Smart rendering supported formats

Last updated on Apr 1, 2026

Find codec and wrapper combinations that enable smart rendering during export to avoid recompression in Adobe Premiere.

Consult this reference when configuring export settings to determine if your source footage qualifies for smart rendering, or when choosing acquisition formats for projects where smart rendering will optimize your workflow.

Smart rendering avoids recompression during export by copying matching source data directly to the output file. This preserves maximum quality and reduces export time. Smart rendering works only when source codec, frame size, frame rate, and bit rate match export settings exactly.

MXF wrapper codecs

The following codecs support smart rendering when wrapped in MXF containers:

Format / Codec

Container / Conversion

AVC-Intra

MXF OP1a format (including AS-11)

DNxHD and DNxHR

MXF OP1a format

DNxHD

MXF OP-Atom to DNxHD MXF OP1a

JPEG 2000

Only when using 12-bit PQ color space

AVC-Intra

MXF OP-Atom to MXF OP1a

MXF OP1a

To DNxHD MXF OP1a

XDCAM HD

MXF OP1a format (including AS-10)

XDCAM EX

MXF OP1a format

XAVC-Intra

MXF OP1a format

QuickTime wrapper codecs

The following codecs support smart rendering when wrapped in QuickTime containers:

  • Animation
  • DNxHD
  • GoPro CineForm
  • NONE (Uncompressed RGB 8-bit)
  • ProRes 422
  • ProRes 422 HQ
  • ProRes 422 LT
  • ProRes 422 Proxy
  • ProRes 4444

QuickTime Match Source Rewrap

QuickTime Match Source (Rewrap) supports the following codec combinations:

  • Animation
  • Apple ProRes (all 422 and 4444 variants)
  • DV (25, 50, and DVCPROHD)
  • GoPro CineForm
  • None (uncompressed)

If your source clips use codecs outside this list, QuickTime Match Source (Rewrap) displays a compatibility warning and is unavailable.

Cross-wrapper special cases

These codec and wrapper combinations support smart rendering across different container formats:

Codec / Format

Supported smart rendering behavior

DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO HD

Smart render regardless of wrapper type (QuickTime, MXF, or between different wrappers)

AVC-Intra

MXF OP1a AVC-Intra to QuickTime AVC-Intra

XDCAM

QuickTime XDCAM to MXF OP1a XDCAM

XDCAM HD

QuickTime XDCAM HD to MXF OP1a XDCAM HD

AVC-Intra

QuickTime AVC-Intra to MXF OP1a AVC-Intra

Note

For QuickTime to MXF OP1a AVC-Intra smart rendering, install the QuickTime AVC-Intra codec on your system.