What's new to 4.0.2.211

[David Newman]

While we are closing in on many of the CS4 issue, there are many other reasons to get the latest build.

Here are some of the changes:
Added: VfW Codec now has a pixel aspect ratio controls in its settings panel.
-- Whenever you export 1440x1080 or NTSC 16x9 form VfW tool like Vegas or VirtualDub, it would often assume a square (1:1) pixel ratio, which is wrong. Now the VfW Codec control panel allows you to set this.

Added: the installer now includes .Net3.5 framework for XP systems to run First Light.
-- First Light it is using .Net3.5 framework which ships with Vista, but not XP. Only the very first time will .Net 3.5 be installed on XP systems.

Enhanced: Decoder is more memory efficient by 6MB per instance.
-- When tracking down CS4 memory issues, we found a way to make the decoder a lot more efficient on initialization.

Enhanced: First Light
-- Ever see a grey window with resizing First Light, or making go full sceen, now fixed.
-- First Light would sometime accidiently copy some color setting to a clip that did have any, now fixed.
-- The snapshot feature has been improved.

Enhanced: HDlink HD to SD downscales now addresses 709 to 601 conversion for prefect SD color (great for DVD mastering.)
-- If you having any issues making prefect SD DVD, use HDLink. Master to HD, then load your master back back into HDLink for a 10-bit native 4:2:2 YUV Lanzcos-3 downscale which 709 to 601 color correction. This will make you prefect DVD master in 16x9, or 4x3 center cropped, or 4x3 letterbox. Set the Frame format to progressive or interlace to use the scaling filters optimized for your frame format. This is the fastest and highest quality HD to SD master solution.

Enhanced: CS4 importer is getting better each day, lower memory usage and faster.
-- It still needs more work, but it is now working well in most situations. Tracking down the few remaining issues.

Enhanced: The QuickTime codec for Windows was brought up to the current codec engine.
-- The QuickTime codec is now using the same Active Metadata engine as everything else, so your First Light correction will work correct in QT only applications.

Fixed: Encoder and Decoders now correct support the 'r210', 10-bit RGB 4:4:4 pixel format.
-- DIY Dual link Blackmagic capture card users, you where correct the 'r210' pixel format was wrong, now fixed.

Fixed: The Prosect HD install copying some CS4 components into CS3.
-- Opps! This is what caused most of the issues with the first 4.0 release. If you are still having issues. Try this uninstall PHD, then search of any left over components with CFHD*.* naming and remove them. Install 4.0.2.211 and all should be better (please file a trouble ticket if not.)

[James Park]

I tried to get the new update after filling the online forms for update. But still nothing in my email. (SPAM folder checked). I re-requested again to a different email address and nothing. Did the server or website go down?

Update: Ok looks like its fixed now. Got the update and its working great. Everything installed fine with both CS3 and CS4. Looking forward to the next release with further improvements. Thanks for all the hard work you guys put into this.

[Stephen Armour]

Originally Posted by David Newman

...Enhanced: HDlink HD to SD downscales now addresses 709 to 601 conversion for prefect SD color (great for DVD mastering.)
-- If you having any issues making prefect SD DVD, use HDLink. Master to HD, then load your master back back into HDLink for a 10-bit native 4:2:2 YUV Lanzcos-3 downscale which 709 to 601 color correction. This will make you prefect DVD master in 16x9, or 4x3 center cropped, or 4x3 letterbox. Set the Frame format to progressive or interlace to use the scaling filters optimized for your frame format. This is the fastest and highest quality HD to SD master solution.

Very impressive! You ace'd it! Very, very nice indeed. The best just got better!

That feature alone is a very nice addition, but with all the other added updates........all I can say is "wow"! I thought I was through being impressed by updates, but I was wrong.

[Stephen Armour]

Originally Posted by Stephen Armour

Very impressive! You ace'd it! Very, very nice indeed. The best just got better!

That feature alone is a very nice addition, but with all the other added updates........all I can say is "wow"! I thought I was through being impressed by updates, but I was wrong.

David, I retract that gush a bit.

I just did a side-by-side comparison in MPC (and 3 other players), with the two 720x480 (AR16x9) mpg's, I just made.

One, I used a full-size CF 1920x1080p master, the other a down-sized 720x480p (using HDLink with the same full-sized master) and both converted to MPEG2 with TMPGEnc 4.

Unless I did something wrong...(not impossible I'm sure)...the "full-size CF > mpg conversion down" is clearly superior. Both took almost equal times in the end.

[Stephen Armour]

I'm still not sure what's up. I tried both downsizing with HDLink to "16x9", and to "letterbox, and the results are the roughly the same after conversion to MPEG2 via TMPGEnc, except the 16x9 looks "window-boxed". (pillarboxed and letterboxed together).

I'm not sure if I'm doing it correctly. Since a 720x480 CF "master" would be nice for some people, if figured I'd look at this a bit.

Suggestions?

[David Newman]

Stephen,

I know you must making a misstep somewhere as this new scaler is being used for commerical DVD mastering. If you seeing more vertical softness, the easy mistake to leaving HDLink's frame format in "Automatic", set it to "Progressive" to use the best downscale for progressive sources.

It also sound like you are have some control issue with TMPGEnc, the 16x9 SD master should be interpret as 16x9 not pillarbox 4x3. One should never use letterbox 16x9 in 4x3 for DVD (yet so many TV series come that way, a way to save on bits I guess.) Cropped 4x3 is for those full frame lovers. All on these have be test to work correctly with Encore.

[Stephen Armour]

Originally Posted by David Newman

Stephen,

I know you must making a misstep somewhere as this new scaler is being used for commerical DVD mastering. If you seeing more vertical softness, the easy mistake to leaving HDLink's frame format in "Automatic", set it to "Progressive" to use the best downscale for progressive sources.

It also sound like you are have some control issue with TMPGEnc, the 16x9 SD master should be interpret as 16x9 not pillarbox 4x3. One should never use letterbox 16x9 in 4x3 for DVD (yet so many TV series come that way, a way to save on bits I guess.) Cropped 4x3 is for those full frame lovers. All on these have be test to work correctly with Encore.

It was set to progressive. I checked things out with GSpot too, to see if I missed something somewhere. When I have more time, I'll work through it more systematically, but for us right now, the 1920x1080p to 16x9 progressive 720x480p via TMPGEnc is seemingly still the way to go.

No matter, I still have to convert either to MPEG2 before outputting to a DVD mastering program, so it's one less step via TMPGEnc. Even if the quality is the same, the "one less step" for now wins...

[Bruce Gruber]

Since 4.0 still does not have presets. What preset do you reccomend when creating your project assuming 1920x190 capture?

[Bruce Gruber]

Hi Dave,

I am getting ready to install 211 build I have been out for a few days. Would it be that hard to have CF create your final Mpeg-2 Or BD output file ready for authoring??

I mean it is a superior product!! Why let yet another piece of software mess up the HQ of Cineform? Like main concepts or what ever?

[Bruce Gruber]

I am new to CF.. I see all these different option when I hit the Program dropdown and really have no idea what they are for? I alway assumed you do everything thru HDlink or Adobe..Ect..

Where do I find these setting
Here are some of the changes:
Added: VfW Codec now has a pixel aspect ratio controls in its settings panel.
-- Whenever you export 1440x1080 or NTSC 16x9 form VfW tool like Vegas or VirtualDub, it would often assume a square (1:1) pixel ratio, which is wrong. Now the VfW Codec control panel allows you to set this.

Thanks Bruce

[David Newman]

Bruce,

Any preset that match you resolution and frame will work fine, or you can customize with the Desktop playback mode.

We don't do MPEG2 or H.264 encoding, we would just license Main Concepts engine (now DIXV), so just use Encode with has the same engine.

VfW is for older tools like VirtualDub or Vegas that don't use DirectShow or our codec SDK directly. It is the codec control in these older tools that expose the new codec controls for those applications. Within Premiere the Microsoft AVI mode uses VfW, but that is not as good as the CineForm AVI exporter within the AME.

[Bruce Gruber]

Thanks Dave I thought I was totaly missing something. with the tools? CineForm AVI exporter is what I am using. Ok I did make a custom preset!