Richard Wait

I've (this week) ordered an iMac with the i7 4Ghz and the M395X GPU. Ram and HDD I left standard, as aftermarket ram is substantially cheaper (and is a user 'allowed' update) and as I'm using a RAID already didn't feel the need to mess with the HDD (as its a fusion SSD combo)
My decision was based on the fact I'm almost 90% in FCPX - and the performance of the iMac is so on par with the a 6 Core MacPro with dual D500 GPUs. Which is crazy for the price difference and the included 5K screen....
 

B&H was showing in stock yesterday so I ordered one on the spot, going to cost me a fair bit more compared to buying in Australia but atleast its already shipped and on the way :) 

Inazuma,
 
From the preproduction videos we seen (here from Andrew and elsewhere) Looking at 1/3 stop better performance (yes not a massive amount) - so image quality has been improved and so too the noise characterists. But its not a mega leap over the GH3 (at 1080)
 
Andrew has taken the time to upload examples to Vimeo - AND provide the source files via links to copy.com (or some hosting thingy he has)
Don't make the mistake I made and rely on the Vimeo/YouTube videos - you really need to download the originals and have a look.
 
However, taking the 4k image from the camera and downsampling it to 1080 via your NLE, you will notice a nice difference in 1080 quality :)
 
Back to shipping... I bet BHPhoto and Adorama will be shipping next week too, can't believe it only one of the big retailers to have obtained stock. Both of these are closed for this long weekend... Fingers crossed for Tuesday eh! 

Inazuma,
 
From the preproduction videos we seen (here from Andrew and elsewhere) Looking at 1/3 stop better performance (yes not a massive amount) - so image quality has been improved and so too the noise characterists. But its not a mega leap over the GH3 (at 1080)
 
Andrew has taken the time to upload examples to Vimeo - AND provide the source files via links to copy.com (or some hosting thingy he has)
Don't make the mistake I made and rely on the Vimeo/YouTube videos - you really need to download the originals and have a look.
 
However, taking the 4k image from the camera and downsampling it to 1080 via your NLE, you will notice a nice difference in 1080 quality :)
 
Back to shipping... I bet BHPhoto and Adorama will be shipping next week too, can't believe it only one of the big retailers to have obtained stock. Both of these are closed for this long weekend... Fingers crossed for Tuesday eh! 

Over the last few months it has been a shame to see such good information from level-headed people here on the forum being totally drowned out by poor quality posts, bullshit, rudeness and just general argumentativeness or stuff which has nothing to do with filmmaking or even reality.
 
Frankly it is becoming a real pain to moderate and I just don't have time for it.
 
All over the internet forums are the same, they are all a total PITA to read because of a disruptive few.
 
I am considering a change to the forum which would effectively see it closed but for a few selected members who have a proven track record of good posts. The forum would have a lot of exposure and readers. Like a 'second blog' to EOSHD that everybody can get something interesting out of.
 
In preparation for the potential change over the next few weeks I will name the top quality people on here. Those who contribute interesting and cool stuff to the forum...
 
This is so EOSHD readers can check their profiles and check their posts more often - essentially I want to start drawing attention to the good guys rather than them always being drowned out.
 
By quality content I also mean good attitude towards other members, not just regular posting of constructive and creative stuff. People who help other shooters out when they are in need of it... and people who avoid the inevitable mud-slinging when someone with 2 or 3 posts jumps in to stir things up for their own enjoyment!
 
To have so much good info here especially on the anamorphic forum, drowned out by a vocal minority of idiots is simply unacceptable.
 
I'm not going to start censoring and banning en-masse - it is a shit job and I won't do it. I will simply close the forum and when it reopens it will be a circle of friends and 100% constructive. No bullshit. Like a cool hangout before the tourists get hold of it and ruin it.
 
Some may feel this is undemocratic. I will listen to them and get feedback on the idea before I decide on it 100%.
 
I just really think a forum with fewer members but LOTS of readers would be more useful to the readers of EOSHD.
 
So to those who get a kick out of a fight or a kick out of annoying myself and other filmmakers on the forum, it's time to consider whether you want the forum to continue, or whether it will end up being closed but still readable. I am thinking this could be the most useful outlet for the good stuff on the forum and a way to assist me in running the site.
 
Cheers - Andrew

Here's a GUI I quickly put together:
 
http://www.mediafire.com/download/s9wyyfw9qvh8cfl/GH444_GUI.dmg
 
You still need to download the original gh444 file.  Let me know if it's broken.  It's super basic.  It doesn't provide any info on progress, but it'll let you know when it's done.
 
Edit:
A little explanation:
Download the file, mount it and copy "GH444 GUI" to your computer somewhere (e.g. Applications). Open the app, click "Browse" to specify which file you want to convert.  The output will be in a folder called dpx_output in the same folder as the 4K file. Click "Start" Select the gh444 file that Thomas Worth provided Wait.  A popup with the word "Done" will been shown when it's done. Known issues:
It doesn't show progress. If you cancel it, it will still say "Done" Not sure if it works with OS X 10.7 or earlier, I haven't tested. No way to set the output directory

It's not 10 bit YCbCr, and I've been careful not to mention that. Everyone knows you can't get 10 bit YCbCr from an 8 bit source even with a 1/4 downres (maybe an 1/8 downres, though). The claim is that the result is 10 bit 4:4:4, which it is. The DPX file wouldn't work otherwise. :) I think I've been clear that due to the limitations of the 4:2:0 color planes, only the luminance channel contains "true" 10 bit information. The color planes are 8 bit, and since there's only 1/4 the resolution in color (4:2:0), I can't sum the color planes and maintain the full resolution. There are still discrete chroma samples at 2K (so it's true RGB/4:4:4), albeit with a combination of 10 bit luma and 8 bit chroma. Keep in mind, however, that luma contributes to RGB, so all three color channels are being derived from a mix of 10 bit and 8 bit information. Green is almost all from luma, so the green channel is going to be almost all 10 bit.
 
Oh and as others have suggested, this app should work with other H.264/4:2:0 cameras just fine. If people find that it offers a real benefit, I'll consider adding a GUI and ProRes 4444 export. Or just maybe add the functionality to an existing product.

very interesting thank you.
 
Can you share just 1 frame of the original 4k and the same frame downsample to 2k 10bit?
 
Just to experiment in post to test the difference 

Hey guys, I've written a really simple command line app for Mac that will resample GH4 footage from 4K 4:2:0 to 2K 4:4:4 using pixel summing. This will give you real 10 bit data in the luminance channel, so it's not just doing a brute-force bump from 8 bits to 10 bits. There actually is some interesting pixel finagling going on here:
 
http://www.mediafire.com/download/f7h950spj5hrn9f/gh444.dmg
 
There's no GUI, so you'll need to run it from the terminal. Do this by copying the app into the directory that contains the GH4 MOV files and using the following command in a terminal:
./gh444 INPUTFILE.MOV Make sure you cd to the current directory first if necessary. You can do this by typing "cd" into the terminal, add a space, and then drag the folder containing the MOV files into the terminal window. It will automatically add the path to the cd command. It'll look like this:
cd /path/to/gh4/files The app will spit numbered DPX frames out in a folder named "dpx_out."
 
I'd love for you guys to give it a try and see if you find it useful!

Andrew, I've just come back here to give my apologises - just downloaded it. It IS a big difference... WOW. Its much finer, less blotchy than the GH3 - and much sharper too!