FFAStrans forum

please i have an inquiry about the IMX D X- 10 encoder . i adjust the output bit rate 30 mega and output extension .mxf file but i have an issue is that the output file aspect ratio 16:9 and i want the output to be 4:3 and this encoder has no choice for output aspect ratio
thanks hope this has a solution

I'm aware of this shortcomming and I aim to upgrade the encoder in the upcoming 0.7.x branch.

-steipal

Hi steipal and fellow encoders!
What a great program this is! A tiny bit of adjusting would be nice though. When encoding to IMX with the IMX D-10 encoder the height of the output seems to be 576 not 608. Other options used: 30 Mbit, MXF, 4:3, PAL, 2 ch, 16 bit. Source files are Uncompressed QT MOV from BMD Studio, if it matters. Can you confirm?
FFmbc seems to encode 608 but it's not used anymore with FFAStrans.

Hi imx, thank you for using FFAStrans and welcome to the forum!

It's nice to read you like the program! Though, I really think you're mistaken on the IMX-encoder. The encoder adds 32 lines to the 576 lines to make a 608 height video. I just tried it does what it should and it has always done this. We've used it extensively without any problems. It has other issues but that's not one of them. What system/program reports the 576 line-only behaviour?

-steinar

Hi steinar

No worries, I truly might be mistaken but let's start by MediaInfo which interprets the IMX-encoder's output file details as follows:
"vertical_size_value: 576 (0x0240)"

As opposed to FFmbc's output file, the same detail is:
"vertical_size_value: 608 (0x0260)"

On the HTML-view of the MediaInfo there are also the following lines:
"Width : 720 pixels
Height : 576 pixels
Original height : 608 pixels"

Out of which the last line doesn't exist with the files generated by the IMX-encoder.

I really think you're misinterpreting the data from MediaInfo. FFAStrans REALLY creates the 32 extra lines of video, which is not actual video content. Only 576 lines are used for image. MediaInfo shows both "Height" and "Original height", with "Original video" being the actual coded video. Using MediaInfo on original IMX footage from sony camera exhibit exactly the same behaviour regarding height. So does also an IMX-encoded file from ffmbc (0.7.2).

Are you having problems in some programs/systems with the IMX files generated by FFAStrans?

-steinar

Ok, there's a system with Calibrated{Q}'s MXF Import. Users have reporter that playback in OSX's Quick Look and Quicktime player has a green overlay. One common denominator is that those IMX-files which are interpreted as not having 608 "vertical_size_value" in MediaInfo have this symptom. My wild guess is it's probably due the old version of CQ's since the files play correctly e.g. in Premiere and VLC.
Also FFmbc tested here is not current version since it's the version shipped with Encloader.

QuickTime is picky about its media and chokes on the smallest anomalies. However, the green overlay bug is real and has been fixed in the upcoming 0.8.0 version of FFAStrans but the bug is not due to vertical resolution.

-steinar

Hi Steinar and congratulations on the new version 0.8.0!
We can see now IMX-encoder generates vertical size value as 608. Good job!

Now, this is a bit out of scope but if you're interested in further fine tuning the IMX-encoder of FFAStrans...
-Colour matrix is identified as 709 - it should be 601 for both NTSC and PAL.
-Also Colour primaries and Transfer characteristics could be set at the same time.

Obviously the files will playback correctly without this minor metadata but if someone would like to tag this information, FFAStrans could provide a checkbox in encoder setting or there could be autodetect as it does with field order.

Where do you see the 709 color matrix information? FFAStrans does not set this on IMX-D10.

-steinar