How does Cineform work?
 

I'm looking into buying Cineform Aspect HD for use with Premiere Pro 2. Cineform advertises editing "all in real time without rendering" (from the core microsystems Cineform page), even for tasks such as color correction. Does anyone know how Cineform accomplishes this?

And does anyone else use Aspect with Pro 2? Specifically, does anyone use it with the HD100's 720p/24? Any problems?

Thanks.

I have Aspect HD and Adobe Production Suite on a computer I very recently took delivery of. So recently, in fact, I am still low in the learning curve. Despite my inexperience with all my new software, here's what I know:

HD is first brought into Cineform. (The program/application name is "HDLINK").This converts the file(s)/clip(s) brought-in to Cineform's intermediate (and, I believe, proprietary) format. Once in that format, Premiere Pro (and, I'm pretty certain the rest of Production Suite) works with - or at least won't cause problems with/to - that intermediate format. Thus, using Premier Pro 2 and Aspect HD, you are editing in Cineform's intermediate format, though it's pretty transparent to you after bringing clips in to Aspect HD. There is also the advantage that Aspect HD can deal with 10-bit color, but I believe that depends on your video card. Despite my new machine, it seems my video card will only do 8-bit color. (I know clips/files are re-converted from that intermediate format at some point, perhaps upon rendering).

While my new machine is pretty fast (two dual AMD Opteron processors, a SATA RAID, and a few other things that help the speed along), I really have nothing to compare results to. However, others here have reviewed the specs on my machine and said it should really hum. Even with my lack of experience, I'd have to agree...it does. I've also done VERY little thus far with HD. (I have an HVX200, but only 2 4 Gig P2 cards, and am starved for HD storage).

I believe one of the regular (and frequent) contributors on this board works for Cineform. Once he sees your post, I suspect he'll provide a much better description.

One for the forum topics includes a sub-category (Cineform Software Solutions(?) for Cineform products. Check posts there for additional info.

As for "real time"? I'd be hard pressed to describe Aspect HD's performance on my machine any other way. (Not bragging; I just have little to compare it to).

I can't describe the tech spec but I can advise that three small independent entities in Western Australia are using it with the JVC HD100 and one production entity which makes commercials uses it. There are likely others as well ad this is a small state of about 1.8 million people, capital city f about 1 million.

After playing with the downloadable demo, I have just bought it myself in order to assemble/edit some HDV stuff I shot on borrowed FX1/Z1P cams. This footage has been transcoded on capture to conform with JVC HD100 720P footage. Aspect HD offers this option.

Thanks! Didn't realize the trial version was downloadable; I thought it was order only, like Prospect. I downloaded it, and it works great. Everything I hoped it would be. Wow. I will purchase soon.

I did read an errata note that said Aspect could not export back to an HDV cam, but I'm not really planning on that anyway. However, I see that Cineform offers free downloadable updates to its customers with older versions. So if this problem is fixed soon, I hope the fix will be available for free.