Transcoding
Camera codecs are built for capture, not for editing. Long-GOP H.264, HEVC, and RAW formats pack a lot of data into small files, but they ask the CPU to rebuild every frame from neighbouring frames, which slows a timeline down. Transcoding decodes that footage and writes it back out in a different codec chosen for the next step: a proxy for cutting, an intermediate codec for finishing, or a delivery codec for the final file.
The operation is lossy or lossless depending on the target. Re-encoding H.264 into H.264 loses quality each pass, while moving into ProRes or DNxHR keeps a clean edit master. Editors transcode to gain smooth playback, to match a codec a NLE prefers, or to standardise a mixed shoot where several cameras wrote different formats.
Examples
- •A 4K HEVC clip from a drone is transcoded to ProRes 422 for a stable edit
- •A folder of mixed MP4 and MOV files is transcoded to a single intermediate codec
- •A camera RAW file is transcoded to a 1080p H.264 proxy for offline cutting
In Sanbila
Sanbila transcodes your originals into proxies on our servers with FFmpeg, so your laptop never spends CPU on encoding. The original file stays untouched in cloud storage and streams back at full quality through Smart Relink at 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).