc. in the year 2007, ProRes is a codec that loosely compresses the videos using the I-frame approach. Unlike H.264, I-frame (that stands for ‘individual frame’) individually compresses each frame. Although it reduces the overall size of a video, the file remains quite large as compared to other formats like MP4, M4V, etc.
“Why ProRes?” In layman’s language, since ProRes compresses each frame individually, the processor and the GPU don’t have to put extra efforts to decompress before sending them to the display unit. This method comes in handy to avoid lagging during the post-production process where the RAW footages are edited to remove unwanted information, add effects, etc., and the professionals need regular manual movements (technically called ‘scrubbing’) of the Timeline bar (called the ‘Skimmer’). Whether it is a ProRes codec for Windows or otherwise, the family has a couple of members that are useful in one way or the other. Some of the most common ones are briefly discussed below in their ascending order in context with their data rate:
ProRes 422 Proxy – ProRes 422 Proxy is the most compressed form of ProRes videos and is used when you need a smaller size with a reduced data rate but still want to retain the high picture resolution. With ProRes 422 Proxy, you get 1920 x 1080 resolution at a data rate of up to 45Mbps with around 29.97fps (frames per second).
ProRes 422 LT – ProRes 422 LT compresses the frames a bit loosely as compared to ProRes 422 Proxy with the data rate of around 102Mpbs at 29.97fps where the resolution remains 1920 x 1080.
ProRes 422 – The professionals in post-production studios widely use this one as it maintains a proper balance between the data rate, picture resolution, and the size of the video file. ProRes 422 files have around 147Mbps on 1920 x 1080 resolution with 29.97fps.
ProRes 422 HQ – This version of ProRes supports pixel depth of 10-bit, thus offers more room for color grading while maintaining the optimum file size. ProRes 422 HQ retains visually lossless picture quality and provides a 220Mbps data rate for 1920 x 1080 resolution at 29.97 fps.
ProRes 4444 – What distinguishes ProRes 4444 from ProRes 422 is that the former supports up to 16-bit alpha channel, and the picture quality is virtually lossless. Even though the files are significantly gigantic, ProRes 4444 can accommodate more colors and offers a data rate of around 330Mbps for 1920 x 1080 resolution at 29.97fps.
ProRes 4444 XQ – The highest and most advanced version of ProRes with extremely lossless picture quality, ProRes 4444 XQ, offers around 500Mbps data rate on 1920 x 1080 resolution at 29.97fps.
Note: The figures given for the ProRes variants are for comparison purposes. Practically, every member of the ProRes family supports all resolution types, i.e., SD, HD, 2K, 4K, and 5K, at the time of this writing.
Part 2. How to Download ProRes Codec for Windows
Apple Prores Codec For Premiere
Being a proprietary product of Apple, unfortunately, at the time of this writing, there is no way you can download a ProRes codec for Windows platform as no such thing has been developed, at least not yet. However, since ProRes files offer great advantages over other codecs, especially in post-production environments, several tools can help you re-encode your footages in a way that they can virtually work as the files that have been compressed using ProRes codec for Windows.
Furthermore, recently Adobe joined hand with Apple, and some of its products like Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Adobe Media Encoder now support Apple ProRes codec. Also, with the support of Apple ProRes Codec Premiere Pro can convert your video clips (MP4 for example) to ProRes right on your Windows PC.
Part 3. Convert ProRes Codec for Windows in Easy Steps
Despite several tools available to do the job, including some post-production giants such as Adobe Premiere Pro, one program that stands out among all of them due to its ease of access, being lightweight, and extremely fast rendering is UniConverter by Wondershare. Wondershare UniConverter (originally Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate) can not only recognize and convert ProRes codec for Windows, but its Mac version is also capable of transcoding any video to Apple ProRes. Such videos can then be imported to programs like Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Premiere Pro, etc. for professional-level editing and modifications.
Wondershare UniConverter - Best Video to ProRes Converter
- Convert videos to ProRes codec and other 1000+ video formats like MP4, MOV, AVI, etc.
- Convert video files with optimized presets for Final Cut Pro, iMovie, iPhone, iPad, and more devices.
- 30X faster conversion speed than any conventional converters.
- Edit video files with trimming, cropping, cutting, merging, adding subtitles, etc.
- Burn videos to DVD with customized free DVD menu templates.
- Download or record videos from 10,000+ video sharing sites.
- Industry-leading APEXTRANS technology converts videos with zero quality loss or video compression.
- Versatile toolbox combines video metadata editor, GIF maker, video compressor, and screen recorder.
- Supported OS: Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista, Mac OS 10.15 (Catalina), 10.14, 10.13, 10.12, 10.11, 10.10, 10.9, 10.8, 10.7, 10.6.
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You can follow the steps given below to learn how to convert ProRes codec for Windows using Wondershare UniConverter:
Step 1 Click the Add Files Icon and Import a ProRes Media.
Launch Wondershare UniConverter on your Windows or Mac computer (Windows version of UniConverter is used here for demonstration), click the Document icon from the Video Converter tab, and use the Open box to import the ProRes file you want to be converted using virtual ProRes codec for Windows.
Step 2 Pick a Windows Compatible Format.
Open the Setting menu from the target, go to the Video tab from the top of the menu, select your preferred format from the left pane (MP4 for this example), and choose a resolution from the right (Same as source here).
If you need to edit the videos, just move to Edit Videos Easily with Trim/Cut/Merge/Crop Easily >> to learn more.
Step 3 Click Convert.
Select a destination folder for the converted file in the File Location field at the bottom, and click Convert to convert the video using virtual ProRes codec for Windows.
Part 4. Bonus Part: Convert Any Format to ProRes on Mac
Where converting a ProRes file to a Windows-compatible format can be done on both Mac and Windows PCs, reversing the process, i.e., to convert a video file to ProRes can be done only on the Mac variant of Wondershare UniConverter.
The steps are given below explain how to convert the footage to ProRes on Mac:
Step 1: Click Add Files and Import a Video.
Launch Wondershare UniConverter on your Mac, ensure from the top that you are on the Video Converter tile, and click the Add Files symbol. Use the next box that appears to locate and select a video file you want to convert to ProRes, and click Load to import the footage to Wondershare UniConverter.
Step 2: Go to Editing and Select ProRes.
Click and open the Setting menu, and go to the Editing tab from the top. Choose your preferred ProRes version from the left pane (ProRes here), and select a resolution from the right (Same as source for this example).
Step 3: Select a Destination and Convert to ProRes.
Choose a destination folder in the File Location field at the bottom, and click Convert to transcode the video to ProRes codec on your Mac.
Conclusion
Prores Codec For Premiere Mac
ProRes files are easy to edit as they put less overhead on the GPU. Wondershare UniConverter has you back in this as it can do both the tasks, i.e., transcoding footage to ProRes format, and after you are done editing in any of the post-production tools, converting back the ProRes codec for Windows so that the files can be distributed for broadcasting and other commercial or personal purposes.
If you're a video editor and work with Apple's Final Cut Pro, you've likely seen Apple ProRes codec. But what is ProRes codec? To new editors, it's a confusing term. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you'll have a decent understanding of what Apple ProRes is and the five types of ProRes codec.
What is Apple ProRes
Apple ProRes is Apple's professional video codec. It compresses video very mildly. It's a kind codec, visually lossless across many generations. In the video industry, it's called an 'intermediate' codec, which means that it is optimized for capturing and editing video. It is not designed as a 'delivery' format. You edit with it, and then convert to whatever type of video you want to give to your client, or upload to YouTube or Vimeo.
The Apple ProRes codecs provide an unparalleled combination of multistream, real-time editing performance coupled with impressive image quality at reduced storage rates. In particular, the Apple ProRes codecs have been designed to work especially well as high-quality, high-performance editing codecs for Final Cut Pro, taking full advantage of multicore processing and featuring fast, reduced-resolution decoding modes.
Types of Apple ProRes Codecs
The Apple ProRes format comes in five versions: Apple ProRes 4444, Apple ProRes 422 (HQ), Apple ProRes 422, Apple ProRes 422 (LT), and Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy). The following list describes the features of each version. For a complete comparison of the relative data rates of the Apple ProRes codecs, see Apple ProRes Format Specifications.
Apple ProRes 4444
The Apple ProRes 4444 codec offers the utmost possible quality for 4:4:4 sources and for workflows involving alpha channels. It includes the following features:
- Full-resolution, mastering-quality 4:4:4:4 RGBA color (an online-quality codec for editing and finishing 4:4:4 material, such as that originating from Sony HDCAM SR or digital cinema cameras such as RED ONE, Thomson Viper FilmStream, and Panavision Genesis cameras). The R, G, and B channels are lightly compressed, with an emphasis on being perceptually indistinguishable from the original material.
- Lossless alpha channel with real-time playback
- High-quality solution for storing and exchanging motion graphics and composites
- For 4:4:4 sources, a data rate that is roughly 50 percent higher than the data rate of Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
- Direct encoding of, and decoding to, RGB pixel formats
- Support for any resolution, including SD, HD, 2K, 4K, and other resolutions
- A Gamma Correction setting in the codec’s advanced compression settings pane, which allows you to disable the 1.8 to 2.2 gamma adjustment that can occur if RGB material at 2.2 gamma is misinterpreted as 1.8. This setting is also available with the Apple ProRes 422 codec.
Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
The Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) codec offers the utmost possible quality for 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 sources (without an alpha channel) and provides the following:
- Target data rate of approximately 220 Mbps (1920 x 1080 at 60i)
- Higher quality than Apple ProRes 422
Apple ProRes 422
The Apple ProRes 422 codec provides the following:
-Target data rate of approximately 145 Mbps (1920 x 1080 at 60i)
-Higher quality than Apple ProRes 422 (LT)
Apple ProRes 422 (LT)
The Apple ProRes 422 (LT) codec provides the following:
- Roughly 70 percent of the data rate of Apple ProRes 422 (thus, smaller file sizes than Apple ProRes 422)
- Higher quality than Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy)
Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy)
The Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy) codec is intended for use in offline workflows and provides the following:
- Roughly 30 percent of the data rate of Apple ProRes 422
- High-quality offline editing at the original frame size, frame rate, and aspect ratio
- High-quality edit proxy for Final Cut Server
Reference
Prores Codec For Windows
Tips:
Many of today's HD formats were developed under significant camcorder(Panasonic, Sony, Canon, JVC, Nikon, etc.) engineering constraints and therefore limit the full quality that can be carried in an HD signal. Other camera codecs preserve full quality but are too complex to achieve the software decoding speeds required for real-time editing. Uncompressed HD formats deliver the highest image quality, but the high-bandwidth, RAID-storage requirements of uncompressed HD video are daunting for most users’ budgets. Well, the Apple ProRes codecs provide an excellent solution for the most demanding modern post-production workflows.
If you have MTS, M2TS, MXF, (H.264) MOV, (H.264) MP4, M2T, etc to Final Cut Pro, you’d better transcode these camcorder videos to Apple ProRes first before start editing. Here Brorsoft iMedia Converter for Mac is the necessary tool for you to achieve the goal.
Codec For Quicktime
This all-in-one video/movie converting and editing app for Mac OS X, not only convert any videos to FCP (X) with preset Final Cut Pro output profiles Apple ProRes 422, Apple ProRes 422(HQ), Apple ProRes(LT), Apple ProRes(Proxy), Apple ProRes 4444, but also support batch import and conversion such as: transcode any videos to Mac(Avid Media Composer, iMovie, FCE, Adobe Premiere Pro) compatible format; convert any (HD) videos for playing on iPad 3, iPad Mini, Galaxy S4, Apple TV, QuickTime, etc. media devices; deinterlace and reduce image noise to keep better quality, rip and convert Blu-ray, DVD to common video formats, etc.)
Playback Prores Codec Windows 10
Tricks:
1. If you are a FCP X user, before you try to do the conversion, don't forget to make sure that you have installed the ProApps QuickTime Codecs manually since the FCP X asks users to install it by themselves.
2. If you have problems when importing or editing your Canon, Sony, Panasonic etc, camera video files, you can check out 'Camcorder/Camera Importing Tips' or 'FCE, FCP, iMovie Column' to get your solutions.
3. You can get Panasonic/Canon (P2) MXF importing and editing solutions from MXF to Mac column.