Sustainability of Digital Formats: Planning for Library of Congress Collections

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Apple ProRes 422

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Format Description Properties Explanation of format description terms

Identification and description Explanation of format description terms

Full name Apple ProRes 422
Description

Apple ProRes 422 is the second-highest data-rate version of the ProRes 422 codecs. Apple literature highlights the value of Apple ProRes 422 HQ as an editing codec, stating that it offers "multistream, real-time editing performance."

In order to compare the members of the ProRes 422 family, this Web site uses 10-bit picture data with an HD (1920x1080) frame size and a frame rate of 29.97 fps. Uncompressed, this yields about 560 GB per hour. Although the variable bit rate for ProRes means that results will vary, specialists report that the 147 Mbps target data rate for Apple ProRes 422 would yield a one-hour file of about 65 GB.

See the Apple ProRes 422 Codec Family for a general description of the shared technical characteristics as well as history of the format.

Production phase Production (initial state) and post production (middle state).
Relationship to other formats
    Subtype of Apple_ProRes_422_Codec_Family, Apple ProRes 422 Codec Family

Local use Explanation of format description terms

LC experience or existing holdings The Civil Rights History Project in the American Folklife Center contains Apple ProRes 422 and Apple ProRes 422 HQ files.
LC preference The Library of Congress Recommended Formats Statement (RFS) does not include Apple ProRes 422. However it does include Apple ProRes 4444, 4444 XQ and 422 HQ in a QuickTime wrapper as a Preferred format for Video - File-Based and Physical Media.

Sustainability factors Explanation of format description terms

Disclosure See Apple ProRes 422 Codec Family
    Documentation See Apple ProRes 422 Codec Family
Adoption See Apple ProRes 422 Codec Family
    Licensing and patents See Apple ProRes 422 Codec Family
Transparency See Apple ProRes 422 Codec Family
Self-documentation See Apple ProRes 422 Codec Family
External dependencies See Apple ProRes 422 Codec Family
Technical protection considerations See Apple ProRes 422 Codec Family

Quality and functionality factors Explanation of format description terms


File type signifiers and format identifiers Explanation of format description terms

Tag Value Note
Filename extension See note.  See Apple ProRes 422 Codec Family
FOURCC Big endian: apcn
Little endian: ncpa
FOURCC code used to indicate ProRes 442 in the QuickTime container according to Multimedia Wiki.

Notes Explanation of format description terms

General

According to Apple, camera formats that would be appropriate to transcode to ProRes 422 include DVCPro HD, HDV, and AVC Intra. Video specialist Larry Jordan adds XDCAM EX, XDCAM HD, AVCAM, or P2 to the list.

History

Apple ProRes 422 is one of the two original ProRes codecs (along with Apple Pro Res 422 HQ). . It was originally named Apple ProRes 422 SQ (for standard quality).


Format specifications Explanation of format description terms


Useful references

URLs


Last Updated: 06/17/2021