Enable RGB 4:4:4 Encoding Unclickable OSX
 

Hi all, I just bought Neoscene having used the trial and was very happy with my testing for transcoding of GH1 MTS files. The main reason for purchasing though, was that I thought it was a limitation of the trial that the "Enable RGB 4:4:4 Encoding" option in codec settings was unclickable/greyed out (in my specific case within AE CS5 on OSX 10.6.4 but I've also tried it in FCP 7 and QT as well as AE CS4 and FCP 6 on a 10.5.6 system all to no avail), but it turns out now even with the fully registered version I still can't click the option.

My project is RGB 32-bit and I am intending to use the Cineform export as a master render. I already have a TIF sequence and master audio file, but wanted a playable master quality file. To my understanding by using the CF422 (default if I can't click the check box for 4:4:4) the footage is being converted to YUV, which I'd prefer not to have to do for this project (my main reason for getting Cineform being to create high quality masters out of After Effects).

Specifically what I'm doing at the moment is: (1) Add comp to render queue (2) In Output Module Settings, I set Format Options->Video Codec to CineformHD/4k/3D (3) I click 'codec settings', where the only option I can see is 'Enable RGB 4:4:4 Encoding' but it's greyed out and unclickable, and I can click OK or Cancel.

Hopefully it's something simple and I'm just missing something. Have searched the forum and google, but I can't seem to find anyone else who's encountered this problem. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a support issue, so figured I'd post here first in case someone knew an easy fix for the problem. Cheers guys,

Mark.

4:4:4 option is activated in the higher-end products. NeoScene and NeoHD are 10-bit 4:2:2 only, as that all 99% of the market needed. Neo4K/3D do 4:4:4 and 12-bit.

Brilliant! Thanks David for the clarification and such a fast response!

So I guess my workaround until I upgrade is render a 'playback' master with Neoscene, but keep my tiff sequence and master audio file separate as my true master.

Thanks again.

Mark.

Oh, and one last question just for further clarification:
When I choose the 'Cineform HD/4k/3d' render option in AE CS5, is the outputed file RGB or YUV?

At the moment I have concluded/assumed (from various posts on the Cineform blog) that unless the 4:4:4 box is ticked, the output is YUV not RGB. So just thought I'd check to clarify, so I specifically know that Cineform output with NeoScene from After Effects renders a YUV file or an RGB file.

Thanks again.

Mark.

All 4:2:2 encodes are YUV. So a source like AE is converted to YUV Rec709 for compression a storage. This is very common. Even ProRES4444 converts to YUV for both 422 and 444 modes. CineForm 444 leaves the data in source RGB(A) format, so it is an RGB encoder.

Thanks again for the clarification and quick response! Means I can settle on the workflow I mentioned below for master storage. Too easy :D

Mark.

I'm a little confused with Neo4K. When I convert to Cineform AVI from 5DII MOV files in Premiere Pro I can select either 4:2:2 YUV or 4:4:4 RGB. But in HDLink there is no selection. Is this always 4:4:4? Or 4:2:2? Or is there a selection somewhere in HDLink that I'm missing?