"What's the best codec?" has no single answer because codecs map to stages: cameras write acquisition codecs, editors cut on intermediate codecs, and platforms deliver with distribution codecs. The mistakes all come from mixing stages - editing natively on delivery codecs (which is why proxies exist), or delivering intermediate codecs to clients (files 10x too big for zero visual gain). Here is the map, with the numbers checked against Apple's, Avid's, and Netflix's own documentation in November 2026.
What a codec is (and what a container is)
A codec is the encoding/decoding scheme - how pixels become bits. A container (MP4, MOV, MXF) is the box around it. "H.264 in MOV" and "H.264 in MP4" are the same codec in different boxes. File extensions tell you the container; the codec inside is a separate fact, which is why "an MP4" alone says almost nothing about what you are getting.
The three stages
| Stage | Codec family | Why it exists |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition | Camera RAW and log encodings; ProRes RAW | Maximum latitude for grading; camera-specific and heavy |
| Intermediate | Apple ProRes family; Avid DNxHR family | Edit-friendly, intra-frame, grading-grade quality between camera and delivery |
| Delivery | H.264, HEVC (H.265), AV1 | Small, streamable, universally decodable files for platforms and viewers |
ProRes (Apple's family) runs from ProRes 422 Proxy (~45 Mbps at 1080p29.97) through 422 LT (~102), 422 (~147), 422 HQ, and the alpha-capable 4444 and 4444 XQ, per Apple's ProRes documentation. DNxHR (Avid's counterpart) mirrors the ladder as LB, SQ, HQ, HQX, and 444. Both are intra-frame - every frame stands alone, which is why they scrub well and survive heavy grading (flavors and bandwidths: Apple's ProRes page, Avid's DNxHR KB).
H.264 remains the universal delivery codec: every device and browser decodes it. HEVC (H.265) targets up to about half the bitrate of H.264 at comparable quality - that is the standardization design goal, with independent measurements landing nearer 40% savings - at the cost of heavier decode and patent-encumbered licensing. AV1 is the open, royalty-free successor that Netflix deploys for TV streaming and YouTube serves alongside VP9; it compresses better than HEVC but encodes slowly and lacks H.264's universality for upload-and-share workflows.
Choosing per stage
- Don't edit long-GOP delivery codecs natively. 4K H.264/H.265 camera files punish laptops; cut on proxies (the concept, FCP mechanics) or an intermediate transcode.
- Grade and finish on intermediates. Handoffs between color, VFX, and sound live happily on ProRes/DNxHR precisely because they tolerate re-encoding and hold up on a scopes-driven QC pass.
- Deliver and upload H.264 unless space forces HEVC. Universal decode beats marginal compression for anything a human must open - clients, reviewers, journalists.
The review-upload answer
H.264, 1080p, at the bitrate band in the bitrate explainer - that is the review upload. Review platforms transcode whatever you send into adaptive streaming versions, so HEVC uploads work where supported but buy nothing; the client never watches your file, they watch the platform's playback encode of it. The review-export guide is the settings-level companion, and why the reviewed image differs explains what that transcode does to your pixels.
A one-line licensing note
H.264 and HEVC both sit in patent pools - implementations pay royalties somewhere in the chain, which is why open AV1 exists and why encoder availability varies by tool. For working editors this resolves to a practical rule: H.264 for anything you hand to a human, intermediates for the pipeline, and let the platforms handle AV1 distribution.
FAQ
Is ProRes good for delivery?
As an archival or broadcast master, yes - it is grading-grade and intra-frame. As a client deliverable it is usually wrong: files 5-10x larger than H.264 with no visible quality gain on a streaming player.
H.264 or H.265 for review uploads?
H.264. Review platforms transcode uploads into their own streaming encodes, so HEVC's compression savings only shrink your upload a little while adding decode-compatibility risk on the client's machine.
Which ProRes flavor should I edit in?
ProRes 422 is the standard editing middle; 422 HQ when the pipeline includes heavy grading or repeated passes; Proxy flavor for playback stand-ins. 4444 belongs to alpha-channel and finishing work, not general editing.
Is AV1 usable for delivery today?
For platforms, yes - Netflix and YouTube distribute in AV1. For files you hand directly to clients, no: decoder support is not universal enough, and H.264 remains the safe universal choice for human-delivered files.
What codec should I upload to a review tool?
1080p H.264 in an MP4 or MOV container. The platform re-encodes for playback either way, so the upload target is compatibility, not compression efficiency.