Photo Jpeg codec

Question

Photo Jpeg codec

Does any apple VP of software know if Final Cut Pro supports the photo jpeg codec?

All Apple Machines, Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Feb 17, 2011 12:42 PM

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Answer 1

Nick Holmes

Level 7

30,018 points

Feb 17, 2011 12:45 PM in response to William Ambrose

No Apple VP's of software post here -just users like yourself.

if Final Cut Pro supports the photo jpeg codec?

Yes.

Can you tell us what you are trying to do?

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Answer 2

Feb 17, 2011 1:26 PM in response to Nick Holmes

I'm barely a VP of my life, BUT, I import PhotoJpeg into FCPv6 with no problem.

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Answer 3

Feb 17, 2011 3:55 PM in response to Ken Tannenbaum

Ken

Not a photo using the jpeg image import. The photo jpeg codec. A video clip rendered with the photo jpeg codec.

Editing with these video clips.

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Answer 4

Feb 17, 2011 4:04 PM in response to Nick Holmes

The codec has not worked since FCP 6( worked before 6)
. Would be nice to know if apple supports it. Because FCP 6 and greater can not do a dissolve or wipe with clips that use photo jpeg codec. Some how it will not render the correct levels to match a scene.

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Answer 5

Nick Holmes

Level 7

30,018 points

Feb 17, 2011 4:09 PM in response to William Ambrose

The Timeline can be set to Photo-JPEG. So you can import the clip, edit it and export in 1:1 quality.
I have no idea what it's like to actually work with, having never used source footage with this codec.

If you want to import it into a Timeline which has a different setting, use QuickTime Player 7, Compressor or MPEG Streamclip to convert it to the correct format before importing.

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Answer 6

Feb 17, 2011 4:25 PM in response to Nick Holmes

Boy, do not take my word as gospel as I'm new at this. Because my stock footage agency wants PhotoJpeg, I converted my native H.264 files before import into FCP v6 which as mentioned previously doesn't like that much compression. The comment a moment ago that transitions didn't work is NOT true for me. I used the cross dissolve BUT could see it only after rendering.
Trust that's useful.

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Answer 7

Feb 17, 2011 5:02 PM in response to Ken Tannenbaum

Your wrapping Photo jpeg around H.264. The clips you are providing the stock house are lower quality.

The reason for the photo jpeg codec is quality. For editing and archiving.
So if FPC can not render a transition correctly its a big problem.

Because H.264 is a lower quality codec than photo jpeg you might not see the errors.

Message was edited by: William Ambrose

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Answer 8

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,805 points

Feb 18, 2011 3:54 AM in response to William Ambrose

Scroll through your sequence presets and you'll see a whole collection of Offline RT presets that use Photo JPEG. You can duplicate these and edit the preset to change the quality setting and the frame resolution.

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Answer 9

Feb 18, 2011 8:49 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

From the responses I need to clarify. Is there anyone on this forum or at apple that has first hand knowledge that FCP 6 or 7 can edit clips that have the photo jpeg codec in a timeline correctly using simple transitions( dissolves, wipes)?

FCP 5 could do this with no problems. What changed? Is it operator error? I am willing to push the right keys to make it work.

Is it a legal issue over the photo jpeg codec? Is apple just not supporting it now that prores is here? Did the FCP dev team forget to carry the 1?

The only work around that converted or transcoded the clips without altering the clips values was an adobe product. Using a third party to correct the problem or staying with FCP 5 does not seem right.

Looking for someone to show us the way.

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Answer 10

Wherrito

Level 2

185 points

Feb 18, 2011 9:42 AM in response to William Ambrose

We are running FCP7 on three machines here, all currently cutting photo jpeg material using travel mattes, keys and dissolves with no problems.

Would you be able to post all your steps in the workflow you followed to get from h.264 to photo jpeg to FCP?

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Answer 11

Feb 18, 2011 10:43 AM in response to Wherrito

Please remove h.264 from the work flow for this issue. It is not high end codec. H.264 bands. If your importing from D1, Digibetam and Betacam component video or get clips that are imported using photo jpeg from uncompressed footage as most high end stock houses use. We have used photo jpeg years
before prores for FCP projects.

We see this problem in new work, in old FPC projects that FCP 6 or 7must remake the transitions. (Pre FCP ver 6 that played on air.) It should just re-render the transitions without Gamma shift or field error at every edit point.

Transitions are magic , if your eye can see the match point you loose the magic.

Message was edited by: William Ambrose

Message was edited by: William Ambrose

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Answer 12

Wherrito

Level 2

185 points

Feb 18, 2011 10:57 AM in response to William Ambrose

Got it. No h.264 material anywhere in your workflow. Fine.

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Answer 13

Feb 18, 2011 11:19 AM in response to Wherrito

Wherrito thank you. My last post was not to be harsh but to answer why we made it our work flow.

Sorry about the typing. Its lose not loose. To much time on the O key.

Any observations are helpful.

Message was edited by: William Ambrose

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