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Beginners: Basic hacks questions
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  • jrdjrd

    Could someone kindly explain what "checked" and "unchecked" options are under 3.64d? When I open the "ini" files, I see certain options "checked" (the word "checked"), but from some of descriptions offered elsewhere, it sounds as if there's an actual matrix or grid, where you literally check off one item or another. When I load ptools, the only available checked box is "version increment", with the letter ovals going green, depending on which patches are in the folder. Am I missing some option?

  • Mr_MooreMr_Moore

    Click a green letter at the bottom to actually load the settings.

    That’s a little shortcoming of PTool. There’s not visual indication of which settings are currently loaded as opposed to which are simply sitting in the same folder as the PTool app.

  • xrayspecsxrayspecs

    I just installed Driftwood Quantum 100 v3 on my GH2 (using the new ptools and firmware 1.1). But I am confused about which settings in the camera to use to access the various patch settings, especially now that the new firmware adds a fourth movie setting (HBR). Can someone please tell me how these camera settings map to the patch settings?*

    • Manual Movie Mode

      AVCHD (1080i)

            FSH: ______________

            FH: _______________

  AVCHD (720p)

            SH: _______________

             H: _______________

    • High Bit Rate: ______________

    • 24P Cinema

      24H: _________________ 

  24L: _________________

    • Variable Movie Mode: _____________________

    *Or direct me to a thread that covers this info--GH2 Patch Vault posts don't clearly explain how camera settings map to each of the patches.

  • jrdjrd

    @Mr. Moore:

    I do indeed click the letter corresponding to the desired patch, but there's no display of "checkable" settings after that. I am supposed to have an opportunity to check or uncheck options, after clicking on any given patch?

  • Mr_MooreMr_Moore

    Launch PTool and load the GH2 firmware. Then double-click the line that says “Patches for end users.” Click the little black disclosure triangle next to Interface, Movie related restrictions, and so on. Depending on the setting you’ve loaded, some options will be enabled, some disabled.

    You can enable or disable an option by clicking the widget to the left of its name. If you select and option by clicking its name, several fields at the bottom of the window will become active. They show the original value of the selected parameter and the value imposed by your settings (it may or may not be different from the original value).

    Spend some time exploring the interface and familiarize yourself with it.

  • jrdjrd

    @Mr_Moore

    Many thanks, the comments I've been reading here finally make sense to me.... Some of the options will require research -- e.g., the Auto Quantizer choices -- but at least I know what everyone's talking about now.

  • atraxasatraxas

    I have just launched Ptools and successfully installed v1.1 with increased bitrate.I want to try some other patches such as flow motion but i dont know how to download from the links. Im a mac user and they appear only as .png files. Im sure Im missing the obvious could somebody please point out the elephant to me.

  • atraxasatraxas

    sorry guys I just needed to log in. .ini patches now downloaded

  • nic2011nic2011

    A question for the experts: I always change some patches from Nick Driftwood + Chris Brandin because I want a longer GOP and bitrates around 50mb at 24p and 60p. The latter one is very important to me. So, what i´ve got now shows a very uneven cadence at StreamParser. Please take a look:

    without movement + with quite heavy panning. At the panning shot the p-frames getting even bigger than the i-frames. Is this a really bad thing? The IQ looks Ok so far...

    nomovement_720p60_gop.jpg
    1279 x 645 - 447K
    movement_720p60_gop.jpg
    1280 x 643 - 465K
  • driftwooddriftwood

    @nic2011 That looks like the wrong version of ptools to me. Make sure you redownload ptools which was updated on 20/02/2012, also check Encoder Setting 720 4 patch try and settle the P/B frames (set this to 3 or above). Hope this helps :-)

  • PulldownclawPulldownclaw

    Are there any hacks/patches that don't revert to 1080i when hdmi is plugged in? Makes it real hard to operate a jib arm without a monitor. Thanks...

  • nic2011nic2011

    @driftwood

    Thanks for the answer. No, I used the lastest version of the ptool (20/02/2012) - with the ability of b-frames (without the need shooting anything else first). I´ll try to change the encoder settings (720 4). But in general: Is an uneven cadence like this an indicator for problems regarding the IQ?

  • driftwooddriftwood

    @nic2011 Ok so its not the ptools - thats good. Yeah, youre going to have to trial IQ/Q (stay away for AQ just for now) get the basics working first. Also its IMPERATIVE you work out your Frame Limits properly (according to GOP and bitrate), or you'll always have problems.

  • nic2011nic2011

    Will try - thx Nick!

  • gamebgameb

    Anybody knows how to get rid of that greenish tone that often appears in gh2 images? Where does it come from? From my experience is has nothing to do with daylight or artificial light. It is more a thing of dark or black objects that you are filming...

  • bricolobricolo

    As often I'm a little bit lost in so many informations. Just to be sure HBR is 25p. Is there someone working on a special patch for 25p. Witch topic is it?

  • atraxasatraxas

    I am taking my GH2 underwater in a Nauticam housing with panny 14mm pancake, filming large moving subjects such as sharks, manta rays etc., can anyone recommend a suitable patch? Preferably HBR 25p, I will be using autofocus as the housing has no manual focus, but focus will be typically locked.

  • gregsagegregsage

    Been reading up on spanning, the new cards, etc.

    Not quite clear, though. Is there some sort of line... like above a certain mb/s patches require the 64 G extreme pro cards, but lesser bitrate hacks can span on the extreme iii's.

    Do I have that right?

  • dbpdbp

    If you install a hacked 1.1 firmware with Ptools 3.64, and then you want to go back to a 1.0 hack, like quantum 9b, do you install it with Ptools 3.63, or can you use the newest ptools? Is there anything special that you have to do, other than the usual firmware installation?

  • balazerbalazer

    PTool 3.64d supports the v1.0e firmware in the same way that PTool 3.63d did.

  • JPB1138JPB1138

    If I am less concerned about size of files, are "'I'-frame-only low GOP" patches the best for quality (resolution, motion) or do P frames (or B frames) help with motion to create a smoother flow from frame to frame? I'm slowly picking up the lingo and how things work within the system. Just trying to see how they affect practical results...

    Basically If I don't care if the files are large and I already have good cards, are "I"-Frame patches the most suited towards best res and motion quality? or do other alternatives give better results for motion??

    OH and one final question...

    Would a constant Bitrate Patch work better in Lowlight? due to it not losing bitrate with the lack of detail? I love noir and nighttime shooting and trying to maximize motion and resolution in lowlight.

    Just trying to make sense of what would work best Ive seen some great night video out of @bkmcwd. I have this lens (Panny Leica 25mm f1.4) and these videos like sold the deal for me to purchase it. I much prefer the bokeh of this over the Voigtlander and its sharper wide open.

    For the record I started using Seaquake and then went to Quantum 9b, now am currently using Rocket V2 I'm mostly interested in 1080p24h. So thats where my questions are directed. @driftwood

    Thanks!

  • gregsagegregsage

    Is there anything like magic lantern's hbr patch for canon on the horizon? I just bought the camera for music videos only, and HBR is one of the main things I'd like to do as I'm not going for any sort of realistic images so much as lots of color, motion, etc.

    Is there something inherent about the camera that would not allow it to do the sort of iso switching between frames that magic lantern is doing?

  • TomasoTomaso

    @EOSHD In the article from Friday, 24 February, 2012 14:45 "Hacked GF2 – the $300 digital cinema camera " it's mentioned that you have succeded to use GOP 6 (6 frames between Keyframes). I have tested to do such settings for my GH2. I have based it on cbrandin 44 settings, but I can't figure out what I have to change not to get the encoder to fall into backup mode. could you disclose your settings pls

  • ChrisPetersChrisPeters

    Here is I hope an easy question. Independent of all the patches, what is HIGH BIT RATE supposed to do? Why did Panasonic add HBR?

  • fathomvfxfathomvfx

    I recently purchased the coollcd HD2 monitor to use with the gh2 and hacked with 3.64 ptools. The problem I am having is that when the camera is set to NTSC tv out it works fine if I switch it to Pal tv out I can't get a signal to work on the monitor. I have tried plugging the gh2 into tv monitors and computer monitors and the two modes work fine. I have tried running a canon 60D through the coollcd monitor in both NTSC and Pal modes and it works fine. Is anyone else having similar issues?

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