Archive for the ‘QuickTime’ Category
Sunday, August 4th, 2013
Problem: 10-bit QuickTime (QT) Cineform footage in Premiere CS6 on Windows 7 looked ok with Sequence in 8-bit mode but crazy (mostly noise) when same Sequence was in “Maximum bit depth” mode.
Solution: Re-wrap the footage as AVI-Cineform (or else use Premiere CS5.5 or a different NLE).
I posted this on the Adobe Premiere forum at http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1268633
Posted in Premiere, QuickTime, Windows 7 | No Comments »
Monday, July 8th, 2013
Rewrapping means taking the encoded contents out of one container file-type and putting it in another, with no decode/re-encode happening. For example, given a [.mov] file, one might rewrap it to a [.avi] file. These file-types are each merely containers, designed to contain various encode formats (e.g. DV, Lagarith, Cineform, DivX) without having to “understand” them.
Rewrapping may for example be required for some Windows-based applications, that either don’t handle [.mov], either at all or (as I have encountered) not fully. Similarly, some applications (Windows or Mac based) will only work (or work properly) with [.mov] files. For instance I have found the Windows variant of Boris RED (versions 4 and 5) to work properly with HD 50 fps progressive only via [.mov] container, as reported at http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/15/859544 while someone else has found Avid Media Composer 5 to prefer [.mov], reported at http://community.avid.com/forums/p/84923/487414.aspx.
One tool for doing this: HDLink, a utility bundled with the Windows version of Go-Pro-Cineform “visually lossless” wavelet-based codec (that I have used for a number of years). HDLink can convert Cineform files from [.mov] to [.avi] and vice-versa. Incidentally, for the Mac version of Cineform, there is a broadly equivalent utility called ReMaster, but that can only convert in one direction, from [.avi] to [.mov].
To re-wrap:
- (Just now, I merely did [Convert] tab, select file and [Start], ans all worked fine, but maybe full work instruction should be as follows?)
- Use HDLink’s [Convert] tab.
- Select/Ensure the required destination file-type:
- Click [Prefs] button (at bottom of dialog)
- In [Prefs], ensure [Destination File Format for … Conversion] is set as you require.
- And (I guess?) enable [Force re-wrap CF MOV->AVI], to ensure it doesn’t sneakily do a transcode?
- Select the Input file and go.
- The rewrapped version will appear in the same folder.
The process is of course much faster than transcoding, involving simple computation, hence the overall speed will tend to be limited by the storage (e.g. hard disk and/or its transfer bus, especially if it’s a slow old thing like USB2) rather than the CPU (which may consequently show an extremely low % usage).
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Posted in AVI, Cineform, QuickTime, rewrapping | No Comments »
Monday, November 12th, 2012
- http://www.larryjordan.biz/prelude-v1-0-1/
- With this release, Prelude now provides new transcoding options that are optimized for editing.
- While the ideal option for Mac users is to transcode into ProRes, this isnt a viable option for Windows users. Since Prelude is cross-platform, Adobe provides two other options: MXF OP1a and P2 Movie. Of the two, I prefer P2 Movie > AVC Intra 100. This Panasonic codec is 10-bit, uses I-frame compression, and creates file sizes somewhat smaller than ProRes 422. For most editors, it should provide excellent quality.
- For Mac users wanting the best quality, I recommend creating a custom preset in Adobe Media Encoder using ProRes. For editors needing to support files in a cross-platform environment, I recommend AVC-Intra 100. (The 100 version has a higher bit rate, and generally higher quality than the 50 version.)
- http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=5409
Posted in Adobe, Encoding, Formats, iPad, ProRes, QuickTime | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 4th, 2012
http://www.sounddevices.com/products/pix240/videos/
- {In one of the videos it is stated that QuickTime is the main standard used in broadcasting, and that MXF is not so much, mainly due to the fact that it has been interpreted in different ways by different manufacturers, becoming incompatible among some of them. That’s my experience also.}
http://www.sounddevices.com/notes/pix/pix-faq/
- Quicktime is well-supported by editing software, is Mac OS and Windows compatible, and supports ProRes and DNxHD. Also Quicktime is well-established in the post industry and has good metadata handling. Though AVI is a relevant consumer file type, it is rarely used in professional production.
http://community.avid.com/forums/t/96816.aspx?PageIndex=3
- QT was never meant to be a wrapper for acquisition or file transfer between post production applications. It is way too inconsistent. There is a mind numbing combination of color levels, gammas and bit depths replete with defaults and overrides that make QT a bloody mess.
- Not true. The blackmagic codecs, pro-res, cineform, AJA and other codecs have no such issues when passing material from NLEs to other applications.
Posted in AVI, MXF, QuickTime | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 4th, 2012
Boris Red is great, but “I learnt the hard way” not use Boris standalone. From now on I will only use it as a plugin to an NLE, performing the import/export via that instead. In Red 4, it was possible in Windows to e.g. import DNxHD or Cineform and then export QuickTime>Cineform. However in Red 5.2 at least, it seems that QuickTime import and export capabilities have been removed.
In more detail:
- Naively, I tried using Boris Red 5.0 in standalone mode, to import a file, apply an enhancement effect then export to an intermediate file (that I could import back to my NLE). But it failed. Different variations on my export attempts failed in different ways, sometimes crashing, sometimes an error message, sometimes a weird image in the result
- So I updated to Red 5.2, hoping that the problem might be fixed in that version. However the problem remained, and now there was a further obstacle – Red version 5.2 for Windows removed the ability to export to QuickTime. At first I thought it was perhaps a case of QuickTime version incompatibility. But no, it appears that this export feature has been deliberately removed from Red, following issues between Red and QuickTime in their newly-shared 64-bit world…
- In desperation I tried Uncompressed. Cumbersome in the least and, in the case of external USB2 drives, slow. However even that attempt failed, with a Boris crash.
- Finally I gave up and simply applied Red as a plugin to my most flexible available NLE, namely Sony Vegas.
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Posted in AVI, Boris, Cineform, QuickTime | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 20th, 2012
I installed Sorenson Squeeze 8.5 onto a [MacPro > BootCamp > Windows 7] machine. I imported (by drag) one of my standard intermediate files, an AVI containing Cineform video and WAV audio for an HD 1920×1080 (square pixels) frame, progressive. The image displayed in Squeeze looked squashed, reminiscent of an HDV 1440×1080 stretched-pixel image displayed using square pixels. But as stated, the source pixels here were square.
The solution was to go in Squeeze’s Preferences and specify that the file-reader it should use for .avi files should be QuickTime, not DirectX etc. Sounds like Squeeze has a long-standing affinity for QuickTime, which for me is reminiscent of my experiences with Boris RED etc. Quelle nuisance!
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Posted in Cineform, QuickTime, Sorenson Squeeze | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
Want a mobile “suitcase” editing system, something more (and more expandable) than a laptop but not too expensive. Primarily to be used for Adobe CS5.5 for media enhancement / editing / compositing etc.
Nearest I found was NextDimension’s range around $7000 I think (but just guesswork – could be way off – would need to get a quote). That would (if true) be around £4500 at current rates. Plus import… NextDimension call such machines “flextops” (Maybe they coined the term? Google searches on it mostly come up with them.)
Apart from the (mil/broadcast-lite but me-heavy) price, it might possibly be undesirably heavy to lug around much. If so (just guessing, not assuming), it would make more sense to go for a modular quick-setup system. So, starting to “think different” in this direction:
- Standard tower, capable of taking new CUDA etc. graphics cards etc. as they emerge, but no need for more than say a couple of disks, maybe if SSD could even get away with just a single disk? (For system and media – inadvisable for traditional disks of course, what about for SSD’s? I have much to learn about SSD’s though).
- “Laptop-Lite” to talk to it. With robust shuttered-stereoscopic HD monitor.
- Gigabit network to NAS fast storage (SSD and/or RAID ?).
Maybe in that case it would be far more logical/affordable to use an existing laptop as a client working together with a luggable tower server, sufficiently light and robust for frequent dis/re -connection and travel. And remote access of course (no heavy data to be exchanged, assume that’s already sync’d). And some means to easily swap/sync applications and projects (data) between laptop and tower, giving the option to use just the (old) laptop on its own if needed. All such options are handy for the travelling dude (working on train, social visits etc.) who also occasionally has to do heavy processing. Then would just need a protective suitcase for the tower, plus another one for a decent monitor for grading etc.
I certainly won’t be spending anything just yet, but it’s good to have at least some kind of “radar”.
(more…)
Posted in Adobe, Avid, backup, building, collaboration, Encoding, file mgt, gigabit, GPU, graphic card, MacBook Pro, near-line, network, Networking, offline, Premiere, ProRes, QuickTime, RAID, remote access, Setup, Uncategorized, Video Computer Technology | 1 Comment »
Friday, December 23rd, 2011
When multicam-ing in FCP 7, one user reports <<I have found it much better to convert the 5D footage to the XDCAM EX codec instead of converting the EX footage to a ProRes 422 as the file sizes are absurd and there is still a gamma shift problem)>>. It’s the gamma-shift that would bother me.
Additionally the user explains how to convert DSLR footage to XDCAM-EX format:
- http://mrmagicproductions.wordpress.com/2011/12/21/multi-cam-editing-with-a-sony-ex1-or-ex3-and-5dmk-ii/
- To Convert the DSLR Footage:
- Copy the exact file structure from the 5D card to the desired place on your hard drive.
- Example tree should read: 5DCAM/DCIM MISC (both of the previous words in quotes are two separate folders as one will see in the native card structure)/100EOS5D/MVI_0001.MOV MVI_0001.THM (Again
multiple files in this folder)
- Open MPEG Streamclip (Just google it to find and download the free program) and go to File, Open Files and select as many of the .MOV files from your hard drive that you need to convert for a multi-clip.
- Go to File, Export to Quicktime
- At the top of the dialog box where it says, Compression choose one of the XDCAM EX compression methods that fit with how your footage was shot.
- Example: I shot at 1920 x 1080 at 24 frames per second so I will choose, XDCAM EX 1080p24 (35Mb/s VBR) since this also matches the settings of the EX footage.
- Make sure your frame rate in Streamclip on the lower right area is set to 23.98 if you shot at 24fps in your session
- Click Make Movie and select your target destination
- The following will explain how to get the footage into FCP
- After using Log and Transfer for your EX footage, simply select Import under the File menu and browse to your new media.
- Double click your EX clip so it opens in the Source window.
- Go to a point you would like to use as a sync point, stop playback and hit the letter I for In-Point Repeat this exact process with your 5D clip.
- Select both your 5D and EX clip in the Project area where your clips are listed, right click and select, Make Multi-Clip.
- Select for the clips to be synced using In-Points and you now have a multi-clip.
- Editing in Multi-Cam Mode
- Drag the new multi-clip into the main timeline.
- In the main timeline, click the RT button to the upper left of the video tracks. Make sure that Multi-clip Playback is checked.
- In the source window, look for the button with two playback heads and an X between them. It is located at the top of the window directly in the center. Click this button and choose, Open. This will sync the source and canvas windows.
- Double click your multi-clip in the main timeline; this should open both camera views in the source window.
- Click anywhere in the main timeline and hit the space bar. You should now see both videos in the source window playing and available for you to click on the angle you want.
- When youre done you should highlight everything in the main timeline, right click and select, Collapse Multi-Clip. Dont worry, you can easily turn it back on to continue multi-cam editing; this will just save on RAM.
Posted in FCP7, Final Cut, Mpeg StreamClip, ProRes, QuickTime, Sony EX XDCAM, video, XDCAM EX | No Comments »
Saturday, December 10th, 2011
I have a Sony XDCAM-EX clip at 1280x720p25 to be transcoded to ProRes, so it can be used as source for iMovie (for another user on another machine).
In principle it should be very simple: go on Mac, use Compressor to transcode the XDCAM footage to ProRes. But as usual, things are pernickety…
Sequence:
- First tried dragging the XDCAM [.mp4] file into compressor.
- Not recognised.
- Likewise the BPAV folder.
- Next, I transcoded the XDCAM footage to “MXF for NLEs” format, using the Mac version of Sony Clip Browser
- Next, opened the XDCAM Transfer app.
- In this app, open the XDCAM’s BPAV folder.
- The footage displays OK but how do I export it to a QuickTime [MOV] file?
- Looks like I can’t. It only offers to export to an [MP4] file.
- Instead, I guess I’ll have to open it from FCP.
- FCP
- I opened a random existing FCP project.
- The footage is 720p but the project/sequence settings are arbitrary (unknown to me)
- FCP: File > Import > Sony XDCAM…
- It imported to somewhere … but where?
- FCP Browser: file > RightClick > Reveal in Finder
- It was at [/Volumes/GRm HFS+/_Media/_Projects/2010-05-30 (Esp) Alison Doggies/020 Source/Sony XDCAM Transfer/SxS_01]
- File System:
- In other words, at whatever destination was last used by some app – presumably XDCAM Transfer or possibly FCP
- The destination path was in fact specified in XDCAM Transfer, under its Menu: [XDCAM Transfer > Preferences > Import]
- Moved the file instead to [/Volumes/GRm HFS+/_Media/_Projects/2009-11-22 (JRM) Lady of the Silver Wheel]
- Compressor:
- Open it in Compressor
- Drag it to the “job-strip” (my term) in Compresor.
- Compressor displays data about that clip (e.g. 1280×720, 25 fps)
- Select jobstrip settings:
- Select Setting
- Settings: Apple > Formats > QuickTime > Apple Pro
- Name: Apple ProRes 422
- Description: Apple ProRes 422 with audio pass-through. Settings based off the source resolution and frame rate
- Apply (Drag) Setting to Jobstrip
- Destination
- Leave destination unspecified. Then it will be the same folder as Source.
- Processing (transcoding) of this footage (1280x720p25) took about 3 minutes (on MacBook Pro 2009).
- Result was not that much bigger than the original:
- Originally recorded [.MP4] file: 1.19 GB
- Rewrapped [.MOV] from XDCAM Transfer: 1.14 GB
- ProRes [.MOV] from Compressor: 1.97 GB
Posted in Compressor, FCP7, file mgt, Final Cut, Formats, iMovie, Mac, MacBook Pro, mp4, ProRes, QuickTime, Sony EX XDCAM, transcode, Uncategorized, XDCAM EX | No Comments »
Friday, September 23rd, 2011
There exist various HD-SDI device to record 10-Bit 422 video data. 10 bits is useful for shallow gradients especially when expanded (steeper contrast curve) by grading, while 422 gives better detail, that can matter when pixels are big (e.g. when close to a big screen or when digital zoom employed in post). In any case, such recorders tend to compress less than on-board camera systems, or in some cases not at all, improving the quality. But to what extent can the various NLEs cope with this? From my web searches it seems that the answer is “sometimes”. For example some NLEs will accept 10-bit only in their own favourite formats, otherwise they discard two bits, interpreting the footage as 8-bit. One might (naively) have thought the way to be sure was to experiment – but there is plenty of room for confusion when doing experiments, for example Avid’s color correction tool allegedly only displays to 8-bit resolution even when it is importing/processing/exporting at 10-bit. Other “loopholes” may exist, like it seems (if I understand it correctly) that if you AMA or import 10-bit ProRes then Avid only sees 8-bit, implying one needs instead to transcode ProRes->DNxHD externally (e.g. via MPEG StreamClip?) and import that. But even that might not be possible, as one post suggested DNxHD 10-bit encoding could only work from Avid, not external apps. Furthermore, whereas all ProRes formats handle 10-bit, for DNxHD, only formats with an “x” suffix do; the only one I know of is DNxHD 220x. There exist further subtleties/loopholes/pitfalls, hence more research to be done on this… and I’ll tread very carefully…
(more…)
Posted in 10-bit depth, Apple, Avid, DNxHD, Final Cut, NLE, ProRes, QuickTime, transcode, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, September 8th, 2011
When you purchase Avid Media Composer, you also get a set of other applications, whose purpose (at least to the newbie) is not immediately obvious. So I did some investigation and produced a summary of them, as below. I have no experience of actually using them, I just trawled ReadMe files and (mostly) the web. Here are my (interim) conclusions:
- Avid TransferManager – Is e.g. for uploading to a Playback Server [http://blog.davidesp.com/archives/274]
- AMA – the camera-specific AMA Plugins (e.g. for Sony XDCAM) are no longer bundled with MC, you have to download and install them separately. [http://blog.davidesp.com/archives/316]
- Avid MetaSync automates the inclusion of metadata (expressed in suitable XML formats) into Avid editing systems, including synchronisation with video and audio. The metadata can be anything from subtitles / closed captioning to synchronized entertainments such as lightshows or simulator rides. [http://blog.davidesp.com/archives/334]
- Avid MetaFuzes primary, if not only purpose is to prep files for Media Composer use – an outboard importer. Avid’s article at http://www.avid.com/US/industries/workflow/MetaFuze summarises it nicely. Though bundled with Media Composer, it is also available free. That means for example that preprocessing work (e.g. generation of burnt-timecode proxies and online files) can be generated (e.g. in DNxHD) by anyone whether or not they have an Avid system. Potentially then a great option for breaking up work into collaborative / parallel workflows. [http://blog.davidesp.com/archives/335]
- Sorenson Squeeze – a well-known compressor/encoder, bundled as part of Avid Media Composer (MC) but also an independent product in its own right. Avid MC5.5 specifies version v6.04 but further updates are available from Sorenson itself. There is a free-to-Avid-users update from v6.x to v6.5. The latest version is v7.0 (with CUDA). Presumably these later versions are officially unsupported by Avid (but how much does that matter in practice?). [http://blog.davidesp.com/archives/337]
- Avid EDL Manager imports and exports EDL (in various flavours) – from/to a bin (e.g. thumbnails storyboard layout?) (or a Sequence or MXF file?). It can be run stand-alone or from within Avid. EDLs are somewhat of a hangover from the past, so it’s unlikely to be of much use in my case, but worth knowing about as an option, and as such still features in other people’s current workflows. [http://blog.davidesp.com/archives/350]
- Avid Film Scribe generates Cut Lists and Change Lists (used in transfer from video edit to film edit) in more contemporary formats than EDL, e.g. XML formats involved in VFX / DPX workflows (? I am on very unfamiliar ground here ?). It can generate such formats from a Sequence and also it can be used to translate between some formats.[http://blog.davidesp.com/archives/352]
- Avid Log Exchange (ALE) is an Avid log file format that has become a de facto standard in the post industry. It is a text-based metadata exchange format used in applications from telecine to standalone logging applications, and is supported by many NLEs. The ALE format is based on a Comma or Tab -delimited file format. [http://blog.davidesp.com/archives/353]
- Avid After Effects EMP is (not a disruptive elctronic weapon but) an Avid-supplied plugin for Adobe After Effects allowing that application to use a DNA family video output box such as Mojo (“ordinaire”) or Nitris to provide External Monitor Preview (EMP) on a monitor. Helpful in order to make use of that Avid box for the Adobe After Effects application, both for convenience and consistency. Unfortunately it does not work with the more recent DX family, such as the Mojo DX box. [http://blog.davidesp.com/archives/354]
- The Avid DNA Diags application is for diagnostics on DNA family e.g. Mojo “ordinaire” (not DX) [http://blog.davidesp.com/archives/355]
- The Avid Quicktime Codecs extend QuickTime for encoding and decoding to/from Avid codecs such as DNxHD. Essentially they add such formats to QuickTime on your system. The LE codecs are Light Edition – only needed on systems where Avid is not already installed. [http://blog.davidesp.com/archives/356]
- Avid Media Log is a standalone app supplied with Avid systems enabling assistants on non-Avid machines to select and log raw (as opposed to RAW) footage in a manner that can easily be transferred into an Avid session/system elsewhere, where the result appears as an Avid Project. Apparently, Media Log is much like the digitize tool on Media Composer. But Ive never used that either
It can output e.g. to ALE (explained below) and hence e.g to other NLEs. [http://blog.davidesp.com/archives/357]
- Misc “Avid Downloads” (?) Looking at my Avid Downloads page, there is a much larger list of items than I expected, and suspect that many of them are not relevant. For example, what is Avid Deko? Its listed on my Avid Downloads page, though I dont know if I would be able to activate it, or whether it would be worth the trouble. Its listed as Deko 2200. So I googled and YouTubed about it
Impression: that version (2200) is very obsolete. [http://blog.davidesp.com/archives/332]
- On my web “travels”, I discovered a great article entitled “The Avid Ecosystem” at [http://digitalfilms.wordpress.com/the-avid-ecosystem/], listing many of the resources for the Avid world: links, tutorials, filters, applications, training
- It’s helpful to see some of the above items in the context of illustrative workflows, e.g.:
Posted in AAF, ALE, Avid, conform, consolidate, CUDA, Deko, DNxHD, EDL, logging, Media Composer, MetaFuze, MetaSync, MXF, NLE, PhraseFind, QuickTime, Sorenson Squeeze, transcode, Uncategorized, XML | No Comments »
Sunday, August 21st, 2011
- http://techblog.cineform.com/?p=3137
- (The original article includes dialog screen-shots, maybe these give extra info/insight)
- 1. File->Export
- 2. Select Send to QT Movie in the Export Setting dropdown at the
- bottom of the export window.
- 3. Select an output location and input output file name.
- 4. Click Options to the right of the Export Setting dropdown
- In the Options window:
- – Export As: QuickTime Movie
- – Width x Height: match your source or input desired scale size
- – Select 601/709″ if you have NOT selected Enable 4:4:4 encoding. If you have, select RGB
- – Display Aspect Ratio: Native Dimensions if you are not scaling, desired output if you are.
- 5. Click Format Options
- – Sound: Checked, uncompressed, 48kHz, 16-bit, Stereo
- 6. Click Settings
- – Compression Type: CineForm HD/4K/3D
- – Frame Rate: Current
- – Depth: Millions of Colors+
- – Quality (Set at user discretion, recommended High or Best)
- 7. Quality Options: Enable 4:4:4 encoding and Interlaced video source are options to use at your discretion
- 8. Click OK as you navigate back to the original Export window, and click OK again to start your export.
- 9. Upon completion, go back to your project bin, right-click and select Link to AMA File(s)
and navigate to your new file.
- For 3D projects, you will want to do one of these renders for each eye, then mux the outputs back together for a 3D master, as described here: http://techblog.cineform.com/?p=3071
- http://cstest.avid.com/forums/p/99404/572126.aspx
- Joachim Claus (Aug 2011) Re: MC 5.5.2 and CineForm Codec
- If you need a QT-Cineform file format, I recommend o export a QT Reference and then use QT-Prof for transcoding to Cineform.
- I have tested QT-export with Cineform Codec (GoPro-Cineform HD/4K/3D). It worked flawlessly from a HD720P50 timeline. However, the export is slow. For a 1:03 minute timeline (coded in DNxHD120), the encoding took 5:21 minute.
- In another test, I exported a QT-Reference file from the same timeline, imported it into QT-Prof. and exported the file with Cineform Codec as above. In this case, the encoding took 2:49 minute.
Posted in Avid, Cineform, Media Composer, QuickTime | No Comments »
Monday, August 15th, 2011
The Avid Quicktime Codecs extend QuickTime for encoding and decoding to/from Avid codecs such as DNxHD. Essentially they add such formats to QuickTime on your system. The LE codecs are “Light Edition” – only needed on systems where Avid is not already installed.
Posted in Avid, DNxHD, Media Composer, QuickTime | 1 Comment »
Monday, August 8th, 2011
Compression formats for Digital Intermediates when using Sony Vegas:
- http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=770173
- Cineform for highest quality (smart-renderable)
- Cineform (is great for transfer) between After Effects and Vegas.
- MXF for almost the same quality at a fraction of the size.
- MXF previews beautifully off small bus-powered USB 2 drives.
- Quicktime .mov with png compression for anything with a transparent alpha layer.
- Quicktime .mov with Avid DNxHD codec for Handbrake encoding intermediary and for working with the FCP world.
Details (again from the above link) about use of MXF:
- The big thing with MXF is to make sure that you use it interlaced even (if) you are using progressive footage. …set it using one of the interlaced templates but set the deinterlace method to none.
- The reason this is important is that Vegas will only smart-render .mxf footage flagged as interlaced. If you set the MXF render properties to progressive, it won’t smart-render. If you set the properties to interlaced and select either blend fields or interpolate, it will screw up resizes and renders to other formats.
- MXF with a smart-render is very cool. The format looks wonderful and no damage is done as you smart-render sections into a final piece.
- MXF without a smart-render isn’t really good enough. MXF will not hold up to successive rerenders like Cineform or a lossless codec.
Posted in Cineform, codec, DNxHD, Encoding, Final Cut, Formats, Handbrake, MXF, QuickTime, roundtrip, Sony Vegas, transcode | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010
Based on other people’s experiences, I am always wary of new versions of QuickTime. I haven’t tried this one, and don’t intend to. Some evidence of potential problems:
- [http://www.lafcpug.org/phorum/read.php?1,260877,261037#msg-261037]
- Problem:
- … when I exported my sequence using the Prores Codec, … it changed the colour of my sequence, adding a reddish hue/ saturation to it.
- On my search round the web there seems to be quite a few people with this issue, but is there any fix for it ?
- Likely cause:
- QT 10 (QT X) is the worse thing Apple has unleashed to the Apple audience. It is NOT ready for release…and why it is on these systems…really only for consumers, but still…not ready.
- A proposed fix (if QT X has already been installed):
- Look in your UTILITIES folder for QT 7. Move that into the APPLICATIONS folder. Right-click on QTX and COMPRESS it. Then trash the app. This way you still have it, but it won’t be available as an application, and any QT file will default open with QT7.
- This “hack” was advised by Apple to Shane Ross. Pretty credible then…
- Alternatively, use the Get Info dialog to set all QuickTime movies to open with QuickTime 7 Player
- (although for some reason if you set a WMV to open in QuickTime Player 7, Flip4Mac keeps changing it back to QT X).
Posted in FCP7, Mac, ProRes, QuickTime, transcode | No Comments »
Monday, August 16th, 2010
What happens when Sony XDCAM Transfer is used, within or without FCP, to import XDCAM footage (BPAV folders etc.)? The following is my best guess at the moment, based on my experiences and web-searching.
- Logging is best done via ClipBrowser. That updates the meta-info of this “master source”, which may then feed downstream to other formats (mxf? mov?)
- The main function is to re-wrap to [.mov] files.
- These may be FCP-specific
- Each time you start XDCAM Transfer, check the settings in Preferences, in particular for Import Location.
- The Cache location can instead be an application-specific, project-independent location.
- To import to FCP:
- Start XDCAM Transfer, by doing one of the following:
- From FCP, do one of the following:
- Menu: File > Import > Sony XDCAM
- Browser: RtClk > Import > Sony XDCAM
- Sadly, only ever imports to root of project, not to bin you right-clicked from…
- From MacOS:
- Start [XDCAM Transfer.app]
- Optionally, in Preferences, tick [Open imported files with: Final Cut Pro]
- Can mark-up selected clip(s) – e.g. OK/NG – affects all (selected) clips straight away (no ‘go’ button…).
- XDCAM Transfer is not just an application but a package, including File Access Mode (FAM) Driver (for XDCAM disks), FCP Import and Export plugins and FCP Sequence presets.
- It can import not only raw BPAV folders (etc) but also MXF-Sony (I tried it).
- There is a Fetch Metadata option, but I have yet to see it have any effect – because as far as I can see all the metadata is displayed anyway. Possibly only useful for obscure situations e.g. if some data or thumbnails fail to appear http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/142/865859 or for a “clip or disc that contains modified essence marks” http://www.tapelessmadeeasy.com/2008/11/xdcam-transfer-update/
- Opinions are divided on whether or not to retain BPAV folders, but the balance is in favour of doing so [http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/480547-ex-workflow-do-you-keep-bpav-files.html]
Posted in FCP7, Final Cut, QuickTime, Sony EX XDCAM, XDCAM EX | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
I installed the (free) LE version of Avid’s DNxHD onto bothWindows and Mac, in order to round-trip between Sony Vegas and FCP. Having received no responses to my threads on forums for Sony Vegas and for FCP, I tried Avid’s forums.
- The “Avid on Windows” Forum:
- PC MediaComposer to MAC FCP http://community.avid.com/forums/p/74442/416691.aspx#416691
- Thread from August 2009. Might well be out of date now.
- If you export DVCProHD from your PC Avid you’ll want to check the “Use AvidDV Codec” box. This will encode the file as AvidDV100 (which is Avid’s DVCProHD codec). With the Avid codecs installed on your FCP system you’ll be able to read them.
- Why don’t they mention DNxHD ?
- The “Avid on Mac” Forum:
- Search on [fcp dnxhd]
- http://community.avid.com/forums/p/84564/477328.aspx#477328
- Error while loading DNxHD QT .mov into FCP
- Someone with same issue as me: they rendered from Sony Vegas to DNxHD to import to FCP, and the media wasn’t recognized.
- Thus far, that thread is inconclusive, with suspicions focussing on the precise format settings etc. and the fact that the media was rendered from Sony Vegas (as I guess the latter is relatively “unknown territory” to the Avid/DNxHD folks).
- I copied this info (& thread link) to the Sony Vegas forum http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=720994&Replies=11. Useful replies:
- …a smalll but critical point; the codec DNxHD does all the encoding of the video stream, vegas does not touch the encoding process. At most, vegas may update the file headers and starting meta data as it closes the file. If Sony has an issue it will be there, but I would question FCP file handling when it opening the file.
- ?
Posted in Avid, DNxHD, Final Cut, Media Composer, QuickTime, roundtrip, Sony Vegas | No Comments »
Monday, July 19th, 2010
Problem:
- In Windows I export from Sony Vegas to AVI (CineForm). In OS X I read the file into FCP and apply the SmoothCam effect, then export to ProRes. In Windows, Sony Vegas, I replace the original file with the smoothed one. The levels/gamma are wrong.
Solution (Search):
- Sony Vegas forum http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=718371
- Use DNxHD
- Couple of tips re DNxHD: 709 color level assumes 16-235, and RGB assumes 0-255.
- Force it back again: www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/gamma_mac_pc.html
- But this presumably implies getting re-quantized twice (the roundtrip issue and the forcing), which for 8-bit footage I imagine could reduce the quality (banding).
- Uncertainties
- Where and how does this gamma get applied? In FCP I didn’t (knowingly) alter the levels (eg until it looked right), I just applied the SmoothCam filter. So I guess it would look wrong on the (pre-SnowLeopard) Mac but I wouldn’t care. Wouldn’t FCP then export back whatever it got but smoothed? This one is really confusing. Experiments needed (when I get time…) I guess.
Posted in Cineform, DNxHD, Final Cut, Formats, gamma, Mac, ProRes, QuickTime, roundtrip, Snow Leopard, Sony Vegas, Video Computer Technology, Windows 7 | No Comments »
Saturday, May 15th, 2010
From article “NAB 2010: AVID MEDIA COMPOSER 5.0” of 2010-04-25 at [lfhd.net], as of 2010-05-15:
- Avid Media Composer 5.0 now works with the Matrox MXO2 Mini (not main or LE), not for capture, but for monitoring on a large monitor.
- New advanced Avid Media Access (AMA).
- This new version of AMA now allows Avid MC to access Quicktime files directly, and allows MC to EDIT those QTs without converting or transcoding them. So things like ProRes, the new Canon XF codec
they are directly accessed via AMA and you can just start editing them right away. For example from files recorded on a KiPro unit or a QuickTime-based camera.
- But move the files, and the connection is broken. So, if you want to work with the footage natively, then move it to the folder you want it to reside in on your media drive, then import.
- A possible FCP+AVid workflow: Utilize FCP to capture the footage (ProRes), use AMA to import that footage into AVID MC 5.0
edit (e.g. by Avid-only editing people)
then send that sequence back to FCP (via Automatic Duck) linking to the original media
send to Color to color correct, then output from FCP?
- This also includes native RED files. Media Composer can edit them without the need to transcode.
- You can adjust the color of the footage before you bring it over
apply a general look while you edit.
- A FCP look&feel approximating mode called Smart Tools mode. Can toggle between this and Classic mode.
- AVCHD import. Before now you had to use third party applications to convert the footage to DNxHD, like ClipWrap. Not anymore. Now you can import the AVCHD footage directly into Avid MC via the IMPORT feature. (But) there are multiple types of AVCHD (can it cope with them?).
- Audio improvements:
- You can now SOLO and MUTE on the timeline.
- You can now access the Audio Suite plugins directly from the timeline.
- And (for screen update speed) you can turn on Audio Waveforms on SELECT TRACKS ONLY.
- You can now make a stereo pair appear as only ONE TRACK on the timeline. This works for stereo sound effects too.
- Direct access to many audio suite plugins directly on the timeline. No need to go digging in the Audio Tool for them.
The [lfhd.net] article also reported something about Avid remote editing using cloud computing, but that sounds to me like a whole other topic.
Posted in Avid, cloud computing, Media Composer, QuickTime | No Comments »
Saturday, April 17th, 2010
Others have found issues with it. Maybe worth skipping or waiting for a compatibility fix for pro apps in that case.
Posted in Final Cut, Mac, QuickTime | No Comments »