Just installed a 15 day trial of Cineform Neo HD (http://www.cineform.com/neohd) for my two year old Macbook Pro with Final Cut Pro. It runs! Cineform performs a really nice workflow for FCP users by using active metadata by multiplexing (mux'ing) stereo pairs into single quicktime files for editing in FCP. Clever! Anyone who has edited using the FCP 3D StereoToolbox plug-in will tell you how annoying it is to keep seeing your clips come unrendered each time you change/move it in the timeline. For editing a complicated film or documentary with lots of clips and in lots of different formats, the Cineform solution offers a sensical opportunity for Non Linear Editing (NLE's).
My Macbook spec is the very minimum requirement (2.6Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB Ram) which is just enough to use ReMaster (this conforms my AVCHD files into Cineform Codec), as well as running FirstLight which lets you apply 3D adjustments such as convergence parameters to your clips in lots of different 3D viewing modes such as side-by-side and anaglyph to name but a few.
The Mac version of this latest V.5 only supports passive 3DTV's, though the Windows version of Cineform's 3D editing software allows for compatibility with active shutter 3DTV's. There seem to be a lot more active shutter 3DTV's on the shop stores these days. With the cost-effective passive glasses vs the more expensive active shutter glasses debate ongoing, it is interesting that stores are stocking more active shutter based systems. I digress!!!...
Neo HD is around $500 which is great for a good 3D post-production workflow on NLE's (and now works with AVID, as well as FCP and Adobe Premier/AE).
The more expensive Neo 3D (around £1900 - http://www.cineform.com/neo3d) gives you a lot more control over 3D settings plus dual link stereo playout on Mac using a Kona 3 card which will allow direct playout from your FCP timeline via SDI/HDI letting you run projection systems such as RealD, Dolby and XpanD, as well as recording in stereo mode to HDCAM SR.
Shooting S3D on my dual Sony 105-CX/AVR Lanc/parallel rig which produces AVCHD format .mts files, Cineform's Neo HD reads these files direct from the Pro Duo Cards so I don't have to import through FCP, just through ReMaster.
This I like!
No render time in the FCP timeline of the 3D stereo pair Mux'd quicktimes either once you have used ReMaster and FirstLight to make your 3D Quicktimes.
This I really like!
My first test has been a doddle so far. More on that when I'm finished...
My first impression:
If you're just starting out in S3D and using HD files NOT 2K or 4K files, I really recommend Neo HD. It's a really nice uncomplicated workflow. Well done Cineform. Will definitely purchase this when my 15 Day trial is up. Until then, I'm going to keep shooting and mux'ing...
bring on Glastonbury 3D!
I will blog my test results and conclusions for this new 3D editing workflow based on my dual Sony 105-CX AVC HD workflow in the next days.
How does ReMaster work?: Great Tutorial:
How does FirstLight work?: Great Tutorial:
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