Final Cut 10.7 Prores raw files gives black preview

I've tested all the versions of ProRes RAW I have (inc'l 4.3k recorded on Atomos Ninja V from Sony A7SIII and FX6), and I only found one which shows the problem on Intel FCP 10.7.0 and 10.7.1 -- a 4140 x 2330 59.94 fps ProRes RAW HQ clip from a Nikon Z8, apparently recorded in camera, not externally. The file has no info about the Z8 firmware version.

Other users in this thread have reported it on the Panasonic Lumix S1H, recorded on Ninja V, and maybe Sony A1. It may be mostly or partially isolated to Intel, but there's one report on Apple Silicon M1.

The FCP behavior is a black viewer when the timeline or skimmer playhead is halted -- if the viewer is set to Better Performance. If set to Better Quality, it stays black even when playing or skimming.

Attempting to create 50% ProRes Proxies on those clips will hang -- progress wheel does nothing.

Studying the FCP debug log with the terminal "log stream" command shows repeated messages similar to the below. These might imply problems with the management of structures related to color space. The functions containing "FF" refer to the private FCP framework "Flexo", and those containing "HG" refers to a "Helium Graph" data structure, used in the Helium private framework.

Final Cut Pro: (ProCore) assertion failed: displayLinear2020 should only be used for displaying PQ or Linear content. (false) :: HGRef<HGNode> makePQIntoDisplayLinear2020(HGRef<HGNode>, CGColorSpaceRef *, FFPixelFormat **, NSString **, BOOL, BOOL) (file: /Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/Flexo/Flexo-41000.67.16/framework/image/FFHGAsyncFanout.mm, line: 2393)

The most expedient solution is stay on 10.6.10 or revert back to 10.6.10. Before upgrading FCP versions, the Final Cut Pro.app package of the previous version should be saved, and also any key FCP libraries currently being used. That provides an easy fallback to the prior version in case of problems.

If this wasn't done, you can often recover the prior FCP .app file and library before the upgrade from a Time Machine or other backup. If you don't have a backup of your library, there might be one in /Movies/Final Cut Backups.

The FCP version of each library can be inspected in Finder by doing right-click>Show Package Contents, selecting the file CurrentVersion.plist, and pressing the space bar (Quick Look). There is a string inside the file showing the library version.

I don't work for Apple, but I've spent a lot of time trying to reproduce this on various machines, and I only have the one Nikon Z8 clip that shows it. We need more information on the specific problem cases, also short ProRes RAW camera files which show the problem. That is unaltered out-of-camera files, not a rendered FCP output or frame grabs. It would help to have detailed MediaInfo output to show the metadata.

I don't know the best way to upload that for examination; maybe Tom could advise.

joema wrote:

Is it possible there is some plugin or effect on your project? Can you create a new test library, import only that one S1H clip and see if you can play that?

(2) Export a library XML from 10.7.1, run 10.6.10 and load that XML. That will not handle new 10.7.1 features but it's something to try.

Since I cannot reproduce the problem using your S1H clip on any machine I have, that might imply it's not that clip by itself but a combination of that clip, the FCP update, plus some plugin or 3rd-party effect.

I think you can pretty much rule out plugins as the 2019 iMac on which I see the black screen preview has no plugins installed at all.

There was a third thread (link below) a few weeks back where the OP reported that exporting an XML to an earlier version worked although they did not provide much information after that. The problematic footage was 1080p ProRes Raw shot on a Nikon Z6 with Ninja V and viewed on a 2019 16 inch MacBook Pro. The OP also mentions towards the end that an iMac Pro is also showing the problem.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255324272?answerId=259911210022&sortBy=oldest_first#259911210022

Alexander I just received your S1H 5888 x 3312 25.0 fps ProRes RAW footage. It was recorded on a Ninja V running firmware 10.66. Your machine is an M1 MacBookPro17,1, 16GB RAM, running Sonoma 14.2.1. Pro Video Formats 2.3 is installed, as expected.

My first attempt to reproduce the problem on either Intel or Apple Silicon was not successful. I will examine it more tomorrow. At first glance I don't see any problems with your machine or configuration.

ProRes RAW from the S1H at up to 5.9k/30p and 4.1k/60p were supported on the Ninja V starting with Ninja V firmware 10.52. So it should work. However there is apparently an FCP bug on 10.7.0 and 10.7.1 which has problems with certain ProRes RAW formats.

I will test it on more machines tomorrow to see if I can reproduce it. I don't have an M1 but I have an M2 Pro, M1 Max and M1 Ultra, also three Intel Macs. I will test it on all of them.

Your most expedient approach is probably reverting back to FCP 10.6.10. See my prior posts on this thread for details.

Alexander, I tested your 5.9k/25p S1H ProRes RAW file on my five Macs which can run FCP 10.7.1, and I could not reproduce the "black frame" problem. Those were: M1 Ultra Mac Studio, M1 Max MacBook Pro, M2 Pro Mac Mini, 2019 i9 MacBook Pro 16, 2017 i7 iMac 27.

Is it possible there is some plugin or effect on your project? Can you create a new test library, import only that one S1H clip and see if you can play that?

Re reverting to FCP 10.6.10, since you have no backups, the two issues are obtaining that version and dealing with the library that's already updated to 10.7.1. For the library there are two possible options: (1) Use an auto-backup of the library that FCP keeps in /Movies/Final Cut Backup. Some of those were probably made when you were running 10.6.10. However do not open those in 10.7.1 or it will update each one as you open it. This procedure assumes you can get a copy of FCP 10.6.10, and then open the older backup libraries. (2) Export a library XML from 10.7.1, run 10.6.10 and load that XML. That will not handle new 10.7.1 features but it's something to try.

Since I cannot reproduce the problem using your S1H clip on any machine I have, that might imply it's not that clip by itself but a combination of that clip, the FCP update, plus some plugin or 3rd-party effect.

AlexanderTramp wrote:

I reported days ago. 10.7.1 release today and no fix. Is there any way to get through? I am kinda scared that all of my 6k footage is not usable anymore :(

It's not lost as it only affects some machines (mostly Intel, your M1 is the first report I've seen of it happening on silicon Macs). There are workarounds.

If you know someone with a Mac that works, then transcode to ProRes 4444.

Somebody posted that Compressor is not affected so you could try transcoding with that if you have it. It's not expensive in any case and very useful at times.

Assimilate Play Pro also works for transcoding if by any chance you got a free copy with your Ninja.

Go back to an earlier version of FCP if you can.

Hey, great to see someone in this thread with the same issues (6k Raw and S1H). I finally gave up waiting, though also sent my files and system report to @joema.

I then took empty hard drive and converted Prores RAW to Prores 4444 (weight like a ton) with compressor and imported in rec. 601 colour space. Then I relinked originals to these 4444 files. It gave me pretty much same colour science. Big disadvantage is that if there is a big interview, you have either to transcode it full length and just relink it in one click but loose a lot of space, either cut it before transcoding in Compressor but no relink then, you will have to put it back manually. I was afraid that transcoding 1/3 of full length doc is painful, but did it in two days.

@AlexanderTramp, can you tell us what camera, what Atomos recorder, what year and model of Mac.

Please use the third-party utilities MediaInfo or Invisor and post the complete metadata of the ProRes RAW files here.

What type of disk are the ProRes RAW files on? Internal, external, NAS or what? If an external disk, is that ExFAT, APFS, or HFS+? Do Finder "Get Info" to see that.

Unlike other RAW formats (which often require a special player), ProRes RAW is handled just like regular ProRes. You can play it in Quicktime or Quick Look (press spacebar in Finder). See if those "problem" files can be played in Finder or Quicktime, outside of FCP. That will help determine if the problem is MacOS, disk subsystem, or FCP.

Please verify what version of Apple Pro Video Formats you are running. To check: hold down OPT key, press Apple menu in the menu bar>System Information>Software>Installations>Pro Video Formats. Scroll down the middle pane. If several past installations of Pro Video Formats, tell us the highest number (should be 2.3).

As always, check how much free disk space is on your Mac.

Thanks, Tom. Below is a write-only secure Dropbox folder for uploading files for troubleshooting the 10.7 ProRes RAW "black frame" problem. What we need is relatively short out-of-camera files which demonstrate this problem, also matching information about camera, recorder, and year/make/model of Mac.

If you don't have a short file or there are proprietary elements, you can usually do "no encode" trimming of the file using Quicktime Player which preserves all metadata -- even for ProRes RAW. To do that, open the ProRes RAW file in Quicktime Player, then do CMD+T to enter trim mode. Move the left and right range markers to produce a short acceptable clip. Then press the blue "Trim" button. This does not trim the original file but only a temporary copy. After that do File>Save, and provide a filename. Then play that trimmed file in Quicktime to make sure it is OK. After that upload the file.

If possible also include a MacOS System Report. To obtain that, hold down the OPT key, press the Apple Menu, then select System Information. Then while the System Information app is up, do File>Save. That will produce an SPX file. Please upload that also. Please put your name or screen name on the file so I can keep track of them.

I do not work for Apple, but I have experience in this area and am doing this to try and help the user community. You can query on my name to see my past postings on this forum.

[Edited by Moderator]

joema wrote:

I've tested all the versions of ProRes RAW I have (inc'l 4.3k recorded on Atomos Ninja V from Sony A7SIII and FX6), and I only found one which shows the problem on Intel FCP 10.7.0 and 10.7.1 -- a 4140 x 2330 59.94 fps ProRes RAW HQ clip from a Nikon Z8, apparently recorded in camera, not externally. The file has no info about the Z8 firmware version.

Assuming the Nikon Z8 file was mine from the link in the other thread, it is definitely recorded in-camera (it is not possible to record ProRes Raw to the Ninja V on the Z8 or Z9), it was untrimmed, straight out of camera, purposely recorded as a short clip and the firmware is 1.01 (only one minor firmware update since the camera was released earlier this year. ProRes Raw from the Nikon Z9 shows exactly the same behaviour. I'm happy to upload a sample Z9 file to the Dropbox link if you like. I also have ProRes Raw files shot on Z6 and Z6II that don't show this behaviour if you would like to have a look at them.

I only see the bug on a 2019 Intel iMac with 4GB GPU, not on Intel MacPro 2019 with 32GB GPU with Afterburner or on M1Max MacBookPro.

Josh, can you please upload an example of the problematic S1H/Ninja V ProRes RAW files to the below secure write-only link? If they all have the same resolution and frame rate, I only need one file. If you have a problem with different frame rates and resolutions, I'd ideally like an example of each file.

If you don't have a short non-proprietary test clip that shows the problem, use Quicktime Player's "trim mode" to extract a short section. It does "no encode" trimming and should preserve all the file metadata. Procedure:

• Open S1H ProRes RAW file with Quicktime Player
• Do CMD+T to enter Trim Mode
• Move left and right edges of the yellow range marker to select a small section
• Press the blue "Trim" button
• Do File>Save and provide a name. This does not edit the original file but creates a new output file
• Upload that to me at the below location

Please verify whether this is Intel or Apple Silicon.

https://www.dropbox.com/request/2GTNeG8L4cQCLb0YQTtw

Alexander, thanks for collecting that info. Unfortunately, I don't have any 6k ProRes RAW material recorded on Atomos. I have 6k/23.98 ProRes RAW HQ from a DJI Ronin 4D, and that works OK on FCP 10.7.0 on Sonoma 14.2 and 14.2.1 on Apple Silicon.

When you report this to Apple, it would be beneficial to include the Atomos firmware version used to shoot that. You may as well include all the available metadata from one of those 6k clips, which includes the Atomos firmware version. That can be obtained using the 3rd-party utilities MediaInfo or Invisor.

This is not just a problem with ProRes Raw recorded through a Ninja. It is also affecting ProRes Raw clips recorded internally on Nikon Z8 and Nikon Z9 on some Intel Macs. AlexanderTramp is the first one reporting it happening on silicon Macs that I've seen. It is not just a Sonoma problem. It also happens on Ventura and it is a very widespread problem it seems.

I read something yesterday on very recent Assimilate Scratch 9.7 release notes about a ProRes Raw decoder update and a new ProRes Raw SDK. I suspect that is where the problem lies - some sort of mix up in FCP decoding ProRes Raw from different cameras. Hopefully it will get fixed soon.

Thanks Tom, I got the files. I was expecting a Dropbox notification for the file request.

Magtes, that ProRes RAW file from the Ninja V was 4323 x 2446 59.94 fps from a Sony A1 (ILCE-1), SLog3, 1018 megabit/sec. I confirm it shows the problem on a FCP 10.7.1 on a 2019 i9 MacBook Pro running Sonoma 14.2.1.

This is a useful scenario for further troubleshooting because it uses the more common external recording method, also Sony and Atomos Ninja V are commonly used. I have two Ninja Vs, a Shogun 7, two A7SIIIs and an FX6 so I will update my Ninja V firmware to 10.93.00 and rerun some tests tomorrow.

It does not happen on the same software versions on an M1 Ultra Mac Studio or M1 Max MacBook Pro 16.

I have three Intel Macs and three Apple Silicon Macs. I will test Ninja V firmware 10.93.00 4k/59.94 ProRes RAW from A7SIII and FX6 on the other two Intel machines and the remaining Apple Silicon Mac.

I just tested 4k/23.98 ProRes RAW files from a Sony A7SIII and Sony FX6, recorded on an Atomos Ninja V, and on my 2019 i9 MacBook Pro 16 running Sonoma 14.1.2 and FCP 10.7.

The files work OK, including RAW color temp adjustment. The file metadata shown by MediaInfo indicates those clips were recorded with Ninja V firmware version 10.67.1. The FX6 was running firmware 2.00 and the A7SIII was running firmware 2.10.

I have the same issue. These black Prores Raw files do not render or export as well. I was working on a documentary and this made me stop until I get any fix for that. It works if you take all Prores Raw files and render it through compressor to Prores 4444, but I have 50% of footage corrupted in this way after the update, so i see no point in doing that. I just cry and beg for fix. I wrote to the support and filed an issue report. Fingers crossed it will be fixed. It is a very hard deal and ruined all the deadlines for me.

I also tried restarting my Mac and then reset my FCPX settings by holding cmd+option at launch, but it did not help. I tried to delete renders – did not help. I tried to import these files to a new clean library – still black and unexportable. I also found that some files that were not corrupted in a first place do corrupt (turn black) once in a while and after it happens there is no way back, they will be black no matter what. I use M1 mac and footage was also recorded with Atomos. I will also check my other libraries, but I will not be surprised to find blackend footage there as well.

It only happens with Prores Raw, other footage is fine.