New beta builds for Thanksgiving

[John Hewat]

The Neo links appear to be dead.

[David Newman]

Neo links fixed.

[Jay Bloomfield]

I had some time today to test the passive metadata options in FL. I'm running Win7 x64 Ultimate:

1) With overlay on, FLPlayer.exe crashes, if you try to play any file. The Event Log info is below. I tried various Windows compatibility modes and made sure that FL was running as an administrator. If you turn off all burn-ins, but leave the Overlay check box checked, then the file plays properly. It must be an Win 7x64 thing.
2) The overlay displays properly in both Vegas 9.0c x86 & x64. The text is bit hard to read in the lower resolution preview modes, but it's still usable.
3) The overlay displays properly in PP CS4 4.2. The text looks great.
4) With Overlay turned on, both versions of VDub crash (x86 & x64), without playing a single frame. VDub works fine with Overlay off.
5) Media Player Classic runs fine with the overlay, although the text is a bit hard to read.
6) Windows Media Player runs fine with the overlay and the text is very legible.
7) Changing the font from the default works fine, unless there isn't a close match (like typing "Courier" instead of "Courier New"), but that's to be expected of a "primitive" option for the fonts.
8) printf works fine, as does the burn-in logic.

All in all, a very substantial improvement, as I remember talking about passive metadata (GPS, f-stop shutter, gain, etc.) in a thread here a while back.

Log Name: Application
Source: Application Error
Date: 11/29/2009 9:15:01 PM
Event ID: 1000
Task Category: (100)
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Jay-PC
Description:
Faulting application name: FLPlayer.EXE, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x4b0ce7d3
Faulting module name: CFHDDecoder.dll, version: 5.7.1.402, time stamp: 0x4b0d851c
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0007480d
Faulting process id: 0x10b8
Faulting application start time: 0x01ca7162d91534b5
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\CineForm\Tools\FLPlayer.EXE
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files (x86)\CineForm\Tools\CFHDDecoder.dll
Report Id: 297fc6ef-dd56-11de-b190-0015f2397a0d
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Application Error" />
<EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>100</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2009-11-30T02:15:01.000000000Z" />
<EventRecordID>55894</EventRecordID>
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>Jay-PC</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>FLPlayer.EXE</Data>
<Data>0.0.0.0</Data>
<Data>4b0ce7d3</Data>
<Data>CFHDDecoder.dll</Data>
<Data>5.7.1.402</Data>
<Data>4b0d851c</Data>
<Data>c0000005</Data>
<Data>0007480d</Data>
<Data>10b8</Data>
<Data>01ca7162d91534b5</Data>
<Data>C:\Program Files (x86)\CineForm\Tools\FLPlayer.EXE</Data>
<Data>C:\Program Files (x86)\CineForm\Tools\CFHDDecoder.dll</Data>
<Data>297fc6ef-dd56-11de-b190-0015f2397a0d</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

[David Newman]

Unfortunately I never found crash logs useful, but there are a few others that have reported this crash. Are you using long GOP files, i.e. not using "Enable smart rendering"? It seems they aren't so compatible with First Light and overlays. However Windows 7 and x64 is fine, it was developed under that system type (what I running now.)

The readability if has two factors, the native decode size (full, half, quarter) and whether the image is scaled by the playback tool. You can set the font size to address all of these.

1) I think this is only with I-P, i.e. logo GOP YUV CineForm files, 444 and RAW are always I-frame.
4) VirtualDub works fine here for I-frame sources.
8) Yeh, it needs a font list.

Seem I-P YUV source is the remaining bug, but it would help if you could repeat your tests with some I frame only CineForm AVIs. Thanks.

[Jack Walker]

FL crashes for me with passive meta data and overlay.

CS3 + ProspectHD + Windows 7 (i7)

[Tomaso Perrone]

Originally Posted by David Newman

These PC betas, so they would help the Mac. Mac importer for CS4 and on the development schedule, as we don't plan too many months ahead. Of course you can export to a CineForm MOV from Mac CS4 and send that for PC users.

No offence - but have you ever tried using the Cineform MOV on a mac.... with Premiere?

Final Cut is fine - but I'm using Premiere on 2 platforms. At this point I'm just foing to give up asking and chalk up the purchase as a loss. I've wasted more than that before.

[David Newman]

Originally Posted by Jack Walker

FL crashes for me with passive meta data and overlay.

CS3 + ProspectHD + Windows 7 (i7)

See the post "Yesterday 06:52 PM" , I believe that is the explanation -- plus it has been fixed.

[Jay Bloomfield]

Originally Posted by David Newman

Seem I-P YUV source is the remaining bug, but it would help if you could repeat your tests with some I frame only CineForm AVIs. Thanks.

Yep. That's it. I tried it for a few CFHD AVI files that were set up for Vegas smart rendering and they play perfectly in FL and also in VDub x86/x64. Windows crash logs are like asking your new puppy for an explanation as to why he chewed up the rug. But sometimes the logs give a few hints. And now for something completely different, the VDub x86 crash log for a non-smart render AVI file (attached).

EDIT: I just downloaded and installed build 228 final and the FL/VDub player crashes are fixed.