What are the CORRECT Frame Rates on the GH1?

[Lorry Smyth]

I recently got my GH1 and am in the process of figuring out the best workflow for editing. Because this camera shoots 1080/P24 but the files are stored in a 1080/60i envelope and Reverse Telecine is needed to convert the footage from 60i to 24P for editing, this is actually a nightmare.

Anyway, so far I tried NeoScene (it sucks unlike what everyone syas all I get is interlacing artifacts while the files generated are so ridiculously big its stupid), I also tried VoltaicHD 2 which kind'a works and also tried TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress that I don't seem to get a correct setting for proper 24P output.

Well, the matter of the fact is that all files generated from NeoScene and VoltaicHD are actually NOT 24fps but 23.98fps. Is this right? And if so when editing, do I output the project as 24P or 23.98 Progressive?

This is all such a flippin nightmare... gosh I miss DV... one system, one format, one thing, one Standard... it all just worked, not to mention fast... these days, the faster computers get the slower and more never-ending complex the editing process gets... this is all so ridiculous... one day, back to film... splicer and tape... that's the way to cut things!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAnyway... has anyone by chance tried the GH1 Custom Firmware that shoots 24p directly and enables higher bitrates?

I'm tempted to try it but worried it will fry my new GH1 and not take future stock firmware updates from Panasonic...

Sorry for the rant, thanks for the input:):):)

[David W. Jones]

Compressor Pulldown Removal:

24p FCP AVCHD workflow:

1. In FCP, Log and Transfer
(AVCHD-> ProRes 422)

2. In the Clip window in FCP:
Highlight all clips and go to Export-> Using Compressor

3. In Compressor:

Pick Format as Prores 422 HQ

Go to Video-> Frame rate-> Custom, Enter 23.976

Turn on frame controls-> Deinterlace settings-> Reverse Telecine

Set your output folder and click submit (this renders pretty fast and Compressor automatically finds the pulldown cadence and removes it)

4.Now import the new folder with new clips into FCP and you have 1080/24p.




All the Best!

[Lorry Smyth]

Hey David, oops my bad, I forgot to mention Im on a PC and which editor I use...

Currently my workflow is shoot, convert to 24p with VoltaicHD and then I edit the converted QuickTime files in Sony Vegas Pro 9.0 because its the one running faster and with the best workflow for me, plus it handles AVCHD natively really well. If its just basic trimming or sometimes for final Mastering and clean-up (Noise Reduction, resize, etc.) I use TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress which is positively one of the most fabulous video apps ever written.

[Lorry Smyth]

OK, so I made the plunge and actually installed the modded firmware that enables higer bitrate and direct 24p recording, ITS AMAZING!!!

This this is night and day, no more conversions needed, the image is breathtaking. Forget about more conversions and all the 60i to 24p crap. This is the real deal:

http://wiki.dvxuser.com/wiki/GH1_Custom_Firmware

...its like having a whole new camera... results are incredible! One word of caution you will loose the English Menus totally, all gets reverted to Japanese no matter the language chosen.. I can live with it...

Ill shoot some stuff tomorrow and post some videos

[Jay Bratcher]

Originally Posted by Lorry Smyth

One word of caution you will loose the English Menus totally, all gets reverted to Japanese no matter the language chosen.. I can live with it...

Hi Lorry -

I did not have this issue when I installed the hacked firmware, but I only enabled native 24p, higher bitrate (per the wiki page), increased buffer size, and third party battery. Might be worth having another look, if you miss your menus :)

And I agree - the hack gives better footage, and not having to do pulldown removal is great. I was doing it in Avid Media Composer 4, and it wasn't too bad, but no conversion is obviously better. Now if I could just find a portable media player that would play AVCHD, for review...

[Lorry Smyth]

Jay, I re-flashed the camera and I got the Menus back in English so maybe I had done something wrong before.

The improvements in image quality are skin deep. If you take a closer look at the new 24p footage directly from the sensor, its much sharper, cleaner, much less artifacts and more filmic. Outstanding! As for the convenience of not having to do more 60i to 24p conversions, its heaven on earth. Ive been doing testing all day and the improvement in image quality are radical. Im thrilled and advise everyone to get the hack. Given, it has limitations and problems like (for now) 24p playback on the camera does not work... I really dont care about that, just about image quality and editing workflow, so, this gives new life to then GH1. Its really a whole new camera:)

[John Wiley]

Originally Posted by Lorry Smyth

gosh I miss DV... one system, one format, one thing, one Standard... it all just worked

Have to say I found this a bit amusing... I think HD standards are the best thing to ever happen to PAL users. When we have to use NTSC footage, we no longer suffer from a big resolution loss in PAL timelines. There's no different colour systems anymore either. So if I need to give my 25p footage to someone in the US (I travel to Hawaii every year for the surf season and collaborate quite a bit) I just interpret the footage as 24p and there is a barely perceptible speed change.

Plus there's no ugly pixel aspect ratios (even 4:3 DV didn't have square pixels... where's the sense in that?). Everything is widescreen so there's no letterboxing, cropping, pan & scanning etc to deal with.

The Cineform files may be bigger but I wouldn't call them huge - they are 2x as large as DV yet contain 4x as many pixels so I think that's a pretty fair trade off. Especially when you consider how much cheaper hard drive's are now than they were in the DV days a few years ago.

24p has always been 23.98 in the video world... and 60i/60p is actually 59.97i/p. That's always been the case with DV too. Just like 24p DV was recorded as a 60i stream to tape. Those problems have been around alot longer than HD.

It may take a bit of getting used to but HD standards are bringing everything alot closer than they were before. It's the reaon why we have amazing cameras such as the 550d which can shoot frame rates for PAL and NTSC regions - something that was unthinkable at that price point up until it's release.

I say down with DV and it's terrible segregation. Up with HD and world standards!

[Ash Varma]

Hello All,
I was tempted and just ended up flashing with the hack to the highest bitrate, i think 50.
My question is - i've taken some video but want to confirm if it's recording at that rate.
Sorry for the trivial question, but is there any way to confirm that the hack actually works?
thank you.

[Sassi Haham]

Yes, there is an application called stream parser (free), drop your mts file and you will see the bit rates and much more.

[Ash Varma]

thanks for the response Sassi.
I performed a search but can't seem to locate it. can you please provide any additional information?
Cheers.

[Ash Varma]

found it, thanks.