How to format a USB NVME disk for iPhone ProRes shooting

Windows CMD (Command Prompt)

Run CMD as Administrator and use these commands:

diskpart
list disk
select disk X

(Replace X with your USB drive number - be very careful to select the correct disk!)

clean
create partition primary
select partition 1
format fs=exfat quick unit=128k label="ProRes"
assign
exit

Alternative using format command:

If you already know the drive letter (e.g., E:), you can use:

format E: /FS:exFAT /A:128K /Q /V:ProRes

macOS Terminal

For Mac users, use this command:

diskutil eraseDisk ExFAT "ProRes" /dev/diskX

(Replace X with your disk identifier - find it with diskutil list)

Or with specific allocation size:

diskutil eraseDisk ExFAT "ProRes" /dev/diskX -b 131072

(131072 bytes = 128KB allocation unit size)

Important Notes:

1. File System: Use exFAT for best compatibility between iPhone and computers

2. Allocation Unit Size: 128KB (131072 bytes) is recommended for video recording

3. USB Speed: Ensure your drive supports USB 3.0 or faster (USB-C preferred)

4. Drive Speed Requirements:

   • ProRes 422 HQ: ~220 MB/s sustained write speed

   • ProRes 4444: ~330 MB/s sustained write speed

5. iPhone Compatibility: Works with iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max and later models

Warning: These commands will completely erase all data on the selected disk. Always double-check you're selecting the correct drive before executing the format command!