Transcode

Transcoding re-encodes video from one codec, resolution, or container into another. In post it serves two main purposes: preparing footage for editing and preparing it for delivery. On the way in, editors transcode demanding long-GOP source like H.264 or HEVC into intra-frame intermediates such as ProRes or DNxHD so the timeline plays back smoothly and trims responsively. On the way out, they transcode the finished sequence into a delivery codec sized for the destination, like H.264 for the web. Transcoding is generational: each re-encode of a lossy codec can lose a little quality, so editors minimize unnecessary passes and use high-quality intermediates. Proxy workflows are a special case, transcoding lightweight stand-ins for editing while relinking to full-resolution originals for the final render.