PostMicroTools
Reference + chooser
Which codec should I use?
Tell it the stage, your priority and platform, and get a recommended codec with reasoning — plus a full comparison table to learn the trade-offs.
Codec comparison
| Codec | Type | Chroma / bit | Best for | HW accel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProRes 422 / HQ | Intra | 4:2:2 / 10-bit | Edit, master | Apple Silicon Pro+ |
| ProRes 4444 | Intra | 4:4:4:4 / 12-bit + alpha | Finishing, graphics | Apple Silicon Pro+ |
| DNxHR | Intra | up to 4:4:4 / 12-bit | Edit, master (cross) | CPU |
| H.264 / AVC | Long-GOP | 4:2:0 / 8-bit | Web, compatibility | Everywhere |
| H.265 / HEVC | Long-GOP | 4:2:0/4:2:2 / 10-bit | Web, efficient delivery | Most modern |
| AV1 | Long-GOP | 4:2:0 / 10-bit | Streaming (best ratio) | Newer GPUs |
| Camera RAW (R3D/BRAW/ARRIRAW) | RAW | Bayer / 12–16-bit | Acquisition, color | GPU debayer |
| EXR | Sequence | RGB(A) / 16–32-bit | VFX, finishing | — |
| IMF (JPEG 2000) | Intra | up to 4:4:4 / 12-bit | Platform delivery | — |
Intra-frame vs long-GOP
Intra-frame compresses each frame on its own — heavy on disk but light to decode and perfect for editing. Long-GOP compresses across frames — tiny files but CPU/GPU-intensive to scrub, hence proxies.
Why not deliver in ProRes?
ProRes is a mezzanine/mastering codec: high quality, big files, not meant for streaming to viewers. For final delivery to web/social, transcode to H.264/H.265/AV1.
One codec per stage, not one codec to rule them all
Codec arguments usually dissolve once you name the stage — the pipelines & workflows guide lays those stages out end to end. Acquisition wants the camera's best native format (REDCODE, BRAW, ARRIRAW, X-OCN, ProRes RAW). Editorial wants an intra-frame mezzanine that scrubs — ProRes 422 or DNxHR SQ/HQ. VFX wants linear-light half-float EXR sequences per the ACES/VES conventions. Grading returns to the mezzanine at 4444/HQX quality, and delivery is whatever the platform dictates: H.264/HEVC for web, IMF or ProRes for broadcast and streaming packages — check the exact numbers against the delivery spec validator before you export.
The chooser encodes those defaults and the reasons behind them, plus the classic trade-offs inside each family: 422 vs 4444 when you need alpha or heavy keying headroom; LT vs HQ when proxy storage is tight; DNxHR when the shop is Avid-centric and ProRes when it's Apple-centric — technically both are fine mezzanines, and the deciding factor is usually the facility's tooling, not picture quality.
It exists because the wrong pick is expensive in a specific way: cutting long-GOP H.264 natively costs edit performance for months, while mastering to a delivery codec instead of a mezzanine quietly caps every future re-delivery.
ProRes or DNxHR — does it actually matter?
Quality-wise, barely: equivalent tiers (422 HQ ≈ DNxHR HQ) are transparent for editorial. It matters operationally — Avid shops standardize on DNxHR, Final Cut and much of the Mac world on ProRes, and matching your facility avoids a transcode generation.
Why do VFX houses insist on EXR?
EXR stores linear-light values in 16-bit half-float with arbitrary channels (alpha, depth, motion vectors, cryptomatte). Compositing math — merges, defocus, regrains — behaves correctly in linear light, and half-float preserves the highlight range display-referred codecs throw away.
What should I archive as the final master?
A mezzanine, not a delivery encode: ProRes 4444/422 HQ or DNxHR 444/HQX video masters, plus a graded DPX/EXR sequence for feature work. From those you can regenerate any current or future delivery format without inheriting H.264 artifacts. If the master is going to tape, size the sets with the LTO archive calculator.