The Ultimate Comparison: ProRes 4444 XQ vs. HEVC 4:2:2 vs. HEVC 4:2:0 (HDR)

In this short clip, we’re primarily interested in how Y’CbCr chroma subsampling affects skin tones in HDR video. Y’CbCr results in hue shifts and luminance errors. From our own testing, it appears to make skin tones yellowish-green, darker and oversaturated. HEVC Main 4:2:2 10 is preferable to HEVC 4:2:0. Download the comparison here. If you drop the clip on the timeline of your NLE, zoom in 500% on the model’s forehead and you’ll notice the unmistakable degradation of the image in the HEVC 4:2:0 clip. Up till now, to the best of our knowledge, no one has shared a comparison video conclusively demonstrating the damaging effect Y’CbCr chroma subsampling has on image quality, particularly on skin tones. Y’CbCr’s origins can be traced back nearly 70 years, long before HDR WCG.