RGB 4:4:4 in FCP

Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

RGB 4:4:4 in FCP

Posted by Christopher Gray on June 23, 2009 at 4:22 am

I’ll be capturing HDCamSR using and the blackmagic 10bit RGB 4:4:4 codec.
If I use the 3 way color corrector in FCP will the footage be converted to 4:2:2 or will it stay
4:4:4?
Thanks for the help.
CGray

Gary Adcock replied 16 years, 10 months ago 6 Members · 24 Replies
24 Replies

Aaron Neitz
June 23, 2009 at 4:30 am

make sure “always render in RGB” is set for your sequence
Russell Lasson
June 23, 2009 at 4:51 am

It will stay 4:4:4, but it will be truncated to 8-bits when you render. FCP only supports rendering 4:4:4 RGB at 8-bit.

-Russ

Russell Lasson
Colorist/Digital Cinema Specialist
Color Mill
Salt Lake City, UT
http://www.colormill.net
Rafael Amador
June 23, 2009 at 4:59 am

You may cut in FC and send to Color.
You will keep 10b RGB.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com
Gary Adcock
June 23, 2009 at 11:24 pm

[Rafael Amador] “You may cut in FC and send to Color.
You will keep 10b RGB”

RGB support is only 8 bit unless you are working in Dual Link.

Working with DPX Sequence files is another matter.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows

Check out
https://www.aja.com/kiprotour/

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https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php
Rafael Amador
June 24, 2009 at 2:32 am

Right but as long as you don’t render in FC, Color is getting the 10b RGB.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com
Gary Adcock
June 24, 2009 at 11:15 am

[Rafael Amador] “Right but as long as you don’t render in FC, Color is getting the 10b RGB.”

Nope. sorry,

FCP supports 10bit RGB video over dual link as 4:4:4.
HDSDI as 4:2:2 single link is only an 8 bit RGB signals.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows

Check out
https://www.aja.com/kiprotour/

Inside look at the IoHD
https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php
Rafael Amador
June 24, 2009 at 1:54 pm

Hi Gary,
I’ve been making a simple test.
I’ve made in Shake an AJA 10b RGB B&W ramp.
I’ve imported to FC and to Color and re-exported with the same codec.
Comparing the Histograms the exported files are exactly the same than the original gradient.
I used as well the same ramp done in Animation to have an 8b reference.
this make me think that is possible to cut 10b RGB in FC. On export FC just stick together pictures without changing any of his properties. If would be any rendering the 10b would be reduced to 8.
You are right when you say that FC can only capture 10b RGB through a Double Link HDSDI, but this shouldn’t be a limitation for “copy&pasting’ pictures.
QT Pro can do it, why FC don’t?
Cheers,
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com
Gary Adcock
June 24, 2009 at 3:01 pm

[Rafael Amador] “I’ve imported to FC and to Color and re-exported with the same codec.
Comparing the Histograms the exported files are exactly the same than the original gradient. “

Histograms cannot show bit depth and what does this have to do with OUTPUT to a device.

I am saying you cannot get 10bit RGB out over a single link HDSDI as 4:4:4 RGB,

Rafael, you do not work in 4:4:4 so you have not dealt with these issues -there are physical limitations to the HDSDI data stream. It is not something you can guess about, since Apple’s theory does not even touch on these workflows.

[Rafael Amador] “u are right when you say that FC can only capture 10b RGB through a Double Link HDSDI, but this shouldn’t be a limitation for “copy&pasting’ pictures.
QT Pro can do it, why FC don’t? “

No more APPLE Koolaid for you.

10 bit 4:4:4 RGB requires more bandwidth than is possible on a single link (one cable) HDSDI channel- this is NOT an apple limitation, it is specified that way from SMPTE, so a single link HDSDI channel can carry 8bit 4:2:2 RGB but NOT 10bit 4:4:4.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows

Check out
https://www.aja.com/kiprotour/

Inside look at the IoHD
https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php
Rafael Amador
June 24, 2009 at 3:50 pm

Hi Gary,
What I’m talking is nothing related with HDSI, capture or processing.
I say that you can import and export 10b RGB with FC.
As long as there is no re-compression, the file keeps being 10 RGB.
No only AJA 10b RGB, but even Microcosm that is 16b RGB can pass through FC without being crunched to 8b. i’ve made the test.

[gary adcock] “Histograms cannot show bit depth and what does this have to do with OUTPUT to a device. “
The Histograms can not tell you the Bit Depth of a signal but will show you when 10b have been crunched to 8b. Also will show you when a signal have been processed.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com
Christopher Gray
June 24, 2009 at 9:33 pm

Thanks for all the responses and information.
If I understand correctly I can capture dual link from
HDcamSR 444 rgb 10 bit. Make cuts but no effects in FCP, and
output back to HDcamSR dual link 444 rgb 10bit.

In case we have to use effects in fcp am I right that 10 bit 422 yuv should look better than 8 bit 444 rgb.

Thanks,
CGray

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