Apple Compressor HEVC 10-bit 4:2:2 Is a Memory Hog

Since Apple added HEVC 10-bit 4:2:2 to Compressor, we thought we’d look into how it impacts memory pressure on our M1 Max MacBook Pro with 32GB RAM. For the test, all apps were closed except for Final Cut Pro, Compressor and the Activity Monitor. We transcoded a one-minute ProRes RAW clip with minimal noise reduction and no special effects, titles or transitions in Apple Compressor and already we’re seeing the system reaching its limits. That being the case, we still stand firmly by our recommendation of 64GB RAM minimum.