Legal Prores on Windows?!

S35 wrote on 3/28/2014, 4:18 PM

Hi friends,

I know there are reverse-engineered free versions of Prores out there, but are there any Windows programs (beside Telestream) that can convert your files to Prores legally? Does Quicktime Pro for Windows do this?

The client wanted Uncompressed, Animation, or Prores HQ, but the Animation file is over 6 GB and takes too long to upload (33.5 hours), plus corrupts in the process. I have requested to send DNxHD, and am waiting for their response.

Thanks so much!

~Adam

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S35 wrote on 3/31/2014, 4:39 PM

Thanks Robwood for your insights!

Laurence wrote on 4/2/2014, 11:35 AM

Out of curiosity, I started looking at the PC ProRes options. Basically they all revolve around that free command line program "ffmbc". I decided to try this one:

http://www.fallenempiredigital.com/blog/prhelpersoftware/

It seems to work great. I understand that the files it creates are not strictly ProRes and that Apple's store will not accept them, but that for all other intents and purposes, the files are indistinguishable. MediaInfo identifies them as ProRes and they look really good. I have no doubt that no video production facility would ever have any issue with them. The process of converting couldn't be easier. This is something I don't get asked for very often, but once in a while it seems very important. Anyway, no Mac for me, at least not yet.

S35 wrote on 4/4/2014, 2:52 PM

Thanks, Laurence, for sharing that. I would still prefer if Apple gave some kind of official statement on the matter. However, I won't concern myself with Macs until I'm required to deliver ProRes again. :-)

Laurence wrote on 4/4/2014, 3:23 PM

From the page I linked to:

About ProRes and Apple’s iTunes video

It seems the only place that will be able to tell the difference is the iTunes store if you put something up for sale there. I don't believe there is any difference from a post production facility point of view. I know that Vegas and the MediaInfo identify the files from this as ProRes.

Has anyone frameserved out of Vegas into FFmpeg or FFmbc? It seems like that would be a way to write ProRes directly out of Vegas.

rmack350 wrote on 4/4/2014, 4:09 PM

It seems the only place that will be able to tell the difference is the iTunes store

The problem with that, from a paranoid point of view, is that it demonstrates that Apple is willing to protect their Prores licensing program, and their license customers.

I think that any client insisting that you deliver Prores files is going to be using them on a Mac platform. If Apple at some point decides to clamp down on unlicensed third party encoders then your client may find that media you delivered now throws a warning on their Apple platforms. If you were up front about what you were delivering AND if you contracted to archive the sources then you might be politely asked to reencode the files with a licensed Prores encoder.

At a certain point, it makes sense to get the Mac Mini and do some of your quality checks on it, and since you've got it then you may as well use it for encoding Prores files.

Rob

Laurence wrote on 4/4/2014, 4:42 PM

While I think that the Mac Mini is an outstanding little computer, I really don't want to be pressured into buying one just because of some move that Apple might make. As far as I can tell, the FFmbc version of ProRes will suite my needs just fine.

videoITguy wrote on 4/4/2014, 6:03 PM

I agree that the Mac is nice, but encoding ProRES successfully can be done without the heavy hand of Apple maintenancing its license.
They can do what they want with Itunes - that's their bag - so be it.

For the broadcast video production teams - we need the alternatives as has been detailed in this thread. Keep in mind, that the encode /decode cycle has many issues with individual sources as selected in the field. That means any situation is going to get problematic it if extends far into the boundaries of what the encode/decode can properly handle. I see the web is actually quite populated with these provisos, so it should not be that hard to deliver alternative acceptable ProRES from the NLE such as Vegas to a broadcast team.