Chapter 3: Prores Recording & Raw Output; Overview; Apple Prores 422 And Apple Prores 444 - AJA CION Operation Manual

Chapter 3: ProRes Recording & RAW Output

Overview

Apple ProRes 422 and Apple ProRes 444

CION v1.2r4
CION records Apple ProRes QuickTime files to solid state Pak media. Pak media is
formatted as HFS+ which means that it reads natively on Mac OS computers and may
also be read by Windows OS computers when used with third-party software utilities.
Once removed from CION, the Pak media can be inserted in the AJA Pak Dock media
reader. The Pak Dock connects directly to a computer via either Thunderbolt or USB 3.0.
High-speed connectivity allows you to rapidly transfer and back up files.
Apple ProRes 422 or Apple ProRes 444 codecs are virtually indistinguishable from
uncompressed 4K/Ultra HD/2K/HD. Apple ProRes maintains quality during editorial,
surviving multiple encoding/decoding generations without degradation. Some of the
advantages of using Apple ProRes include:
• Resolution support for 4K (4096x2160), Ultra HD (3840x2160), 2K (2048x1080), and HD
(1920x080) at frame rates from 23.98 to 60.
• 4:2:2 chroma sampling up to 60 fps or 4:4:4 up to 30 fps.
• 10-bit sample depth (Apple ProRes 422 versions) preserves subtle gradients making it
perfect for green-screen compositing or color correction with no visible banding
artifacts.
• 12-bit sample depth (Apple ProRes 444) has all of the merits of 10-bit with added
specificity making it ideal for situations where the highest quality may be required.
• Apple ProRes features I frame-only encoding. This ensures consistent quality in every
frame and no artifacts when capturing complex motion.
• Apple ProRes features variable bit-rate (VBR) encoding. "Smart" encoding analyzes the
image and allocates more bits to complex frames.
• Low data rate requirements (when compared to uncompressed) means less media
space is required to store high-quality video.
• Apple ProRes codecs may be used in a variety of non-linear editing applications, color
correction applications and compositing applications without the need for
transcoding.
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