The family
| Flavour | FourCC | Chroma | Alpha | Meant for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProRes 422 Proxy | apco | 4:2:2 | No | Offline edit proxies - small, never delivery |
| ProRes 422 LT | apcs | 4:2:2 | No | Lighter edit media where storage is tight |
| ProRes 422 | apcn | 4:2:2 | No | General edit/broadcast work |
| ProRes 422 HQ | apch | 4:2:2 | No | High-quality review and many broadcast deliverables |
| ProRes 4444 | ap4h | 4:4:4:4 | Yes | VFX review with alpha, graphics, mastering |
| ProRes 4444 XQ | ap4x | 4:4:4:4 | Yes | The highest-fidelity tier for demanding masters |
Rule of thumb on size: each step up roughly doubles your storage bill, which is exactly why the wrong-flavour mistake happens in BOTH directions - Proxy sneaks into deliveries from stale export presets, and 4444 XQ sneaks into review uploads that did not need it.
What specs usually mean
- "ProRes 4444" for VFX review QTs when alpha or full-chroma matters (fine gradients, keying checks).
- "ProRes 422 HQ" for standard review/reference where 4:2:2 is acceptable.
- If the sheet just says "ProRes" - ask. The five minutes costs less than the bounce.
How to verify what a file actually is
The flavour is recorded in the QuickTime container: the video track's sample description carries a four-character code (apco / apcs / apcn / apch / ap4h / ap4x). Any media-info tool can show it - and it can be read in the browser from the container atoms without touching the video data, which is how Shot Delivery Preflight identifies every QT in a delivery folder in seconds and flags the flavours outside your spec's allow-list.
Also check while you are there: resolution and frame rate live in the same container structures - and 23.976 vs 24 fps are different deliverables to any ingest system, no matter how alike they look in a player. ProRes and QuickTime are Apple technologies; no affiliation.