Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my exported video losing saturation on YouTube?

This is a Gamma Shift issue. Apple devices and QuickTime use a display gamma of 1.96, while standard Rec.709 targets a 2.4 gamma. Upon export, standard tags are stripped or misinterpreted by browsers. Injecting proper color tags (1-1-1 or 1-2-1 depending on your NLE) directly limits gamma shift discrepancies upon upload.

Is hardware encoding (NVENC/VCE) worse than software encoding?

At lower bitrates, yes. Hardware encoders prioritize rendering speed over spatial efficiency. If you are uploading a final master to a platform that re-compresses your file (like YouTube), use Software Encoding (CPU/2-Pass) with a higher bitrate to retain structural fidelity before the algorithm destructs it.

Should I edit in 4K or 1080p if my final output is 1080p?

Edit in a 1080p timeline. Dropping 4K footage into a 1080p timeline gives you 200% scaling headroom. This allows for lossless punching in, artificial panning, and re-framing shots without degrading pixel integrity. Never scale over 100%.

What is the difference between H.264 and ProRes?

H.264 is an Inter-frame delivery codec. It stores data across groups of pictures (GOP), predicting motion to save space. It is extremely difficult for a CPU to decode during playback. ProRes is an Intra-frame editing codec; every single frame is independently compressed, making playback effortless, though file sizes are vastly larger.

How do I fix out-of-sync audio?

Determine if the drift is constant or progressive. A constant offset means the slate sync was missed—simply nudge the audio track. A progressive drift (starts synced, drifts over time) indicates a sample rate mismatch (e.g., 48000 Hz timeline vs. 44100 Hz audio) or a framerate drop-frame issue (24 vs 23.976 fps).