HAP Transcoding in 2023 (Updated)

2023 UPDATE

You can transcode HAP via FFMPEG – this is probably the fastest HAP renderer. You can do this on a Mac or PC. Pay attention to CHUNK count. Export from AE/PR whatever is a lightly compressed or uncompressed codec before sending to FFMPEG. There's a learning curve attached to this process, but just write down what you learn so you don't forget :). That said: HAP's encoding can be pretty rough on gradients and causes some gnarly banding. FFMPEG is free. 

You can still encode directly to HAP in AE/AME/PR by using "After Codecs" – this is a paid plugin from Aescripts. It's pretty good! But I do not recommend rendering directly from sequence(s) to HAP. Faster to encode as some other intermediary first. I have not tested After Codecs for QC recently, but am willing to bet it has similar banding issues (regardless of Hap or HapQ preference)

There's a new third party encoder that I've been using that I like by this dude Jokyo based in France. It's paid. And it costs too much to be honest. And it's locked to a computer which is incredibly annoying if you're moving from machine to machine a lot. You can buy their codecs so you can render using AE/PR/AME or you can buy his stand alone. The stand alone costs more but seems to be more efficient than using AME. I bought the stand alone version and have to admit that it does an incredible job encoding and introduces next level HAP that we so desperately need. Named HAPR, it is a much better looking encode. So far, have tested in Touch and Mad. Touch plays this new version. Mad does not. If you have the dough, this is the path I recommend. His version of HAPQ Slow is only slightly below HAPR imho and it looks nearly as good (much better than FFPMEG and After Codec's HAPQ). Jokyo's HAPQ play in Touch and Mad. 

Also here's a pro-tip: Pay attention to chunk count! 

Hmmm, I was not aware you could turn MFR on/off in AME?