Converting process for P2 in HDLink or the faulty Premiere 3.2 playback engine.

[Mikael Bergstrom]

High guys

Just like to know how many of you that uses the P2 format having problems with the converted files like in a random manner together with CineForm, in my case Prospect HD?

I have tested it on two different machines (new builds with i7 920 cores) and it gives me the same random faulty results, I can’t play and I can play the files in the timeline in Premiere 3.2, often the same clip is pending between working and not working. This is with Prospect HD 4.09 and (4.10 beta)

The files (DVCPRO HD) are in 1440 native (25pn) and 960 (50p over crank) in PAL format. I then choose the “resize option” to 1280 x 720p.

The converted files play all fine in Windows Media player thought, so no problem there.

This is what I’m trying to do with HDLink.

In Preference tab.
1. I choose the “Automatically convert to CineForm Intermediate”.
2. Capture location = D:\Cineform test
3. Use capture location for converted files = “Yes”.
4. Destination file format for capture and conversion = “AVI”
5. CineForm Encoder options = “Quality High”
6. CineForm Encoder options, frame format = “Progressive
7. Resize video = 1280 x 720
8. Keep source aspect ratio = “Yes”
9. Infinity controls = Convert to = “CFHD”

I then start Premiere 3.2 and make a custom made project like this
1. Editing mode = CineForm HD.
2. Timebase = 25 frame/seconds.
3. Video = 1280 x 720 (16:9)
4. Pixel aspect ratio = Square Pixels (1.0)
5. Fields = No fields (Progressive Scan)
6. Display format = 25 fps Timecode
7. Sample Rate = 48000 Hz

The problem is when I bring in the clips in to Premiere and then try to play them; I get a red cross and black picture in my program monitor and red line in timeline. I can scroll in the timeline with picture and sound thought, but not press play. Sometimes I can force them to work by drop the plug-in “force render” on the faulty clip (CineForm plug-in).

I then try to redo the same converting progress with the same files and the same setup in HDLink and in the same Premiere project and it works (remember it’s random and it doesn’t always work)?

Next day I can come back to the working project just to find out its back to the non working mode again??? Same clip same project two different computers???

This is also the same for a non down converted clips (not resized to 1280 x 720p), straight 1440 clip (CineForm AVI or QuickTime) in a 1440 project or 960 (CineForm AVI or QuickTime) in a 960 project??? Random it work and random not???

I tried a third computer with Premier 2.0 and with Prospect HD v3.49 Build 193 and this odd random strange behavior appears not on this computer?

To me it’s clear that in Cineform’s fine effort (I have CS4 also and longing for the day I can use it) to fix the v4xx of Prospect HD to work in CS4, they now mess-up the codec for CS3.

This is my computers spec:

Computer 1:

Motherboard: Asus P6T
Processor: i7 920 quad
RAM: 6GB Corsair 1333
Raid: Adaptec 3085 with 4 x 1TB Seagate SATA in raid 5
Operating System: Windows Vista64 Ultimate with all the latest updates (SP2)
Operating System disk: WD Raptor
Graphic card: AMD/ATI 4870
CineForm: Prospect HD 4.10

I have turn off "user account control" and then run the "register component's tool"

Computer 2:

Motherboard: Asus P6T Deluxe v2
Processor: i7 920 quad
RAM: 12GB Corsair 1600
Raid: Adaptec 3085 with 8 x 320GB Seagate SATA in raid 5
Operating System: Windows Vista64 Ultimate with all the latest updates (SP2)
Operating System disk: SSD Intel X25-M G2 80GB
Graphic card: AMD/ATI 5870
CineForm: Prospect HD 4.10

I have turn off "user account control" and then run the "register component's tool"

Computer 3:

Motherboard: Asus P5W64 WS Pro
Processor: Intel Dual core 2,67GHz
RAM: 2GB Corsair
Operating System: Windows XP32 with SP3
Operating System disk: Seagate 500GB
Graphic card: AMD/ATI 3870
CineForm: Prospect HD 3.49
I have run the "register component's tool"

I think CineForm need to fix the Converting process for P2 in HDLink or the faulty Premiere 3.2 playback engine.

I have opened a truble ticket, just like to know if there is more people out there with the same problem?

Best Regards
Mikael Bergstrom
Sweden

[Mikael Bergstrom]

Hello again

Can you believe it, I've found the problem. There were the Swedish letters "Å", "Ä" and "Ö" that caused the problem, there are certainly other letters in other languages also that can cause this problem to.

So the best way is to completely avoid language other than English at your files or folders.

Regards
Mikael Bergstrom
Sweden

[David Newman]

We use an old DirectShow component from Microsoft (so we can't fix it) that uses 8-bit ASCII only strings for filenames. Good investigation.

[Gary Brun]

Thats great to no.
Thanks

~g