I wanted to know why DJI offer  this codec. What it cant give. A few minutes of video is a huge amount of terabytes. I heard a lot about Prores Raw and what can i do with this popular codec but this. I don't see differense between Prores 422 HQ and 4444xq. Anybody can explain please.

For professional use  especially when doing cgi or heavy grading , commercials, Dramas , Movies

Hi there, for your information:
Apple ProRes 4444 XQ is the highest-quality version of Apple ProRes for 4:4:4:4 image sources (including alpha channels). This format has a very high data rate to preserve the detail in high-dynamic-range imagery generated by today’s highest-quality digital image sensors. Apple ProRes 4444 XQ preserves dynamic ranges several times greater than the dynamic range of Rec. 709 imagery. This holds true even against the rigors of extreme visual effects processing in which tone-scale blacks or highlights are stretched significantly. Like standard Apple ProRes 4444, this codec supports up to 12 bits per image channel and up to 16 bits for the alpha channel. Apple ProRes 4444 XQ features a target data rate of approximately 500 Mbps for 4:4:4 sources at 1920x1080 and 29.97 fps.

ProRes 4444 XQ is supported on OS X Mountain Lion v10.8 or later.

Hope this is informative for you.

DJI Susan Posted at 2-3 00:07
Hi there, for your information:
Apple ProRes 4444 XQ is the highest-quality version of Apple ProRes for 4:4:4:4 image sources (including alpha channels). This format has a very high data rate to preserve the detail in high-dynamic-range imagery generated by today’s highest-quality digital image sensors. Apple ProRes 4444 XQ preserves dynamic ranges several times greater than the dynamic range of Rec. 709 imagery. This holds true even against the rigors of extreme visual effects processing in which tone-scale blacks or highlights are stretched significantly. Like standard Apple ProRes 4444, this codec supports up to 12 bits per image channel and up to 16 bits for the alpha channel. Apple ProRes 4444 XQ features a target data rate of approximately 500 Mbps for 4:4:4 sources at 1920x1080 and 29.97 fps.

I guess what he's asking is what does it practically do that's different than Apple ProRes 422 HQ.

A friend who works at a film school once called the difference "academic", and I'm interested in that.

Ford4D Posted at 2-4 11:18
I guess what he's asking is what does it practically do that's different than Apple ProRes 422 HQ.

A friend who works at a film school once called the difference "academic", and I'm interested in that.

The difference between the 422 family and the 4444 family is how they deal with color. Image resolution is the same between the two. 422 color sampling creates one color value for every two pixels. 4444 color sampling provides a color sample for each pixel.
And for more details about Apple ProRes, kindly visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202410
And this article is just for reference https://www.macxdvd.com/mac/what-is-prores.htm

Ford4D Posted at 2-4 11:18
I guess what he's asking is what does it practically do that's different than Apple ProRes 422 HQ.

A friend who works at a film school once called the difference "academic", and I'm interested in that.

It´s academic because ProRes is by design a visualy lossles codec, so from 422HQ to 444XQ you wont notice any perceptual loss on detail and color resolution.  
444XQ has a lot of bandwith and will encode much more color information per pixel, thats great if you´re planning on upscaling a shot or you´re doing green/blue screen vfx shots.
Even for film productions and TV drama shows 422HQ is more than enough for capturing data. Of course RAW would be very nice, but 422HQ is a standard intermediate CODEC used by most networks for mastering.

KillerKingSSS Posted at 2-13 11:23
It´s academic because ProRes is by design a visualy lossles codec, so from 422HQ to 444XQ you wont notice any perceptual loss on detail and color resolution.  
444XQ has a lot of bandwith and will encode much more color information per pixel, thats great if you´re planning on upscaling a shot or you´re doing green/blue screen vfx shots.
Even for film productions and TV drama shows 422HQ is more than enough for capturing data. Of course RAW would be very nice, but 422HQ is a standard intermediate CODEC used by most networks for mastering.

I had agreed with everything you said and simply liked the comment and moved on.

Now I'm sitting here, months later, wondering if I should be taking the plunge to get the RAW license. In terms of color correction and really making my shots look beautiful in post, am I gonna REALLY see any difference between 4444 XQ and RAW? Besides half the file size?

My understanding is that ProRes RAW is compressed RAW (and we need to buy a license because RED owns a ridiculous patent on it). And that's why it's half the file size.

Or is it a situation where RAW is recording just the single set of 'raw' brightness data, and 4444 XQ is recording as three separate color values (Y Cb Cr)?

And where is there information about the bit depth of RAW vs 4444 XQ?