GoPro Hero2 Protune Firmware

Steve I just dump the raw 35 mbps files straight in my NLE and do what ever. Why use Cineform to convert?

Yeh I agree very nice shots on those videos but they put a huge amount of time into them but can put out some great interesting shots.

You certainly just cannot stick one on anywhere and get good results and there is the constant problem of them fogging up here in the tropics.

That R44 heli, he must of had it on some Gyro or something as there is no way you can mount a camera fixed to a heli like that and get it that smooth.

On the Eurocopter I put one on the skid, tail, underneath up front in the center and on a suction cap on the inside on the curved front window and all 4 positions gave real bad results.

So unless you have some special constructed mount or have them on a gyro, using these things in a heli is useless unless you want really bad jello footage.

Maybe you can fix it up frame by frame in post but I have not got any time for that and normal stabilizer software does not fix it up.

Took the GoPro that had been sitting outside in the shade for hours, opened the door, made sure it was not fogged up, jumped on the dive tender in PNG, shot some nice steady shots, got back, useless all fogged up lol O hang on I was suppose to put some moisture pads in there or something right, yeh I carry a heap of them around with me all the time.

Put it on my motor bike, frame, tank, fairing, useless horrible jello.

Put it on the front of my car with the suction cap, usable footage but still has jello when going over a bump or something not smooth, horrible blocky blue sky using the normal 15mbps setting, 35mbps is much better.

Protune firmware is buggy and many times I have had to take the battery out as it locks the camera right up on boot up, once I get it going again then have to go through all through the menu again to set up the correct settings :-) Changing the FOV settings is a waste of time as it just crops the sensor and looks grainy, just shoot wide and do it in post.

Time to try out the new Sony Action cam and see how its image stabilization goes, it looks pretty good by what I have seen so far for a CMOS camera.

If I get one I will do a side by side test.

Hey Wagsy,

Thanks for responding so quickly. Actually, I just connect the cam to the computer and drag the files to my NLE as well but thought I might be missing something with this 'ProTools' and Cineform. I also find it very buggy. So basically, the ProTools is not something you work with, it just affects the MBPS of the footage. I saw that it was on in the Hero menu but other than that, is there a way to affect the setting it uses. The GoPRO manual makes no mention of this so I am just a touch confused.

Great shot of you in the chopper. When I was on the Sheriffs Dive Team we used to jump out of those suckers with full tanks and gear. Lots of fun for young guys like you.

Steve

I just installed the update tonight and turned ProTune on in anticipation of the upcoming Wetpixel Indo trip. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any HERO3 cameras for this trip. Next time!

Hey Eric,

Surprised you weren't able to pick one up at DEMA. I am also still waiting for mine to come in. Their PR person said it would take a few weeks. So, with ProTools turned on, does it now automatically shoot at 35MBPS?

Have a good trip. Headed to Anilao in Feb. Never been there before tho I had been to Dumegetti and Puerta Gallera a few years back.

Steve

Steve the Heli was a hoot all right, flying around without the doors on getting cool shots.

Yes once on the Protune settings its the 35mbps VBRate.

Shooting at 35mbps is much better than 15mbps.

Well looks like the Protune firmware for Hero 3 locks the camera too :-)

Scary video there Wagsy. Maybe I should shut off the ProTools. Haven't had a freeze but, then again, haven't used it since I turned it on.

That must have been a blast in the heli. Were you strapped in? When we dove off them, there were two divers, one on each skid to balance the heli. We had our tanks and fins on just standing on the skids and holding onto the extended safety belt for dear life. If your grip slipped you were a dead man. The hardest part was getting back up on the skid still in full gear. My sergeant didn't have the upper body strength to get back up onto the hovering heli and they had to send a boat out for him. This was the training we did at some big lake around here. I was just crazy enough to try anything in those days. But it was fun!

Steve,

Did I read correctly that you simply connect your HD2 to a computer instead of using card reader ?

"Actually, I just connect the cam to the computer and drag the files to my NLE as well but thought I might be missing something with this 'ProTools' and Cineform."

GoPro sometimes goes banana when connected to a computer using its USB due to USB nature of sometimes sending investigative signal to the GoPro. Unless I need to update firmware and can't avoid the Cineform route where USB must be plugged to the GoPro, I will avoid USB connection GoPro to PC. Charging I use Wasabi stand alone charger 99% of the time. Data transfer I use card reader, much faster anyway because HD2 data out via USB is a best 7 MB/s. Charging a GoPro via PC's USB I still do once in a while in desperation and I avoid HUB USB, take the direct USB.

When you drag your file from GP memory card still in a GP, to your NLE, there is still a handshake going on between Cineform and the camera. Best to avoid it at all cost.

None of my cameras all of them GoPro to DSLR , I will ever want to plug to PC via USB for video or photo file transfer, I will use card reader. USB is too smart and Jack of All Trade system, which I have seen corrupted GoPro firmware, more so when one's PC has lots of anti virus software. Sharing memory card between a GoPro with some other cameras if one does not do Quick Format on PC first to clean it, may corrupt a GoPro. Best to use PC quick format and must be at 32Kb file allocation or else Gopro HD2 wont recognize the SD card and as further insurance use the DELETE ALL in HD2 which is a lso a FORMAT. I seen HD2 firmware corruption coming from a Sony Memory Stick management program existing in the memory card used on a HD2. I forgot the file extension of that Sony.

Here is what the designer explain on Protune if you want to read more. My video 101 is not up there ha ha ha.

http://cineform.blog...10/protune.html

NOTE, I am on PC and not a Mac

STEP1 - Import n Convert

It is for MP4 Protune or standard 15 mbps MP4, not for AVI or MOV which belongs to Step 2.

Transfer HD2 file from its memory card, using Card Reader and place it on the drive you like.

Click n drag that file to Cineform Studio

Here you can edit length wise with the IN & OUT feature below that time line bar, + some of ADVANCED SETTING but no messing with color.

When already choosen the IN & OUT, click blue box called ADD CLIP TO CONVERSION LIST

When clicked, you will get the thumbnail at right box called CONVERSION LIST

This is when that shortened MP4 Protune file will be converted to Cineform AVI ( PC ) or Cineform MOV ( Mac ), you may also choose some function in the small box grey color bottom of the preview window called ADVANCED SETTING. This is also the time if you want to do slow motion or speed up motion, choose quality and choose frame size. Time lapse setting is also adjusted here if your file is 1000s of JPEG instead of MP4.

Click CONVERT ALL blue box at bottom right ( I am using single clip only as example for less confusion )

The converted AVI or MOV file will go to the drive you assigned.

Click STEP 2 - EDIT, top right box above preview window.

It should automatically place the Cineform MOV file you just converted, if not look it up on the drive you assigned and click n drag it to left box IMPORT CONVERTED CLIP. Press play on preview window if you seen all black or all white out screen.

If you do not pass this stage, go to GoPro.com and make sure your Mac OS is suitable

http://gopro.com/sup...ftware-support/

http://gopro.com/3d-...m-requirements/

Assuming you have no trouble and you are now at STEP 2 - EDIT with a Cineform MOV file inside left side box left called the IMPORT CONVERTED CLIP, this is where you can choose default preset of Protune color correction or others and also there are White Balance, Image Controls and so on...........in order to make that Cineform MOV of yours be converted to MP4 ( 15ish mbps ) with all the correction or color preset you have choosen.

When you done what you need to do, click blue box EXPORT MP4 and that is the final product to your taste.

Or you can take that Cineform MOV and do what you like on another NLE.

Cineform AVI even though it is a big file size, approx 5 MB/second of video, its not slow to render like highly compressed 15 mbps MP4 of GoPro

ONE CAUTION

Those who has paid Cineform Neoscene or any Cineform programs, DO NOT install the free Cineform Studio on same PC, it may over ride the paid program. This is what my friend who has a paid Cineform Neoscene told me. Me I use the free Cineform Studio only and no other Cineform products, so no issue.

Cineform Studio only will work on GoPro MP4 and not others. Canon MOV and Nikon D800 MOV will work on CF Studio but when you playback on preview screen, its very buggy. Converting these two files to Cineform AVI no problem. You do not get the IN & OUT feature to shorten Canon or Nikon MOV, only GoPro MP4 get that honor.

HD3 Black ( real HD3 new platform ) and Silver ( beefed up HD2 ) comes with Protune which you can not remove.

HD3 official date of release as per GoPro USA is 29th Nov 2012. Some they released early to Best Buy and those 1st batch seems to have problem of freezing. The later batch is all good so far. Later batch is the batch when GoPro send a new one in replacement to the customer. Official batch should be the one when GoPro USA website start distributing 29th Nov, that I believe should be the most stable and ready one. Mine is coming soon in a week, bought from USA by a friend and hopefully is already the "Later" batch.........ha ha ha.

Hope the Cineform 101 helps Steve.

Wagsy,

Contact this guy and ask on how he install his GoPro HD1 on the chopper exterior. This is HD1 mounted on a Bell 206. I find it very acceptable and don't expect this guy to use gyro stabilizer.

https://vimeo.com/13605504

Some mounting tips. R-22. Primitive DIY, acceptable jello for 30 fps. If he uses 60 fps, it would be better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=khRLj82iC08

Result

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_Dm3K2VK_aE

Have fun guys...........

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Interesting way to hang it inside, I don't think mine would of stayed in place like that for very long flying around with both doors off. :-)

That clip was much smoother than my results but watching it closely when banking the Heli was vibrating there while the camera was steady?... and the quality was pretty bad.

Then I found more clips with that pilot and his go pro.... Jelly Mellow :-)

Downloaded and installed Cineform for fun.

Converted a Protune clip out to a max quality Cineform avi.

The original Protune 4 minute and 30 second clips was 1.10 GIGS in size but after converting it to Cineform it grew to 3.46 GIGS :-)

It took my PC 1 minute and 46 seconds to convert it maxing out all 8 cores of my Ivy Bridge CPU.

In EDIUS I can have 4 tracks of raw Protune clips running, 3 clips in pips on the screen.

With Cineform I can only have 3 tracks playing back in real time, but it runs out of puff after it hits the 3rd track about 10 seconds in.

With color correction added I can have 3 tracks of Protune playing realtime while only 2 with Cineform.

So there is no real advantage in converting to Cineform unless you have a NLE that cannot edit the Raw Protune clips.:-)

I then rendered out a from the 1 minute edited timeline of the 3 Raw Protune clips with colour correction applied to a 1920/1080 CBR 9mbps H.264 file for the internet and it took 60 seconds

I then did the same but with just 1 Protune clip on the timeline and it took just 30 seconds to have my file.

Dang, if your 8 core is Intel Xeon E5-2960 @2.9Ghz, that cost a bomb !!

US$2k for the CPU alone but it seems that your server class Ivy Bridge is not faster than my 6 core i7 3930k he he he.

I can do 4:30 minutes Protune MP4 25 fps converted to Cineform AVI 25 fps quality high in 1 minute 25 seconds resulting a file size of 4.18 GB .

1 Cineform AVI clip of 1 minute, rendered to MP4 at 10 mbps CBR Internet 1920/1080p 25 fps, I needed 40 seconds. There is no 9 mbps CBR in Vegas Pro Main Concept MP4, closest is 10 mbps. Resulting file size 74MB. Quality chosen is good. No color correction, just rendering.

1 Protune MP4 clip of 1 minute, rendered to MP4 at 10 mbps CBR Internet 1920/1080p 25 fps, I needed 27 seconds. Quality chosen is good. No color correction, just rendering. Resulting file size 74MB

Cineform is not for Pro like you and Steve. Its for average Joe who does not need to buy another sofware and it was initially designed to "marry" the 3D video of HD2 3D cameras, only now with Protune people are actually looking at it more. This freebie Cineform will be useful when you use HD3 in Cam Raw, the preset and color correction is easy to use and very little work is needed since Cam Raw is stable.

.....

There are 3 versions of Cineform Studio, the free standard,, middle Premium(?) and the Professional version, which also converts .r3d, Arriraw and other 4k formats. It is also the successor to the Neo3D app which is an awesome 3D converter/editor. Unfortunately for a few, the interface is a bit unintuitive for those who don't edit 3D.

For those who don't use multiple programs to finish their edit, converting is redundant. However for those who jump from NLE to color grader to compositor etc, a 10/12 bit intermediary codec is very important, unless your computer can handle uncompressed 12 bit 444.

Wags, last time I checked Edius didn't support cineform in 10/12bit, does 6.5?

SPP,

I am on a Mac and am PC illiterate, but yes, I don't even bother taking the card out of the GoPro. I just connect it directly to the computer and drag the video files into a folder which I can then either convert or bring into my NLE, FCP. I then delete and reformat the card with the GoPro itself. I have never had a problem doing it this way.

Steve

Just watched Wagsy's video on the helicopter mounting. The vibration insulators looked interesting but it occurred to me that using the thick round felt cymbal protectors might do an even better job and for less money. I will have to try that when a good circumstance comes up

Dang, if your 8 core is Intel Xeon E5-2960 @2.9Ghz, that cost a bomb !!

US$2k for the CPU alone but it seems that your server class Ivy Bridge is not faster than my 6 core i7 3930k he he he.

 

I can do 4:30 minutes Protune MP4 25 fps converted to Cineform AVI 25 fps quality high in 1 minute 25 seconds resulting a file size of 4.18 GB .

 

1 Cineform AVI clip of 1 minute, rendered to MP4 at 10 mbps CBR Internet 1920/1080p 25 fps, I needed 40 seconds. There is no 9 mbps CBR in Vegas Pro Main Concept MP4, closest is 10 mbps. Resulting file size 74MB. Quality chosen is good. No color correction, just rendering.

 

1 Protune MP4 clip of 1 minute, rendered to MP4 at 10 mbps CBR Internet 1920/1080p 25 fps, I needed 27 seconds. Quality chosen is good. No color correction, just rendering. Resulting file size 74MB

 

 

Cineform is not for Pro like you and Steve. Its for average Joe who does not need to buy another sofware and it was initially designed to "marry" the 3D video of HD2 3D cameras, only now with Protune people are actually looking at it more. This freebie Cineform will be useful when you use HD3 in Cam Raw, the preset and color correction is easy to use and very little work is needed since Cam Raw is stable.

 

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O I meant to say my Quad core running 8 threads, :-) only running a i7 3770K here so your i7 3930k is a faster chip.

Drew 6.5 does 10 bit now, in fact you can edit normal footage in 10 bit too.

SPP,

I am on a Mac and am PC illiterate, but yes, I don't even bother taking the card out of the GoPro. I just connect it directly to the computer and drag the video files into a folder which I can then either convert or bring into my NLE, FCP. I then delete and reformat the card with the GoPro itself. I have never had a problem doing it this way.

Steve

 

That's good. PC for some reason has "dirtier" USB I suppose.. ha ha ha. I am Mac blind.

So did u manage to run the Cineform till final MP4 conversion ?

.

No, too many problems with Cineform and once I get to editing I just have the time to waste with it. Go straight to FCP

Steve

Ok...here comes the question about downloading these updates for GoPro2. How do you do this and then get it loaded onto the camera? May seem easy to you guys, but I can get lost with some of this stuff. Thanks - DiverPam

Pam, just plug in your GoPro and use GoPro Cineform Studio to update. It's step by step from there. That's assuming you have a HD2.