DNxHD/DNxHR Storage Calculator
Calculation Results
What is Avid DNxHD & DNxHR?
Avid DNxHD and DNxHR are professional video codecs developed by Avid Technology for high-quality video editing and post-production workflows. DNxHD (Digital Nonlinear Extensible High Definition) was designed for HD resolutions, while DNxHR (High Resolution) extends support to 2K, 4K, and beyond. These codecs are optimized for professional editing environments and broadcast delivery.
DNx Advantages
- Avid optimized: Perfect integration with Media Composer
- Broadcast ready: Meets professional broadcast standards
- Scalable quality: Multiple quality levels available
- Efficient workflow: Optimized for professional editing
DNx Format Family
- DNxHR HQX: Highest quality for premium workflows
- DNxHR HQ: High quality for professional production
- DNxHR SQ: Standard quality for broadcast delivery
- DNxHR LB: Low bandwidth for offline editing
- DNxHD Legacy: HD-specific formats (36, 115, 145, 220)
How to Use the DNxHD Calculator
- Choose DNx Format: Select your DNxHD or DNxHR variant based on quality requirements: HQX for maximum quality, HQ for professional work, SQ for broadcast, or LB for offline editing.
- Set Project Parameters: Enter your resolution, frame rate, and project duration. DNxHR supports all resolutions from HD to 8K+ with various frame rate options.
- Get Precise Results: View accurate calculations for data rates, storage requirements, and bandwidth needs based on official Avid specifications and broadcast standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
DNxHD (Digital Nonlinear Extensible High Definition) is Avid’s professional video codec designed for HD resolutions (720p, 1080i/p). DNxHR (High Resolution) is the newer generation that extends support to resolutions beyond HD, including 2K, 4K, 6K, and 8K. Both are intra-frame codecs optimized for editing, offering excellent quality and performance within professional post-production workflows.
DNxHD/DNxHR offers a balance of high image quality, efficient performance during editing, and predictable file sizes. It’s particularly well-suited for Avid Media Composer workflows but is also widely supported in other NLEs like DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere Pro. Its predictable nature makes it ideal for broadcast and archival purposes.
Both DNxHD/DNxHR and Apple ProRes are industry-standard intermediate codecs. They offer similar quality levels and performance characteristics. ProRes is native to Apple systems and Final Cut Pro, while DNx is native to Avid. Most modern NLEs can work with both, so the choice often comes down to ecosystem preference or project requirements.
- HQX (High Quality X): Highest quality, 12-bit 4:4:4, ideal for VFX, color grading, and mastering.
- HQ (High Quality): 8-bit or 10-bit 4:2:2, suitable for most professional production and broadcast.
- SQ (Standard Quality): 8-bit 4:2:2, good for general broadcast and delivery where file size is a concern.
- LB (Low Bandwidth): 8-bit 4:2:2, highly compressed, designed for offline editing and proxy workflows.
These numbers represent the approximate bitrate in Mbps for 1080p/24fps footage.
- DNxHD 36: Very efficient, used for offline editing/proxies.
- DNxHD 115: Good quality for general HD editing.
- DNxHD 145: Broadcast quality, commonly used for delivery.
- DNxHD 220: High quality, suitable for demanding HD production.
- DNxHD 220x: 10-bit version of 220, offering higher color fidelity.
Yes, some professional cameras and external recorders (like Atomos or Blackmagic Design recorders) can record directly to DNxHD or DNxHR. This can streamline post-production by bypassing the need for transcoding from camera RAW formats.
No, DNxHD/DNxHR are not RAW codecs. They are intermediate codecs, meaning they are compressed video formats designed for editing. While they retain a high level of image quality, they are not as flexible as true RAW formats like Blackmagic RAW (BRAW) or CinemaDNG, which preserve all sensor data.
DNxHD/DNxHR codecs are constant bitrate (CBR) or variable bitrate (VBR) per frame. This means that for a given resolution and quality setting, doubling the frame rate will approximately double the file size and data rate, as there are twice as many frames per second to store.
Storage requirements vary significantly based on resolution, frame rate, and quality level. For example, 1 hour of 1080p DNxHD 220 footage is roughly 99 GB, while 1 hour of 4K DNxHR HQX at 24fps can be over 1.7 TB. Use the calculator to get precise estimates for your specific settings.
Yes, most professional video editing software (e.g., DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Media Encoder, Avid Media Composer) can transcode various video formats (like H.264, H.265, ProRes, BRAW) into DNxHD or DNxHR. This is a common practice to create optimized media for editing or for final delivery.