Client requesting ProRes 422 files a 25Mbps bite rate

[Jeff Kirkland]

You can’t specify a bitrate for ProRes in any program that I’m aware of. The HQ, 422, LE, etc represent the codec bitrates and can’t be changed. ProRes Proxy is about 45mb/s and that’s as low as ProRes goes. Not to mention that ProRes isn’t really practical as a streaming codec – or are their servers re-encoding the ProRes masters to something else on the fly?

In any event, ProRes Proxy is as low as you can go.

—-
Jeff Kirkland | Video Producer & Cinematographer
Hobart, Tasmania | Twitter: @jeffkirkland

[Greg Ball]

Thanks Jeff. Here’s a follow-up. The client’s DVD authoring/streaming vendor says the following about my ProRes exports:

“Strange. I was seeing some pixalization so I looked at the metadata and it said it was at 12Mbps.”

What does that even mean? How can metadata show 12Mbps when I’m editing and sharing in ProRes 422? That doesn’t make sense.

Is this guy just trying to make me look bad?

Greg Ball, President
Ball Media Innovations, Inc.
https://www.ballmediainnovations.com

[Mark Smith]

There is no such thing as 12 mbs Pro Res 422.

[Greg Ball]

Thanks Mark, How would I check the bitrate of an exported video file? Is there a way to do that on a Mac?

I think this guy is blowing smoke and trying to look good to the client at my expense.

Greg Ball, President
Ball Media Innovations, Inc.
https://www.ballmediainnovations.com

[Jeremy Garchow]

Are you sure it’s not megaBYTES vs megaBITS?

25MB vs 25Mb?

[Greg Ball]

The video person wrote the following

“Would it be possible to get the same ProRes 422 files (or HQ if possible) at a 25Mbps bite rate for our online streaming platform?”

How do you interpret this?

Greg Ball, President
Ball Media Innovations, Inc.
https://www.ballmediainnovations.com

[Jeremy Garchow]

Lots of ways.

– ProRes files typically aren’t streamed “online”, so what happens to the file after it’s streamed?
– They mean h264.mov instead of “ProRes”
– They aren’t sure exactly what they are asking for
– They want a streaming ProRes file a @ 25Mbps
– They want a ProRes file at 25MB/s for later conversion to a more typical streaming format
– It’s Friday, and they wanted to get out of there. But they wrote on Monday. I guess we can dismiss this interpretation.

Honestly, I would just ask more questions. 25Mbps isn’t available, so I would ask what their “online streaming platform” requires and deliver that.

[Greg Ball]

Thanks Jeremy. That’s what I thought. I’ve already provided ProRes files, because they are creating DVDs.

The’ll have to convert my ProRes 422 files themselves.

I just hate it when someone copies the client and indicates that I can’t deliver what they asked for. No cool. I guess the “Bro Code” doesn’t work in video.

Greg Ball, President
Ball Media Innovations, Inc.
https://www.ballmediainnovations.com

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Greg Ball] “I just hate it when someone copies the client and indicates that I can’t deliver what they asked for. No cool. I guess the “Bro Code” doesn’t work in video.”

It’s not that you aren’t delivering what they are asking for, it’s that you are delivering what they need in order for the streaming to work. 🙂

[Mark Smith]

open one of your Pro Res files in Quicktime player. Then go to the inspector window and you will find the info you seek for bit rate.