H.264 (AVC)
H.264 became the default video codec because it compresses well and plays almost everywhere, from phones to broadcast hardware. It uses long-GOP compression, storing a few full frames and describing the rest as differences from their neighbours. That keeps files small, but it asks the CPU to rebuild each frame on playback, which is why editing natively on H.264 can stutter on a busy timeline.
For that reason H.264 sits at two ends of a workflow rather than the middle. It is a common capture codec on consumer and mirrorless cameras, and it is the standard delivery codec for the web. In between, editors usually move to an intermediate codec or a proxy. A 720p or 1080p H.264 proxy is light enough to scrub smoothly while the heavy original waits for export.
Examples
- •A mirrorless camera records 4K H.264 at 100 Mbps
- •A finished video is exported as H.264 MP4 for YouTube
- •A 720p H.264 proxy lets an editor cut smoothly on a laptop
In Sanbila
Sanbila generates 540p, 720p, and 1080p H.264 proxies for Premiere Pro and general editing, so playback stays smooth on any machine while the original stays in the cloud for full-quality export.
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 (Cloudflare R2) and keeps only the lightweight proxies on your machine. At export, Smart Relink streams the originals back via a local WebDAV mount, so 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 via WebDAV).
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).