ProRes for Final Cut, made from Windows
What the Mac expects, without owning one.
Updated: October 2026 · 6 min read
You edit on Windows and the final cut or the client is on Final Cut: deliver a ProRes 422 HQ .mov with 24-bit PCM audio. From Premiere you export it directly; from Resolve or another editor without ProRes, export the master and convert it with AppGrabbit on your PC. Final Cut opens it as if a Mac had made it.
Why Final Cut wants ProRes
Final Cut Pro is built around ProRes: it plays it with nothing to compute, uses it for its own optimized media and exports it by default. It opens an MP4, but every cut costs it, and if the project is long, the Mac editor is going to transcode your footage anyway. Delivering it already in ProRes is showing up with the homework done.
What to deliver, exactly
| Piece | What to use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Video master | ProRes 422 HQ, .mov, same resolution and frame rate as the project | The delivery standard; 10-bit 4:2:2 |
| Graphics with transparency | ProRes 4444 with alpha | The only one in the family with an alpha channel |
| Audio | Inside the .mov as 24-bit 48 kHz PCM; or a separate WAV if they ask for tracks | Lossless and no sync surprises |
| Review copy | ProRes 422 LT or an H.264 | Half the size or less |
| Variant | Bits · sampling | ≈ Mbps at 1080p 29.97 | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProRes 422 Proxy | 10-bit · 4:2:2 | 45 | Proxies and offline editing; relinks to the original at the end |
| ProRes 422 LT | 10-bit · 4:2:2 | 102 | Editing on laptops and deliveries where size matters |
| ProRes 422 | 10-bit · 4:2:2 | 147 | General editing and broadcast |
| ProRes 422 HQ | 10-bit · 4:2:2 | 220 | Master and delivery. The one AppGrabbit outputs |
| ProRes 4444 | 12-bit · 4:4:4 + alpha | 330 | Graphics with transparency, demanding color grading |
| ProRes 4444 XQ | 12-bit · 4:4:4 + alpha | 500 | High-end camera footage and VFX |
Sources: Apple ProRes White Paper. Read in October 2026.
Step by step from Windows
- 1Ask which variant they expect. Almost always ProRes 422 HQ. For graphics with transparency, ProRes 4444. For a review copy, LT is enough.
- 2Export the master from your editor on Windows. Premiere: QuickTime › Apple ProRes 422 HQ directly. Resolve: QuickTime › DNxHR HQ (ProRes isn't there). Others: the best they have.
- 3If it didn't come out in ProRes, convert it. AppGrabbit › Convert › drag the master in › ProRes 422 HQ shortcut › Convert. Out comes a 10-bit .mov with 24-bit PCM audio at 48 kHz and the vendor tag Final Cut recognizes.
- 4Name and package it. One .mov per delivery, a name with version and date, and the audio inside the same file unless they ask for separate tracks (WAV for editing, also in Convert).
- 5Check it in VLC before sending. Full duration, audio in sync, color like the master. If you're sending over the internet, remember the size: 1.65 GB per minute at 1080p.
Exactly what AppGrabbit outputs
- ProRes 422 HQ in .mov: 10-bit 4:2:2 video (prores_ks profile 3, with the vendor tag Final Cut recognizes) and 24-bit PCM audio at 48 kHz.
- DNxHR HQ in .mov: 8-bit 4:2:2 video and the same 24-bit PCM audio at 48 kHz.
- WAV for editing: the audio uncompressed, for Audition, Audacity or the mix.
- What it does not output: the other variants (Proxy, LT, 4444, HQX, 444). If your delivery calls for them, use the FFmpeg command or Shutter Encoder; both are below.
- Where it runs: on your PC, with the FFmpeg that ships inside the installer. Nothing is uploaded to any server.
If the footage came from a link
YouTube references, a reel that has to be re-edited, your own uploaded video: AppGrabbit fetches it in Download and you convert it in Convert, ready to send to the Mac. The whole workflow.
The master for Final Cut, made on Windows
Windows 10 and 11 · 109 MB · 1 credit per file, 5 free a month
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Final Cut reads ProRes from any source; what it looks at is the codec, not the program that wrote it. AppGrabbit also tags the file with the Apple vendor tag Final Cut expects.
You can, but you're passing on the work and an extra generation. If the delivery is ProRes, send it in ProRes.
Final Cut doesn't open Premiere or Resolve projects. What travels between programs is XML or AAF plus the media; coordinate with whoever receives it. What is universal is the ProRes master.
422 HQ for normal video. 4444 only if there is transparency or if you're asked for it for demanding color grading; it is twice the size.
A drive by courier, or a large-file transfer service. If the pipe is narrow, ask whether they accept ProRes 422 LT for the review and the HQ at the end.
1 credit per converted file, 5 free a month. Pro, USD 8.99 a month, no cap and no yearly plan; 7-day pass for USD 3.99.