ProRes on Windows - 8-bit or 10-bit?

[Averdahl]

In the Apple ProRes white paper i can read:

"The ProRes family of video codecs has made it both possible and affordable to edit full-frame, 10-bit, 4:2:2 and 4:4:4:4 high-definition (HD), 2K, 4K, 5K, and larger video sources..."

However, the Export Settings indicates that 8-bit is the default as you can see and that makes me wonder what we get when we export. Do we get 8-bit or do we get the expected 10-bit? Are those depth settings i see left overs, or why are they even there? The file size of the exported files do not change no matter if i choose 8-bpc or 10-bpc. AFAIK it´s not possible to even render out 8-bit ProRes files, hence this post wondering why those settings are present in the Export Settings window.

[chrisw44157881]

that option must be from a holdover or something, but I'm farely sure you also need to enable max bit depth or the color engine will clip to 8 bit before even compressing to a codec. you could easily do some gradient exports and compare what happens.

[Averdahl]

I will test that later and report back!

[R Neil Haugen]

My understanding is that Pr works in 32-bit float internally, and naturally the start nature of any media is the bits it comes with. The 32 bit float processing just makes sure of the accuracy of the math, and enables processing clips of varying bit-depth on the same sequence.

It exports into the bit-depth of the media selected for export. Of course, starting with an 8 bit file and exporting to 10 doesn't get you anything really. So if the OP started with an 8bit file, exporting to 10bit isn't gaining anything.

Neil

[Averdahl]

It exports into the bit-depth of the media selected for export. Of course, starting with an 8 bit file and exporting to 10 doesn't get you anything really. So if the OP started with an 8bit file, exporting to 10bit isn't gaining anything.

Yes, but the question is not about that at all. The question is about what do we get when we export ProRes on Windows, do we get 8-bit as the user interface indicates or do we get 10-bit as the Apple ProRes Whitepaper indicates. AFAIK, there is not even a 8-bit version of ProRes aviable, thus the question about the confusing, misleading user interface.

I work with 10-bit footage and do naturally want 10-bit exports but am unsure what i get with ProRes since the user interface clearly indicates that the default is 8-bit.

I wish someone from Adobe could chime in on this one. (Kevin-Monahan)

[excited_Genie16B8]

Play the export back in the following.

Global Potplayer

Right click on the image when playing and you'll get an option for file info.  That will tell you the bit depth of the file that is playing.

[Averdahl]

Right click on the image when playing and you'll get an option for file info.  That will tell you the bit depth of the file that is playing.

I have the latest PotPlayer (1.7.16291) installed and unfortunately i cannot find anything about bit depth in the info tab.

This is what i find:

[excited_Genie16B8]

That is odd.  Bit Depth usually appears right under Chroma Subsampling, above Scan Type.

[realistic_body0D4E]

Did anybody ever figure this out?  I am also curious.

[rodneyb56060189]

I think bpc is bits per channel … would be 8 for red, 8 for green, 8 for blue … 24 bpp ( bits per pixel ).

maybe that's for some uncompressed file export thing .. I have no clue.

But like Neil said, your codec choice ( one you have prores 422 ) determines what you get from that ..and will be 10 bit

prores 444 would be 12.  Must be a chart around somewhere...

chart at

Apple ProRes - Wikipedia

[Averdahl]

Must be a chart around somewhere... chart at

Apple ProRes - Wikipedia

Yes, but the topic is about what we get or not get out of Premiere Pro since the Export Settings panel is confusing.

[Averdahl]

Did anybody ever figure this out?  I am also curious.

No, not a word from Adobe so people including myself are just guessing. So sad, really.

[realistic_body0D4E]

I did a little bit of experimentation, and, interestingly, when I export using the ProRes 422 codec from After Effects CC 2019, I get the options "Millions of Colors" and "Trillions of Colors" for bit depth.  The "Trillions of Colors" choice gives me the same output I get when I choose either 8 or 16 bpc in Premiere Pro, but the "Millions of Colors" option actually gives me a file that's slightly smaller in size and with a lower bit rate.  Additionally, importing both of these exports back into a 16 bpc AE comp and applying several heavy contrast layers shows that the "Millions of Colors" option does indeed look worse (probably has a lower bit depth) than the "Trillions of Colors" option.  I'm not sure why there's no difference between 8 and 16 BPC in Premiere Pro when there does seem to be a difference in After Effects.

[Mike Dziennik]

As long as you have CUDA enabled it doesn't matter whether you choose 8bit or 16bit or Max Bit Depth - the export will give you 10bit export for ProResHQ and below. It gets far more complicated than this, which Neil can testify to; but it's a good rule to work from.

[rodneyb56060189]

Averdahl   do you by any chance have resolve 15 installed ?

it will tell you what you got... from your export …,

right click on top of that panel to make bit depth visible with checkbox if it aint there already

[R Neil Haugen]

I have exported more than a terabyte of ProRes from my Win10 system, mostly without Max Depth checked, and they're all 10 bit except for the occasional 12 bit export.

Neil