Level shifts are an NVidia issue. Some cards will work in RGB mode and don't habe the level shift. Try this by turing off the "Force YUV" option in playback options.

Tried this and got a jarbled mess of lines and colours instead, so I definitely need to have "Force YUV" enabled.

You say it's an NVidia issue? Does that mean that if I got ATI cards that it wouldn't happen?

It's doing exactly the same thing with our Matrox Parhelia APVe, so it's not just NVidia...

Using RGB for output does fix the level shift on some NVidia cards, but unfortunately some NVidia card don't support RGB overlays either -- there is a theme that NVidia has not got video overlay working correctly, even pulled support totally from the 8800 series.

The Matrox Parahelia also worked best in YUV, so no loss there.

Is it possible to export back the EX1 codec?

Best,
Christopher

You can export to HDV, but not to the the MP4-wrapped MPEG2 which is the EX format. I can't think of any good reasons to go back to that format anyway.

Someone asked on an Adobe forum so I thought I would ask here. I don't think they are really serious about getting an EX1, so it's not important, I was just curious.

Best,
Christopher

No answer on this yet? Sure would be nice to know.

That would definely be a very BIG point in the EX1's favor if it did! If not, it just seems like a "nicer lense and control V1"......for more twice as much $$.

Might get more attention if it did.

Does Aspect HD reduce the resolution of the EX1 codec? Do you need Prospect HD to get the full resolution of the EX1 codec?

Best,
Christopher

Aspect HD is a 1440x1080 HDV product. Sony EX1 is not an HDV product at 1920x1080, so yes Prospect HD is more suitable. Also Prospect HD will support HDSDI capture directly from the EX1 if you add an AJA Xena card, great for 4:2:2 greenscreen work. However you can use Aspect HD, but it will downsample to fit the 1440 license.

EX1 .mp4 - HD Link downsizing my clips
 

Hi,

My EX1 just arrived today and I'm giving my Prospect HD Link 3.2.2 (just downloaded it) a go at the native .mp4 files I copied over.

When I bring the converted AVI into After Effects, it shows up as 960 x 540 (PAR 1.0) while the native .mp4 shows up as 1920 x 1080 (PAR 1.0)

In the HD Link prefs, I've selected:

Automatic (capture options)
AVI
Film Scan
Automatic (frame format)
Rate (no change)
Resize Video (none)

It also down-sized my 720 footage too.

What's really odd is that I tried specifying Resize to 1920 x 1080 (just to see) and it still converted it to 960 x 540.

Any ideas?

Wow. Samples please (mp4 and AVI.)

I'll add links to the clips on my support ticket.

HDlink, error messages when converting EX1 files
 

Hi David,
Need your urgent help.
HDlink would not convert my EX1 files.

Attached is a screen shot of the log file.

Software used-Prospect HD, latest version.

Thanks!

Johnnie

Only need to log window, you scaled the whole screen to the point I can't read the log window. To capture just log, select the window, and press ALT+PrintScreen, then paste the image in IrfanView or any other imaging tool.

Likely you don;t have something install. Recapture the log window and send it to support -- trouble tickets go to www.cineform.com/support

Thank you David.

All was send to support.
BTW, it will be nice to be able to install HDlink as a separate program. Sometimes, a second computer just for converting files, will not have the Premiere installed.

No Need for Cineform with EX1?
 

I was about to update my NEO HDV (which I haven't even used yet) to NEO HD to use with Vegas 8 with my new EX1 capturing 1920x1080P, and over on the Vegas forum I'm hearing that NEO is not needed, or is of only limited use, for the EX1 as long as the computer is current.

Can someone explain why I am hearing this or counter if you don't agree.

Mike

It depends on if you're talking Neo HDV or Neo HD. Please doublecheck the specs (as I use Aspect, not Neo) but I believe Neo HD is 10 bit color as opposed to 8 bit, which would help with multigenerational workflows and heavy correction or compositing work. It's also great for keeping a visually lossless master copy. Also, the framerate and resize tools in HDLink are very handy!

Carl

Carl: Neo HDV is 8 bit and Neo HD is 10 bit but that is not the point. The point is with the EX1 (.mfx file codec) with a good processor some say you don't need Cineform at all because the codec is so much more efficient than HDV.

I agree with Carl. Even if one doesn't need Neo HD to load EX1 mxf files on the Vegas timeline, Neo HD makes an excellent intermediate or archival format.

Bill: What is the relative size of the Cineform files for archival? I can see the advantage there and perhaps monitoring playback has a better frame rate?

Cineform files will definitely not be smaller, but with the proper disk speed, you should be able to play back many more layers or streams at once.

NeoHD takes EX1 Progressive and makes Interlaced
 

David...

I hope this question isn't too dumb for me to see the answer.
I've converted Sony EX1 files(1080p HQ) to .mxf with Sony's clip browser software. Then I ran the .mxf file thru NeoHD to get an Intermediate. If I load the .mxf and the CF Intermediate in Vegas, the .mxf shows as "progressive", and, the Intermediate shows as 1080i, even tho' I selected "Progressive" on the HDLINK Preferences page.

Am I missing something obvious?

I believe Vegas says all VfW sources are interlaced, even when they are progressive. I think you have ignore it.

ah....thanx

Clip length changes in HD Link
 

I've only just noticed that converting EX1 MP4s to Cineform AVIs in HD Link is producing clips that are about 3 frames shorter than the original MP4s.

Is this happening to anyone else?

I've attached a screenshot from within CS3 to show the difference between each of the MP4s and their equivalent AVIs.

In every case, the duration is less for the AVIs than for the MP4s.

I am wondering:
a) Why?
b) How? As in, is it simply removing three frames from the beginning or end or are they missing from the middle somewhere or are some of them blended?

I have also noticed that in the tab that lists all this information, the Media End and Media Duration figure should be identical, since all the timecodes start at 0:00:00, but they are also different from each other in every case, whether it's AVI or MP4. How can that be?

We transcode all the frames that are decoded from the MPEG Decoder we use. If any frames aren't converted they would on the end, possibly from an incomplete GOP. Media End and Media Duration are not suppose to be the same as Media End is an inclusive frame (not an out time in the EDL sense: Duration = End - Start + 1.) It is Premiere that reports this, not CineForm as personal refer an exclusive out time.

Mr. Newman,

I'm looking to set up a HD workflow that includes live HD SDI capture for a dance show.

I have two Premiere CS3 NLE PC's, one with a scsi raid0 and one with a sata raid0 array. I am thinking of using either the Canon H1 or the Sony EX1 cameras.

From your posts,you indicate that a camera SDI out to AJA Xena SDI card with Prospect HD using HDLink would be a good set up for realtime or live HD capture as well as editing with Premiere CS3.

My question is, which of the Xena HD SDI cards would be most appropriate for a system that is capturing HD SDI from either the H1 or EX1 into a PC with Premiere CS3?

All of the Xena cards (PCIe or PCI) appear to work with Premiere CS3 except the HS card which appears to support only Premiere Pro 2.0. I'm guessing from research that either the 2K or LH cards will do and most probably the 2K card if i don't want or need to support any legacy analog devices.

BTW, from the threads i have read, you are most generous in jumping in to help out those in need.

regards,

We use the LH and LHe cards successfully with Cineform. I don't believe the 2K/2Ke is fully supported.

Mike is correct. Choose either the LH or LHe card. We've intended to support the 2K card for a while but it hasn't made it to the top of the list yet.

EX-1 MXF files and Prospect HD issues
 

Can Prospect convert the MXF file to cineform intermediate? If not, how do I convert spanned mp4 clips as one cineform clip in HD link? When I convert an 8GB mxf file in hdlink, it comes out as only 600mb and is green screen. The clips are 1080 24p HQ.

Thanks
Mike

thanks guys.

LH it is.

I take it that even though Adobe's site still totes the HS card, it appears that the card is on its way out even though aja updated the drivers to support Premiere CS3. Your thoughts?

We support MXFs, you systems seems to after an install issue. Try the CineForm->Tools->Register components. If that does fix it, please file a trouble ticket www.cineform.com/support

thanks David, just tried the 8gb mxf file to completion, it shows a green check mark for completed but is only 3 gb in size and is green screen when played back. I'll try your fix.

Mike

registered componets, but it still gives the exact result. It converts small files, mp4 or mxf, but large ones have problems. Also David, I am testing out Prospect with my EX-1 to see if it meets my needs, so I cannot submit a ticket.

Mike

Adobe specifically wrote drivers (their own) to support the HS card for PPro 2 (if I recall correctly) release. Adobe never wrote drivers to support the LH and LHe. For LH and LHe support driver support comes from AJA or CineForm. Because of this, Adobe doesn't specifically endorse the LH or LHe card.

Michael, you can always submit a ticket, even when using Trial versions....

It asks for a serial number

Mike

Ignore that, the ticket goes through anyway.

Thanks

Mike