Cineform

Aspect HD is a plug - in for Adobe Premiere to support HD video. Not supported.

Prospect HD is a 10 bit high resolution encoder. Not supported.

CineForm RAW - RAW encoder

CineForm 444 - 12 bit RGB encoder with 4: 4: 4 color subsampling

Prospect 4K , Neo 4K - codecs that support 4K resolution . Not supported.

Neo3D - support for 3D video with a resolution of up to 8K. Not supported.

Following the acquisition of Cineform Inc by GoPro, three installation solutions were highlighted:

NeoScene - real-time editing of video from AVCHD / HDV / Canon 5D MarkII / 7D cameras ^[1]

GoPro Cineform Studio Premium - an installation solution for any file format with resolution from HD to 4K, converts CineForm to almost all camera formats from HDV to 6K digital cameras, DSLR, 3D cameras, as well as file formats, including TIF and DPX. ^[2]

GoPro Cineform Studio Professional - Professional 3D editing for creating digital cinema and broadcasting ^[3]

In 2001, CineForm Inc began shipping the first HD video editing products. In 2003, CineForm released the Aspect HD plug-in for Adobe Premiere, which was developed specifically for working in Adobe Premiere with high-definition video and, in particular, with the JVC JY-HD10U camera. ^[4] The plug-in allowed installation of HD-video, as well as standard definition video. Aspect HD included a wide range of editing transitions , effects, the ability to use color correction, overlay titles and graphics in real time.

In 2004, CineForm Prospect HD became the first 10-bit encoder used to produce a motion picture copy of a feature film that was printed back onto a 35 mm film from a compressed source - “Through the Dust to Victory” () by Dan Brown.

In 2006, CineForm introduced the first RAW compression format for single-matrix cameras - CineForm RAW.

Also in 2006, Microsoft selected CineForm compression as the format for its long-term archive of all Xbox Live TV and video programs. Today, Microsoft uses over 2,000 terabytes to store CineForm files, which are used for the Xbox Live distribution structure.

In 2007, CineForm introduced the first 12-bit RGB compression format - CineForm 444 - compatible with both Windows and Mac.

In 2008, CineForm Prospect 4K and Neo 4K editing systems for Windows and Mac were introduced.

In 2009, the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire became the first digital film to win an award for Best Film and Best Cinematography. About 70% of the slumdog Millionaire images were taken from a Silicon Imaging SI-2K camera, which records directly with CineForm RAW compression.

Also in 2009, CineForm began shipping its Neo3D software, which enables full-featured 3D video editing, compatible with many editing systems designed for 2D video only, such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Apple Final Cut Pro.

In 2010, the Phish 3D 3D movie became the first Neo3D full-production project, starting with filming, then editing in Final Cut Pro, and recorded back onto film for distribution, all using stereo CineForm files (3D).

By mid-2010, Neo3D became compatible with Media Composer v5, resulting in compatible 3D non-linear editing systems for all major platforms: Adobe, Apple, Avid and Sony.

In 2011, CineForm was acquired by GoPro .

In 2012, GoPro supported SMPTE in adopting the CineForm codec as the VC-5 video compression standard, with the goal of creating an open video compression standard for video capture and post-production. ^[5] . The draft ST 2073 standard is in preparation, completion of which is planned for the third quarter of 2013 . ^[6]

In 2014, the CineForm codec was approved as the video compression standard of SMPTE ST 2073 VC-5. ^[7]

CineForm Intermediate is a proprietary wavelet- based codec developed by David Newman and Brian Schunk for CineForm Inc. Wavelet algorithms are based on the concept of multi-scale analysis , where the entire image is analyzed and then compressed. Unlike the classical compression models with discrete cosine transform (DCT) used in codecs such as DV , MJPEG , MPEG, and JPEG , where the image is divided into blocks, in a codec with two-dimensional wavelet transform, the image is divided into subbands through a filtering system. As a result, wavelet compression leaves the image more “natural”, and with a high degree of compression it smooths high-frequency parts. Due to the lack of dividing the image into blocks, the boundaries of which can be noticeable, visually the quality is much higher than when using codecs with DCT. ^[eight]

When developing the CineForm codec, the following goals were set:

• Maintaining extremely high definition images at all stages of post-production filmmaking, including high bit accuracy with a high signal-to-noise ratio.
• Fast work based on the architecture of Intel processors so that multiple threads can be processed in real time without the need for specialized equipment.

CineForm Codec Design Features

• Full-frame wavelet transform. “Full-frame” means that the entire image is converted without breakdown into “blocks”, which are the basis for codecs with DCT conversion (JPEG, MPEG, AVCHD, etc.) and can cause artifacts to appear in complex sequences of frames. Cineform is free from these distortions.
• Color spaces and resolution :
  • 10-bit YUV 4: 2: 2
  • 12-bit RGB 4: 4: 4
  • 12-bit RGB ( A ) 4: 4: 4: 4
  • 12-bit RAW Bayer
• Spatial Resolution : Unlimited
• Data Rate : Variable (Constant Quality)
• Encoding quality settings: 6 (user selectable)
• Symmetry: symmetric speed for encoding and decoding
• Multi-scale decoding: wavelet algorithms allow you to decode an image at the same time with a higher and lower resolution, which is a useful property in playback mode or in other post-production applications. In particular, it is possible to decode up to ½ or ¼ resolution in each measurement, while using less processor load than decoding with full resolution. CineForm software during installation can dynamically use this feature.

Stream Speed ​​and File Size

CineForm 444

At the same resolution, the size of the CineForm 444 files is approximately two times larger than the equivalent YUV 4: 2: 2 files. Thus, at a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, the CineForm 444 file will be about 40 MB / s. And with a resolution of 4K - it will be in the range from 60 MB / s (200 GB / h) to 90 MB / s (300 GB / h). ^[9]

CineForm RAW

• 2K CineForm RAW is typically in the range of 15 MB / s.
• CineForm 4K RAW is typically in the range of 30 MB / s to 50 MB / s. ^[9]

Cineform Solution Comparison

The Neo line did not differ in characteristics from the Aspect / Prospect, however, it did not have the support of the Premiere Pro RT engine. This table shows the currently obsolete Cineform product line.

Generation GoPro

• ProRes 422
• Digital cinema
• Motion JPEG 2000

• About CineForm
• CineForm RAW Technology Overview
• CineForm Workflow Overview