I know that Prores is the better editing codec, but just wanted to clarify a few things:
Are their downsides? I have to transcode my original H.264 to ProRes, and was wondering if there is any quality loss or anything of the sort.
Any export problems? Does Prores export just fine back into h.264 (or anything else) as a final product?
Are you supposed to be able to playback these new .mov files(aka prores) normally? I can’t play mine back like usual without putting it into Premiere.
Could Prores files be VFR (variable frame rate)? I use shutter encoder to transcode (when i do) and was wondering if they’re made CFR in the process.
Thanks to anybody who could help, and sorry if there are any obvious questions.
There is always some loss of quality when you transcode, but Prores 422 and higher are generally considered to be ‘visually lossless’ to the point you can transcode a file potentially dozens of times without noticing any issues.
The biggest downside is filesize and bitrate. You need to ensure that you have both enough storage for 100’s GB+ per hour, and also that the storage is fast enough to be able to serve that data to Premiere.
An average 7200rpm HDD should be able to handle at least two streams of ProRes 422 1080p60, though YMMV. If you go beyond 1080p or want to use the higher quality profiles you get into SSD/HDD RAID array territory (or you have to create proxies)
It is pretty common for ‘consumer’ apps like VLC to struggle playing back ProRes.
When working exclusively with ProRes in Adobe Premiere Pro, it’s a good idea to export to the exact same ProRes profile and then transcode to h.264 or whatever after export. This lets you take advantage of smart rendering.
Anyway, after converting H.264 to ProRes for Adobe Premiere, my editing has become significantly less frustrating. DumboFab video converter can help you transcode H.264 to ProRes for editing in Premiere Pro.
DumboFab Video Converter – The One-click Way to Convert Videos for Adobe and More.
- Accept H.264 or H.265 videos from GoPro, DJI, iPhone, Canon camera, etc.
- Output media in file formats natively supported by Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, Sony Vegas, Avid, etc.
- Easy editing experience: cut, crop, merge, add subtitles/watermarek, apply effects…
- 30X faster conversion speed than any conventional converters
Follow the steps below to transcode H.264 to ProRes for Adobe Premiere Pro without damaging the original quality.
Step 1. Open DumboFab Video Converter, you can directly drag and drop source H.264 files, or click Add Video button on the toolbar to load h.264 video.
Step 2. Click Format pull down list, move mouse cursor to Editing Software and select Apple ProRes 422 (*.mov) as the output format.
Step 3. Hit Convert button in the lower right corner and the conversion will begin in no time.
Once done, import the resulting file to Adobe Premiere Pro and see if it can be imported and recognized as a video file.
