DELTA BOYS: Next Seaon (my 2nd Documentary)

[mark84j]

I. NeatVideo - "TEST"

I've been doing a lot of testing with the now famous NeatVideo plugin for Sony Vegas. It's a plugin that removes grain, and I gotta say that this is something well worth the $50. It's just an immense help to anybody filming in dark conditions!

Now... I've been using it for months now, and after numerous tests, I figured it's be neat (NPI) to do a side by side video that shows how well NeatVideo does its job. Before you watch my quick showcase, I will first say that the footage was filmed on the XH-A1 in a room illuminated by the morning sunlight (shutter speed 100, f2.8). This was so it would guarantee spots that showed visible grain. Looking at the footage right off the tape, without NeatVideo the grain was very visible. But after putting on NeatVideo, the footage looked a lot more clean.

Youtube's quality downgrade is retarded, so I'm not sure you can even notice the difference between the two unless you come right up to your screen and inspect the small details. But I'm also supplying the actual video file HERE so that you can have the actual rendered .wmv and see it for yourself. You can watch the test below, but I'd highly recommend downloading the actual file (again, HERE).



II. NeatVideo - "CPU usage"

Next, I'd like to explain how NeatVideo does something I'd never expect. See, when rendering a file out in Sony Vegas, your CPU usage shoots up to 99-100%. It pushes your cores to their limit, and it doesn't stop until your video is done rendering. When I learned this, I freaked. Your CPU can't be running that high for so long until it decides to explode on you one day. Not only that, but since your CPU is running at its full capacity throughout, the temperature of your CPU escalates to molten lava proportions. I've measured the temeratures using Speedfan.

When rendering a normal file in Vegas (using my own preset), I'd say my cores range between 65-75 degrees Celsius. That's hot. Very hot. This is why I keep a fan directly underneath my laptop blowing air straight up so that there's no shortage of cool air suckage.

But... when rendering footage using the NeatVideo plugin, my temperatures range from 50-65 degrees Celsius. Still hot, but that's an extravagant decrease! Not only that, but my CPU usage ranges from 40-55%, not 100%. The render times are slightly longer, but the footage is still adhering to my personal preset. And more interestingly, the temp decrease occurs even when the NeatVideo plugin isn't even turned on. All I have to do is drag the plugin onto the footage, and leave it off. I don't know why it does, but it (a) keeps your laptop at a fairly acceptable temperature and (b) keeps your CPU on cruise control during rendering!

All in all, I'd say if you're using Sony Vegas and in fear of overheating your computer or pushing your CPU too hard, then download the damn plugin. Not only is it a pillow for your machine, but it's a damn good plugin that sexy's up your footage.

[Almohada]

Great test, dude! Gosh I fckn' love that camera...

[mark84j]

Thanks, Almo.

Been working like a horse these past few weeks. Found a job at Fox 2 News here in the Bay Area, and it's been fun for the most part. I got to bring my XH-A1 alongside a team that had us set up in San Francisco, so that was cool. But after I got home and looked at the footage on my big screen vis HDMI (played the tape on the HV40) the footage looked INCREDIBLE. Makes me pat myself on the back for sticking with these cameras. But yeah, it looked superb even though I knew the compression while transferring the footage onto my hard drive wouldn't be too kind. And while the footage still looks ok after capturing it onto my laptop, I couldn't help but wonder "What is the best way to sacrifice the minimum amount of quality from the footage for transferring onto my Hard Drive?"

Here's a small clip:
I might not look as crystal clear as from my previous vids, but that's only in part to me not being able to find steady focus point. Having so much in my view, heat waves coming off the concrete, and cars passing by ever 2 seconds wasn't easy. I'd say this would be my "look" if I was to do a film out here.



I still use Sony Vegas as my editing software, and I also use it as my mean of transferring footage onto my HD. My question is: what do you guys use for transferring footage from tape to HD? Do other programs such as Adobe Premiere capture footage from the XH-A1 better than Vegas? Or is the footage going to look the same regardless of what software I use?

[Almohada]

Damn it must have been VERY hot!!!! Heat waves everywhere. Yeah I wasn't quite sure where you had your focus set. As you said, too many things going on. I didn't know you're in the Bay Area now! Congrats on getting the job!

[mark84j]

Been a while since I uploaded anything onto here, but I've really been having some fun with the GH2. Found some old Canon FD lenses downtown and it's been a blast testing them out.

I haven't hacked the GH2 yet, but I've been really confused which one to use though. At first I was eying the 50mb/s hack, but then I just heard about the Apocalypse Now hack that is practically 444. What can you guys prefer?

Here's my first uploaded vid.

[Almohada]

Amazing. Is that straight from the cam?

[mark84j]

Yes, except the black bars.

[mark84j]

Finally put together a demo reel of most of my stuff, how does it look?

[mark84j]

The GH2 is... an interesting camera. I'd been playing with it and then finally hacked it weeks ago, and was unpleasantly disappointed. I'd been following guys like eyepatch and drewnetwork on Youtube, and everything they'd say only fuel my fervor to actually hack my GH2. I'd already been enjoying the hell out of the footage which looked fine as is. I hacked it and then learned about the cons of doing so. Here were the things that made me stick with an unhacked camera:

-Playback errors. Every time I had an odd number of video files in my card, playback was impossible unless I turned the camera off and switched it back on. But if I had an even number, it was fine. Really odd.

-ISO bugs. I couldn't use 160 ISO without having more grain than I should. I had to stick with native ones like 200 or 400 or 800. Ridiculous.

-Copious... COPIOUS amounts of noise. Shadows, dark spots, and anything that was in pure light had noise that had me agape with W-T-F. My XH-A1 has noise, sure, but it looks organic within it capabilities, but the hacked GH2's noise was ugly beyond belief. There was no way for me to grade around it with Vegas unless I smoothed everything over with Neatvideo, which gave everything a plastic texture.

But I'm still madly in love with the GH2, just when it's unhacked. Did some more low light testing with the unhacked cam, and I'm perfectly happy with this.

[Almohada]

Beauty.

[JFP]

-Playback errors. Every time I had an odd number of video files in my card, playback was impossible unless I turned the camera off and switched it back on. But if I had an even number, it was fine. Really odd.

-ISO bugs. I couldn't use 160 ISO without having more grain than I should. I had to stick with native ones like 200 or 400 or 800. Ridiculous.

-Copious... COPIOUS amounts of noise. Shadows, dark spots, and anything that was in pure light had noise that had me agape with W-T-F. My XH-A1 has noise, sure, but it looks organic within it capabilities, but the hacked GH2's noise was ugly beyond belief. There was no way for me to grade around it with Vegas unless I smoothed everything over with Neatvideo, which gave everything a plastic texture.

Mark, I'm surprised you had any playback issues, which hack were you using? I've had my gh2 hacked with flowmotion 2.02 and have not had a single recording or playback error in any mode. I do use Sandisk 95/mbps cards though.

The ISO bug is a well documented issue with both stock and hacked Gh2s. All you need to do is go to 160,320,640 etc from one step up, Ie 200 to 160 and any issues are gone. I always leave my ISO set at 800 and go down from there, because I'm not really a fan of going any higher than that on many cameras. I'd rather just add more light.

I haven't had any issues with noise really either, even in the darkest parts, all the noise I've seen has been quite organic and pleasing.

If you are very happy with stock GH2 than by all means stick with it, but I would suggest you look into other patches. Like I said, I've had my GH2 hacked with Flowmotion v2.02 and am extremely happy with it.

[Jim E]

One question, Mark - what was that music?!

[HueyNRolf]

One question, Mark - what was that music?!

Question mark !

Ahar, got you, Jim E!

[Jim E]

Hehe!

[JFP]

Still waiting to hear Mark's response

[Jim E]

Yeah......

[mark84j]

Sorry for the late response, I've sort of found myself drifting away from HV20.

I used the Driftwoods, the Apocalypse now, the Sanity, the Flowmotion, and a couple others I can't remember. I didn't have any recording problems, it was just playback when I had an odd number of files on my card. I'm pretty sure I'll give the hacks another try at some point. But for the time being, I'm so in love with it unhacked.

Here was some hacked footage, using one of the Driftwoods. The noise is absolute kaka:



And here is unhacked footage. More clean and pretty IMO:




As for the music, here's the source.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBau5RrFF9Y

[Jim E]

As for the music, here's the source.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBau5RrFF9Y

That's what I was after. Yes, very nice choice of music, Mark.