Prospect/Neo 4 Problem Thread
 

Thought I'd start this, to help consolidate. Either that or open a ton of support tickets....but if something is posted here, maybe somebody has found a solution/workaround, or can point out user error...

• LookInstaller.exe is missing from NeoHD and PHD (I don't really even know what it is).
• ImporterServerProcess is still crashing chronically (do I need to reconvert with HDLink?)
• First Light FLPlayer crashed when opening a build 209 FL project/clips. Recreating the project seems to not crash.
• First Light--Snapshots don't appear to work. They either are not saving the color correction values, or are not re-loading them again. I'm assuming that White Balance and Color Matrix settings should be part of the snapshot?
• How do you delete FL Snapshots or maintain the database, wherever that is?
• ImporterServerProcess still crashes (that's a big one). Did I mention that somewhere before?

Well, there, the ball's rolling now, at least in DVInfo. Nothing may happen until a support ticket is opened with Cineform, but I don't have time right now to do it (I shouldn't really even be making this post, but hey....).

ciao,
Matt

If you want them fixed, please file a support ticket. We don't do informal bug report from forum as they are too many system specific features we need to know.

Soon as I can, about the snapshot, I'll file a formal report. Although, everything listed here was reported as part of beta testing.

This "production" release is much to unstable. The ImporterProcessServer crashed 5 times in 15 minutes, with a bunch of time spent restarting PPro (which, of course, you have to kill in the Task Manager...) and a couple of reboots. I've reinstalled the beta until you can get this figured out. Maybe something misconfigured on your build machine? In any case, 210 is unusable. The beta has only crashed me two times all day, on the same project.

Thanks,
Matt

Yeah, the dreaded ImporterProcessServer is still here.

I guess that won't go away until the big adobe update comes later this month.

:(

Simon

I just don't understand why that thing has to wait on the Adobe update. Neither DV nor M2T ever cause the same problem. It seems to me that one would be a top priority item, but seems to be ignored (looking from the outside, of course).

One post indicated that CS4 fixes has lower priority due to a lower number of CS4 CFHD users (which CS4 is all I have since CF won't support PPRo 1.5.x anymore). I posit, given the number of people who have purchased CS4 but are waiting on CFHD before using it, that CFHD would suddenly have a TON of CS4 users if CF fixed their incompatibilities with CS4...

It's not often the first production release is a step backwards from the last beta....

Thanks,
Matt

Have tested the trials of both Prospect HD and Neo HD in both PPro CS4 and AECS4 on my Vista x64 machine with MP4s out of my PMW-EX1.

After Effects exported beautiful Cineform AVIs and I get wonderful video that I can play just fine in Windows Media Player. Likewise, HDLink converted my MP4s perfectly.

However, if I import these files into a Premiere project or After Effects composition to edit, the sound is destroyed. I get strange blips and the same one second or so of sound repeats itself for the duration of the clip. This does not happen to the file when played in Media Player.

So I'm not sure what that means.

As for Premiere, I could not export any CineForm AVIs without Media Encoder crashing.

The case was exactly the same with the trial of Prospect installed and then again with Neo installed (I did remove one before installing the other).

John,
hm. Glad to see I'm not the only one. I just opened a trouble ticket on the same audio issue. Would you mind doing the same? It generally helps for them to have a really good sampling of tickets. Plus you might word it better than me.

Do your AE exports crash VirtualDub or have issues in VLC? Mine won't play video in VLC (only audio) and crash VirtualDub 32.

Thanks,
Matt


Edit: In Premiere Pro CS4, bottom right there's a warning icon. Clicking the icon, the warnings are that the CF AVI (exported from AE) has inconsistencies in the file. So, not sure if AE is having issues exporting and just handles the issues better than PPro, or if the importer in PPro is all messed up.

The ImporterProcessServer issue is the most annoying for me and yes, i have created a ticket with cineform but it seem to have stalled. I spent the last two days uninstalling cineform, os and premier but looks like no light end of the tunnel. Already behind schedule but who would have thought something of a mature product like cineform would be giving so much grief. I know, adobe maybe to blame but i havent had any clear answer to what the problem is.

The ImporterProcessServer issue is a show stopper. I have been using CS4 for months now and don't plan to go back to CS3. I'm very surprised/disappointed that CineForm would release this product with this major bug (not to mention no RT engine). Credit card is ice cold now...

Prospect hd will not Import CR files to CS3
 

My system is brand new vista ultimate with eatras turned of/64 quad core 8 gigs of ram. strgae drive raid 0 I have no other software on the PC except quick time and Nero burning software and adobe production premium CS4. I insatll the 210 build but it will not import CF files on cs3. Version 3.4.9 works fine on cs3 With the above configuration. I know you say file a support ticket but other people need to see if people are having the same problem.

I did notice one thing that when I close CS3 after trying to import and reboot I get an error photophopexe not responding right before It shutdowns to reboot.

Well about 15 or so days ago I saw a post that CF 4.0 was ready for final release http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/cineform-...-4-0-beta.html ( see postst) so I ran out and bought CS4 Production Premium $1000.00 for the upgrade. Then I downloaded the 4.0 beta. And guess importserver error and I have spent at lest 5 hours a day since testing for CF and posting what my finding were..not no resolve. Now they post that the new version went live and the new version went live build 210 and its for CS3 mainly because not that many people use CS4???????

Well I can not even get it to work in CS3? not what

Just an up date even though I can not import CF files into 210 build with CS3 First light loads nicely! the selection are not grayed out or washed out. And I can do 1/2 or quater resoultion with my ATI HD 3400 series video card.

Not woking on XP/Sp3 32 bit cs3 only
 

Sorry to report. build 210 proect HD is not importing CF files on MY XP/32 bit system either CS3 ONLY ONLY No CS4.

Neo HD imports then fine on MY XP/32bit cs3 only!!!!!!!!

Installation Problems
 

I filed a trouble ticket for Prospect 4.01 but wish to confirm Bruce's problems are exactly what I encountered. I have a XP 32 bit system.

I tried to install the last version of Prospect 3.xx and it too installed on CS3 with no problems.

Marty

After the many hours spent in good faith trying to get this to work, testing the "final" Beta, providing information to the developers, testing several rounds of incremental code and even providing a clip that reproduces the ImporterProcessServer error (on my system at least), PHD4 is released with the same issues and feature limitations (no RT engine!) that make it useless for CS4.

Now we're supposed to create support tickets for these issues the day the "production" release comes out? To provide the same information we already provided?

David Newman, I will not be creating a support ticket, and I will not be paying this kind of money for software that doesn't work. If you wanted to release a version for CS3 why didn't you do so? Releasing it for CS4 in this condition is asking us to pay for a feature-limited Beta.

The release notes state, "Added: CS4 importer and exporter, including CineForm filters and effects for Premiere Pro." Be great if it worked...

Glenn, well Said.

Note it wont even install on XP/32 sp3 CS3 either or should I say work correctly..Martin just confirmed the same thing!!

Regarding issues with CS4, we are still waiting on feedback form Adobe, which has been a little slow. The ImportProcessError is not happening everywhere, never happens here even with customer samples, although we are now able to create a test case for debugging. As most of our customers are on CS3, Vegas, etc, we choose not to hold off on the entire product, and there are many how are having no issues with CS4 so we aren't going to pull CS4 features for those who need them. We are very likely to have additional updates in the next week or two that will solve these importer issue completely. Hold off your purchase until it works for you, I wouldn't want you to do anything else.

CS3 install issue. Adobe missed up plugin installer years ago by a disappearing registry entry to tell us where to install, we have to guess on many systems. We changed the guessing code to trying a find those corner cases, so it seems we still messed some. Also never change the name your Premiere folders, that messes up installers. 95+% install just fine -- retested on my home PC and it works prefectly. But if is not your PC, support will be able to help. But as it is Saturday, try this:


Save this text file as FIXADOBE.reg


For 32-bit OSes
---- cut here ----
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Premiere Pro\CurrentVersion]
"Plug-InsDir"="C:\\Program Files\\Adobe\\Common\\Plug-ins\\CS3\\MediaCore"
---- cut here ----

For 64-bit OSes
---- cut here ----
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Adobe\Premiere Pro\CurrentVersion]
"Plug-InsDir"="C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Adobe\\Common\\Plug-ins\\CS3\\MediaCore"
---- cut here ----

Make the Plug-InsDir directory point where your MediaCore folder is on you system. If you don't have a MediaCore folder (some Adobe installs don't), set the Plug-InsDir to
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Premiere Pro CS3\Plug-ins\en_US
or
C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Premiere Pro CS3\Plug-ins\en_US

If you are missing an install for only one on several Premeire instances. Change the reg file between installs, pointing to the other folder. Running PHD/4K installer again without doing an uninstall.

But do file a ticket to tell us in path(s) your Premiere installation wouldn't install.

David, I sincerely appreciate the update. All I ask is that you keep us posted.

Regards,
Glenn

I agree.

If you could provide us with such an update every few days that would be great because a lot of us are spending a lot of extra time here trying to debug the software we paid good money to use.

thanks,

Simon

I must say i find it interesting that you are having a hard time to recreate the ImporterProcessServer error. I thought everyone had that issue.

You mean there are actually people who are using PPCS4 without it crashing?

Wow!

I would love to know what their computer setup is.

Simon

Still No Audio
 

Just exported (overnight) a 1:50 video to HQ CFHD AVI. If finished exporting (yay, I think). There's no audio. Yes, the export audio buttons are checked (16 bit, 48KHz). Fixing to open yet another trouble ticket...and export/encode audio separately.

[grumbles resisted, but this is really frustrating/]
Matt

David,

I mentioned this in another post responding to Bruce's problem with not being able to import Cineform AVI files to CS3. I should have read this post first so as not to be too redundant, but anyways, is the current build suppose to install "CFHD_AVI Importer.prm" in the CS3 plugin folder? I remember a few posts back in another thread, you mentioned that this file should not be there (being that it doesnt install with previous version, ProspectHD v3).

I've tried several install scenarios (with the registry fix) and it seems the latest build still installs this file into the CS3 plugin folder. When the file is removed or renamed (to deactivate it) from the plugin folder, I can import Cineform AVI into CS3. Anyways, I did report this bug by submitting a ticket. I'm not sure if there is anything else that should or should not be there (exporter?).

Importing CS4 is fine for me but I still get crashes every so often but that was to be expected since its not complete yet. I should be able to finish what I need to do in CS3 and this is cool now since could take First Light for a real spin.

VLC 0.9.9 won't play CFHD files
 

I opened another trouble ticket on this, because they would play with build 209. Anybody seen this issue?

VLC : 0.9.9
Vista Ultimate 64
CS4

Since "upgrading" to build 210, I get an error from VLC that there is no suitable decodder module, and that VLC does not support the audiio or video format "CFHD".

Thanks,
Matt

VLC doesn't support third party codecs, never has. It plays open src only.

Yes, I've never seen it, but now I'm probably jinxing myself. The problem has nothing to do with Cineform and maybe not even what OS you are using.

The speculation is that the various "helper" exe files that Adobe uses to allow its various CS4 suite-mates to communicate just are bugged-ridden. Such features like Adobe Dynamic Link, hardly have worked right for me anyway, so I hope that Adobe fixes things with the PP 4.1 update.

But I never had this "ImporterProcessServer.exe" error until I started troubleshooting the beta versions of ProspectHD on CS4.

On CS3 I never had it.

So you are able to export without any problems?

Simon

Yes, I can export fine.

I haven't needed to do any of this things below, but if you want to experiment, you could try some of them. My guess is that they won't do much, but you never know, when it comes to Windows:

1) You could disable DEP using the Windows Control Panel.

2) You could temporarily disable your anti virus software, while editing.

3) You could also try going into the Windows Task Manager and carefully disabling as many "useless" programs that you see running in the background. You just better be sure what is "useless", because if you kill the wrong process, your system will become unstable. Good candidates for disabling are all the trash that iTunes runs.

4) You could use the Windows Task Manager and also try raising the priority of ImporterProcessServer.exe from 8 (Normal) to 13 (High).

CS3 install 3.4.9 vs 4.0 210 build
 

Dave
Just one question. Yes I want to run cs4 very bad but it looks like it will be a while. But I do not understand why 4.0 21or 209 build will not run correctly when PHD 3.4.9 runs perfect in CS3 with CS4 installed sided by side. This is addressing the NOT IMPORTING CF FILES JUST SITS THERE NOT THE IMPORTPROCESS ERROR I GAVE UP ON THAT A WHILE AGO.. FOR NOW

again 3.4.9 runs wonderfully and very fast with vista/64

I'm with Simon. I only ever have this error when working with CFHD footage in CS4. Other footage does not cause this issue. M2T, DV, MOV, PSD, JPG, PNG....works beautifully. M2T in multi-camera works beautifully.

CFHD causes crashes. Plain and simple. Don't use CFHD == don't crash. DO use CFHD == DO crash.

I'm pretty much stuck. All my assets and edits are in CFHD, and I don't really have time to convert everything to something else or get everything loaded differently. But I'm spending so much time trying to work around this CFHD *stuff* that I'm having a hard time getting any actual video editing done.

Can we have an extension on teh build 209? That at least was somewhat more stable.

Matt

CS3 with 4.0.1 PHD is working even better than 3.4.9 whether CS4 is installed or not. There seems to be some installation issues that aren't occurring in our lab. Let support know where your Premiere copies are installed.

Hi Dave here is a shot from my reg..

some development, going through some old posts here, it seems the problem is that the installer is not installing the cineform files properly. I looked inside the installer (neoscene) and found im-CFHD_File_Import and CFHD_AVI_Importer both of which were not present on my system. From the posts i have seen here, if those files are not present, then VFW is being used which will give you playback issues and probably the importer error more frequently. The importer seems to choke when doing HD clips if using VFW.

I test with a PAL sized cineform clip and importer did not have issue. Same clip with full HD size , the playback started choking and importer started crashing. At one stage, the importer process was consuming 3 gigs of ram.

So, to make premiere sane, i extracted the two mentioned CF files from the installer and copied it to the premier plug-ins\common folder. A brief play i have had so far resulted in no importer crashes or playback issues.

i will report further once i have had a good run on the timeline today.

Bruce,

While is seems you registry entry is fine, let support know where all you Premiere folders are. These are the path we need to confirm:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Premiere Pro CS3\Plug-ins\en_US
C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Common\Plug-ins\CS3\MediaCore

Anish,

You are correct, some of the earlier reports were due user have a bad install and running the VfW codec rather than the new importer. However, we do know that the new importer is cause problems in some circumstances and we working to narrow those down.

David,

After being away and then returning to the forum with fingers crossed that we have some better news on the ImporterProcessServer crash issue, I must say I'm quite crestfallen. My beta has now expired and I am stuck. I have no choice but to uninstal CFHD altogether and just get on with it.

I participated in an Adobe 'Working with HD' e-Seminar two days ago where I vocally raised the issue several times with their tech people. Needless to say I got the cold shoulder from Adobe who actually said, that they thought CFHD was a 'dead' product anyway and hadn't heard of any problems with the codec or even if it it was being used anymore! With that sort of ignorant response, I do wonder what is going on. I also have a support ticket raised with Adobe on this issue which is still open and not responded to for nearly 10 days!

I agree and support all of those people in this forum who are trying to support the CF product, but simply cannot get it to work. After spending over two weeks with the beta's and uninstalling/reinstalling, crashing, retranscoding, and generally wasting time, I just don't see the point anymore.

Credit card safely tucked away now.

Cameron,

Come back in a week or so. Adobe is deep into getting 4.1 out, we benefit form that also. CineForm is used mostly of the highend or feature work done on Premiere, where editors simply do not use native camera compression (unless it is CineForm RAW -- e.g. Slumdog Millionaire), yet the high-end a tiny market for Premiere as a whole, so it not supprizing that low end Adobe staff would be out of touch. While CineForm was just used to finish an IMax film under Premiere, with a filmout at FotoKem from the CineForm compressed master, of course that is no where the volume of event videography. Without CineForm, Adobe has no highend stores of merit, and that will continue to be the case.

As for complaining about betas, we did call it a beta for a reason. And we bumped the license for another 15-days for the original testers (you likely didn't notice as you where away.) We did a closed beta for a while and got too little feedback, so we opened it up -- thank you for those who participated -- First Light is working so much better based on all your feedback. Never use a beta if it costs you money, it is completely volentary.

Within the next week we expect to receive the missing information from Adobe, this will address the importer issue, then we add the RT engine to CS4 (many CineForm customers will stick with CS3 until that happens -- Adobe should notice that.) Then onto Neo and Prospect 3D, the other market that is huge for us, and minute for Adobe, so expect the Adobe ignorance to continue.

For those still have ImportProcess issues, please try this importer (replace those in MediaCore and Plug-in/en_us/CineForm.) If is a very conservative implementation, not going for speed, but it would be helpful to know if it still crashes in the field.

http://www.miscdata.com/cineform/CFH...rter_Test2.zip

Thanks.

Thanks for the feedback David. It would have been nicer if your support team had knowledge of installation issues as in my case and had responded with a solution. I would have saved many hours and frustration and iam sure so would many others with similar situation. A better troubleshooting methodology for your support team is probably needed.

David,

Thanks for the response. I do appreciate that a beta is a beta too - I wasn't expecting miracles, just a clearer indication of what we could all expect. Maybe I just didn't pickthat up from the posts. The Cineform website certainly doesn't mention any of this.

Anyway, FYI, I am certainly not filming events. We are shooting documentary and short film for cinema and TV release. Yes, they're features. We are going through the edits and want to get the best result we can of course. CFHD should be the obvious choice for CS4. Right now it isn't. We all know it's a great product, but it just isn't ready for CS4 yet. We can't roll back to CS3 as we don't have it. Hence the frustration mate.

Martins FIX
 

You can call me crazy but I just purchased
4.0 Prospect HD. REMOVE CFHD.. fix did it for CS3 removing the CFHD file from PPCS3/plugins/cinefrom. I think everyone was focusing on the common file/plugins folder.(vista/64)

I missed that they extended the beta testing for another 15day I was stuck and needed Cineform?

I did not see that post maybe only 1 thread sould be used for beta testing problems. I see about 3 threads going and I missed the extension?? I have a project I need to get out and I am lucky that I still have CS3 so far its purring like a kitten. It also fixed it on my XP 32bit machine(old machine now) That would not import CF files either and that machine does not have CS4 on it.

Dave I am sure you will get things rolling with CS4.