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AVCHD maximum image quality settings and testing
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  • @Raysito22
    Even shooting bursts of stills, the Extreme pros (45mbs) are about 80% faster at emptying the buffer, 12 seconds vs 22 seconds with the Transcend class 10.
  • @Raysito22 I don't get all this BS about the 45Mb extreme pro card...my 32 Gig...works perfect. If your doesnt work its a fake!!!! (Don't buy it from China off Ebay!!!) ---period end of argument.
    The GH2 treats the Extreme pro like any other class 10 card it has no reason not to. Im sick of all the bullcrap with people who are just mad because they bought a piece of crap transcend card. Sandisk Cards are the best- hands down. If your "iffy" about the UHS-I cards get the 30MBs Extreme instead. You'll have worse issues with a Trancend than the Sandisk regardless.

    *Im NOT looking to start a flame war --I'm just tired of all this ignorant card bashing.
  • @No_SuRReNDeR there are probably better ways to say things but that's OK I get it. Anyway much more usefull the info Jspatz provided.

    I don't really mind I got this "slow" card, as anyway it's just 16GB to start with, and I already knew I'd have to buy a faster one. I'll leave it for photography and 720p. 30 MBs Extreme Class 10 aren't being sold locally (buying that kind of stuff from online shops out of the island isn't worth it), just the new 45 ones or the 30 UHS-1 (which are as expensive as the 45 MBs here so really not worth it).

    Actually, you kind of cheered me up, as I thought I'd never get a fast card locally :P . Thanks.
  • @No_SuRReNDer
    What a piece of bullshit you write.

    I have a Transcend Ultimate Class 10 32GB and all settings I posted in my starter pack survive a death chart slideshow of all four deathcharts (including the color ones). I don't believe the card makes much a difference in spanning either. The difference in spanning is made if the the scene at the moment of spanning has a low or high bitrate.

    There have been many complaints about the 45Mb cards. The 30Mb cards are the best you can get and the most expensive you can get (compared to other class 10 cards). They do give the best performance but for 90% of all settings that people use, you can get away with a Transcend class 10 card.
  • @sohus I call Bullshit on this "90% of all settings that people use, you can get away with a Transcend class 10 card." 90% of people that HACK this frickin' camera" are FILMMAKERS and NO the trancend is not good enough for them. AS A FILMMAKER...I want peak performance and "stability" not well it works most of the time. If it was good enough they wouldn't waste time hacking a camera for something as technical as video bitrates. ALSO I'm not saying the 30MB cards aren't good If you read what I wrote I even recommended one. I'm just saying that the 45MB cards work fine.

    As far the complaints on 45MB I'm just saying I think they are invalid, I have zero issue with mine. I would love to see a statement from Panasonic that says "oh by the way UHS-I cards perform worse than class 10 in this camera".....but guess what I don't think that's true.

    Dont start a flame war...
  • @cosimo_bullo At least I agree with sohus on this--> LOL on your post.....
  • Don't underestimate how many people buy fake cards.

    I have run death charts test with all of the settings on a Transcend class 10 32GB and have 0 problems or crashes. The only setting I had writing problems with (stopped after a few seconds) was 88M AQ4 when PTool 3.62D was just released.

    So yes, it can make a difference but for all of the current settings the Transcend cards I own work perfectly fine. I do agree that buying the Sandisk 30MB cards is the best and safest choice (future proof), as they work best. The 45mb cards I don't know... there a literally dozens of complaint posts in these forums about these specific cards (and not about the 30mb version).
  • OK Agreed- Truce---:)
  • Hello,

    New to the forum and want to say thanks for all of the work!

    I am testing the cBrandin stable settings and have noticed some large blockiness on my red front door. I am shooting in 720p60 which is at 32mbps using these settings.

    Is there a setting to reduce or eliminate this color blocking? I was under the assumption that the AVCHD in the GH2 would behave much like my HMC-150 and never really show any sign of a codec falling short.

    Thanks for your input.
    GH2 Blockiness.jpg
    1280 x 720 - 240K
  • I have not used the exact 720p60 setting, but are you sure it's not due to RED channel since it is 4:2:0?
    Well, taking a second look, it does appear worse than I originally thought.

    You may want to look around here for a higher bitrate 720 60P ini file and compare.
  • Thanks for your reply. What is confusing me is that I thought AVCHD was AVCHD. My HMC-150 never shows this and it is 24mbps 4:2:0 I would think 32mbps would be more than enough to handle a static red door.
  • @Bassman

    The red channel of the GH2 is just plain noisy. You can minimize it by shooting at low ISO's, and if it really bothers you, you can apply noise reduction in post, like Neat Video. I do not recommend using the in-camera noise reduction - it just smears the noise around, robbing you of fine detail.

    That being said, low bitrate ACVHD compression, can also add some additonal smear to the noise. You might experiment with using a higher bitrate for 720 60P. I'm currently recording 720 60P at 66 mbps, and it looks excellent.
  • Thanks Ralph. I will try some higher bitrates. This does not look like noise to me though. It looks like blotchy color. Like the codec can not handle the gradient. Maybe the sensor can not handle these particular colors?

    I will try changing the NR settings as it is on 0 right now.
  • Bassman, it's just that particular setting you're using.
    Try 24H Chris Brandin's 66MB AQ2 (Aug 29th) ini file.
    No issues there.
    You need to look around for an improved 720 60P, they're here somewhere. Or wait for driftwood to come up with his latest.
  • I don't have a great computer, but the red looks fine, the black threshold is another story. It looks terrible.
  • I am using the vibrant settings to match a saturated video look. I lift the blacks in post. Stills from a YUV timeline never transfer well either.

    I have attached a key from Edius to show the blocky appearance as the computer sees the footage. This is a pretty uniform color door and it is being shredded. More testing today.
    Key of Blotchy Color.jpg
    774 x 516 - 163K
  • Anyone, please make simple test, compare photo (1920x1080 mode) with video frame in same static scene.
  • Stray, not to let this topic die off.
    I must admit your 88Mb/s AQ2 GOP12 (max variation "takeoff from Chris's 66M AQ2 max var) is simply amazing!

    I shot some shit at the zoo in Phoenix Arizona the other day which is freaking jaw-dropping quality!
    Simply amazing. I still can't believe the image quality coming off of the GH2VK!

    I will post some grabs and possibly some footage.

  • @proaudio4 Nice1, I'm glad you're enjoying that patch, I really look forward to seeing some of the footage. I've been shooting with it a lot too, mostly for raw material to generate vfx shots (showreel time again) and a couple of shorts for next year. Its become my go to patch for most things now.

    It took a while though to wean myself off chris's 66M AQ2 after I'd made the 88M and proved it okay to use. I like playing with some of the low GOP settings, but when I want to shoot something I intend to work with I keep coming back to this one now.

    Edit : Dont forget to post screen grabs from the middle of a gop to show those long gop haters ;)

    Also yes I'm still getting the shocked feeling everytime I see the footage resulting from the hack too.
  • Thanks Stray.

    I agree, Chris's 66M AQ2 "Aug 29th" was also my all around, but the bit more 88M AQ2 MAX VAR holds under the same lighting conditions, makes it worth it "for me".

    I posted this information in a lot longer post earlier, but it certainly gives us an idea the benefit VK has offered us over stock firmware settings!
    The data I posted here: http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/comment/17806#Comment_17806
    supports that there is an improvement to your 88M setting over the 66M. Although, not a large improvement, it's still enough to make it specially. Also, this is under one repeatable condition. It's possible there is even more improvement depending on the complexity and lighting of the scene.

    Now, if we could just squeeze a bit larger i-frame under your 88M AQ2 setting. We know we have a hard time with AQ3 under 88M. Possibly somewhere in between AQ2.5? Maybe you, Vitaliy, Chris, driftwood, or bkmcwd.... the list goes on and on... know what QP setting can steer us there?
  • For giggles and shits, here's some 88M AQ2 MAX VARIATION (stray) screen caps from phoenix arizona zoo:
    The closer parrot shot was ISO800, the wider parrot shot was IS0640.
    All other shots are ISO160.
    14-140M LUMIX lens.
    film setting> smooth -2,-2,-2,-2

    The flamingo, pelicans, wide lagoon shot, I used a Light Craft Fader ND MKII.
    You have to be careful with this variable filter, distance shots on the tele end of the lens go soft.

    Vegas> converted studio levels (16-235) to RGB (0-255) and screen captured.
    No post grading.


    http://members.cox.net/proaudio4/PHX%20ZOO%20FLAMINGO%20GH2%2088M%20AQ2%20MAX%20VAR.png

    http://members.cox.net/proaudio4/PHX%20ZOO%20PARROT2%20GH2%2088M%20AQ2%20MAX%20VAR.png

    http://members.cox.net/proaudio4/PHX%20ZOO%20PARROT3%20GH2%2088M%20AQ2%20MAX%20VAR%20ISO640.png

    http://members.cox.net/proaudio4/PHX%20ZOO%20PELICANS%20GH2%2088M%20AQ2%20MAX%20VAR.png

    http://members.cox.net/proaudio4/PHX%20ZOO%20TURTLE%20GH2%2088M%20AQ2%20MAX%20VAR.png

    http://members.cox.net/proaudio4/PHX%20ZOO%20WHERETHEFUCK%20GH2%2088M%20AQ2%20MAX%20VAR.png

    BTW, the 88M stray setting is excellent and does not break!

  • Nice, many thanks for those they're great images. I should finish what I'm doing today and then I plan to go back to working on one of my own things shot pretty much entirely with these settings. Once its done in a week or so (could be longer as I have a few vfx shots planned, though nothing too heavy, maybe) I'll upload it.
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