Apple Prores 422 Codec dropping frames

[Walter Biscardi]

[Borjis] “Still though, a just over a year old Quad G5 PCI-E”

That might be the only older machine that can do this in real time since it has four processors. That’s the machine we have here and will test as soon as we can install.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Zak Mussig]

At the risk of sounding like a fanboy… the Intel Macs (and most new PCs) are using a processor whose architecture didn’t exist (at least commercially) when Stevesy made that claim. The “Core” line of processors was a big leap forward even compared to Intel’s own product line at the time.

[Chris Borjis]

my fingers are crossed for the moment of truth will be this friday.

[Vintageseltzer]

Our Power Mac G5 Dual 2.5ghz that is powering our Final Cut Edit Suite is in desperate need of an upgrade, and I have been presented with some options from my bosses.

We have a Mac Pro (model MacPro1,1) Dual-Core Intel Xeon 3GHZ with 2 processors (4 Cores) with 8gb of memory that is currently being used for After Effects and DVD authoring in our graphics area.

Here is the dilemma. The bosses here are looking to buy a new MAC, and they are contemplating on some things. Here are the possible scenarios:

Scenario 1 – Buy the newest fastest Mac Pro(Two 3.0GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon) and put it into our graphics area for After Effects, and put the old one (Mac Pro (model MacPro1,1) Dual-Core Intel Xeon 3GHZ with 2 processors) into our Final Cut Studio 2 edit Suite, which would upgrade our old Dual 2.5 G5.

Scenario 2 – Buy the newest fastest Mac Pro(Two 3.0GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon) and put it into our Final Cut Studio 2 Edit Suite, which would replace the old Dual 2.5ghz G5, and hold off on the graphics area computer update.

The dilemma from my point of view seems to be that my bosses believe that they can save a buck by updating the Graphics area computer, and just using the old Dual Core Intel Xeon for the Final Cut. They are convinced (without doing any research mind you) that Final Cut Studio 2 won’t need or utilize the power of the newest available Mac Pro, and that the money would be better spent to update the graphics computer.

We also have the After Effects artists chiming in, whining about the rendering, and trying their best to state their case that “After Effects needs it more.” What do you guys think?

In my opinion, I think it is not the smartest of moves. I think putting anything less than the best available into the Final Cut Suite is kind of a stupid, considering they want to be able to take full advantage of Color, multi format timelines in Final Cut, the ProRes Codecs, and everything else the new studio has to offer.

Any ammo you guys could give me to back this up would be awesome!

Thanks

[Gary Adcock]

[Borjis] “That a less than 1 year old G5 Quad system can’t capture HD in the Pro res codec is a major “up yours” to apples customers.”

Not sure Boris, but I am pretty sure the Quad was EOL more than a year ago,
my Intel desktop is 11 months old.

and I do not agree, Apple said that FCS2 would run on older machines, but for the newest coolest tools you have always needed the newest coolest hardware.

Or go get an IoHD.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows

[Dom Silverio]

[Shane Ross] “Well when Avid introduced the DVxHD codec, the older Avid systems couldn’t handle it. You needed a newer more powerful one that could. This isn’t new. When a powerful complex feature comes along and takes a LOT of horsepower, many older models won’t be able to handle it. That is typical.”

The older Avids could not handle it because the older Avids (Meridien) are strictly SD and hardware based. DNxHD is HD and software based.

FWIW, DNxHD can be use to capture HDV and DVC Pro HD using mediocre old PC systems with 2 GB of RAM – even PC’s older than the last PPC Macs.

However, I doubt it is about efficient coding. ProRes is probably build tuned around Intel’s SSE technology. Can Apple make it more capable in the PPC? Probably. But there is little to be gain (as in sales of the latest G5).

.02

[Chris Borjis]

[gary adcock] “Not sure Boris, but I am pretty sure the Quad was EOL more than a year ago,
my Intel desktop is 11 months old.”

Quad G5 PCI-Express models came about late 2005, I remember because Digidesign had just started producing the pci-e cards for protools and the software that came with them didn’t even work (required 7.1) when we first got them.

[Vintageseltzer]

I screwed up and posted this subject inside this thread instead of making a new post. Sorry! I reposted a new one, can a Mod please remove this subject about the Upgrade to Dual Quad Core?

[Tunaking]

Capturing to ProRes (10-bit) with a Quad G5 works fine with 1080P from a D5 so far.

[Jeremy Garchow]

I’d say that bodes well for the Quad. ANy chance you can capture 1080i?