David Esp Video Technical Blog

The full (paid) version of GoPro-Cineform Neo (as I have) does support alpha channels.

(A colleague initially thought otherwise – but that impression turned out to be based on info from old forum threads)

Web-reserch:

• https://vimeo.com/30288044
  • David Newman, “9 months ago” (hence presumably November 20122)
    • 4:4:4 and 4:4:4:4 (with alpha channel) requires at least CineForm Neo or as it is soon to be released under a new name “GoPro CineForm Studio Premium.”
• http://techblog.cineform.com/?cat=112
  • Mar 12: v4.30 Build 240
    • Summary: Many, many new features you should check out below.  Definitely a recommended updated.
    • Added: Alpha channel reading support for CS4
  • Feb 22: Ver5 5.31 Build 304
    • Summary: Numerous feature enhancements and bug fixes.
    • System Features: Codec/Imports, etc.
    • Added: support for r408/v408 decodes with alpha channel.
    • Added: Alpha channel exports from Premiere Pro CS5.
    • First Light: Added: support 4444 (alpha channel) sources to use FirstLight and Active Metadata corrections.
• http://community.avid.com/forums/p/85885/486259.aspx
  • The DNxHD is good stuff, but Cineform seems to do a better job on a few levels (such as handling alpha channels and providing 422 from a 420 original video source… to name a few).
  • Avid to AE? Dont’ use Cineform as an export. Use QT ref with DNxHD. Cineform, for me, is just a step to convert AVCHD to near lossless quality, then DNxHD ro Avid. Onve you are in Avid just export Qt Ref with DnxHD – no need to export to Cineform
• http://www.lwks.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=23&id=24967&Itemid=81
  • The free GoPro Cineform Studio program installs a light version of the Cineform codec (no 4:4:4 colorspace or alpha channel), but it is usable in any compatible program for both decoding and encoding. It’s maximum resolution, I believe, is 1920×1080 (the purchased Cineform codec can go higher).
• http://www.creativeplanetnetwork.com/the_wire/2012/04/17/gopro-broadens-efforts-to-make-gopro-cineform-codec-widely-available-to-professional-production-market/
  • The GoPro CineForm Codec supports RAW camera formats such as Bayer patterns as well as RGB and YCrCb with an optional alpha channel and color difference sub-sampling.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 31st, 2012 at 20:20 and is filed under 10-bit depth, Adobe, After Effects, alpha, Avid, chroma, chromakey, Cineform, DNxHD, enhance, FirstLight, Formats. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.