Putting the Pro in Resolution

Tuesday, September 11, 2007 Filed in: Weekly Tip

One of the biggest new features in Final Cut Pro 6 is the ProRes 422 codec. The idea behind the codec is to give HD quality at SD data rates. And it works! Comparing ProRes 422 footage side-by-side with uncompressed HD, it’s almost impossible to tell the difference. As an added benefit, it was designed with real-time performance in mind.

The codec is available in two modes—the standard ProRes 4:2:2 and ProRes 4:2:2 (HQ), which stands for high quality. The codec can be used for both SD and HD footage, though most of the time you’ll use it solely for HD footage. Pro Res 4:2:2 is currently one of the best alternatives to an uncompressed SD or HD workflow.

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There are a number of ways to work with ProRes 422 in FCP.

Capture and edit in ProRes 422 using capture and sequence presets.
Transcode your video to ProRes 422 using the Media Manager or Compressor.
Render to ProRes 422. Sequences that use either native HDV or XDCAM HD and that use long-GOP MPEG-2 can see significant increases in RT performance by rendering to ProRes 422. To do this, choose Sequence > Settings or Command + 0 and then Render Control. In the Render section, choose ProRes 422 in the codec pulldown.

Like this tip? It comes from the book
Final Cut Studio On the Spot from Focal Press.