• Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

  DPX, Aja DPXtoQT, GlueTools, best 2K workflow

  Posted by Carlo.motzo on February 19, 2007 at 7:32 am

  I have to solve a visualization problem in FCP and QTime.
  And I hope my experience will be useful to all.
  I have to edit a 2K film with a Mac Pro 3.0 (Quadro FX card) with a 4 Gb/s RAID capable of 700 Mb/sec.
  No KONA3 card: for me it’s ok to visualize the film on a 30″ Cinema Display.
  I received 2K DPX files 2048×1556 (10 bit log RGB); the editing will be done in FCP, using as sequence setting the AJA 2K 10-bit log RGB.

  First surprise: if I use Aja DPXtoQT converter to obtain a Quicktime movie, the log gamma isn’t correctly applied and I obtain a greyish movie. The controls of the DPXtoQT don’t solve the problem.

  Second surprise: the self contained movie has a lower playback than a reference movie. Only using a reference movie I can obtain an acceptably smooth playback. But not real time: maybe 10/15 fps. Only at 50% zoom in FCP I have a true realtime playback. And, surprisingly, using canvas viewer is better in terms of fps than using the 30″ as video playback display.

  Third surprise: the resulting movie is seen as 8 bit by Shake. I haven’t tried yet with QTtoDPX converter. A major problem.

  So, I tried the GlueTools DPX components to obtain a reference movie. Fantastic: I have greater control on the process. But…

  – the reference movie is (slighty) slower in playback in FCP
  – I couldn’t find a clear documentation about the rather obscure GlueTools’ settings (surely my fault…)
  – I cannot create a DPX/GlueTools sequence in FCP. because the GlueTools components are not a codec. So, I have to use the AJA 10-bit Log RGB codec and the Export Movie with Quicktime conversion command. But I suppose this will re-compress each frame (am I wrong?) degrading the quality.

  Is there anybody that solved successfully the problems I found on my 2K way (or anyone that found a better workflow?).

  Many thanks.

  Gary Adcock replied 19 years, 6 months ago 3 Members · 2 Replies
• 2 Replies

• 

  Walter Biscardi

  February 19, 2007 at 1:16 pm

  We have an AJA Kona forum here on the Cow, I would suggest you post this over there or better yet, do a Search for 2k on that forum as this has been discussed some over there.

  Walter Biscardi, Jr.
  https://www.biscardicreative.com
  HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
  HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

  “I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
• 

  Gary Adcock

  February 19, 2007 at 4:49 pm

  see my post in the kona forum

  gary adcock
  Studio37
  HD & Film Consultation
  Post and Production Workflows

Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up