QT frame rate change PLEASE

[Kaspar Kallas]

Hi

I really need a tool to change cineform QT file FPC under os X, anything!

The problem is this: I shoot SI2K and when I shoot over-crank it either records sync FPC (30,50 fps) or defaults to 24 (85,72,150) but I live in a pal world and need 25fps.

It is totally moronic to convert the footage to RGB in AE, not to mention expensive.
It is very difficult to keep a windows PC for the MOV repair tool to change FPS, and it will take ages as well.

SO PLEASE
-Kaspar Kallas

[Jason Rodriguez]

Hi Kaspar,

Doesn't using the QTRepair tool from the Silicon Imaging support website work? With that tool you can make a new QT reference movie file that has a new frame-rate by specifying those settings when you run the tool on the original QT movie file.

I would make a duplicate QT file to test on to see if this works, but it should.

I think the only downside is that the QTRepair tool is a windows-only program, so you would need Bootcamp, Parallels, or VMWare in order to run this on a Mac.

Thanks,

Jason

[Kaspar Kallas]

"It is very difficult to keep a windows PC for the MOV repair tool to change FPS, and it will take ages as well."

the QT repair tool does not work through virtualization software (Parallels, Fusion)
Also the process takes quite while, let alone transferring the files from SAN to Windows systems. Not really a good solution.

Thanks for trying
-Kaspar

[Craig Davidson]

Since you are shooting with over-crank, I assume all you want to do is change the time signature of the file to 25 fps instead of the default 24.

This should be easier and faster than trying to interpolate and adjust the sound to convert from 24 to 25 fps.

[Manuel Lopez]

I dont know in Mac, but in Windows avifrate.exe is a simple tool for to change the frame rate in file header. I used it with SI cineform files and it works fine.

[Kaspar Kallas]

Yes I just want to change time signature to 25fps.
I used the avifrate.exe a lot when I was editing the first feature shot on CF RAW working in PP2.0, back then there was no interpret footage as option for frame rate. If there would be something like this for QT and osx - I would be happy camper.

Could this be incorporated into Remaster? or a new tool - it can be commandline
I think people shooting some other video formats would also benefit from this - shoot the JVC in 50/60fps and use it as 30/25/24?

Thank You
-Kaspar

[Jay Bloomfield]

Try this. It may allow you to change the frame rate entry:

Metadata Hootenanny > Home + FAQ

I don't have a Mac, but Hootenanny will supposedly edit pretty much any metadata entry in a QT format file. Also, with a good hex editor and the QT Reference, it is fairly easy to change the frame rate of a MOV file.

[Jason Rodriguez]

Originally Posted by Kaspar Kallas

the QT repair tool does not work through virtualization software (Parallels, Fusion)
Also the process takes quite while, let alone transferring the files from SAN to Windows systems. Not really a good solution.

Okay, so it's not that it doesn't work at all, but that it's a very clunky workflow to the point that if there are too many files it's just not practical . . . am I getting that right?

Thanks,

Jason

[Kaspar Kallas]

Hi

Jason, how can I say that it works if I ask for a solution for MAC OSX?
Jay, Hootenanny cannot change fps unfortunately - could you describe the solution with hex and reference movie, I cannot find the current FPS setting by searching the binary.

Thank You
-Kaspar

[Jay Bloomfield]

Keep in mind, that I have a PC, not a Mac.

1) Make a copy of the video file and work with the copy.

2) Download the Quicktime File Format Specification from the Apple website:

http://developer.apple.com/DOCUMENTA.../QTFF/qtff.pdf

3) It also helps to use a Quicktime atom viewer program in addition to the hex editor, since the former will show you a hierarchical map of the atoms in the MOV file. Open the copy of the MOV file with the hex editor and the atom viewer.

4) "Well behaved" MOV files have a moov atom, a trak atom for the audio and a trak atom for the video. But some files have more than one moov atom and multiple tracks. If that is the case, you can either stop now or make the changes to all the video tracks. Find the video trak atom, then the mdia child atom and then the mdhd child atom. The mdhd atom has 8 entries (p 62 of the QT file reference). The entries are Version, Flags, Creation Time, Modification Time, Time Scale, Duration, Language and Quality. Generally, the Time Scale is the frame rate, although not always, since it is relative to the number of frames and the Duration.

5) Here's the challenging part. Intel and Motorola processors use different bit orders (little and big endian), so the 4 byte Time Scale may show up as "00 00 29 97", or it could have all the bits reversed. Of course, it won't be "79 92 00 00", but with a calculator that does hex arithmetic, you should be able to figure out how it's stored.

6) Save the file and open it with the QT Player. If the Movie Inspector shows the wrong duration and/or frame rate, you did it wrong.

I have no idea, whether the workaround suggestions in this thread will actually work, as I am only focusing on how to manual edit the MOV file with a hex editor. Also, the manual editing process can be frustrating, so keep telling yourself that it doesn't cost anything, except a small amount of your time to experiment. I'd also say that if you can't make it work in an hour or two, it probably isn't worth pursuing further.

[Craig Davidson]

You could also use Dumpster. It lets you edit all the 'moov' resources and get into real trouble. ;)

[Jay Bloomfield]

Yeah, I forgot about Dumpster, because, it doesn't run under 64 bit Windows and I haven't used it in awhile. It has both Mac and 32 bit Windows versions.

[Kaspar Kallas]

Hi

Found Mutlishow for mac that shows atoms, works like charm / Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

-Kaspar

[Jason Rodriguez]

Jason, how can I say that it works if I ask for a solution for MAC OSX?

Hi Kaspar,

I completely understand you point and perspective, so I apologize if my message is not coming across more clearly. My concern was that from your description, it seemed as there was some type of bug or error that was preventing the QTRepair tool workflow from working *at all*, especially for customers on PC's that this would be a realistic option for . . . I wanted to clearly differentiate the issue from something that was not practical, to something that was clearly broken and of no use to anyone.

I take it from your descriptions the issue is purely the completely lack of practicality for OSX users, not that using the QTRepair tool is somehow "broken", correct? I say this because if it is "broken", it will need to be fixed ASAP as there are many other customers counting on this tool to work for them for various other issues.

Thanks,

Jason

[Kaspar Kallas]

Hi

To confirm QTrepair works as documented.

Thank You
-Kaspar