Transcoding is the process of converting a video file from one codec, format, or specification to another, enabling compatibility across different systems, platforms, and workflows.
Transcoding is the conversion of video from one format to another. This might involve changing the codec (e.g., from H.265 to ProRes), adjusting the resolution (e.g., from 4K to 1080p), modifying the bitrate, or even changing the container format (e.g., from MKV to MP4). Transcoding is a routine but essential part of video production, ensuring that footage can move smoothly between different stages of the workflow and reach its intended audience.
Common transcoding scenarios include converting camera-native formats to editing-friendly codecs for better timeline performance, creating proxy files for offline editing, generating multiple delivery versions from a single master (web, broadcast, social media), and converting archive footage for use in modern editing systems. Each conversion must be handled carefully to minimize quality loss, particularly when transcoding between lossy codecs.
For final delivery, transcoding settings can significantly impact how a video looks on its target platform. Each platform — YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, LinkedIn, broadcast — has specific recommended specifications. A professional production team will deliver files precisely matched to these specifications, ensuring the platform's own processing does not introduce additional quality loss. Understanding transcoding helps clients make informed decisions about deliverable formats and manage their video asset libraries effectively.
A codec (compressor-decompressor) is an algorithm that encodes and decodes video data, determining how footage is compressed for storage and decompressed for playback or editing.
A proxy is a lower-resolution, lightweight copy of original high-resolution footage, used during editing to improve playback performance, then swapped back to the originals for final export.
Rendering is the process by which editing or compositing software calculates and generates the final video output, combining all layers, effects, transitions, and adjustments into a playable file.