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What is the difference between ProRes422 and ProRes422HQ?

I'm curious about the difference - I'm working with HDV "24 fps" and using Compressor to remove the pulldown to allow editing in 23.98 fps using Apple ProRes422. Everything I've looked at is silent or fuzzy on which circumstances would lead you to use one or the other of these codecs. The most helpful is the following from the FCS 7 manual:



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 422The 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)



Does anyone have an experience-based perspective on whether it's worth the larger file size - ie do you really get "higher quality" with the HQ? Obviously I want the best quality I can get, but not if it's undetectable or de minimis.


Thanks!

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on Feb 8, 2012 1:17 PM

Reply
11 replies

Jun 19, 2017 2:36 PM in response to Studio X

It's helpful to know that mb/s has been out there as a convention that people use. Detlef is correct that M means x1,000,000 and m means /1000. These are internationally recognized standards of measure that go back I don't know how long. To intentionally interchange them is to promote misunderstanding of what they actually mean, and introduce a lack of clarity. I'm not sure that relaxing this in order to accommodate "typos" is really the most effective way to evolve the language. It's like deciding to use "grass" instead of "grasp" because it's easier to type to the letter "s" twice. It doesn't really help anyone.


In any case, what's done is done, I appreciate having it explained, and I will conclude my contribution to a 5-year-old conversation on the philosophy of language in this thread about quicktime codecs.


Thanks, folks.

Feb 16, 2012 6:02 AM in response to Detlef Kretschmer

In the wild world of bad, fast Internet typing, MB and mb are often used to make the distinction clear.


It is very easy for the novice to not pick up on the distinction between Mb and MB. Given the typing (and spelling) skill of a great number of people out here (me included) it could simply be a typo. Unless the context makes things very clear, misunderstandings occur.


This is not nonsens ....


Cheers.


x

Feb 16, 2012 7:54 AM in response to Detlef Kretschmer

Call it what you want. The way I see it - the greater good is understanding.


The point of language and symbols is to communicate. If the language and/or symbols are loosing that ability, people have two choices - they can hold to a strict interpretation that is the source of miscommunication (while crying "barbarians at the gates") or they can adapt/adjust so to that the meaning is clearer and the idea is received and understood.


This is why language is a constantly evolving thing.


Cheers,


x

What is the difference between ProRes422 and ProRes422HQ?

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