The Codec Choice That Added a Night Shift
A DP wants ARRIRAW for a 20-day feature. The producer sees the drive quote and asks for BRAW instead. Then the rental house points out the missing premise: the ALEXA 35 does not record BRAW, and the Blackmagic Cinema Camera does not record ARRIRAW.
Comparing codec names without cameras, resolutions, and post systems creates false savings. The wrong choice can require extra media, a proxy shift, new monitoring transforms, or a camera change.
This post compares ProRes 422 HQ, Blackmagic RAW (BRAW), and ARRIRAW with manufacturer data. You will calculate storage, identify what remains adjustable, and choose a format that the camera and post team can actually support.
The specifications come from Apple’s ProRes white paper, Blackmagic Design’s camera tables, and ARRI’s recording documentation. Rates vary with resolution, frame rate, sensor mode, and camera implementation.
Three Formats, Three Different Decisions
ProRes 422 HQ is a 10-bit, 4:2:2 intraframe codec. The camera debayers sensor data before recording it. A log transfer curve can preserve grading room, but white balance and demosaic choices are no longer raw decode controls.
BRAW stores 12-bit camera-native data with partial processing inside supported Blackmagic cameras and recorders. DaVinci Resolve can change decode settings such as white balance, ISO interpretation, color space, and gamma. Constant bitrate modes use named ratios, while constant quality modes vary with image detail.
ARRIRAW records uncompressed, unencrypted Bayer sensor data from ARRI cameras. The post pipeline debayers it through ARRI-supported software. CODEX High Density Encoding (HDE) can reduce ARRIRAW size by more than 40% while decoding to a bit-exact match.
Storage uses data rate x 3,600 seconds. Blackmagic lists 4K DCI BRAW 5:1 at 82 MB/s and ProRes 422 HQ at 117.88 MB/s for 30fps. Scaling those rates to 24fps gives 65.6 MB/s and 94.3 MB/s.
One hour therefore needs about 236 GB for BRAW 5:1 and 340 GB for ProRes 422 HQ. That result is camera-specific, not a universal ratio between the two formats.
Three Production Choices
Indie Feature on Blackmagic 6K Pro
A 20-day feature records 4 hours daily at 4K DCI, 24fps. BRAW 5:1 needs about 18.9 TB for 80 hours before backups. The DIT budgets 42 TB usable for two verified copies plus headroom. Resolve handles original camera files without an acquisition transcode.
ALEXA 35 Feature With VFX
A studio feature records 4.6K Open Gate ARRIRAW for plates, hair detail, and reframing. Approximate uncompressed payload is 1.9 TB per hour before overhead. The production applies HDE during verified offload and expects roughly 60% of the original size, while preserving every decoded pixel value.
Fast-Turn Commercial in ProRes
A commercial records 4K ProRes 422 HQ because editorial begins in Premiere Pro during the shoot. At roughly 340 GB per hour for the cited Blackmagic 4K DCI profile, 6 hours needs about 2.04 TB per camera. The producer buys speed and compatibility rather than raw controls.
Verified Recording Profiles at 24fps
These rows are reference profiles, not equal-camera image tests. BRAW and ProRes values scale Blackmagic’s published 30fps rates to 24fps. ARRIRAW is calculated from ALEXA 35 Open Gate photosites and 12-bit Bayer payload, before container overhead.
| Profile | Approx. rate | Approx. per hour | Decode controls | Camera constraint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProRes 422 HQ, 4K DCI | 94.3 MB/s | 340 GB | Baked debayer, grade log image | Broad camera support |
| BRAW 5:1, 4K DCI | 65.6 MB/s | 236 GB | WB, ISO interpretation, gamma, gamut | Blackmagic ecosystem |
| BRAW 3:1, 4K DCI | 108.8 MB/s | 392 GB | Same raw controls, lower compression | Blackmagic ecosystem |
| ARRIRAW, 4.6K Open Gate | ~525 MB/s | ~1.89 TB | Full ARRI raw decode | ARRI ALEXA 35 |
| ARRIRAW HDE, 4.6K Open Gate | ~315 MB/s typical | ~1.13 TB | Bit-exact ARRIRAW after decode | HDE offload workflow |
The table explains why bitrate alone does not rank image quality. Sensor, resolution, processing, compression design, exposure, and post handling all change the result.
How to Choose an Acquisition Format
- Start with the camera shortlist. Record every supported codec, sensor mode, resolution, and frame rate. Do not recommend BRAW for a body that cannot create it.
- Get the finishing specification. Ask editorial, color, VFX, and delivery teams which originals they can ingest. ProRes may remove an editorial step, while raw may protect a demanding grade.
- Calculate real acquisition hours. A 90-minute feature with a 30:1 shooting ratio creates 45 hours, not 80. Enter shooting ratio or daily record time in the Codec Storage Calculator.
- Multiply by verified copies. Two copies are not “2x backup” because one is the working original. Budget at least three verified instances when the production requires a true 3-2-1 strategy.
- Include throughput. A 525 MB/s stream creates about 1.89 TB hourly. Copying two destinations, checksumming, and applying HDE must finish before media returns to camera.
- Shoot a stress test. Record skin, saturated practicals, underexposure, foliage, motion, and VFX edges. Grade the original files through the intended color pipeline.
- Document the decision. Put codec, sensor mode, resolution, project rate, off-speed limits, LUT, checksum method, and proxy plan in the camera and post workflow memo.
The result should be a signed workflow test, not a codec preference expressed during prep drinks.
Pro Tips and Common Mistakes
Pro Tip: Use Blackmagic’s published storage tables for the exact camera and mode. BRAW 5:1 at 6K, 30fps is 194 MB/s, more than twice its 4K DCI rate.
Pro Tip: Treat HDE as an offload design decision. ARRI states that HDE is lossless and reduces file size by over 40%, but the crew still needs supported software and verification.
Pro Tip: Keep camera originals through final delivery. Proxies speed editorial, but they do not replace BRAW or ARRIRAW source data for conform, color, or VFX pulls.
Common Mistake: The producer compares 4K ProRes with 6K BRAW and calls the difference a codec test. The fix: label camera, active resolution, frame rate, and compression mode beside every rate.
Common Mistake: The team assumes ProRes Log footage retains raw white-balance control. The fix: test an intentional white-balance error and compare a raw decode adjustment with a normal RGB grade.
Common Mistake: Storage planning stops at capacity. The fix: calculate card duration, offload time, checksum time, copy count, spare capacity, and archive transfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BRAW really raw?
BRAW preserves camera-native data and exposes raw decode controls, but Blackmagic performs some processing in camera. It is not uncompressed Bayer data in the same form as ARRIRAW. The practical question is whether its controls and image survive your tested grade.
Is ProRes 422 HQ enough for theatrical delivery?
It can support a strong theatrical workflow when exposure, camera processing, and post are controlled. Heavy keying, extreme recovery, or raw-dependent VFX may justify a raw format. Acquisition choice and final DCP compression are separate decisions.
Does ARRIRAW HDE lose quality?
No. ARRI describes HDE as lossless and bit-exact after decoding. Typical files are about 60% of the uncompressed ARRIRAW size, although variable bitrate means the exact result changes.
Can Premiere Pro edit BRAW?
Yes, with supported Blackmagic software. Resolve has the deepest native BRAW integration, so test metadata controls and round-tripping before the shoot. Plugin availability does not prove the full pipeline is ready.
Can one production mix ProRes and ARRIRAW?
Yes. A production might reserve ARRIRAW for VFX, low-light, or reframing work and record ProRes elsewhere. Camera reports and color-management metadata must identify every change clearly.
Related Tools and Resources
Model the shoot in the Codec Storage Calculator, verify throughput with the Data Rate Calculator, and price record time with the Footage Storage Calculator. For hardware budgeting, compare capacity and unit pricing through B&H’s portable SSD catalog. Continue with RAW vs. ProRes vs. H.265, DaVinci Resolve vs. Premiere Pro, and Why Your Storage Estimate Was Wrong.
Affiliate Disclosure
Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, Tools for Film earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. This support helps us keep our calculators and tools free.
Choose the Pipeline, Not the Label
BRAW often suits Blackmagic and Resolve workflows, ProRes reduces friction across editorial systems, and ARRIRAW supports ARRI raw finishing with a much larger data load. No format wins outside a camera, resolution, exposure plan, and tested post path.
Which format changed your actual post schedule most, and was the difference caused by storage, offload speed, editorial support, or grading control?
