Help with Cineform codec - AVI & MOV
custom_made_recordings
16 Mar 2012 15:02
Hi,
I'm usually an audio guy so would appreciate some help with a confusing problem I'm having with exporting to .Mov format for Pond5.
My footage was taken using a Sony HVR V1 camera 1080i format. I captured using Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5.1 which uses the Cineform codec to work with HDV footage. 1440 x 1080 resolution at 25fps.
Within the edit suite my footage looks great. Furthermore, I can export clips using the Export function and the Cineform codec to .Avi files that also look great.
However, I'm having great difficulty in getting a good quality .Mov file.
I've tried Cineform's HDLink utility. I've tried converting my Cineform .Avi using the MPEG Ministream utility. I've also tried exporting via Premiere Pro suite using the Cineform codec to .Mov format. None of these methods obtain the same quality as my Cineform .Avi file via Premiere Pro. Either they aren't deinterlaced properly. The resolution doesn't look right or the frame rate looks dodgy. I've tried all sorts of combinations of settings.
The best quality I can get is converting my Cineform .Avi using MPEG Ministream to a Photo JPEG. But it still isn't up to the same sort of standard as Cineform .Avi.
I've also tried H264, but this isn't great either.
How can I replicate the same quality as my Cineform .Avi file in .Mov format?
Any help would be much appreciated. I'm tearing my hair out with numerous exports, conversion processes and codec details!
Thanks!
I'm usually an audio guy so would appreciate some help with a confusing problem I'm having with exporting to .Mov format for Pond5.
My footage was taken using a Sony HVR V1 camera 1080i format. I captured using Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5.1 which uses the Cineform codec to work with HDV footage. 1440 x 1080 resolution at 25fps.
Within the edit suite my footage looks great. Furthermore, I can export clips using the Export function and the Cineform codec to .Avi files that also look great.
However, I'm having great difficulty in getting a good quality .Mov file.
I've tried Cineform's HDLink utility. I've tried converting my Cineform .Avi using the MPEG Ministream utility. I've also tried exporting via Premiere Pro suite using the Cineform codec to .Mov format. None of these methods obtain the same quality as my Cineform .Avi file via Premiere Pro. Either they aren't deinterlaced properly. The resolution doesn't look right or the frame rate looks dodgy. I've tried all sorts of combinations of settings.
The best quality I can get is converting my Cineform .Avi using MPEG Ministream to a Photo JPEG. But it still isn't up to the same sort of standard as Cineform .Avi.
I've also tried H264, but this isn't great either.
How can I replicate the same quality as my Cineform .Avi file in .Mov format?
Any help would be much appreciated. I'm tearing my hair out with numerous exports, conversion processes and codec details!
Thanks!
SimpleIconic
16 Mar 2012 16:35
You can't unfortunately. Cin. AVI. is uncompressed and not accepted as an intermediate file here.
Your best bet may be to export it as an AVI, which will result in the high quality Cineform file, then re-import it into Premiere or After Effects, and convert it to a photo jpeg at about 91% quality.
That way you will have the deinterlaced result, but it will not be quite as good as cineform's avi. It will still be a high quality file.
Your best bet may be to export it as an AVI, which will result in the high quality Cineform file, then re-import it into Premiere or After Effects, and convert it to a photo jpeg at about 91% quality.
That way you will have the deinterlaced result, but it will not be quite as good as cineform's avi. It will still be a high quality file.
SimpleIconic
16 Mar 2012 16:36
You will want to export the file as an .mov package (Quicktime is the setting in premiere or after effects) then photo jpeg as the codec, then 91% as the quality.
suhail_inayat
16 Mar 2012 17:13
Agree with Physics, export the file as .MOV with PhotoJPEG as the codec. you can not replicate an uncompressed with a compressed file but still Quicktime with PhotoJPEG codec is a High quality file.
vadervideo
17 Mar 2012 18:40
You may try and see if the Cineform Studio software works for you. It's free - go to http://gopro.com/3d-cineform-studio-software-download/ (http://gopro.com/3d-cineform-studio-software-download/) and give it a go. This will actually allow either .mov or .avi export in H.264. I have only experimented a little bit with it using footage from Canon cameras... have not yet tried m2t or HDV formats from Sony..
custom_made_recordings
11 Apr 2012 12:19
Hi,
To round off this conversation, just wanted to answer with my eventual solution.
After some time I eventually got Cineform to rewrap the AVI files to MOVs. I couldn't achieve this on my WIn XP machine. I had to do it on my WIn 7 laptop. For some reason the software on XP wouldn't play ball. Strange. But once I got going the rewrapping was straightforward.
However, as is earlier stated Cineform MOV isn't accepted by Pond5. Unfortunate really.
In the end I went for H264. I did a conversion via MPEG Streamclip. Photo JPEG didn't look as good.
Neither was there any point re-importing Cineform MOVs back into Premiere. This just complicated the procedure further with no extra quality.
I did also try using FFmpeg to encode as ProRes. However, there's no GUI for this function yet. The command line interface was tricky and didn't like my Cineform files.
Anyway, seems a shame Pond5 doesn't accept AVIs. But suppose this is down to preferable delivery formats for buyers.
All the best,
D
To round off this conversation, just wanted to answer with my eventual solution.
After some time I eventually got Cineform to rewrap the AVI files to MOVs. I couldn't achieve this on my WIn XP machine. I had to do it on my WIn 7 laptop. For some reason the software on XP wouldn't play ball. Strange. But once I got going the rewrapping was straightforward.
However, as is earlier stated Cineform MOV isn't accepted by Pond5. Unfortunate really.
In the end I went for H264. I did a conversion via MPEG Streamclip. Photo JPEG didn't look as good.
Neither was there any point re-importing Cineform MOVs back into Premiere. This just complicated the procedure further with no extra quality.
I did also try using FFmpeg to encode as ProRes. However, there's no GUI for this function yet. The command line interface was tricky and didn't like my Cineform files.
Anyway, seems a shame Pond5 doesn't accept AVIs. But suppose this is down to preferable delivery formats for buyers.
All the best,
D
SimpleIconic
12 Apr 2012 02:44
Yeah, even regular avi is better, because it does not require then ciniform codecs, but not as high quality. The data rate of the avi is what i guess they are avoiding. Your solution was similar to mine, I just used After Effects instead of your listed softwares.
Kozziel
26 Jun 2014 14:47
Today, there are many methods to convert AVI to MOV. Here list three of the most common ways to help you.
Method one:
If you don't mind wasting your time and your source file is smaller than 100MB, you can choose Online AVI to MOV Converter. You need to pai at least $7 per month to convert MP4 video larger than 100MB, that's too much.
Method two:
If you care about the output quality and don't want to waste your time, a professional and easy-to-use http://www.faasoft.com/articles/convert-avi-to-mov-on-mac-windows.html is required.
Method three:
If you are not care about the endless ads and plug-ins, you can select http://handbrake.fr/ to convert AVI to MOV.
Method one:
If you don't mind wasting your time and your source file is smaller than 100MB, you can choose Online AVI to MOV Converter. You need to pai at least $7 per month to convert MP4 video larger than 100MB, that's too much.
Method two:
If you care about the output quality and don't want to waste your time, a professional and easy-to-use http://www.faasoft.com/articles/convert-avi-to-mov-on-mac-windows.html is required.
Method three:
If you are not care about the endless ads and plug-ins, you can select http://handbrake.fr/ to convert AVI to MOV.
badbecomesgood
9 Jun 2015 05:43
I use iDealshare VideoGo to convert AVI to MOV or convert MOV to AVI.
Step by step guide at http://www.idealshare.net/video-converter/quicktime-to-avi-converter-windows-mac.html
In fact, it can convert between various video formats like AVI, MOV, WMV, MP4, MKV, FLV, VOB, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, 3GP, OGV, WebM, H.265, SWF etc
Step by step guide at http://www.idealshare.net/video-converter/quicktime-to-avi-converter-windows-mac.html
In fact, it can convert between various video formats like AVI, MOV, WMV, MP4, MKV, FLV, VOB, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, 3GP, OGV, WebM, H.265, SWF etc