Cineform "First Light" Press Release at DVinfo.net

Jack Walker · March 31st, 2009, 10:46 AM

Here is the Cineform "First Light" Press Release, March 31, 2009:
CineForm First Light Press Release

"First Light" is a very attractive draw to the Cineform workflow.

Simon Zimmer · March 31st, 2009, 11:22 AM

So do current users of Prospect HD get a free upgrade of Firstlight?

I like many also are eagerly awaiting the update which allows you to use Prospect HD with CS4!!

;)

But yes First Light sounds great!

Simon

David Newman · March 31st, 2009, 11:26 AM

First Light will be in Prospect HD v4.0 (and NEO HD v4.0). Recently PHD upgraders or purchases with get 4.0 for free.

Robert Young · March 31st, 2009, 11:58 AM

I'm a bit slow.
I read the press release, but I don't grasp the practical difference between First Light- let's say for color correction- and the current CF 32 bit floating CC in PHD v.3. If I add the v.3 CF CC filter to a timeline clip, make my adjustment, it usually previews without rendering and is non destructive to the original clip (I can remove the filter and am left with my original clip).
How is first light different? I don't necessarily mean the actual technology, but from the editor's POV.

David Taylor · March 31st, 2009, 12:10 PM

Robert, the difference is that all color corrections applied in PPro stay in PPro. So if you adjust color in PPro, and do *not* render the file, then immediately double-click on the same file (outside PPro) to play in WMP, it will have the same old color that was original "baked into" the file.

Using First Light, when you adjust color, the color parameters immediately become part of the file itself, but without rendering - they're "Active" Metadata. So now when you adjust color with First Light, the color is immediately visible in PPro, AE, WMP, Combustion. You can even move the color database to Mac and the color is part of the file - all without rendering the color into the file.

The ability to adjust color without rendering is powerful - it preserves your highlights. When you render color into your file, invariably you're making compromises to maintain range without clipping.

Simon Zimmer · March 31st, 2009, 02:26 PM

Thanks David.

I can't wait to try it out.

Sounds very useful.

Simon

Robert Young · March 31st, 2009, 03:54 PM

Hmmm... I see what you are saying.
What happens when you finish the project and render out to a master avi, code for DVD, BD, etc. All the changes and corrections must get "baked in" at that point, right?

David Newman · March 31st, 2009, 04:08 PM

If you encode directly to BluRay then no, all the First Light color manipulation does not need to be baked in. However, if you do flatten to a new CineForm AVI/MOV, the activate metadata corrections will render out faster than the NLE own filters.

Stephen Armour · March 31st, 2009, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Newman

If you encode directly to BluRay then no, all the First Light color manipulation does not need to be baked in. However, if you do flatten to a new CineForm AVI/MOV, the activate metadata corrections will render out faster than the NLE own filters.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "encode direct to BluRay...". How can you encode to anything without "flattening"? How would you burn a BluRay disk without a final "baked in" copy?

David Newman · March 31st, 2009, 05:02 PM

Of course, but I was answering in the spirit of the question -- there is not adding rendering by using First Light, just the opposite.

Robert Young · March 31st, 2009, 05:26 PM

So, First Light seems kind of like a Photoshop adjustment layer that travels with the file and can be read by a variety of applications.
Warp Speed, Mr. Zulu!!!

David Newman · March 31st, 2009, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Young

So, First Light seems kind of like a Photoshop adjustment layer that travels with the file and can be read by a variety of applications.
Warp Speed, Mr. Zulu!!!

Yes. Any application that support VfW, DirectShow, QuickTime, or our direct SDK -- i.e. lots of Apps.

Peter Ferling · April 1st, 2009, 11:51 AM

Hello David. This is cool. Just like non-destructive editing I get using RAW still images in photography, but now available in video. We are now editing the instruction parameters to tell a particular program how to present the media, without having to recompress the orginal data. Is that correct?

Chris Barcellos · April 1st, 2009, 11:58 AM

And what does that mean to the Vegas users ? Is first light of any benefit to us ?

David Taylor · April 1st, 2009, 12:05 PM

Peter, the good news is that the calling application does not need to know anything about CineForm Active Metadata. Take a look here at the technical description we put together: Active Metadata Overview. Hopefully it makes clear the point that all processing takes place below the QT/AVI layer.

This also raises the bar on photo apps like Lightroom (which I use all the time), because when you make adjustments in LR the data stays only in LR. With First Light's manipulation of Active Metadata, the adjustments follow the file around, regardless of the calling application.

Chris, Vegas users will get the same benefit. Remember, AM is independent of the calling application.

March 31st, 2009, 10:46 AM	#1
Jack Walker Trustee Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Burbank Posts: 1,811	Cineform "First Light" Press Release Here is the Cineform "First Light" Press Release, March 31, 2009: CineForm First Light Press Release "First Light" is a very attractive draw to the Cineform workflow.

March 31st, 2009, 11:26 AM	#3
David Newman CTO, CineForm Inc. Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California Posts: 8,095	First Light will be in Prospect HD v4.0 (and NEO HD v4.0). Recently PHD upgraders or purchases with get 4.0 for free. __________________ David Newman -- web: www.gopro.com blog: cineform.blogspot.com -- twitter: twitter.com/David_Newman

March 31st, 2009, 11:58 AM	#4
Robert Young Trustee Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Coronado Island Posts: 1,472	I'm a bit slow. I read the press release, but I don't grasp the practical difference between First Light- let's say for color correction- and the current CF 32 bit floating CC in PHD v.3. If I add the v.3 CF CC filter to a timeline clip, make my adjustment, it usually previews without rendering and is non destructive to the original clip (I can remove the filter and am left with my original clip). How is first light different? I don't necessarily mean the actual technology, but from the editor's POV. __________________ Bob

March 31st, 2009, 03:54 PM	#7
Robert Young Trustee Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Coronado Island Posts: 1,472	Hmmm... I see what you are saying. What happens when you finish the project and render out to a master avi, code for DVD, BD, etc. All the changes and corrections must get "baked in" at that point, right? __________________ Bob

March 31st, 2009, 04:08 PM	#8
David Newman CTO, CineForm Inc. Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California Posts: 8,095	If you encode directly to BluRay then no, all the First Light color manipulation does not need to be baked in. However, if you do flatten to a new CineForm AVI/MOV, the activate metadata corrections will render out faster than the NLE own filters. __________________ David Newman -- web: www.gopro.com blog: cineform.blogspot.com -- twitter: twitter.com/David_Newman

March 31st, 2009, 11:22 AM	#2
Simon Zimmer Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Easton, Maryland Posts: 497	So do current users of Prospect HD get a free upgrade of Firstlight? I like many also are eagerly awaiting the update which allows you to use Prospect HD with CS4!! ;) But yes First Light sounds great! Simon

March 31st, 2009, 12:10 PM	#5
David Taylor Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Solana Beach, CA Posts: 853	Robert, the difference is that all color corrections applied in PPro stay in PPro. So if you adjust color in PPro, and do not render the file, then immediately double-click on the same file (outside PPro) to play in WMP, it will have the same old color that was original "baked into" the file. Using First Light, when you adjust color, the color parameters immediately become part of the file itself, but without rendering - they're "Active" Metadata. So now when you adjust color with First Light, the color is immediately visible in PPro, AE, WMP, Combustion. You can even move the color database to Mac and the color is part of the file - all without rendering the color into the file. The ability to adjust color without rendering is powerful - it preserves your highlights. When you render color into your file, invariably you're making compromises to maintain range without clipping.

March 31st, 2009, 02:26 PM	#6
Simon Zimmer Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Easton, Maryland Posts: 497	Thanks David. I can't wait to try it out. Sounds very useful. Simon

March 31st, 2009, 05:02 PM	#10
David Newman CTO, CineForm Inc. Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California Posts: 8,095	Of course, but I was answering in the spirit of the question -- there is not adding rendering by using First Light, just the opposite. __________________ David Newman -- web: www.gopro.com blog: cineform.blogspot.com -- twitter: twitter.com/David_Newman

March 31st, 2009, 05:26 PM	#11
Robert Young Trustee Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Coronado Island Posts: 1,472	So, First Light seems kind of like a Photoshop adjustment layer that travels with the file and can be read by a variety of applications. Warp Speed, Mr. Zulu!!! __________________ Bob

April 1st, 2009, 11:51 AM	#13
Peter Ferling Trustee Join Date: May 2005 Location: Wyomissing, PA Posts: 1,141 Images: 57	Hello David. This is cool. Just like non-destructive editing I get using RAW still images in photography, but now available in video. We are now editing the instruction parameters to tell a particular program how to present the media, without having to recompress the orginal data. Is that correct? __________________ Pete Ferling http://ferling.net It's never a mistake if you learn something new from it. -------------------------------------------

April 1st, 2009, 11:58 AM	#14
Chris Barcellos Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Elk Grove CA Posts: 6,838	And what does that mean to the Vegas users ? Is first light of any benefit to us ? __________________ Chris J. Barcellos

April 1st, 2009, 12:05 PM	#15
David Taylor Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Solana Beach, CA Posts: 853	Peter, the good news is that the calling application does not need to know anything about CineForm Active Metadata. Take a look here at the technical description we put together: Active Metadata Overview. Hopefully it makes clear the point that all processing takes place below the QT/AVI layer. This also raises the bar on photo apps like Lightroom (which I use all the time), because when you make adjustments in LR the data stays only in LR. With First Light's manipulation of Active Metadata, the adjustments follow the file around, regardless of the calling application. Chris, Vegas users will get the same benefit. Remember, AM is independent of the calling application.