After Effects and Cineform

[Jaromir Pesr]

David, I've added a link to my previous post...

[David Newman]

Funny I have just been looking into this very issue (on Friday.) This is not an interlacing artifact, but a 4:2:0 artifact from the default MPEG decoder, not a fault in the CineForm compression. It is only the chroma that is in error. I'm looking into the fix for the MPEG decoder. In the meantime there is a workaround (unfornately it does mean re-converting you clips using HDLink.) Before using HDLink open regedit and search on "UseMpeg" (it appears twice in CineForm registry entries.) It defaults to 0, change this to 1. This switches decoding from the shipped MPEG components (faster) to the Adobe licensed MPEG tools (little slower.) This will fix it.

[Jaromir Pesr]

Oh, great, it really works. Thank you very much, David. I have to say I've never had so brilliant support as you did now, even in this independent forum (and a 11 hours gap that dividing us). I'll just pray all these workarounds will be noticed when you'll do a next release of Aspect HD (and I hope it'll be soon). But in any case, I'm sure, you're doing a great job...

PS: You're happy, guys, living in US (if I forget your NTSC/29.97/30/60/24/23.96 and so on "joy"). Here, in central Europe, is everything ten times more complicated...

[Alex Raskin]

Originally Posted by David Newman

Funny I have just been looking into this very issue (on Friday.) This is not an interlacing artifact, but a 4:2:0 artifact from the default MPEG decoder

David, I only record on FX1 using Cineframe 30 mode, which is effectively a good in-cam deinterlacer. Thus I consider the output to be 30p.

I then capture the footage from tape using CapDVHS.

Next step is conversion into AHD using HDLink.

Questions:

1. Given that my HDLink settings are always Medium Quality, Progressive: do I still have to employ your workaround by regedit?

2. I only found ONE UseMpeg entry in my registry, not two as you stated.

[Jaromir Pesr]

Alex, ad 2) That one you've found is good enough...

[Randy Donato]

Thank you for that tip Steven, I have been looking for a way to do this for a while now. Some pretty smart AE folks(which I am not one) couldn't figure a workaround for the 1.33 par.Thank you again.

[David Newman]

Alex, This is only going to be an issue if you post de-interlace, so you don't need to change anything for your current workflow. The UseMpeg registry entry only in one place for recent installs (for older versions it was is two locations.)

Jaromir, Thanks for your comments.

[Alex Raskin]

OK, thanks. I still have changed the value from 0 to 1, in case if I have to deal with some 30i footage ingestion in the future.

I hope that this change is not going to screw things up for my current "progressive" workflow...

[Randy Donato]

I have tried Stevens tip and have changed the values and now(as of yesterday) have Aspect on the machine. Using Canopus HQ and Steven's method it displays fine(with toggle PAR) but for some reason in a custom 1440X1080 par 1.33 project Aspect displays like this http://www.rdonato.com/aspect.jpg. The captured footage is 1440x1080 and was captured in Ppro 1.51 before I got the full version...shouldn't matter I don't think.I am wondering what exacly does the install do if anything to AE? On analog out to monitor it looks fine but the preview is off as you can see. If I do interpret footage(AE sees it as square pixels) and select 1.33 it is fine...but with the HQ footage it sees it as 1.33 and I don't have to do anything.

[Steven Gotz]

Try importing the clip, and drop it on the icon to create a new project with it.

[Randy Donato]

It fixed itself! I changed the interpretation rules as per Steven and it worked fine with canopus HQ but didn't see the cineform unless you did interpret footage. I don't know if activation or the update to 3.1 did it but the custon 1.33 PAR I made was blown out and a Cineform 1.33 replaced it....now both canopus hq and Cineform work fine.Here is what the Aspect install did to the rules



# only adds a custom pixel aspect ratio to the popup in the Comp Settings & Interpret Footage
# dialog boxes -- uncomment the next line to try it out
0, 0, 0, "0000", * = 4/3/"Custom Aspect", *, *, *

# CineForm AVIs with HD2 HDV Clips (1440x1080) *** please keep this line ***
1440, 1080, *, ".AVI", "CFHD" = 1920/1440/"CineForm HDV 1080i", U, *, *
1440, 1080, 24, ".AVI", "CFHD" = 1920/1440/"CineForm HDV 1080p", F, *, *
1440, 1080, 23.98, ".AVI", "CFHD" = 1920/1440/"CineForm HDV 1080p", F, *, *

[Steven Gotz]

Cool. I will download the upgrade this weekend. I still need to figure out if I want to shoot Cineframe 30 or not when I go on vacation next week.

[Jeff Baker]

Hmm, I have 3.1 now and my After Effects comp window looks squished.
Workflow:
Improrted Premiere Pro 1.5 project that had Cineform project settings applied for 1080i 30i FX1 footage. (looks fine in Premiere)
After Effects imported the sequence as:
Custom
W 1440
Lock aspect Ratio to 4:3 CHECKED
H 1080

PAR Cineform HDV 1080i (1.33)
Frame Rate: 29.97

I tried unchecking the 4:3 aspect ration but nothing changed.

For the footage, the interpret footage window reads:
Upper Field First
PAR CineForm HDV 1080i (1.33)


Any ideas? Will it output correctly so I can continue to edit it in Premiere Pro?

[David Newman]

Jeff,

You probably need click on the "Toggle Aspect Ratio Correction" button on the AE composition window. It is the white square that is near the bottom right hand size on the windows controls.

[Ray Van Eng]

Not quite the right thread. Sorry.