Glossary

FFmpeg

FFmpeg is the de facto standard for video encoding, used inside YouTube, VLC, Chrome, Adobe Media Encoder, and DaVinci Resolve. It supports virtually every codec and container in existence: H.264, H.265, ProRes, DNxHR, AV1, MP4, MOV, MXF, MKV, WebM. Its command-line interface is the building block of every modern video pipeline.

FFmpeg is a common proxy encoder in cloud editing tools. When an editor imports footage, FFmpeg transcodes the original to a light NLE-friendly preset (H.264, ProRes Proxy, ProRes 422 LT, DNxHR LB and DNxHR SQ, 540p to 8K). The editor sees real-time progress, the proxy ends up in a Virtual Folder ready for the NLE, and the original stays in cloud storage.

Examples

•A 4K H.265 source from a Sony FX6 is encoded by FFmpeg into a 1080p H.264 proxy in about 2x real-time on a modern laptop
•A 6K BRAW Blackmagic clip becomes a 1080p ProRes Proxy ready for DaVinci Resolve
•An R3D 8K RED file is transcoded by FFmpeg into a 720p DNxHR LB proxy for Avid Media Composer

In Sanbila

Sanbila generates your proxies for you on its servers, so you never run a command line. All 30 proxy presets are ready-made encoding profiles, and each file size and progress are tracked while it encodes.

Frequently asked questions

How is Sanbila different from the proxy generator built into my NLE?+

Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro and Avid all generate proxies locally, but they keep the original full-resolution files on the same SSD, so the disk fills up twice. Sanbila stores the originals in the cloud and keeps only the lightweight proxies on your machine. In Premiere Pro, the Sanbila plugin attaches each proxy to its 4K original, so you leave Use Proxies unchecked and export the full resolution by default. In Resolve, FCP, and Avid, Smart Relink streams the originals back at export from the cloud. Either way you finish at full quality without ever downloading the source files.

Does Sanbila work offline?+

Yes for editing: once a proxy is cached on your SSD, you can cut, trim, color and arrange your timeline without an internet connection. You only need network access for the initial import (uploading originals to the cloud) and for the final export (streaming originals back from the cloud).

How much cloud storage does the free plan include?+

The free plan includes 5 GB of cloud storage and one project, with no credit card required. Paid plans start at $49 per month for 2 TB and 50 projects, going up to 25 TB on the Enterprise plan with overage billing for teams that need more.

What upload speed do I need to use Sanbila?+

Any broadband connection works for the initial upload: Sanbila chunks files into 50 MB parts and uploads in parallel, so a typical 100 Mbps fiber line uploads 1 hour of 4K H.264 footage in about 6 minutes. After upload, day-to-day editing happens on local proxies, so your connection speed only matters again at export time when originals are streamed.

Which video formats does Sanbila support?+

Sanbila handles 22+ formats out of the box: MP4, MOV, MXF, R3D (RED RAW), BRAW (Blackmagic RAW), ARRI proxies, ProRes, DNxHR, DNxHD, H.264, H.265, plus WAV and AAC for audio. Both 4K and 8K sources are supported up to 200 GB per single file (URL imports have no size limit).