FFmpeg ProRes Encoding Profile Values
This guide provides a quick reference to the ProRes encoding profile
values used in FFmpeg. When encoding video to Apple ProRes using
FFmpeg’s native prores or prores_ks encoders,
you must specify the quality profile using the -profile:v
flag. Below, you will find the integer and string values corresponding
to each ProRes standard, along with practical command-line examples.
ProRes Profile Mapping
FFmpeg uses the -profile:v (or simply
-profile) option to set the target ProRes profile. You can
use either the integer value or the string identifier representing the
profile.
| Profile Name | Integer Value | String Value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProRes 422 Proxy | 0 |
proxy |
High compression, ideal for offline editing |
| ProRes 422 LT | 1 |
lt |
Reduced bit rate, lightweight editing |
| ProRes 422 Standard | 2 |
standard |
High-quality standard definition broadcast |
| ProRes 422 HQ | 3 |
hq |
High-quality production grade |
| ProRes 4444 | 4 |
4444 |
High-quality with alpha channel support |
| ProRes 4444 XQ | 5 |
xq |
Highest quality for HDR and mastering |
Note: The ProRes 4444 XQ profile (integer 5 or
string xq) is primarily supported by the
prores_ks (Kostya) encoder, rather than the standard
prores encoder.
FFmpeg Command Examples
To encode a video to ProRes 422 HQ using the integer value:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v prores_ks -profile:v 3 output.movTo encode a video to ProRes 422 LT using the string value:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v prores_ks -profile:v lt output.movTo encode a video to ProRes 4444 while preserving transparency (alpha channel):
ffmpeg -i input.mov -c:v prores_ks -profile:v 4 -pix_fmt yuva444p10le output.movChoosing the correct profile value allows you to effectively balance file size and visual fidelity to match the requirements of your post-production workflow.