Codecs (Compression)

While the Format is the box, the Codec is how the video data is folded to fit inside that box. Codec stands for Coder-Decoder. Uncompressed video is mathematically huge (a single minute of uncompressed 4K video can be 50+ Gigabytes). Codecs use complex math to throw away invisible data, shrinking the file size so it can be stored on hard drives or streamed over the internet.

Delivery Codecs (Highly Compressed)

These codecs are designed to make the file as small as possible while maintaining visual quality. They are difficult for computers to edit, but perfect for playback.

H.264 (AVC)

The most common codec on Earth.

• Supported by every website and device.
• Excellent balance of file size and visual quality.
• Limited to 8-bit or 10-bit color.

H.265 (HEVC)

The successor to H.264.

• Mathematically twice as efficient. An H.265 file looks exactly as good as an H.264 file, but is roughly half the file size.
• Excellent for 4K and 8K HDR delivery.
• Downside: Extremely computationally heavy. Older computers and older smart TVs will stutter violently trying to decode it.

AV1

The bleeding-edge standard developed by Google, Netflix, and Amazon.

• Open-source and royalty-free (unlike H.265).
• Better compression than H.265.
• Supported by YouTube.
• Downside: Requires very modern hardware (like Nvidia RTX 40-series or Apple M3) to encode/decode efficiently.

Mezzanine / Intermediate Codecs (Lightly Compressed)

These codecs create massive file sizes. They barely compress the image, prioritizing absolute mathematical fidelity and ease of editing over storage space. You use these to archive your master film, or to send a timeline to another VFX artist.

Apple ProRes

The industry standard for professional post-production.

• ProRes 422 HQ: The standard for 10-bit commercial delivery. Visually lossless.
• ProRes 4444: Supports 12-bit color and an embedded Alpha channel. If you create a lower-third graphic with a transparent background and want to give it to another editor to use in Premiere, you must export it as ProRes 4444.

Avid DNxHR

The exact Windows/PC equivalent of ProRes.

• If you are on a Windows machine that does not support writing ProRes files, use DNxHR HQX (equivalent to ProRes 422 HQ) or DNxHR 444 (equivalent to ProRes 4444).