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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

How long till ProRes dies?

Of course, why on earth would anyone want to PAY for something that has value? ;-) Nuthin' for nuthin'. lol
 
But it doesn't have any Value in that sense. By pay I meant I shouldn't have to buy a program I'm not going to use just to access these codecs. Especially when the alternative (DNxHD) is just as good and it's free. I didn't have to buy an Avid to get this wonderful codec. oh yeah, and it's multi platform too.
 
Hey Bob, yes they are free, but they DO NOT install UNLESS you own FCP, Motion or Compressor. This is what I mean. I have to buy a program I wont use just to get these 'free' codecs? that are mac centric in every way possible (the windows encoder is mostly a joke as many flavors of prores do not play)
 
That link allows you to read ProRes but not write. This thread has really opened my eyes to NLE's in a new way. I have a new batch of macs coming with CS6 but no FCP. Looks like I will be moving to DNxHD. Feels weird after so many years working in ProRes but $50 per machine for something cross-platform I can get free from Avid seems pointless.

We will see how it goes.
 
James McLellan said:
That link allows you to read ProRes but not write. This thread has really opened my eyes to NLE's in a new way. I have a new batch of macs coming with CS6 but no FCP. Looks like I will be moving to DNxHD. Feels weird after so many years working in ProRes but $50 per machine for something cross-platform I can get free from Avid seems pointless.

We will see how it goes.
Click to expand...

Hey James, I'd be honored if you'd review my tutorial for how to encode ProRes 4444 on Windows. http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?85507-Encode-Apple-Prores-4444-on-Windows
Thanks for your time!
 
That sucks that you need FCP (some app from the suite) installed to do encodes, looks like I am married to FCP7 still after all! As for needing a copy for every machine, not sure if you need that James. Think you can download one license of Compressor to all the machines for only $50 total. Gotta check the fine print though
 
James McLellan said:
That link allows you to read ProRes but not write. This thread has really opened my eyes to NLE's in a new way. I have a new batch of macs coming with CS6 but no FCP. Looks like I will be moving to DNxHD. Feels weird after so many years working in ProRes but $50 per machine for something cross-platform I can get free from Avid seems pointless.

We will see how it goes.
Click to expand...

I don't think you need to purchase on every machine. If I am not mistaken, you can legally install any of the programs (FCPX, Motion, Compressor) on 5 machines as long as they are "yours." But, of course, if you don't want or need it, why pay anything for it? I agree.
 
No limit to installations, as long as all your systems are tied to the same AppleID / app store registration, you can install at will. Apple has now put into place bulk licensing and quantity controls for developers who wish to have control over such things, but Apple does not implement this for their own apps. So nice of them. :)

As for ProRes encoding on Windows -- the AFX guys just posted this thread here: http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?85507-Encode-Apple-Prores-4444-on-Windows

shows you how to use FFMBC to do it. I'm still not sure I would fully trust it in a serious production environment, or not unless I have time to heavily scrutinize all the encoded footage on several tests. I'm hoping that Apple will open up licensing and provide more direct support to developers of tools like this. Or even move to support ProRes themselves within QT on Windows. Reverse-engineered solutions are usually not all they're cracked-up to be.
 
Jeff Kilgroe said:
No limit to installations, as long as all your systems are tied to the same AppleID / app store registration, you can install at will. Apple has now put into place bulk licensing and quantity controls for developers who wish to have control over such things, but Apple does not implement this for their own apps. So nice of them. :)

As for ProRes encoding on Windows -- the AFX guys just posted this thread here: http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?85507-Encode-Apple-Prores-4444-on-Windows

shows you how to use FFMBC to do it. I'm still not sure I would fully trust it in a serious production environment, or not unless I have time to heavily scrutinize all the encoded footage on several tests. I'm hoping that Apple will open up licensing and provide more direct support to developers of tools like this. Or even move to support ProRes themselves within QT on Windows. Reverse-engineered solutions are usually not all they're cracked-up to be.
Click to expand...

We've used this for a broadcast production and the shots turned out beautifully! The only thing you need to ensure is when you're specifying the frame rate with -r, you make sure to have that before the input file command is stated, otherwise you might get dropped frames (in regards to image sequences). With a movie input, you don't can't specify the framerate using the codec through FFMBC.

If anyone has any questions please leave them in either the thread we've posted or on the comments section of the tutorial page. Thank you.
 
Terry VerHaar said:
Scott - I feel like sort of an audience in all this rather than a participant. We seem to have a lot of people who WANT ProRes to "die"simply because they don't (or don't want to) use it, but probably more importantly, so they can "prove" they were right. The "evidence" that it is dying is simply "I don't use it anymore and none of my friends use it anymore and no one I know uses it anymore..." and "Apple pisses me of bacuase )insert reason) so I won't use their products." As if they are taking polls on a daily basis as to who uses/likes what. I don't buy it.
Click to expand...

You are completely and utterly wrong. The reason I WANT ProRes to die is because it's a pain in the ass to use. And it's only a pain in the ass to use because Apple is working as hard as they can to prevent me from using it. If it worked well I would be happy to use it. It's not some vendetta to prove I'm right... I am right. And as long as I'm right I hope it dies so that clients can't ask for it any longer and something that is good takes its place.

It's currently occupying valuable delivery spec request space that could be something that is good and easy to use. FFMPEG supports ProRes encoding but they don't actually have a license from Apple. Using it is technically a violation of their licensing. I don't really care but it's just an example of how even the few ways that make it a workable situation are also fraught with roadblocks. If I made a handy dandy pro-res encoding tool based on FFMPEG I could get sued by Apple. (And apparently if I contact Apple to get a license they simply won't respond).
 
Who can argue with someone who is utterly, completely and inarguably RIGHT? Who would want to? LOL

(Oh, and, as I indicated above, if you don't want to use it - you very definitely shouldn't use it.)
 
Speaking from personal experience, Apple only answers licensing requests if they are:

* Directed to the proper personnel.
* Fully detailed and well written, spelling out all intentions and uses.
* Interesting to Apple.

Unfortunately, I don't know who the current proper personnel at Apple are. Apple is not opposed to licensing, but yes they make it very difficult and it's entirely on their terms or not at all. They really don't care if they license out their stuff. At times I think they mostly prefer not to.

I personally couldn't care less if ProRes died. Ultimately, I wish Apple would open it up for all or shoot it in the head. The current situation is unacceptable. Totally agree with Gavin about clients' requests for ProRes taking up delivery request bandwidth.

ProRes won't die until someone comes up with something that is fully capable and cross-platform. Good enough to give all the ProRes people a reason to move on. DNxHD does that to some degree, but it's not fully resolution independent and it can't offer what ProRes 4x4 does. Cineform and CineDNG are alternatives as well, but each with their own shortcomings.
 
Jeff Kilgroe said:
No limit to installations, as long as all your systems are tied to the same AppleID / app store registration, you can install at will. Apple has now put into place bulk licensing and quantity controls for developers who wish to have control over such things, but Apple does not implement this for their own apps. So nice of them. :)
Click to expand...

For businesses or, in my case, schools, I believe I would need a separate Compressor purchase for every computer. I will be looking into this with our IT dept in the next week as our new lab gets installed.
 
Ignore PCs and die. It's as simple as that.
 
Tom Lowe said:
Ignore PCs and die. It's as simple as that.
Click to expand...

Haha yeah I think you're right. I'm envisioning Avid and Premiere stations armed to the teeth with Red Rockets and insane hardware...and Macs sitting at the back as client computers only.

4 years ago...who would have thought this possible?

Blame Ipods, Ipads and the allure of mega consumer bucks. It turns out companies, like people, change...
 
Here is a fascinating read of the history of Quicktime and how ugly it got between Apple and Microsoft.

How Microsoft Pushed QuickTime's Final Cut
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/8AA115DC-2398-456E-9319-FE5842A41BD1.html


Microsoft's Plot to Kill QuickTime
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/5F0C866C-6DDF-4A9A-9515-531B0CA0C29C.html

Readers Write About Microsoft's Plot to Kill QuickTime
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/9ADB8172-9DC0-4679-ACE5-C4723384913B.html
 
Yeah - Microsoft is going to rule the world. Haha - sorry guys, Steve Ballmer is just not "that guy." LMFAO
 
Bob Gundu said:
Here is a fascinating read of the history of Quicktime and how ugly it got between Apple and Microsoft.

How Microsoft Pushed QuickTime's Final Cut
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/8AA115DC-2398-456E-9319-FE5842A41BD1.html


Microsoft's Plot to Kill QuickTime
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/5F0C866C-6DDF-4A9A-9515-531B0CA0C29C.html

Readers Write About Microsoft's Plot to Kill QuickTime
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/9ADB8172-9DC0-4679-ACE5-C4723384913B.html
Click to expand...

These were FASCINATING reads....thanks for sharing!
 
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