FCP Update, 5.0.3

[Nate Weaver]

Downloading/updating now.

Got my fingers crossed....

[Nate Weaver]

Arrrrghhh!

No love from Apple, not this time.

[edit: I found that I can capture without timecode using AIC. Gives me a 59.94 file, which then I can conform to 23.98 using Cinema Tools. In other words, this is the iMovie workflow, but a little cleaner. Did FCP allow this before?]

[Steve Mullen]

Originally Posted by Nate Weaver

Arrrrghhh!

No love from Apple, not this time.

[edit: I found that I can capture without timecode using AIC. Gives me a 59.94 file, which then I can conform to 23.98 using Cinema Tools. In other words, this is the iMovie workflow, but a little cleaner. Did FCP allow this before?]

I'll try this before I upgrade. My Mac has been in transit, but I've been thinking that if FCP didn't reject 720p59.94 this would be the way to go.

Are you saying it only accepts AIC at 59.94? Did you try HDV and did it reject it? From memory, can one mmodify the HDV 720p30 capture preset to 59.94?

As I keep seeing saying, using AIC is losing a generation before you even start editing.

[Nate Weaver]

Originally Posted by Steve Mullen

I'll try this before I upgrade. My Mac has been in transit, but I've been thinking that if FCP didn't reject 720p59.94 this would be the way to go.

FCP rejected 59.94 when trying to digitize native HDV, I know that. And it still does.

Originally Posted by Steve Mullen

Are you saying it only accepts AIC at 59.94? Did you try HDV and did it reject it? From memory, can one mmodify the HDV 720p30 capture preset to 59.94?

FCP seems to, when digitizing via AIC, accept either 720p30 or 720p60. 720p30 from tape of course works perfectly, 720p24 digitizes in "hitches". That is, it thinks it's seeing 59.94, but there's only frame data for 24fps, so it previews the digitize strangely. If you saw it, you'd go, "oh yeah, that makes sense"

You can't modify any of the native *OR* AIC HDV capture presets. They are the only capture presets like this.

Originally Posted by Steve Mullen

As I keep seeing saying, using AIC is losing a generation before you even start editing.

Oh, I know it. I have a project coming up though that I have to get a flow down BEFORE I shoot, though. Since I will be shooting 720p24, and then actually cutting in DVCPRO50 though, I can put up with AIC...

[edit again: I've been playing with the AIC/iMovie workflow for a few weeks, and was not agreeing with Tim's opinion that AIC was relatively clean. I have to say that the AIC clips I'm getting out of FCP look a lot cleaner than what I had gotten out of iMovie. Clean enough that my DVCPRO50 test downconverts look absolutely pristine.]

[Steve Mullen]

Originally Posted by Nate Weaver

FCP seems to, when digitizing via AIC, accept either 720p30 or 720p60. I've been playing with the AIC/iMovie workflow for a few weeks, and was not agreeing with Tim's opinion that AIC was relatively clean. I have to say that the AIC clips I'm getting out of FCP look a lot cleaner than what I had gotten out of iMovie. Clean enough that my DVCPRO50 test downconverts look absolutely pristine.]

Hmmmm. As I remember, the problem with AIC according to the codec geeks was an incorrectly implemented "chroma filter." I'll look it up.

Could QT 7 have introduced an enhanced AIC? Does FCP offer an enhanced AIC?

I think your workflow makes the most sense because it is so similar to 24fps with 60i. Could you document it for those that don't use this flow. I haven't for years.

[Tim Dashwood]

Nate,

I haven't had a chance to update yet, but here is the document on what is in the update.
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/Fin..._5.0_lbn_z.pdf

Officially they have only updated Multiclips, multi-channel audio, and subclips with 24@25 TC. That doesn't mean that they haven't done a couple other things to cinema tools.

So my basic questions to you:

• What is the version number of Cinema Tools? My version # is 3.0.2
  
• Can you now drag and drop an already digitized 720p60 m2t into a bin, or is it still unrecognized?
  
• Does CT only allow "conforming" of the frame rate, or can you now "reverse telecine" from a 60P file?
  
• Are you using version 1.0.1 of AIC? http://www.apple.com/support/downloa...ecodec101.html
  
• When you said you could capture without TC in AIC, did you analyze the resultant file? What is the exact frame rate?

I'm really starting to get concerned that Apple may be considering LumiereHD as the official "support" for 24/25P. I hope version 2.0 is much more functional that 1.6b2!

[Nate Weaver]

Originally Posted by Tim Dashwood

[*]Can you now drag and drop an already digitized 720p60 m2t into a bin, or is it still unrecognized?

Nope. No-go. My personal hunch is that this will never work, because Apple has always seemed to really only support Quicktime-groomed media in FCP. An .m2t would be considered "too wild".

Originally Posted by Tim Dashwood

[*]Does CT only allow "conforming" of the frame rate, or can you now "reverse telecine" from a 60P file?

Nope. No reverse telecine on a 59.94 24p export from MPEGSTREAMCLIP.

Originally Posted by Tim Dashwood

[*]Are you using version 1.0.1 of AIC? http://www.apple.com/support/downloa...ecodec101.html

Checked, and yes.

Originally Posted by Tim Dashwood

[*]When you said you could capture without TC in AIC, did you analyze the resultant file? What is the exact frame rate?[/list]

It was 59.94, which I had to conform back to 23.98 with CT. So in other words, 720p24 is working using AIC in FCP with only one additional step. Of course it comes with all the downsides of AIC like no batch support, etc. But technically I could get a job done.

Originally Posted by Tim Dashwood

I'm really starting to get concerned that Apple may be considering LumiereHD as the official "support" for 24/25P. I hope version 2.0 is much more functional that 1.6b2!

Gawd, I hope not. I don't think they'd do that to us. Honestly, I think this was more of a PCIe/maintainance update.