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Unmatched HD Visual Quality
and Workflow Simplicity on Windows |
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On This
Page... |
Quick News... |
Relevant Links... |
 Feature
Highlights
Workflow
 Specifications
Release Notes
Update/Upgrade Policy
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CineForm discontinues Neo HDV. All
Neo HDV customers may upgrade to Neo
HD or cross-grade to Neo Scene.
More....
New Neo HD Pricing: $499
Latest
Update: 12/3/08 - v3.46 Build 188
Feature enhancements and (ahem!) big fixes
Release notes
Update Log
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CineForm Workflow Overview
10-bit
versus 8-bit precision
4:4:4
versus 4:2:2 chroma
Tech Notes
Active Metadata
Controls
Visual Quality Analyses
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Neo HD/4K
(Windows) Feature Highlights |
Neo HD/4K
includes:
- CineForm
Windows Codec compatible with all
DirectShow and Video for Windows applications including Premiere Pro, After Effects,
Sony Vegas, Combustion, and more. Supports
spatial resolution up to 4K with 12-bit
precision and RGB, YUV, and Raw chroma
formats.
- HD Link
application to convert from myriad camera or
source files into CineForm files.
HD Link includes numerous preprocessing
features during conversion including
telecine removal (60i --> 24p), spatial
resampling, deinterlacing, and more.
-
SetActiveMetadata application to turn ON
or OFF applying
non-destructive color information such as
White Balance and 3D LUTs within your
calling video application. Note: At
this time Active Metadata can only be
changed using Prospect 4K with Premiere
Pro.
Among many
other features, Neo HD/4K offers the
following for your post workflow:
- The
industry's highest quality compression-based
post-production workflow.
See quality analysis....
- Converts
most HD / 2K / 4K camera formats to
post-production ready CineForm files: HDV /
AVCHD / P2 / XDCam HD/EX / Uncompressed /
DPX
- Choose 10-bit 4:2:2, 12-bit 4:4:4, or 12-bit
CineForm RAW workflow to match your source
or distribution format
- Remove
telecine fields (24p extraction) when
embedded in 60i, yielding a true 24p
(23.976p) post workflow. Supports virtually
all camera sources: HDV, XDCam HD/EX, etc.
- Unrestricted
spatial resolution for Neo 4K (practically
up to 4K)
- Control
non-destructive Active Metadata during
playback
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CineForm AVI files files are compatible:
- across all DirectShow or Video for Windows applications (WM Player, PPro/AE,
Vegas, Combustion, Speedgrade, etc)
- on Mac. Just copy CineForm files to Mac and start using them.
- Rewrap
CineForm AVI files <--> MOV files (the
compression layer is undisturbed) for
optimum cross-platform application efficiency
- Create 1K
CineForm Express files from HD, 2K, 4K, or 4K
sources. Especially useful for 4K sources
such as from Red One.
- Conversion
scripts included for R3D source files into
various CineForm master file formats
- A free
decoder (Neo Player) is available for
sharing deep-precision content with others
who may not have purchased a CineForm
license
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Neo HD/4K
Workflow for Windows |
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Step 1 |
Capture/Convert with
HD Link: Media is
acquired from camera or file-based sources and
converted to CineForm AVI files using the HD
Link application that is part of Neo
HD/4K.
CineForm files can be created from any file
playable in Windows Media Player plus additional
file types as discussed in the specifications. Pre-processing features of HD
Link (such as telecine removal) can be
applied at the time of conversion. |
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Step 2 |
CineForm AVI files
are your new source master:
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Backup or
discard your original source files.
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Your CineForm
files will better preserve image fidelity
through post than your source files. Why?
Chances are your source files were intended
for acquisition, not for preserving fidelity
through post-production. -
CineForm files are
compatible with virtually all DirectShow or
Video for Windows
applications including Premiere Pro*, AE,
Sony Vegas, Combustion, Iridas Speedgrade and others.-
CineForm files can be moved
to Mac with full compatibility. Or you can
rewrap to MOV on Mac which some applications
like FCP prefer.
* Premiere Pro users
should use Aspect HD or Prospect HD/4K because
it includes CineForm's RT engine for PPro |
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Step 3 |
(Optional)
Non-Destructive Color Management using
SetActiveMetadata. CineForm's
SetActiveMetadata application allows you to turn ON or
OFF Active Metadata attached to your
CineForm files upon
decode and prior to presentation to the calling
application. Active Metadata includes
White
Balance, 3D LUTs, Curves, and Color Matrix, all
of which can be applied as an Adjustment Layer
to your CineForm files similar to an Adjustment Layer in
Photoshop.
How It Works: Active Metadata for each file
is stored in a CineForm color database that is interrogated by
the CineForm codec when called by an
application. Active Metadata is applied to
images within the codec after decoding but
prior to presenting the image(s) to the calling
application. Because Active Metadata
resides outside the calling application (AE or
Vegas for
instance) it is application independent.
Active Metadata will be properly applied to
CineForm files regardless of the calling
application, even after moving the files (and
color database) to Mac.
NOTE: On
Windows, SetActiveMetadata only allows turning
Active Metadata ON or OFF during playback.
On Windows you must change Active Metadata
using Prospect 4K within Premiere Pro.
It's different on Mac, SetActiveMetadata allows
you to apply Active Metadata to CineForm files. |
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Step 4 |
Distribution: At the
completion of your project you may render from
your host application to your preferred distribution format.
Archive:
If you may ever need access to your project in
the future, we recommend archiving your CineForm
files and project file along with your
distribution format. |
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Neo HD/4K
(Windows) Feature
Specifications |
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CineForm Windows Codec
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Up to
4K spatial resolution and 12-bit precision |
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Max Spatial Resolution: |
Neo HD: Up to 1920 x 1080 |
Neo 4K: Unrestricted (Neo 4K) |
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Bit Depth / Chroma: |
Neo HD: 10-bit
4:2:2 |
Neo 4K: 10-bit
4:2:2
12-bit 4:4:4:4
12-bit CineForm RAW |
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File Compatibility |
CineForm AVI
files are cross-platform compatible on both
Windows and Mac. CineForm files can be re-wrapped
between
AVI <--> MOV to retain deep precision for
cross-platform
compatibility |
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Encoder Quality Selector |
Low
Medium
High
Filmscan
Filmscan2 |
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File Wrapper on Render |
AVI or MOV (user
selectable) |
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HD Link |
Convert (normalize)
most all source files into high-quality CineForm
files |
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Supported HD camera
formats |
Any file that will play
in Windows Player can be converted to a CineForm
file plus some that will not, including:
- SD, HDV, AVCHD, XDCam HD/EX, DVCPro HD,
Uncompressed HD. See
HD Link Tech Notes
for details |
Supported 2K/4K camera
formats
(Neo 4K only) |
Arri D20/21*, Dalsa
DPX, Red R3D, Silicon Imaging AVI/MOV, Vision
Research .cine
* Coming in a
later release |
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Special camera support |
Grass Valley Infinity.
With optional I-J2K Suite, convert Infinity's
JPEG2000 files to CineForm files. |
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Inverse telecine
processing |
24p extraction from 60i
source |
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Deinterlacing |
60i → 30p
50p → 25p |
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Spatial resampling to: |
1920x1080
1440x1080
1280x720
NTSC: 16:9, 4:3 letterbox or
centered
PAL: 16:9, 4:3 letterbox or
centered |
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Speed Change including
audio remodulation |
60p → 24p / 30p
30p → 24p
25p → 24p / 23.976p
24p → 25p / 23.976p
23.976p → 25p / 24p |
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Image Flip |
Upper-Left to
Lower-Right for 35mm adapters such as Redrock Micro |
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Aspect ratio re-shaping |
Letter box / Pillar box |
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Re-wrap |
CineForm AVI <--> CineForm MOV |
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Direct-to-disk recording |
HDMI* and HD-SDI** source
* Blackmagic
Intensity card
** AJA Xena card |
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SetActiveMetadata
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Turn Active Metadata
ON / OFF |
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Stored as independent
layers per file |
White Balance
3D LUTs (meeting Iridas .LOOK LUT format)
Saturation Matrix
Gain / Offset |
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HW/SW
Requirements |
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System HW
(Intel Mac Only) |
Recommended: Any Intel Core 2 Duo
or Quad (or greater)
Minimum: 2.8+ GHz HT Pentium 4 or
Athlon 64 |
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Memory |
Recommended:
2GB (the faster the better)
Minimum:
1GB |
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System Drive |
Dedicated 7200 rpm drive
- used for program storage |
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Video Storage |
Best Performance: Two or more drives organized as RAID 0
Minimum: One dedicated 7200 rpm drive |
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OS |
Windows XP SP2/SP3
w/DirectX 9; OR Vista SP1 |
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Software Compatibility |
Most all Windows
AVI-compatible applications |
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Neo HD/4K
(Windows) Release Notes |
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Active Metadata: On Windows, the SetActiveMetadata
application allows you to turn Active Metadata ON or OFF when
playing or editing clips. Active Metadata can only be
added or changed using Prospect 4K within Premiere Pro.
Free Neo Player (Win/Mac):
Neo Player is a free download that installs the CineForm
Windows or QuickTime codec. Neo Player includes a
non-expiring CineForm decoder and a watermarked Trial of the CineForm
encoder. Neo Player can be installed by anybody wishing to
view CineForm-encoded content.
Download Neo
Player
Cross-Platform
Workflows (Re-Wrapping): Windows applications prefer
AVI-wrapped files, and similarly Mac applications prefer MOV
files. The rule of thumb is to ensure deep-precision
(10/12) bit depth is properly interpreted in a calling
application, you should rewrap according to the preferences
stated. HD Link includes a re-wrapping utility that
replaces an AVI-wrapped file with an MOV-wrapped file (and vice
versa). Re-wrapping is almost as fast as a file
copy because the underlying compression is not being disturbed.
Re-wrapping creates new CineForm AVI/MOV files and leaves the
source CineForm files intact.
Click for Trial downloads, free Neo
Player, or updates
to all CineForm products
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Update and Upgrade Policy |
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Free Updates: If you have a serial number
for Neo HD/4K you are always entitled to
download the latest update releases from
CineForm for free. Visit our
Neo HD/4K
update page for the latest version.
Upgrades: If you running a previous version
of Neo (e.g. Connect HD) you can purchase an
upgrade to Neo at our
online store.
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CineForm
Discontinues Neo HDV
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Neo
HDV was the industry's second HDV editing
product (after Aspect HD was the first), and has
been shipping for four years! As the HD
camera market has evolved with lower consumer
price points and new formats like AVCHD, we have
decided we can better serve our customers by
offering a new entry-level product called Neo
Scene that is priced at $129 and offers
targeted features for HDV and AVCHD users.
Existing Neo HDV customers can cross-grade to
Neo Scene for $69 or upgrade to Neo HD for $199
- details below.
- Cross-grade to Neo Scene for $69:
Neo Scene is intended for straight
conversion of HDV and AVCHD media into
10-bit CineForm files at spatial resolution
up to 1920x1080. See above for
additional Neo Scene features or visit the
Neo Scene product
page
- Upgrade
to Neo HD for $199: If you purchased Neo
HDV for $249, an upgrade to Neo HD
represents a savings of $50 on the normal
upgrade price to Neo HD. The $199 upgrade price will be available until
February 15, after which the upgrade price
will change to $250. Neo HD includes
the following extra features compared to Neo
Scene:
- support for
Active Metadata
- conversion
of XDCam HD/EX, P2, Canon 5D Mk II, or
general AVI/MOV formats
- spatial
resampling
- speed change
- image flip
- AVI <--> MOV
rewrapping
- hardware
capture using Blackmagic and AJA cards
- "Filmscan"
compression modes
- CineForm
DirectShow encoder. This allows
many third-party products to call
CineForm's 10-bit encoder
- Plus some
exciting new features planned for an
upcoming release of Neo HD v4. All who
upgrade to Neo HD v3 will get a free
upgrade to Neo HD v4.
- Remain
with Neo HDV: You are not forced to
cross-grade to Neo Scene or upgrade to Neo
HD. We will continue to support Neo
HDV, although we will no longer offer new
update releases.
- Did you
purchase Neo HDV since October 15?
If so, we will:
- give you give you a new
serial number for Neo Scene at no charge,
and allow you to keep your existing Neo HDV
serial number. To take advantage of this,
Click here to send us an email.
Remember to include your Neo HDV serial
number in the email.
-
Alternatively you can upgrade your Neo HDV serial number to Neo HD for $199
by
ordering Neo HD from our online store.
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All CineForm software is tuned for best performance on Intel
processors by leveraging Intel's high-performance SSEx
(Streaming SIMD Extension) instructions plus threading
optimizations for Intel's multi-core
architectures.
Intel, the Intel logo, Centrino, Centrino
Inside, Intel Core, and Core Inside are trademarks of Intel
Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. |
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Want to Learn
More?
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Read our
Technology section for
more about CineForm Intermediate, CineForm RAW,
and our Visual Quality Analyses.
Visit our
Learn More section
for additional resources. |
