At 768p, H3 Max undercuts H3 once references pass the free five

For reference-to-video at 768p, H3 Max becomes cheaper than H3 when the extra-image fee outweighs its higher per-second rate. Using Sume's list prices, that is seven or more images on a 5-second clip, eight or more on 10 seconds, and nine on 15 seconds. Below those counts MiniMax H3 is the cheaper row.

The two price rules

MiniMax H3 lists $0.06 per second at 768p and adds $0.08 list for every reference image after the first five. MiniMax H3 Max lists $0.08 per second at 768p and bills reference-to-video as output seconds only. Sume multiplies both by 1.25 and rounds up to the cent.

Break-even table

Each cell is a full clip: seconds at the 768p rate, plus extra images for H3, times 1.25.

How to read it

The gap between the rows is $0.02 per second of list price. An image after the fifth costs $0.08 list, so one extra image equals four seconds of that gap. Over a 10-second clip the gap is $0.20, so three extra images ($0.24) tip the result. Over 5 seconds the gap is $0.10, so two extra images ($0.16) do.

At the boundary the difference is a cent or two. The choice should come from the output you need: H3 Max adds 1080p, and H3 does not. H3 has 480p and 768p only, and its catalog entry also lists 2K and 4K upscales when requested.

• Five images or fewer: H3 is cheaper at every length.
• Seven images: H3 Max wins at 5 seconds.
• Nine images: H3 Max wins at every length from 5 to 15 seconds.
• If you need 1080p, only H3 Max qualifies.

A note on what the cents mean

The table shows differences of 3 cents on a 15-second clip, so the cheapest row will rarely decide a project. What matters is what each row can do. At nine images and 15 seconds H3 costs $1.53 and H3 Max $1.50. If the clip then needs a 1080p version, only H3 Max can do it, at $3.00. If you plan a 1080p final anyway, start on H3 Max and avoid running the same references twice on two rows. If the clip stays at 768p or lower, H3 is cheaper with five images or fewer.

If you only need one extra image beyond five, the difference between rows is small enough to ignore. Choose by output: for a 768p clip with six images and 10 seconds, H3 is $0.85 and H3 Max is $1.00, so H3 is still cheaper. The picture changes only when you add more images, or when you want 1080p.