ProRes Codec for Windows: How to Export ProRes on Windows

Are you searching for a ProRes codec for Windows? If so, here you will learn everything about the ProRes family, such all its variants, its advantages, and disadvantages, how to get an Apple ProRes Windows computer can use, and most importantly, why do you need a ProRes file in the first place. After reading this, you will have the answers to all the questions mentioned above, along with the process of converting ProRes codec for Windows that can be used for post-production tasks.

• Part 1. What Is ProRes
• Part 2. How to Download ProRes Codec for Windows
• Part 3. Convert ProRes Codec for Windows in Easy Steps
• Part 4. Bonus Part: Convert Any Format to ProRes on Mac

Part 1. What Is ProRes

Developed and released by Apple Inc. in the year 2007, ProRes is a codec that loosely compresses the videos using the I-frame approach. Unlike , I-frame (that stands for ‘individual frame’) individually compresses each frame. Although it reduces the overall size of a video, the file remains quite large as compared to other formats like MP4, M4V, etc.

“Why ProRes?” In layman’s language, since ProRes compresses each frame individually, the processor and the GPU don’t have to put extra efforts to decompress before sending them to the display unit. This method comes in handy to avoid lagging during the post-production process where the RAW footages are edited to remove unwanted information, add effects, etc., and the professionals need regular manual movements (technically called ‘scrubbing’) of the Timeline bar (called the ‘Skimmer’). Whether it is a ProRes codec for Windows or otherwise, the family has a couple of members that are useful in one way or the other. Some of the most common ones are briefly discussed below in their ascending order in context with their data rate:

ProRes 422 Proxy – ProRes 422 Proxy is the most compressed form of ProRes videos and is used when you need a smaller size with a reduced data rate but still want to retain the high picture resolution. With ProRes 422 Proxy, you get 1920 x 1080 resolution at a data rate of up to 45Mbps with around 29.97fps (frames per second).

ProRes 422 LT – ProRes 422 LT compresses the frames a bit loosely as compared to ProRes 422 Proxy with the data rate of around 102Mpbs at 29.97fps where the resolution remains 1920 x 1080.

ProRes 422 – The professionals in post-production studios widely use this one as it maintains a proper balance between the data rate, picture resolution, and the size of the video file. ProRes 422 files have around 147Mbps on 1920 x 1080 resolution with 29.97fps.

ProRes 422 HQ – This version of ProRes supports pixel depth of 10-bit, thus offers more room for color grading while maintaining the optimum file size. ProRes 422 HQ retains visually lossless picture quality and provides a 220Mbps data rate for 1920 x 1080 resolution at 29.97 fps.

ProRes 4444 – What distinguishes ProRes 4444 from ProRes 422 is that the former supports up to 16-bit alpha channel, and the picture quality is virtually lossless. Even though the files are significantly gigantic, ProRes 4444 can accommodate more colors and offers a data rate of around 330Mbps for 1920 x 1080 resolution at 29.97fps.

ProRes 4444 XQ – The highest and most advanced version of ProRes with extremely lossless picture quality, ProRes 4444 XQ, offers around 500Mbps data rate on 1920 x 1080 resolution at 29.97fps.

Note: The figures given for the ProRes variants are for comparison purposes. Practically, every member of the ProRes family supports all resolution types, i.e., SD, HD, 2K, 4K, and 5K, at the time of this writing.

Part 2. How to Download ProRes Codec for Windows

Being a proprietary product of Apple, unfortunately, at the time of this writing, there is no way you can download a ProRes codec for Windows platform as no such thing has been developed, at least not yet. However, since ProRes files offer great advantages over other codecs, especially in post-production environments, several tools can help you re-encode your footages in a way that they can virtually work as the files that have been compressed using ProRes codec for Windows.

Furthermore, recently Adobe joined hand with Apple, and some of its products like Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Adobe Media Encoder now support Apple ProRes codec. Also, with the support of Apple ProRes Codec Premiere Pro can convert your video clips (MP4 for example) to ProRes right on your Windows PC.

Part 3. Convert ProRes Codec for Windows in Easy Steps

Despite several tools available to do the job, including some post-production giants such as Adobe Premiere Pro, one program that stands out among all of them due to its ease of access, being lightweight, and extremely fast rendering is UniConverter by Wondershare. Wondershare UniConverter (originally Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate) can not only recognize and convert ProRes codec for Windows, but its Mac version is also capable of transcoding any video to Apple ProRes. Such videos can then be imported to programs like Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Premiere Pro, etc. for professional-level editing and modifications.

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You can follow the steps given below to learn how to convert ProRes codec for Windows using Wondershare UniConverter:

Step 1 Click the Add Files Icon and Import a ProRes Media.

Launch Wondershare UniConverter on your Windows or Mac computer (Windows version of UniConverter is used here for demonstration), click the +Document icon from the Converter tab, and use the Open box to import the ProRes file you want to be converted using virtual ProRes codec for Windows.

Step 2 Pick a Windows Compatible Format.

Click on the drop-down menu tab of the Output Format at the bottom, go to the Video tab from the top of the menu, select your preferred format from the left pane (MP4 for this example), and choose a resolution from the right (Same as source here).

Tips

If you need to edit the videos, just move to Edit Videos Easily with Trim/Cut/Merge/Crop Easily >> to learn more.

Step 3 Click Convert.

Select a destination folder for the converted file in the File Location field at the bottom, and you can enable the High Speed Conversion to speed it up. Now click Convert or Start All tab to convert the video using virtual ProRes codec for Windows.

Part 4. Bonus Part: Convert Any Format to ProRes on Mac

Where converting a ProRes file to a Windows-compatible format can be done on both Mac and Windows PCs, reversing the process, i.e., to convert a video file to ProRes can be done only on the Mac variant of Wondershare UniConverter.

The steps are given below explain how to convert the footage to ProRes on Mac:

Step 1: Click Add Files and Import a Video.

Launch Wondershare UniConverter on your Mac, ensure from the top that you are on the Converter tile, and click the Add Files symbol. Use the next box that appears to locate and select a video file you want to convert to ProRes, and click Load to import the footage to Wondershare UniConverter.

Step 2: Go to Editing and Select ProRes.

Click and open the Setting menu, and go to the Editing tab from the top. Choose your preferred ProRes version from the left pane (ProRes here), and select a resolution from the right (Same as source for this example).

Step 3: Select a Destination and Convert to ProRes.

Choose a destination folder in the File Location field at the bottom, and click Convert to transcode the video to ProRes codec on your Mac.

Conclusion

ProRes files are easy to edit as they put less overhead on the GPU. Wondershare UniConverter has you back in this as it can do both the tasks, i.e., transcoding footage to ProRes format, and after you are done editing in any of the post-production tools, converting back the ProRes codec for Windows so that the files can be distributed for broadcasting and other commercial or personal purposes.

* Some of the above codec formats may need to be supported by system.