The 4 GB problem: ProRes, Log and APV are for editing, not uploading
ProRes, Log and APV files are huge because they're built for editing. Why YouTube and Instagram discard most of that data, and what to upload instead.
ProRes, Log and APV files are big because they’re built to survive editing and colour grading, not to be watched in a feed. For uploading, convert them to H.264 or HEVC at the platform’s recommended bitrate, turning Log into normal Rec.709 colour first. YouTube, Instagram and TikTok re-encode everything anyway, so the extra gigabytes only cost you upload time.
Why are ProRes files so big?
Editing codecs keep far more information per frame than a phone screen will ever show, and they compress each frame largely on its own instead of borrowing from the frames around it. That’s what lets an editor cut and grade them without the picture falling apart. It’s also what makes them heavy.
Apple’s own guidance puts a minute of 10-bit HDR ProRes from an iPhone at roughly 1.7 GB in HD and about 6 GB in 4K. APV, the professional codec Samsung added to recent Galaxy phones, is in the same weight class. Log isn’t a codec but a way of recording brightness, and phones usually pair it with one of these heavy formats, so Log clips tend to be large as well.
Two minutes of footage turns into several gigabytes, and every one of them has to go through your upload connection.
Does uploading ProRes give you better quality?
Not in a way your viewers will notice. YouTube, Instagram and TikTok re-encode every upload at much lower bitrates. A 4 GB ProRes file doesn’t become a 4 GB-quality video; it becomes a long upload followed by the platform’s own compression.
What does help is a clean file that’s already close to what the platform wants: an efficient codec, a sensible bitrate, correct colour tags and even loudness. For 1080p at 30 fps, YouTube recommends about 8 Mbps (more in YouTube upload settings). ProRes at the same resolution runs many times higher.
How do you fix flat, grey Log footage?
Log is deliberately flat so editors have room to grade it. Posted as it is, it looks exactly that: flat and grey. Converting it with the manufacturer’s official LUT to standard Rec.709 colour brings back the intended look. Apple publishes a LUT for Apple Log, and Samsung offers one for its Log mode. The order of operations matters; Apple Log and Samsung Log to Rec.709 walks through it step by step.
What should you upload instead?
| Source | Convert to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ProRes (SDR) | H.264 or HEVC at the platform’s bitrate | Same look, a fraction of the size |
| ProRes HDR | HEVC HDR for iPhone → Instagram on iOS, otherwise SDR | Depends on the destination |
| Log | Rec.709 with the official LUT, then H.264 or HEVC | Stays grey until converted |
| APV | H.264 or HEVC | Few players and platforms handle it well yet |
How far you can push the size down without visible damage is covered in how to compress a video without losing quality, and the score that tells you is explained in what VMAF measures. For the numbers behind the size (intra-frame codecs, real file sizes and upload times), see why iPhone ProRes and Galaxy APV files are so huge.
What Becheloon does with ProRes, Log and APV
- Detects ProRes, APV and Log automatically.
- Suggests the right conversion for the destination, and never forces it.
- Makes the upload-ready file and shows how much smaller it is (up to 90% for heavy sources like these) next to a measured quality score. A file that scores below the threshold isn’t delivered.
The check is free, and so are your first three videos. Try it on your heaviest clip.
Shoot in the best format your phone has. Just don’t upload it raw.