ProRes 4444 Gamma Shift Elimination on OS X Snow Leopard

Hi....
My workflow is Premiere Pro -> After Effects -> Premiere Pro -> QuickTime 7 (For Controlling purposes)
The following has been driving me nuts:
I load off a Canon5DMKII.MOV file from the card reader to the Hard Drive.
The I transcode that MOV into ProRes4444.
After doing so I open both in the QuickTime7 player.
And they DONT match. (Only if using compressor to transcode(Other Story))
Now I know that all you with the ProRes Codec also have this QuickTime7 preference:
'Enable Final Cut Studio color compatibility' and you (like me probably had it checked)
THIS is what is causing all the havoc.
It is IMPERATIVE that you UN-CHECK that preference BEFORE trans/En-Coding.
And it is IMPERATIVE that you RE-CHECK it after doing so...
Here is the workflow that translates into perfect Color/Gamma display when comparing transcoding to original source
01: Open QuickTime7 and go into Preferences
02: Make Sure that 'Enable Final Cut Studio color compatibility' is UN-CHECKED
03: Open Adobe Media Encoder
04: Drag your .MOV into its work area
05:Click the preset to open up all the settings
06: From Format > Select QuickTime
07: Disregard the Preset offered to you in the Preset Drop Down Menu
08: Click the Video Tab and under Video Codec select: Apple ProRes 4444
09: Click Codec Settings and set Gamma Correction to NONE (I have yet to see what this options actually does)
10: You can set the QUALITY slider where ever you like... It has NO effect on the output. Wonder why adobe put it there
11: I trust you know how to set the width, height FR, FT & Aspect to match your output
12: Check 'Render at Maximum Bit Depth' and click the 64 bit radio button (I dont know what it does and adobe as usual provides NO INFO)
13: Click OK to leave the Export Settings
14: Render your movie.
15: Open your original Movie source and the transcoded one in QuickTime Player 7. Put them on top of each other to check colors.
16: You will notice that the gamma doesn't match.... But here comes the rescue
17: Open Quicktime preferences and CHECK 'Enable Final Cut Studio color compatibility'
ET VOILA ----- The match perfectly...
If FAILING to follow above workflow - meaning failing to uncheck 'Enable Final Cut Studio color compatibility' before encoding,
your going to get a heart attack before that gamma matches...
NB - You should NOTE... That in step 17 - enabling the 'Enable Final Cut Studio color compatibility' does NOT alter the transcoded file,
it alters the Source. Making it darker.
NBB - That preference 'Enable Final Cut Studio color compatibility' should NOT have ANY influence (at least to my knowledge) over
how the file is encoded. But it DOES.... Failing to uncheck the 'Enable Final Cut Studio color compatibility' will result in a never matching
transcode vs original...
This whole scenario ONLY pertains to the quicktime player ! But then again... That is where a lot of folks WATCH their movies.
At least I do.
Hope this Helps

As I stated only the original MOV will be affected by the 'Enable Final Cut Studio color compatibility' preference.
If one used compressor to convert to 4444 that transcoded file will ALSO be affected by that preference
If one uses other encoder/transcoder like AME or MPEG Streamclip those files will NOT be affected.
I think I know why.....
In the OS X Finder, select your original movie and also one converted to 4444 via Compressor,
hit command-i to open the information window. Below General you will find More Info... Un-hatch the arrow (if not already)
and look at the 'Color Profile'...... property.
It says: HD (1-1-1) when encoded to 4444 via Compressor
It says: (1-1-6) when checking the original coming from the canon
THAT 'Color Profile' property is simply NOT there on Adobe Media Encoder - encoded files.....
Look at the following screen shot....
Seems as if adobes encoder just voids that entry... Or what do I know ?????

Similar Messages

Snow Leopard Prores 4444 Gamma Shift Nightmare

I've run into a nightmare with significant gamma shifts wrecking a lot of work we're trying to export using the Prores codec and After Effects CS3 (and CS4).
I found this supposed fix, but it has not solved my problems: http://blogs.adobe.com/toddkopriva/2009/12/prores-4444-colors-and-gamma-s.html
I appended suggested xml edit to the last line before </MediaCoreQT...> in both CS3 & CS4 files. Same infuriating darker gamma result after both edits.
Scenario: large targa sequence we've been working on for months, established pipeline of compiling the targas in AFXCS3 (OSX 10.5.8), Project Settings/Color Settings/Working Space = none, exporting sequence as Prores 4444, gamma set to automatic. Colour matched targas perfectly.
Now we're trying to use new Macpros we've bought specifically for this job that are run up as 10.6.2. Prores 4444 compiles are now coming out much darker! I've tried the XML edit (both CS3 & CS4), adjusting system gamma to 1.8 from new 10.6 default of 2.2, adjusting legacy gamma setting in project settings, etc... The colour is wrecked!! WTF?!?!?
Really don't want to have to revert to "Animation" settings. Deadline looms. Any help would be enormously appreciated!

I Think (but dont know) that I have found an explanation to this problem.
It has to do with colorsync on OS X (cant talk windows as I dont use that)
Scenario
1) Encode any non-ProRes 4444-source to ProRes 4444 using Compressor(Only encoder able to provide accurate result)
2) Be sure so DISABLE - Final Cut Studio color compatibility in the QT7 Player Preferences
3) Open source.MOV and new output.MOV in Quicktime7 -> Set view of both to half size (So you have overview) and place them next to each other
They should look/be identical
sometimes placing them next to each other will lead you to believe that they are different. If so, place them on top of each other and flip back and forth via the Window menu to make sure that both movies are indeed identical-looking.
4) Open OS X System Preferences
5) Click 'Displays' and select the color tab
Now, toggle through various color profiles. You SHOULD see the colors adapt on BOTH movies.
Create new AE Project and make sure that your Project is set to NOT color-manage your workflow
6) Create new AE composition and drag the Compressor-created ProRes 4444.MOV into it.
7) Add to render queue and select the ProRes 4444 as output.
8) Render out.
9) Open Compressor-created ProRes 4444.MOV and new AE-created ProRes 4444.MOV in Quicktime7 -> Set view of both to half size (So you have overview) and place them next to each other
10) They should look identical but they dont.
11) Open OS X System Preferences (in case you closed it)
12) Click 'Displays' and select the color tab
Now, toggle through various color profiles. You SHOULD see the colors adapt on BOTH movies.
They DONT. They ONLY adapt in the Compressor-created ProRes 4444.MOV not in the AE-created ProRes 4444.MOV
And that even though color-mangement has been turned off.
Turning color-managemen ON will have no different effect that leaving it off. The AE created movie(Color Management set to OFF) WILL not allow being color synced in OS X.
The Expected behavior IS:
1) when color management is set to OFF in the AE project settings and output module that the AE-Created movie would adapt to any color-profile change made within the OS X System Preference, COLOR Panel.
2) when color management is set to ON in the AE project settings and output module that the AE-Created movie would NOT adapt to any color-profile change made within the OS X System Preference, COLOR Panel.
As of NOW... There are no differences between above.
I hope this helps to solve this nuisance !!!
If I have missed something VERY obvious then please disregard my post and tell me what I seeing incorrectly !!!
PS - ON my computer - this last part of my post looks ridiculously small and that even though I have done NO font editing.
I find that posting and editing in this forum is as hard as getting Adobe products to encode correctly

Canon 5D h.264 files to Prores introduces gamma shifts

I can convert these files with QuickTime Player fine. But using the Compressor 3.5 preset for Apple Prores 422HQ Introduces random gamma shifts in the file - when viewed with QuickTime Player or FCP.

Why are you transcoding them in the first place? Doesn't FCP work with H.264 natively?!

*YET ANOTHER* Prores Gamma Shift Thread

There is a gamma and color shift, rendering Prores4444, 422HQ, 422, LT, and Proxy out of After Effects CC 2014.0.2.
It is apparent when viewing the renders from the Finder, Quicktime, or Premiere Pro CC 2014. I'm on OSX 10.8.3.
I followed these instructions to deal with it, but they didn't help:
http://blogs.adobe.com/aftereffects/2009/12/prores-4444-colors-and-gamma-s.html
I can get the footage to almost perfectly match by applying a gamma adjustment of .97, a blue gamma of 1.02 and green gamma of .98.
When I render to TIFF or JPG, the render matches the AE viewport.
My project's Working Space is set to None. If I set it to REC709, the Prores still have a gamma shift, and so do the JPG exports.
Setting the "Match Legacy Quicktime" checkbox doesn't help either.
The gamma shift doesn't just happen with motion graphics, but with regular footage too.
It also happens when rendering out of Davinci Resolve, which tells me it may be an Apple problem, not an Adobe problem.
This has been a problem with Prores for years.
Is it fixed in OSX 10.9? How about in Yosemite?
Is this just a fact of life for Prores? Should I switch to DNxHD?
If I'm going to use Prores, should I render everything with an Adjustment Layer that cancels out the gamma and color shift?
Thanks!
Eric

This isn't really an answer, but FWIW, I love 10-bit 220 DNxHD; I don't render anything out to ProRes anymore unless a client or subcontractor specifically asks for it. DNxHD is still limited to specific resolutions, but if you're working in HD or FHD, it's pretty great.

More CS 5 - ProRes 4444 Alpha channel nonsense

Hi:
Quicktimes I render out of After Effects CS 5 using the ProRes 4444 codec are tagged as having an alpha channel even though my settings in the Output Module are RGB and Trillions of Colors. NOT RGB + Alpha and Trillions of Colors+. It doesn't matter whether my project is 8 bit or 16 bit.
When I bring such movies back into AE it shows them as having an alpha channel (Trillions of Colors+). If I do a Get Info in QT player it shows Millions of Colors+, and FCP shows them as having an alpha, too.
I just upgraded to Snow Leopard 10.6.8 (figured it was safe after two years) and in the process switched full time to CS 5 (I only used it in the past to open other's projects). I never had these issues with CS4. I have not installed any AJA codecs into this new OS (clean install over wiped HD).
This appears to be the opposite of the problem most have been having, which is AE won't generate an alpha in ProRes 4444 without moving codecs and other nonsense.
The reason this is a problem is because when I bring these Quicktimes with faux alphas into FCP for editing I can't export a reference movie. FCP rewrites the whole timeline.
Haven't these CS 5/ProRes 4444 codec/Alpha channel issues been going on for over a year? Do I have to buy CS 5.5 to get this to work correctly?
Thanks.
Shawn Marshall
Marshall Arts Motion Graphics

PR422HQ is way overkill for 99% of the video and film producers in the world. It's there for a specific elite of the entertainment biz, those who work in 4k on 64bit systems, I guess, that' ain't me! It's one of those "if you have to ask, you can't use it" sort of things. Anyone who uses the advanced features of the ProRes family knows why. That's the theory. In my practical experience over on the FCP forum at Apple, 99% of those using ProResHQ believe they are improving their original footage.
Apple ProRes 4444
The Apple ProRes 4444 codec offers the utmost possible quality for 4:4:4 sources and for workflows involving alpha channels. It includes the following features:
Full-resolution, mastering-quality 4:4:4:4 RGBA color (an online-quality codec for editing and finishing 4:4:4 material, such as that originating from Sony HDCAM SR or digital cinema cameras such as RED ONE, Thomson Viper FilmStream, and Panavision Genesis cameras). The R, G, and B channels are lightly compressed, with an emphasis on being perceptually indistinguishable from the original material.
Lossless alpha channel with real-time playback
High-quality solution for storing and exchanging motion graphics and composites
For 4:4:4 sources, a data rate that is roughly 50 percent higher than the data rate of Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
Direct encoding of, and decoding to, RGB pixel formats
Support for any resolution, including SD, HD, 2K, 4K, and other resolutions
A Gamma Correction setting in the codec’s advanced compression settings pane, which allows you to disable the 1.8 to 2.2 gamma adjustment that can occur if RGB material at 2.2 gamma is misinterpreted as 1.8. This setting is also available with the Apple ProRes 422 codec.
Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
The Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) codec offers the utmost possible quality for 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 sources (without an alpha channel) and provides the following:
Target data rate of approximately 220 Mbps (1920 x 1080 at 60i)
Higher quality than Apple ProRes 422
Apple ProRes 422
The Apple ProRes 422 codec provides the following:
Target data rate of approximately 145 Mbps (1920 x 1080 at 60i)
Higher quality than Apple ProRes 422 (LT)
Apple ProRes 422 (LT)
The Apple ProRes 422 (LT) codec provides the following:
Roughly 70 percent of the data rate of Apple ProRes 422 (thus, smaller file sizes than Apple ProRes 422)
Higher quality than Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy)
Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy)
The Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy) codec is intended for use in offline workflows and provides the following:
Roughly 30 percent of the data rate of Apple ProRes 422
High-quality offline editing at the original frame size, frame rate, and aspect ratio
High-quality edit proxy for Final Cut Server
The Apple ProRes family of codecs provides these advantages:
Quality indistinguishable from that of the most pristine sources: Maintains superb quality even after multiple encoding/decoding generations.
Mastering-quality 4:4:4:4 RGBA: Provides a lossless alpha channel with real-time playback (Apple ProRes 4444 only). Mastering-quality 4:4:4 Y′CBCRcolor and 4:2:2 Y′CBCR color are also available.
The quality of uncompressed HD at data and storage rates lower than those of uncompressed SD: Provides real-time editing performance comparable to or better than that of any other HD codecs in Final Cut Pro.
Apple ProRes encoding at any frame size—SD, HD, 2K, 4K, or other: Apple ProRes codecs can also be encoded into nonstandard frame sizes, but nonstandard frame sizes are not supported for real-time playback in Final Cut Pro.
Variable bit rate (VBR) encoding: “Smart” encoding analyzes the image. Efficiency is increased because excess bits are not wasted on simple frames.
10-bit sample depth: Preserves subtle gradients of 10-bit sources (sunsets, graphics, and the like) with no visible banding artifacts. When you import a file using an Apple ProRes codec, you don’t have to first determine whether the file is an 8-bit or 10-bit file. Apple ProRes codecs always preserve the bit depth of your original source files.
I-frame–only (intraframe) encoding: Ensures consistent quality in every frame, with no artifacts from complex motion, and speeds up editing.
Fast encoding and decoding: Delivers high-quality, real-time playback and faster rendering times.
Equipment affordability: Because of low bit rates, you can edit more streams with more real-time effects on slower drives, or have more users accessing the same media over shared storage devices.
Workflow options for any video format that does not have native Final Cut Pro support: The Apple ProRes format provides an effective workflow for projects involving multiple acquisition formats when you want to standardize on a single codec.
Better rendering for native editing: Can be used to render long-GOP MPEG-2 formats (such as HDV and XDCAM HD) to speed up editing and avoid MPEG-2 reencoding artifacts before output.

Prores 4444 Problems

Hi there,
I'm digitizing video from a 4:4:4 HDSR through an AJA Kona 3 card (ver 6.0.3) to Final Cut trying to create ProRes 4444 files. However when I look at these files on the scopes my black level does not sit at 0 but rather it seems to add a setup to 7.5. My white levels also seem to have dropped. This shows up on the FCP scopes and on outboard calibrated scopes (back out through the Kona card).
I've tried the same material with various other compressions (10 bit, Prores 422, etc) and all of those show the blacks at 0. As soon as I use ProRes 4444 the levels are raised. I've tried using Millions of Colors and Millions of Colors+ (although I don't need the Alpha channel) and I've turned the Gamma Correction off.
Is there anything else I could be missing? Is this just what ProRes 444 does? I can't find much documentation on this subject. Thanks so much for any help.
Ryan

From the ProRes white paper:
• Apple ProRes 4444: The new Apple ProRes 4444 codec preserves motion image sequences originating in either 4:4:4 RGB or 4:4:4 Y’CBCR color spaces. At its remarkably low data rate as compared to uncompressed 4:4:4 HD, Apple ProRes 4444 supports 12-bit pixel depth with an optional, mathematically lossless alpha channel for true 4:4:4:4 support. Apple ProRes 4444 preserves visual quality at the same high level as does Apple ProRes 422 (HQ), but for 4:4:4 image sources, which can carry the highest possible color detail.
Apple ProRes 4444 is ideal for next-generation video and the most pristine computer graphics sources for cinema-quality compositing. For projects that previously required the Animation codec, Apple ProRes 4444 is a modern replacement with real-time playback support in Final Cut Pro. Because color detail is preserved, Apple ProRes 4444 is ideal for color grading with 4:4:4 image sources.
• Apple ProRes 422 (HQ): Boasting widespread adoption across the video post- production industry, Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) offers visually lossless preservation of the highest-quality professional HD video that a (single-link) HD-SDI signal can carry. This codec supports full-width, 4:2:2 video sources at 10-bit pixel depths, while retaining its visually lossless characteristic through many generations of decoding and re-encoding.
Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) can be used both as an intermediate codec to accelerate workflows for complex, compressed video sources and as an affordable, high- performance alternative to uncompressed 4:2:2 video.
• Apple ProRes 422: Apple ProRes 422 offers nearly all the benefits of its big brother, Apple ProRes 422 (HQ), but at a significantly lower data rate. It provides visually lossless coding performance for the same full-width, 10-bit, 4:2:2 sequences as Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) with even better multistream RT editing performance.
• Apple ProRes 422 (LT): Like Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) and Apple ProRes 422, the new Apple ProRes 422 (LT) codec supports full-width 10-bit video sequences, but at a target data rate even lower than these siblings. Apple ProRes 422 (LT) weighs in at 100 Mbps or less, depending on the particular video format. It balances incredible image quality with small file sizes, and is perfect for digital broadcast environments where storage capacity and bandwidth are often at a premium.
Apple ProRes 422 (LT) is ideal for live multi-camera and on-location productions where large amounts of footage are acquired to disk. The low data rate of Apple ProRes 422 (LT) also makes it an excellent choice for transcoding complex camera codecs like AVCHD.
• Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy): The third new member of the Apple ProRes family is Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy). This codec maintains HD data rates below 36 Mbps, yet like its higher-rate Apple ProRes 422 siblings, it supports full-frame, 10-bit, 4:2:2 video.
Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy) is intended for draft-mode or preview uses where low data rates are required, yet full-resolution video is desired. It is the ideal format for use in offline editing workflows with Final Cut Server. The traditional offline-to-online workflow with Final Cut Pro has relied on the Offline RT codec, but today’s HD workflows demand offline video formats that support native frame size and aspect ratio. Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy) supports full 1920 x 1080 and 1280 x 720 resolutions, enabling full HD resolution while editing, and accurate representation of FCP motion effects from the creative stages through finishing.

H.264 gamma shift/washed out colours on export

I know this has been discussed before but I've been researching this topic for the past two hours and still can't find a solution.
I have .mov source files from a Canon 7D. Exporting them from PP CS5.5 (Mac OS X - Lion, 10.7.4) in h.264 or by 'matching sequence settings' results in a gamma shift/desaturated colours. Playing the resulting h.264 file in QuickTime Player, VLC, Elmedia all result in the same colour shift so this is not an issue with QT simply interpreting the gamma incorrectly.
Uploading to Vimeo and Youtube results in the same gamma shift. The monitor I'm using is not calibrated but when puling up a VLC window of the exported file next to the Program Monitor (on the same monitor) shows that there is a definite difference. Below is a screenshot.
Is there any way to produce an exported file for Vimeo use that reproduces the gamma as I see it in the Program Monitor?
Any help would be massively appreciated.
Thanks.

Did you use Quicktime's H.264 export option? Or just standard h.264 using the .mp4 container? If you used the Quicktime h.264 the option itself is flawed. Here are some links regarding the issue.
http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/cmg_blogs/story/brightness_issues_with_h264_quickti me_movies/
http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/2008/06/fix-quicktime-gamma-shift/
http://imnotbruce.blogspot.com/2011/07/fixing-quicktimes-gamma-export-problem.html
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1358418?start=0&tstart=0
http://byteful.com/blog/2010/07/how-to-fix-the-h264-gamma-brightness-bug-in-quicktime/
https://discussions.apple.com/message/8551140?messageID=8551140#8551140?messageID=8551140
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2292530?start=0&tstart=0
If you read around the net a lot of people have had this issue with h264. A couple of the articles I posted are supposed to "fix" the problem although I haven't ever tried any of them myself. I've never experinced a gamma shift when using the standard h.264 format option in Premiere, however if you have already used that option and you're still having issues then I have no clue what is going on. However when I import ProRes files into Premiere they don't appear washed out, but when I play them in Quicktime or VLC they do appear washed out. I've always just assumed Premiere was somehow correcting it, because when I export my video to mpeg-2 for playback on our server it looks like it looked in Premiere.
From what I have read though the reason the Quicktime format does this when using the h.264 codec looks and looks washed out is because of a incorrect gamma tag. But Premiere isn't affected/fooled by this like most media players are. According from how they made it sound on provideo and the one other site I read it on anyways.

Quicktime X and After Effects CS4 - Unwanted Color / Gamma shift

Hello,
Upon the import of ANY video footage file into After Effects CS4, there is an immediate color (I am guessing a gamma shift) difference between how the video appears in Quicktime (both X and the older player) and how it appear in the After Effects composition window.
Footage appears to be darker in AE and lighter in quicktime, both before and after export. The gamma/color then appears roughly the same when being compressed via h.264 and uploaded to the web (the same in Safari, much darker via Firefox).
My main concern is simply getting AE's color to match Quicktime's so that I can have as close of a match between the color I think I have created in AE, and the actual color that appears in my final output to the web.
I have tried using all of the fixes to be found relating to gamma shifts via .h264, prores, etc. but nobody seems to have this problem with every codec, even animation. I have tried assigning color profiles in AE, matching quicktime legacy formats, etc. All of the options available in AE to no avail.
My monitor is calibrated fine, I am using Perian, All of the latest software updates. Any advice much appreciated!

Hi, thanks for the link. While helpful I am still having problems!
I tried using the method described with Automator to assign a color profile to a test Animation file, created from scratch in AE and rendered out as an Animation with no color management (previously it made no difference to the quicktime gamma shift as to if I had assigned a working color space or not within AE).
Automator only gives three color profile options, HD, SD, or PAL. I tried using HD as this is the size of video I normally work in (although I am also working in PAL), and ran Automator. I also tried using PAL and got identical results. It took about 30 seconds to finish and the result indeed looked much better in QT, and opened up in AE looking identical to a copy of the same .mov file with no color correction.
However, there is *still some change in the image quality as it appears in QT from how it (and the original) appears in AE*.
Original created / displayed in AE: What I am trying to maintain
Rendered out, Automator color profile HD assigned, and opened in QT: Gamma looks good but colors slightly more saturated than original in AE.
Rendered out with no color profile: Original problem with large gamma shift making everything bleached/washed out.
I have a screen shot I can show you to illustrate this here:
http://www.yousendit.com/download/THE0ek9xa0RxRTNIRGc9PQ
While the difference is subtle you can look at the RGB numbers and see the middle example is indeed more saturated.
Perhaps I need to use another color profile when working with the animation codec for animations created from scratch in AE to avoid this saturation shift, other than HD or PAL? Would you know of how to do this?
Also, would you know of how to change this, and perhaps a way of changing qucktime's interpretation rules for all animation files per se, so that I do not need to go through every .mov with the animation codec and assign profiles to them?
Many thanks for your time and sorry for being so long winded!

I really need some After Effects Logic regarding ProRes 4444

Regardinf ProRes 4444
I cant unterstand why it is so difficult to make this work properly.
It used to be that we could NOT select Trillions of Colors because they were grayed out.
Thus giving us 16 Bit per channel...
Then we had a fix althoug manual at first, we could then select 16 bit per channel...
Now we have a NEW problem.... And it is exactly opposite.
Now -- We cannot select Millions of colors thus 8 bit per channel.
I have a project in 8 Bit and I want to render it to ProRes 4444 but NOT in 16 bit per channel but with 8 bit per channel.
I cant do that as the Millions of colors (and Millions of Colors+) are grayed out...
I have a really hard time understanding this never ending problem. How hard can it be... Or am I the one totally missing the obvious...
BTW - Apples Compressor and Quicktime 7, correctly outputs 8 bit per channel incl. Alpha thus achieving 32 Bit (8 bit per channel)
Why cant after effects...
To the developers in case you are here ,-)
If the AE project is 8 bit per channel we should be able to render 8 bit per channel ProRes4444
If the AE project is 16 bit per channel we should be able to render 16 bit per channel ProRes4444
Thanks for any clarification

Rick Gerard wrote:
Apple Pro Rez 444 is a 12 bit codec. It always encodes at 12 bit. You can't force Pro-Rez 4444 to any other bit depth. The behavior in CS5.5 is correct and makes sense.
FYI, ProRez 422 HQ is a 10 bit codec. It won't encode at anything else. Changing the color depth settings in the Output Module won't change the way the codec works.
Here's a link to the ProRez white paper.
Hi Rick,
thanks for chiming in.
I have already read that paper many times. Perhaps I am just not smart enough.
When you say that it always encodes in 12bit... Does that mean that if I have a 16 Bit per channel Image Sequence that it would truncate the 4 upper bits ?
Here is the description of Apple's Compressor ProRes 4444 Setting. Indicating 32 bit which would be 8 bit per channel alpha included...
Be really nice if you could explaing that to me
Name: Apple ProRes 4444
Description: QuickTime movie with Apple ProRes 4444 (with Alpha) and audio pass-through
File Extension: mov
Estimated size: unknown
Audio: multi-track pass-through
Video Encoder
          Width: (100% of source)
          Height: (100% of source)
          Pixel aspect ratio: Default
          Crop: None
          Padding: None
          Frame rate: (100% of source)
          Frame Controls: Automatically selected: Off
          Codec Type: Apple ProRes 4444
          Multi-pass: Off, frame reorder: Off
          Automatic gamma correction
Progressive
          Pixel depth: 32
          Spatial quality: 75
          Min. Spatial quality: 0
          Temporal quality: 0
          Min. temporal quality: 0
Compatible with Mac

Gamma Shift / Flash Frame when Transcoding to H264

Hi Everyone,
I'm having an issue with gamma shifting when I transcode my ProRes 422 HQ master clips to H.264 for web viewing. The workflow is this:
Final Cut Pro 7.0.3 > Cut with ProRes 422 HQ 1080p 23.98 masters > Export to ProRes 422 HQ 1080p 23.98 self-contained QT
Compressor 3.5.3 > Bring in ProRes 422 HQ master clip > Apply H.264 custom setting > Transcode
Unfortunately the result is that what appeared in the ProRes master as a good looking clip, becomes a terrible looking clip with all sorts of gamma shifting. The strangest thing is that you can see the gamma shifting problem in the PREVIEW window in Compressor on BOTH sides of the comparison divider. So if you playback in Compressor you see it in the ProRes original! But in QuickTime player the ProRes is fine. In FCP it's fine. Even as an MPEG-2 for Blu-Ray (made using Adobe Media Encoder) it's completely fine.
So there is something going on in Compressor, it seems. I just can't quite figure this one out. Has anyone experienced this? I personally have found Compressor 3.5.3 to be very buggy. I get a green band on the outside of the frame when I make MPEG-2 for DVD in this version of Compressor. I never had that problem in the past with 3.0.5.
If anyone has any ideas that would be great. In the mean time, I'm uploading a comparison so that folks can actually see what I'm talking about. I'll post the download link when it's up.
Thanks in advance.
-JD

I have compressor 3.5.3 without any of this sort of problem. If you are doing any scaling or retiming, make sure that frame controls are enabled and all relevant options are set to best.
First, do your clips match your sequence settings (in particular frame rate and progressive/interlaced)?
Do you want to send me a short clip exported from fcp with current settings and I'll see if I can reproduce the problem?
My email is [email protected]

Quicktime player gamma shift

I'm playing back a ProRes file I rendered on my iMac. Using the new default QuickTime Player, I noticed what seemed like a gamma shift; the colors are more pale. When I play the same clip in the old QuickTime 7 Player, the colors are more accurate.
I thought the new QuickTime technology was supposed to do away with gamma shift issues. Am I wrong?

My work in AE is the final video and it is intended for the web.
I tried a lossless export and the result of that is that I have a gamma shift directly.
Also, I ran into this thread
http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/2/994565
Where Todd Kopriva says that :
"The QuickTime format can now contain an embedded ICC color profile. But After Effects doesn't know that. There's a feature record in our database to make it so that After Effects does know about this and can embed an ICC color profile into a QuickTime container; I just called the person responsible for that feature and suggested that I thought that it should be a higher priority for future development. So, there's no need for you to file the feature request."
And my video is kinda like it has a profile in it that only Quicktime sees. Not the others players.
well I am confused ...

Momentary gamma shifts in PS-CS6 composed image h.264 video

Before I finalize a bug report, wonder what others are seeing?
Having discovered the problem in a more complex scenario, I've narrowed down to a simple set of jpg images placed sequentially in a video group, and exported as an h.264 video from Photoshop PS6. All is on Windows 7 Professional SP1, all software involved completely up-to-date.
I first noticed the gamma shift using the 'High Quality' preset. It occurs with variations on Vimeo 29.97 and Youtube 29.97 presets. The gamma problem does not occur on HD 720p or 1080p 29.97 presets.
When I view the resulting video through Quicktime, I see a gamma shift for a moment on the first image, making it look washed out. After another moment, the gamma goes back to normal. On other players such as Windows Media or VLC, no such shift is visible.
Interestingly, the shift comes at 1 second when exporting to the Vimeo 29.97 preset, or 'High Quality', while at 3 seconds on Youtube 29.97. Similarly, the shift back occurs at 2 seconds, or 6 seconds for Youtube.
What the gamma shift looks like sounds like the now age-old Apple Quicktime fault on h.264. -- except it occurs only for one or a few seconds, then reverts to proper gamma, instead of continuing..
With the simple setup of single image (jpg) sequence, it occurs only on the first image. With a more complex scenario, some actual videos included, I've seen it occur on every jpg -- or on some -- in a sequence.
This is very repeatable here - 100%. Anyone else who's noticed it? I'm on the CS6 trial, and still thinking whether to purchase, or go on the Creative Cloud.
Regards,
Clive

We're seeing a worse issue when exporting in H.264 and playing in QuickTime 10.0 (Mac OS 10.6). We are using a custom size video to fit a spot on our website (398x498). When exported and played in QuickTime 10.0 the white inverts throughout the video (back and forth). The same issue is not seen when viewed in VLC or QuickTime 10.1.
This is how the video should look:
And this is how they are appearing:
But like I said, the issue is very specific to QuickTime 10.0 on Mac 10.6. VLC, Flash, Chrome, FireFox all play it correctly.

Audio drop-out in FCPX with 1920x1080 & 2048x1240p @ 24p (codec Apple ProRes 4444 (Linear PCM))24p

Hi all...
I'm new to this forum.
Is there an audio issue (drop-outs) with FCPX (ver 10.1.2) for 1920x1080 24p, 1080p HD & 2048x1240 24p (2k) - note: films in FCPX are in codec Apple ProRes 4444, Linear PCM?
Very recently I've been working on a show reel and I have imported a file (short film) to snip out a section to add to the show reel.
I set the project to the film's settings i.e.. "set based on first video clip"...(1920x1080 24p, 1080p HD). When I play the film in FCPX the audio "hic-cups"..."dips to silence"..."drops-out" briefly (up to 0.5 secs in duration) and very frequently all the way through (approx 15 mins long film)...note: audio set is at stereo 48kHz. The audio monitors on the right hand side also show the dip taking place (if it's a long enough drop-out).
I also have a version of the film in 2048x1240 24p at 2k, again Stereo 48kHz...and this does the same audio "drop-out" all the way through. I'm unsure what other formats will create this problem i.e. higher or lower aspect ratios than those above.
Is this a software and/or OS issue? Or a hardware issue? Or both!?
About This iMac details:
iMac 27 inch: OS X ver 10.9.4
Processor: 3.5 GHz Intel Core i7
Memory: 32 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M 4096 MB
Fusion Drive 3.12 TB
Final Cut Pro X was bought & installed with this iMac back in Feb 2014
FCPX version: 10.1.2
Note also: I used Compressor (ver 4.1.2) to convert the files (movies) above to Apple ProRes 422 HQ, Linear PCM and the issue disappeared - the audio and visuals played with no problems. All films play with no issue when opened in QT player. They are also fine when exporting from FCPX. The issue only occurs (as far as I can tell) within FCPX when editing or playing the audio there.
Has anyone encountered this problem?
Kind Regards,
Hakan

Hi Luis,
Thank you for that.
Seems like you have a point about the "hardware" issue. I'm unsure (new to it all) at what data rate my (er...wonderful) fusion drive provides FCPX for smooth playback - or where I can find that info on the iMac. Playing back movies in the 422 HQ codec seems to have no issues (when I converted the movie from 4444 HQ).
But playing the full 4444 HQ, the picture is smooth, but the audio has these drop-outs - even with "best performance" option ticked. Interesting that the audio suffers, not the picture in FCPX - so not sure what's going on there. I also read - perhaps - that to play a smooth ProRes 4444 HQ movie in FCPX the data rate should be min of 500 Mbs (based upon About Apple ProRes) for HD movies and up (i.e. 2k). ProRes 422 HQ needs a data rate of 220 Mbs - so that is my upper-limit to smooth video&audio playback with the current system I have, I guess.
Does anyone recommend a fast USB3 or Thunderbolt drive (500Mbs+) where I am able to run 4444HQ movies with no issues to picture or sound (away from the fusion drive)?
KR
H.

Exporting image sequence in ProRes 4444 gives black movie

In QT Pro, I'm exporting a movie made from an image sequence. If I export using ProRes 4444, all I get is a black movie file. If I export using other codecs, it works fine. Any ideas what might be wrong and how to fix this?
Thanks!
G

Sorry, but you've posted this in the Audition (Audio) forum. I suggest you repost in the appropriate forum. Good liuck!

Motion 4 Prores 4444 alpha not showing up in Motion answered

Hi,
I recently exported a Prores 4444 from Motion and when bringing it back in there was no transparency. I found the same issue in this discussion, and it was marked unanswered. It has been answered, but a clarification needs to be added and I was unable to reply to the discussion for whatever reason. A 1 pixel crop is the answer BUT it must be applied at the Media level and not the layer level.
http://discussions.info.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=10487207
Hope this helps the next poor soul who scratches their head and wonders why wont motion just work sometimes...

Yes, thanks - weird one, but I'll try and remember it...
Patrick

ProRes 4444 Gamma Shift Elimination on OS X Snow Leopard

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