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Video Encoding Best Practices for WATCHOUT

WATCHOUT 7 — Choosing the Right Input Codec

Overview

WATCHOUT 7's Asset Manager accepts a wide range of input codecs and transcodes them to an optimized playback format automatically. This means the codec you deliver does not need to match what plays back on the server, but choosing the right input codec still matters for quality, workflow efficiency, and compatibility.

This article covers the supported input codec families and when to use each one.

Tip: The Asset Manager handles transcoding. You do not need to ask content teams to encode in HAP or HEVC, they can deliver in ProRes and the system will take care of the rest.

Supported Input Codecs

HAP Family
Variants: HAP, HAP Alpha, HAP Q, HAP Q Alpha, HAP Alpha Only, HAP R

HAP files skip the transcoding step almost entirely when HAP is also set as the playback format, making ingest very fast. This makes HAP a good choice when you are preparing content in-house and want to minimise Asset Manager processing time. HAP Q gives the highest quality within the family; use HAP Alpha or HAP Q Alpha whenever transparency is required.

The downside of HAP is large file sizes, factor this in when planning storage and transfer.

ProRes Family
Variants: ProRes 422, ProRes 422 LT, ProRes 422 HQ, ProRes 4444, ProRes 4444 Alpha, ProRes 4444 XQ, ProRes 4444 XQ Alpha

ProRes is the recommended delivery format from external post-production teams. It is lossless-quality, universally understood in the industry, and fully supported by the Asset Manager. The Asset Manager will transcode it to your chosen playback codec on ingest.

Use ProRes 422 HQ for standard opaque content and ProRes 4444 Alpha for anything requiring an alpha channel. ProRes 4444 XQ is only necessary when the source material is in an extreme quality or HDR pipeline.

HEVC / H.265
Variants: HEVC 8-bit, HEVC 10-bit

HEVC is the most storage-efficient input format. Use it when receiving content from clients who cannot deliver ProRes, or when managing large volumes of long-duration files. The 10-bit variant is required for HDR content, it preserves wide color gamut data that would otherwise be lost on ingest.

HEVC transcoding is slower than HAP or ProRes, so factor in Asset Manager processing time for large batches.

Notch LC Family
Variants: Notch LC, Notch LC Alpha

Notch LC is a GPU-accelerated codec comparable to HAP, but uses a different compression algorithm that typically yields better image quality at similar file sizes. It is a good alternative to HAP Q when visual fidelity is the priority and your encoding toolchain supports it. The main practical difference from HAP is that Notch LC is less widely supported in encoding software, so verify your tools can produce it before committing to it as a delivery format.

AVC / H.264

H.264 is accepted for compatibility, but comes with a hard limit: level 5.2 maximum. It is CPU-intensive to decode and not suitable as a delivery standard for professional productions. Only accept H.264 when no other format is available, and always verify the level before ingest. If you receive H.264 files regularly, ask the supplier to switch to ProRes or HEVC.

MPEG-2

Supported for legacy compatibility only. You may encounter MPEG-2 content from older WATCHOUT shows or broadcast workflows. The Asset Manager can ingest it, but it should not be used for new content.

Quick Reference

Input Codec When to Use
ProRes 422 HQ Standard delivery from post-production; opaque content
ProRes 4444 Alpha Delivery from post-production; content with transparency
HAP Q In-house content prep; fast ingest when HAP is the playback codec
HAP Q Alpha In-house content prep with transparency
HEVC 8-bit Storage-constrained delivery; long-duration files
HEVC 10-bit HDR or wide color gamut content
Notch LC / Notch LC Alpha Higher quality alternative to HAP Q where encoding toolchain supports it
H.264 Last resort compatibility only; verify level ≤ 5.2
MPEG-2 Legacy content from older shows only

Recommendations for Briefing Content Teams

When briefing an external team or post-production house, keep the spec simple:

  • Opaque content: ProRes 422 HQ, MOV container, progressive, square pixels
  • Content with transparency: ProRes 4444 Alpha, MOV container
  • Audio: Uncompressed PCM WAV, 48 kHz, 24-bit, separate file

There is no need to specify a playback codec to external teams. The Asset Manager handles that internally.

Last updated: 30 March 2026 · Dataton Support