Ptool for beginners / Ptool FAQ

G2 supported?

G2 supported?

Hello,

does this nice Hack support the pansonic lumix g2 too?
I'm currently very interested in this model, but in my eyes the 720p video is the biggest disadvantage, having 1080p with the panasonic g2 would be fine.
If not, is such a hack already planned or does someone know a possibility to make 1080p videos with the g2?

Thanks a lot.
 
If you got 145Mb before the hack you must be measuring clips that have been transcoded by something else. The only reliable way to determine whether bitrate is up is to look at the original files.

I can believe that in some cases the hack could actually lower the overall bitrate. It looks like you have set the limiting bitrate to 60M. The CODEC could be capturing much more detail during I frames thus requiring much less data in the following P frames.

How do the clips look? Do they have degraded detail?

Chris
 
Interesting .. yes I realize now that I was looking at clips that were already transcoded (pro res)

I can't seem to find the AVCHD clips on the card itself.. (which i assume would show me the shot data rate) When the card is plugged into my computer I can find the motion jpegs just fine.. but AVCHD is no where to be seen. I've found some "STREAM" clips in an AVCHD folder.. but they don't seem to open in QT

The footage itself looks great. Regardless of what bit rate the camera is shooting at I can tell that the 60i pull down in AVCHD has definitely been removed, and that alone is making my life worlds easier. Just wish i could see what data rate the camera was shooting at

I'm in the middle of editing some test shots I took with the GH1 at last weekend's Pride festival in DT Toronto. I'll post up a link once it's on Vimeo if you want to check out the image quality (I certainly don't have an eye trained well enough to discern bit rates)
 
Ok so here's a link to some footage I've shot in AVCHD.

http://vimeo.com/13107770

Granted, it's been compressed for vimeo... even the original file available for download will be an mp4 and not the full-blown original QT movie (need to get vimeo plus so I can post downloads bigger than 500mb) but the image quality has never struck me as "degraded" .. I just don't have a lot to compare it to

I can tell that the 60i pulldown isn't there.. but the new data rate I can't tell, I'm guessing no one can really tell especially seeing as it's been compressed now ..

Anyways, anyone who has successfully tested the data rate of AVCHD clips on the GH1 let us know where to look please!
 
Basic question (and i can't find a basic answer in my searches): What is primary advantage of hacking to get a 24P Native output given that the camera can deliver 24P when processed with something like Cineform? Is it that processes like Cineform introduce too many artifacts? Or that the bitrate is higher with the hacked 24P Native output, so you get better deail and fewer artifacts?
 
Sean, The most common complaint re: pulldown is that it adds an extra step and wastes a lot of time. If you are transcoding a lot of material, the time adds up.
 
Also, Barry tested the Native 24p and found that the color sampling was better (p mode vs. i mode). Unfortunately, there are still stability problems.

Chris
 
Ok, I have the new Ptool 3.40d on another computer and is there any tutorial on how to use the new version? lettered buttons at the bottom, etc...
 
Ptool 3.40d has all sorts of pop-up help menus with info including how to use the letters at the bottom.

Randy
 
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I have a very simple question about installing hack. (don't beat me)
If I'm first using installing it, would I only need "version compare" checked and I don't need "version increment"? Or, do I need both checked? Thanks.
 
The first time (on a new camera which showed version 1.3) I checked "Version Increment" and "Prevent vesion compare". The file was saved as GH1__133.bin
After upgrading, camera showed version 0.0
The next time I tried different settings and checked only "Prevent vesion compare". I saved it by using the same file name (GH1__133.bin).
 
DrMedSloth said:
Hello,

does this nice Hack support the pansonic lumix g2 too?
I'm currently very interested in this model, but in my eyes the 720p video is the biggest disadvantage, having 1080p with the panasonic g2 would be fine.
If not, is such a hack already planned or does someone know a possibility to make 1080p videos with the g2?

Thanks a lot.
Click to expand...

I visited the panasonic support page
http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/download/fts/index2.html

there is currently no g2 update. I believe that the hack could not be used for g2 cameras until a firmware update is available, am i right?

Thanks.
 
I can't seem to get the GF1 to update beyond the official 1.22 firmware. No matter how much version incrementing. What am I missing?
 
Testing vs Real World Usage

Testing vs Real World Usage

I am new-ish to the hack. I've tried successive settings and upgrade my ptool as Tester13 made new releases. For my camera, C settings with or without 24/25 pN checked is super stable and the 80 Mbit settings described on the first page of the stable settings thread for MJPEG are rock solid with a class 10 card. I'm happy.

What I'm actually wondering about is that when I shoot with high bit rate settings, most of my files (tested in mediainfo for mac) are well below the maximum for the official firmware (again, MJPEG not included). I understand that AVCHD is supposed to somehow know when I need high bit rates and when I don't. But what do I as a shooter need to know about a shot (besides foliage) to determine if I am getting maximum bit rate FOR THAT SHOT?

Can assume that before the hack, I was getting even lower bit rates, or that for someone who doesn't do a lot of garden shots, this hack may not make all that much difference? Don't get me wrong, I donated, I think it's great and I'm addicted to shooting, testing and examining my footage. I'm on board. I just don't know enough about the whole process to know what else I should be looking for.
 
likewise here there are drastic fluctuations in my hack here.But seems better on some shots on certain condition... how that can be consistent for an hour of indie film that I wanted to shoot with 2 gh1. I use the avchd settings
40 50 60
gop5
preset 234 preset2 234
with a class 6 card seems ok...anybody has it better? please share....

like you I dont know what I am looking for...its an ocean out there...i just pick up bits and pieces what other people are sharing then occassionally I would alter 1 setting by ten ..not realy systematic just guessing.But am running out of time...so I choose the highest bitrate I can find even without playback.The mpeg is more unreliable I found out dont realy know why, i see a lot of noise.I would rather still stick it out with avchd and convert to prores 422 and still go thru the pulldown process with either jes or neoscene.
the higher the numbers the higher the storage requirement....i think.I am hitting 1.2gig per minute of clip all in including pulldown.
 
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I am also facing the same problem as farfromsubtle. My GF1 doesn't seem to detect the bin file. I have tried to different increments on the version but still have no luck. Can anyone please help?
 
farfromsubtle said:
I can't seem to get the GF1 to update beyond the official 1.22 firmware. No matter how much version incrementing. What am I missing?
Click to expand...

roykwan said:
I am also facing the same problem as farfromsubtle. My GF1 doesn't seem to detect the bin file. I have tried to different increments on the version but still have no luck. Can anyone please help?
Click to expand...
Please visit this thread
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=216881&page=2
and try new patches outlined by VK.
 
svecher thanks for your quick response I looked at the thread and use the new ptool but still has no luck....my GF1 still doesn't detect the new bin file after turning it on and hit play....
 
It's still unclear to me why and when I need to check version compare and prevent version check.

I'd like to understand the mechanics behind this and how I should be careful with it.

Thanks a lot in advance.
 
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