Hi there,
I downloaded the demo of prospect and have tried to convert sony ex1 hq 50i mxf files to cineform.

The files come out half size..540 x960.

If I go to the resize settings then I can pick 1920x1080 but they come out really big(nearly 2gb per minute)

I have read on this forum a similar problem but it isnt followed to a conclusion. Any ideas?

Many thanks
Craig

It seems you have clashing installation of the Elecard MPEG decoder. In that software you can set the MPEG decoder to half res. Launch that player and turn the half res feature. CineForm also using Elecard for conversion. If you are comfortable using regedit the key is HKCU/Software/Elecard/Elecard MPEG-2 Video Decoder/Resolution which should be set to zero (I think.)

sorted.
well done,
many thanks

Cineform....I think Im gonna get it tatooed on my forehead.
..instead im gonna pay out for prospect 4 sure.

Craig

Hello,
I have problems using the conversion function of HD Link (newest version 3.4.2. for windows) It seems impossible to convert larger m2t files (> 3 GB, HDV) to CineForm avi. Sometime during the process HDLink stops the conversion and is not responding, no error messages in the log.
Another curiosity is that the program adds a "000" to the filename, and sometimes not.
I had this troubles also in an earlier version of HDLink.
I use Windows XP Pro SP2

Can anybody help?
Thank you
Burkhard

Hi.

I am trying to convert few files at the same time. (Prospect 4K, latest version).
The files are 720/24p, and I am trying to change them to 720/25. (AVI)

HDlink will always convert 9 files and on the tenth it will crash.

Can any body please try the same, I just would like to make sure it is an HDlink bug and not my system.

Thanks!

Johnnie

I have footage captured with HDVsplit from XHA1 in 23.976fps in HDV mode.

Covert works great with Canon HV20 HDV footage to covert to 23.976 from 60i when using the Remove 3-2 Pulldown.

However, I am trying to "convert" all of these XHA1 files from HDV native to Cineform 23.976 to edit in premiere on a 23.976 1920x1080 timeline. However, when i process the files through HDLink they come out as 29.976 ? :( Changing the settings i can get 23.976 but then the files are speed up for some reason.... ???

As a test i tried re-capturing the footage from XHA1 camera through HDLink and the footage captures properly in 23.976fps and plays in premiere on my timeline properly. I'm curious why covert is not working for me.

My Settings in Preferences;
Automatily cover tto Cineform Intermidiate = CHECK
QUality = Film Scan
Frame Format = PROGRESSIVE
Remove 2-3 Pullodwn = UNCHECKED
MAINTAIN audio Pitch = CHECKED
Resize Video = NONE
Keep Source aspect ratio = CHECKED

Tyson,

Check to make sure that Rate Change is set to no change. If that's the case you shouldn't have to have Maintain audio pitch checked. That's the only thing I can see that may be going wrong, and that's only because you didn't mention it.

Garrett

It seems to be thinking the clips are normal 29.976fps and not detecting they are 23.976fps. Not sure how to force the detection properly. Thus the clips come out speed up when i force rate change to 23.976.

Ive just decided to recapture all my clips from tape over again.

I tried the program TMPGInc EXpress 4.0 to convert the XHA1 HDV files to Cineform codec and TMPG has the same problem as HDLink as not detecting the 23.976fps. When importing into TMPG Express it reads the file as 29.976fps

Can we see a short M2T sample file? Seems it is 30p not 24p.

Trying to convert an MP4 file to AVI for editing in Premiere. HDLink threw up these two errors:

Error: m_graph->ConnectDirect(outputPin, inputPin, 0)(0x80040207-The owner SID on a per-user subscription doesn't exist) in (DirectShowGraph.cpp at 350)

and

Error: ConnectPin(mp4splitter, VideoDecoder) (0x80040207-The owner SID on a per-user subscription doesn't exist) in (ConvertGraph.cpp at 1718)

What's that mean, and what do I need to do to fix it and be able to convert MP4s to AVIs?

There are question for support, please file a ticket a CineForm Support (http://www.cineform.com/support)

Ticket has already been filed, but I figured I'd ask here as well since I've noticed other users say that it can sometimes take up to a month to get an answer on the ticket system. Hoped maybe it was something that other users had seen and solved already and could fill me in...

I'm trying to deal with this problem as well. I have footage from a Canon HF10 camcorder (m2ts files imported into Windows using the software that came with the camcorder). When I try to convert these in HDLink, it crashes randomly. Smaller files often do convert on the 2nd or 3rd try, but long files (3.4 and 5.7 GB) won't convert at all without crashing the program.

My ticket to Cineform is in as well, but I just posted it Saturday.

These actually sound like two different issues. Either way, I've replied to both the tickets and we can troubleshoot them from there.

Joseph,
My issue (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/cineform-software-showcase/133730-neo-hd-crashes-every-time-i-try-convert.html) and yours are probably the same, since I am trying to convert hf11 footage. Please share any info you get in the thread pasted above.

Hi -

After working correctly for some time, HDlink doesn't want to split scenes any longer. The footage was shot with 2 different XHA1s, and I use a HV20 for the transfer to PC. The footage is HDV, and I'm doing just a capture, not a conversion. I prevoiusly had problems capturing at all, and I found that installing an older version of quicktime solved it. The only change I've made to the system I can recall is that I installed an old version of PPro - 2.0. I then reinstalled QT 7.0.4.

After reading one older thread, I checked that the clock was set on the HV20. It was. I also tried upgrading to the most recent Aspect, but it hasn't made a difference. Any ideas as to what could cause this?

Thanks

Bill Engeler

Asus P5E, Q450
XP SP3
Nvidia 8800GT

The clock needed to be set in the camera that captured the sequence. Setting the clock in the HV20 (playback device) will not fix the issue.

Thanks for the quick reply, but I don't think it's a clock issue, as the clocks in both cameras that I am capturing from are set correctly.

Sometimes these sort of problems are due to some kind of general problem with an update to one program or another - that's why I posted it here.

Hi Bill,

I think David Newman misread your post. CineForm ONLY splits files during the conversion into CineForm files. We do NOT split the source HDV stream itself.

My bad. Thanks for the help!

I'm asking this because of audio sync issues I'm encountering when capturing from my HV20 using Cineform HDlink. The audio is in sync at the beginning, but my the end of the 1 hour file, it is out of sync.

How do I get around this, I was turning my camera off and back on several times when capturing to the tape, but that shouldn't cause loss of audio sync should it? And if so is there a workaround?

You should definitely use the scene detect option. Long captures will go out of sync if there are a lot of camera stop and start points. So to answer your question, scene detect is very important. Use it and your files should be in sync. If you still run into issues, contact us at CineForm support.

i'm concerned because I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to use scene detect. My clock was never set on my HV20 when I was doing all the filming.

So i have plenty of tapes full of stop and start footage, that I need to get captured. I guess this is going to create extra work for me, but what do I need to do to keep my audio in sync, but still convert to 24p?

You could capture the footage with HDVSplit and then convert the files to CineForm files with HDLink in a second process. HDVSplit will recognize the scene changes.

excellent, this is exactly what I was looking for.

What exactly does HDVsplit detect in the clips that allows it to split the scenes, that hdlink doesn't?

If I use HDVsplit to convert already captured unsplit 12gb m2t files into individual scenes, am I losing any quality? If so, I'll just re-capture all my footage over again using HDVsplit.

There looking at other factors. Our split mechanism works fine for all HDV source except for HV20/30's that don't have there clock set, weird I know. HDVSplit, doesn't do any conversions, so there is no loss in using it before converting the resulting files in HDLink.

Guys still having some issues.

Yes I do have an AC3 decoder installed, but I am unable to get any audio playing in my converted cineform AVCHD files. No idea what is going on - Frsh install of WinXP and drivers, CS3.

To work around this I have been capturing via my Blackmagic Intensity via HDlink over HDMI from the Sony SR12E. Works, but I have another annoying problem in that the capture window blanks out for a split second here and there, resulting in skips in the recorded Cineform.

I'm using the beta Prospect HD currently.
Thanks

Your your source m2ts files play in Window Media Player with audio, if not HDLink will not convert them. This likely means there is still somehting wrong in your audio decoder setup.

I am stuck here.

When playing in media player there is no sound. There is if I play with VLC.
Tried various AC3 software drivers. Nothing.

ANy other ideas?

You have to get audio working first which is before any CineForm tools will get involved.

This is the AC3 decoder that works for others : Download AC3 Filter 1.51a (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/ac3_filter.htm)

Drop your M2TS file into GraphEdit (http://www.videohelp.com/tools/GraphEdit) to see why the audio is not working.

I was wondering what kind of method does HDLink use to DeInterlace? Is it what people call as Smart DeInterlacing? Where if it detects motion, then deinterlace. Or is it field blend? Or something else?

If I want a 24P results out of 50i footage, which one will give better results:

- DeInterlace 50i to 25P -> Edit 25P -> Output 25P -> Convert 25P to 24P.

- Edit 50i -> Output 50i -> Convert 50i to 24P.

- Convert 50i to 24P -> Edit 24P.

The third workflow leads me to a question, does HDLink do great job converting 50i to 24P or will I get better result using Magic Bullet Frame?

Thanks in advance.

It is a modified linear light field blend. It works best on sources with a shutter speed that matches the field rate (i.e. 50Hz for 50i, 60Hz for 60i), the results are more resolution than deinterlace typically offers. We don't find smart deinterlacers all that successful, neither preserving much resolution or have a predictable motion blur. For you use HDLink you can deinterlace and convert to 24p in one step, with audio pitch compensation.

Clarification please on getting HDLINK to convert with sound...

Deniz...

d/l and install ffdshow and x264 on your computer. they're free and it will allow playing of avchd on wmp.

I had zero problems with this whatsoever.

1. Install AC3Filter or ffdshow tryouts version - both decode AC3 just fine and both are free
2. Install CoreAVC and make it the preferred decoder (it's in the CoreAVC configuration panel). Make sure you install Haali splitter that you get with the package (ffdshow should decode h264 any way, but CoreAVC is faster and better)
3. Double click on your .MTS file and when Windows doesn't have a clue what to do with it, point it to Media Player. WMP will complain that it doesn't know what it is, but just get it to play it any way. From then on, .MTS files will always open with Media Player.

Once WMP can play your MTS files with sound, so HD Link will be able to work with it.

Nice clean explanation - now everything working fine. phew...

This is a question I have often asked myself as well. Does anyone else have any experience with it?

I would like to export multiple ts files at one setup. Not clear if this can be done.

Thanks

Dave

If you mean convert multiple files into CineForm AVIs, then yes - that is HD Link's primary purpose.

What I meant is I have 3 large TS files on my hard drive that I want to export back to my Sony HDV deck to archieve. So far, I have to go down to my computer when each one completes, delete the one I just did, and start again on the next one. Would be nice to have them all selected, and then come back in 4 hours and they would all be on tape.

Dave

Do you have a 4 hour HDV tape? HDLink will playback a sequence of M2T files, however there is often a glitch between each clip on the tape, so have extra black rendered on the begining and ends of each clip.

Yep, 4hr 40 min HDV tape I am putting multiple TS files on. I do not have headers and trailers. :o( Just about done filling the tape. What I have been trying to get to work is after done writing the tape, is to read the entire tape w/o errors. Shall see if a few hours.

Dave

Okay, still trying to output M2T files to my sony deck to tape, and then read back with HDlink, get it to scene detect each M2T file I put on the tape, and not have errors. :o(

So, on top of continuing to learn new stuff, having to redue my m2t videos, since I did not put the recommended black headers on the video. Oh well, I see it is there in the fine print.

So here is the question. What is HDlink triggering on for scene detect, and how do I make sure when I output to tape, HDlink will split correctly? When I just did this, exporting 3 m2t files to tape with HDlink, when I used HDlink to read these 3 files I put onto tape back in, it did not scene detect each file. Instead it made one big file, and the audio was messed up with the video at each file change.

So, I am now adding some black header and footers to my file and making new m2t file outputs. But, after I use HDlink to export the first file to tape, what do I need to do in order for HDlink to see the next file as a scene detection and make into the next file when I read these back? Do I need to reset something on the Sony deck with the TC? Do I need to set an option with HDlink? Hope this question makes sense, since I do not know what HDlink triggers off of. I assume this same trigger will work is I read the tape with HDVsplit?

Thanks

Dave

Okay, I think the scene detect triggers with a change of the data code (time and date).
So, I just looked at a file I exported with HDlink, and it looks like the data code is blank. Guess this would cause scene detect to not work. So, is there a way to have HDlink set the data code as it is exporting to tape?

Thanks

Dave

As we no long produce M2T files, you should look with tools like TMPGEnc to see if they do that.

I'm runnning the latest version of Aspect HD and HDlink and I'm trying to convert some
Hello All

1280x720 MS-YUV encoded avi to Cineform HD via HDLink. The problem is that some of the converted Cineform avi files are having extreme playback and audio sync problems.

The video on the converted avi files will play back way too fast while the audio is playing back at normal speed, then about half way through or so the video will stop on a frame while the audio continues playing underneath the still/stuck frame for remainder of the duration.

I'm on a Hyperthreading 3.4Ghz P4 2GB Ram

In the HDLink prefs, no rate change or resizing is being applied, and I am encoding them to Medium quality. Progressive is selected for the frame format.

Any help would be appreciated

Thank You

Likely the source file/decoder is reporting the wrong frame rate to HDLink. Use this tool Free-Codecs.com : Download AVI Frame Rate Changer 1.10 : AVI Frame Rate changer allows you to modify the frame rate of a pre-rendered AVI File (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/AVI_Frame_Rate_Changer.htm) to restore the CineForm AVI frame rate to see if it plays correctly. If it does you have a simple workaround. To really see what is happening you will need to send a sample clip to support (file a support ticket.) Use yousendit.com for clips up to 100MB.

Thanks for the quick reply, unfortunately the suggested program was to no avail.

Do you have any other suggestions? I am unable to send a sample of the footage due to an NDA pretaining to the project.

No more suggestions until you explain what "no avail" means. Did the tool not change the frame rate, crash, do something else? Do you know what the frame currently is? What it is a supposed to be? If the tool didn't work try another, AVIFrate (http://www.videohelp.com/tools/AVIFrate), there are dozens of them.