ProRes Proxy
Apple ProRes is a family of edit-friendly codecs (Proxy, LT, 422, 422 HQ, 4444, 4444 XQ) widely used in post production. ProRes Proxy is the smallest variant, targeting around 45 Mbps at 1080p. It decodes fast, scrubs smoothly, and is the recommended proxy format for Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve, where ProRes is a first-class citizen.
Unlike H.264, ProRes is intra-frame: every frame is independently encoded. This makes scrubbing, cuts, and timeline performance much smoother on older machines. The trade-off is file size, which is larger than H.264 but still 10 to 50 times smaller than the original camera files.
Examples
- •A 6K BRAW clip transcoded to a 1080p ProRes Proxy at 45 Mbps for editing in DaVinci Resolve
- •An 8K R3D file becoming a 720p ProRes Proxy for offline Final Cut Pro work on a MacBook
- •A 4K H.265 source converted to ProRes Proxy for smooth multicam scrubbing
In Sanbila
Sanbila offers two ProRes Proxy presets (720p and 1080p), generated via FFmpeg. They land in a Virtual Folder ready for Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
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).
Related terms
Sources
- Apple ProRes white paper · Apple
- Final Cut Pro proxy media overview · Apple
- About Apple ProRes · Apple