Currently testing out an assortment of video codecs for use across the department within Cubase. Been given a load of video files in formats and codecs the software our animation department is able to export in and the plan is to find the one that works best in cubase and they’ll henceforth export everything in that.
However, something odd is going on.
Cubase uses Quicktime as it’s video engine, right? So any video that works within quicktime itself should be fine in Cubase, yeah?
No.
For example, one video I just tried in ‘cineform’ codec plays absolutely beautifully in Quicktime itself - looks good, file size is ok, cpu usage minimal and fast and accurate scrubbing is available. Import into Cubase, thumbnail cache loads ok … but when I play back it’s a weird rainbow coloured choppy psychedelic mess.
I’ve been using ApplePro Res (proxy) at 1280 x 720 and it works really nicely with the CB newest video engines … ie the one in CB 6.05. Seems to be good at all frame rates… though 60/59.94 will be tougher on your system.
There’s ApplePro Res QT playback components for PC if you’re working on a PC.
And a company called PAVTube ( http://www.pavtube.com/ ) do a great little video converter that outputs to ApplePro Res (and just about everything else) if you don’t have access to the Final Cut Pro suite.
Apple ProRes also scales well from it’s proxy flavor (smallest) up to the ProRes 4444 which holds a full alpha channel and is visually lossless … so your animators could use it for moving in and out of just about every QT compatible app as a reference.
I’d stay away from temporally compressed CODECS like MP4 / H264. They make small files, but eat processors on playback and I just don’t trust my sync reference to be made up of ‘virtual’ frames.
Quite, we had issues with XviD and 3ivX MPEG4-based codecs and ‘flabby’ sync. I would avoid these.
Sadly we are limited to what can be exported from 64-bit Maya (3D rendering software). Fortunately we’ve found a MJPEG codec that works within Maya and plays back beautifully within Cubase - unfortunately it isn’t free, and although it’s only 20 euros per encoder license, there may be some issues convincing the management to fork out for 50+ licenses just to suit us in the audio department!
Of course, the developer may be able to offer a site license … but the developer has no contact details on their website other than via snail mail - the online support form is broken and cannot send. Doesn’t inspire confidence.