4:2:2 10 bit video files

[JWolters]

My 2 cents.
Anyone who owns a GH5, does not edit his footage with the NLE VideoStudio nor with 2018. The GH5 has its strengths like, 4K and V-LogL or 10-bit color depth and much more, and this more can not be handle by VS (not yet). 4K with 10bit can be imported, modified on TL but the export is handled in 8bit. I think in this price range, nothing will change to VS. Is unfortunately so.

[Charlie Wilkes]

I don't understand those who happily shell more than $2K for high end cameras but can't spare few extra $ for a proper NLE software.

Yes. You are absolutely right. The point that I wanted to continue with Corel was that in my former PC Corel products were bundled and I already knew it. But I didn't have the high end cameras back then. I am still a hobbyist user and wanted to work with my private made movies. And I have no intention to change my computer ecosystem and include Apple.

I am always scrounging for the cheap way to do things, even if it takes more effort.

I used VirtualDub for years with a capture board. Now someone on Doom9's forum has taken the source code to a new level. I convert my junky 8-bit clips to 10-bit Cineform (which used to cost $100 but is now free, up to 1080/60p) and adjust color and luminescence with VirtualDub's "Master blend" filter. It's a crude interface, but the functionality is all there - fine-tuning with sliders or by entering values numerically, with a histogram to guide the process.

Once I have done my worst, I bring the edited clips into VS to piece together my video.

It's a ridiculous work flow for anyone with a production goal, but if you'd rather spend time than money, there you go.

[asik1]

so why Charlie you missed to give us the link to this gem?
or is it still 1.10.4 ?

[JWolters]

(...) I convert my junky 8-bit clips to 10-bit Cineform (...) Once I have done my worst, I bring the edited clips into VS to piece together my video. (...)

Hm, here I have my doubts. Or I do not understand something.
You said there is a tool that can convert 16,777,216 (8bit) colors up to 10bit (DeepColor) 1,073,741,824? And I can not believe this. Should there be such a tool, why are you doing that? Because then everything goes onto the VS timeline - but VS does not handle 10bit. That's how I understood this story. And that's why I have my doubts.

[Charlie Wilkes]

(...) I convert my junky 8-bit clips to 10-bit Cineform (...) Once I have done my worst, I bring the edited clips into VS to piece together my video. (...)

Hm, here I have my doubts. Or I do not understand something.
You said there is a tool that can convert 16,777,216 (8bit) colors up to 10bit (DeepColor) 1,073,741,824? And I can not believe this. Should there be such a tool, why are you doing that? Because then everything goes onto the VS timeline - but VS does not handle 10bit. That's how I understood this story. And that's why I have my doubts.

Give it a try. Cineform is definitely 10-bit and VS handles it in the timeline and can export as 10-bit Cineform.

It comes with GoPro Studio, which is free:

https://gopro-cineform-studio.en.lo4d.com/

Install the package and Cineform will show up as a codec option in VS.

Of course it will not magically improve clips shot in 8-bit color. But it provides a 10-bit environment for editing such clips and can sometimes reduce banding artifacts that arise when enhancing 8-bit video. (The artifacts will usually reappear when the edited Cineform clips are exported to an 8-bit final codec.)

Transcoding to Cineform will preserve 10-bit camera output and provide an intermediate codec that VS can handle.

It maxes out at 1080/60p. No 4k.

Here's the link to VirtualDub2:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/vdfiltermod/

You can use this to transcode to Cineform (assuming it handles your camera input; I only know it works with my cheap AVC cameras).

The Master blend/6-axis filter provides a decent color tuning environment for no money.

These are the tools I know of. I would use them if I had a 10-bit camera and was determined to stick with VS. But your point above is valid - if you shell out for a camera that can record 10-bit 4-2-2, there are better NLEs than VS to make the most of it. I have never tried DaVinci Resolve, but it is free and it sounds good. I might get around to it sometime. It looks complicated.

[bifer]

These are the tools I know of. I would use them if I had a 10-bit camera and was determined to stick with VS. But your point above is valid - if you shell out for a camera that can record 10-bit 4-2-2, there are better NLEs than VS to make the most of it. I have never tried DaVinci Resolve, but it is free and it sounds good. I might get around to it sometime. It looks complicated.

Well I went over 5 days ago to Blackmagicdesign and downloaded the DaVinci Resolve 15 public beta. And installed it. And if it is good my plan was to invest the 299 $US for the studio version that supports HEVC/H256.
It could handle my files and I was just so so able to transcode 1 movie cutted and clipped together in my original settings. But to get to this goal DaVinci crashed like 10-15 times in different situations. When I tried the next round with some other clips and different data rates I had no success anymore. Just crash after crash. And since after the crash a restart of DaVinci produces an error that it can find or address the discrete GPU I had to reboot my PC every time.

From the functionality of DaVinci, what I saw I was so totally impressed. And it was easy to learn ... kind of on the fly ... it was so simple.
The cool feature is that you can have several timelines in 1 project. I love this because then you can have 1 project of 1 holiday stay and have several timelines with several movie outputs.

Anyway. Since I used the 15 beta I thought this is the reason for the crashes, So I went back to DaVinci 14, the public free stable version. It even crashed 3x times more. I went back to the DaVinci 15 public beta and it was more stable again. People say it is just a question of hardware to get the desired stability. You need some high end equipement to achieve it.

If it would run stable on my PC, DaVinci Resolve 15 would be my choice. The 1 movie I transcoded it was perfect.

[Charlie Wilkes]

Huh. I would think your computer/graphics card could handle Resolve. It might be choking on h.265.

If your camera output is h.265, you may need an intermediate codec for editing on anything short of a workstation. I suggested VirtualDub2. If that doesn't cut it, you can do it at the command line with FFmpeg. Convert to CineForm or possibly x264vfw to edit with VS.

With FFmpeg, I'd probably have to spend an hour figuring out which arguments/switches work at all, and from there proceed to figure out what works best. Then I would save my command string as a text file so it is only a one-time painful experience.

You may have to roll up your sleeves and get technical to work with this material, or else pay Adobe to make it easy for you. h.265 has brutal requirements for hardware. Good luck!

[bifer]

My notebook is 2.5 years old. It is the high-end Zenbook from ASUS from back then. Not the ROG series, which would have been even more potent, but I don't like the design ...
It is the CPU: i7-4720HQ @2.60Ghz with the Intel HD4600 in the CPU, 16GB memory and the NVIDIA GTX960M.

The h.265 support in HW with CPU, graphic cards came later with the Skylake CPU.

Anyway the setup guide and so one for DaVinci recommends 10 core CPU's ...
So yes, at the end you end up with workstations if you want a smooth flow. And according to the forum people more stability.

Anyway this was just a response, because Resolve came up being mentioned.