Macbook Pro C2D 2.33GHz, Canon HV 20, Parallels

[Vincent DePaul]

I recently checked Cineform's web site to find out the status of Mac support. To my surprise, it mentioned the use of Parallels for Neo HD. Am I to infer that one can simply install the software in Parallels(I have the latest version, 3) and I'll be able to capture etc. this way? What is the workflow? Are there any settings I need to tweak in parallels in order to capture via firewire using Neo HD? My plan is shoot in 24p cinema mode, then capture the footage via firewire and then remove the pulldown using cineforms toolsets. I am unfamiliar with the software as of this writing so I don't know the exact workflow. Any insight would be most welcome.

Am I missing anything? Will Cineform be releasing a Mac solution that does not require the use of Parallels or Bootcamp? I'm aware that NAB is coming up soon. Would it be prudent to wait a few weeks? If I purchased the windows version, I'm assuming I would be out of luck if Cineform released a Mac OS based application.

Thank you. I look forward to getting these issues clarified.


Hardware to be used:
Macbook Pro C2D 2.33 GHz
Canon HV 20
Lacie External Firewire 320gb.

NLE software:
Final Cut Studio 2

[David Newman]

Parallels does not work for the Firewire connection to HDV cameras -- only Boot Camp will work for direct from tape captures. This is a Parallels limitation. However, all of the conversion utilities work from file based sources, so you can capture m2t media on the Mac and convert that with pulldown removal and other CineForm filters to an MOV file that you can edit with FCP and other QT Mac applications. We are not close to releasing all of the PC capture and conversion tools for the Mac, that is why we provided this combined license. However when we do have a Mac version of HDLink, we will also cross platform upgrades likely at minimum or no cost.

[Vincent DePaul]

So I get the cineform codec, conversion tools, Neo Player, for $599? Seems steep. Half the price of Final Cut Studio 2. I'll have to check the site again to make sure I'm getting the correct price information for Neo HD.

[David Newman]

NEO Player is the name of the free decoders download -- handy when you want files to play on clients computers. NEO HD does a lot for it $599 value, real-time HMDI / HDSDI ingest at 1920x1080 10-bit from AJA or BM hardware to the highest quality codec between 5 and 10:1 compressed, all on inexpensive Intel hardware. Inverse telecine tools will pay for themselves in the time you save. There is a lot there. Now if you only want the codec, then the price may seem high, yet we have found that codecs alone rare solve issues alone, you need a range of tools to make a compressed workflows efficient and easy to use, and that is what we do our best to provide.