Unavailable codecs

[slowtiger]

I have a new Mac with 10.9.5 and AS 11 on it. On that machine I installed FinalCut 4, which allows to export Uncompressed 4:2:2 which is what I need. So that codec is installed and working. AS however doesn't give me that option when I choose Quicktime export.

Is there anything I can do about this?

[lwaxana]

I don't know if this is the issue you are having or if it is similar on Macs, but on my Windows machine "Anime Studio Pro (x86)" gives me more codec options than "Anime Studio Pro."

[Greenlaw]

It's been many years since I had a Mac but I was wondering, since your Mac is brand new, maybe Quicktime needs your serial number entered to activate the 'Pro' features for other programs? I'm not sure if ProRes is a 'Pro' feature in QuickTime but I'm guessing it is. In Final Cut, ProRes would have to be active by default of course but that may be program specific.

I might be wrong about that but just a thought.

G.

[Greenlaw]

The following tip won't help Mac users--I'm just putting it out for Windows users who may need to create Final Cut ProRes .mov files on the Windows platform:

Earlier this year, I had a client who needed an animation I created delivered in ProRes format but unfortunately, Apple does not make the ProRes write codec available to Windows users. (They only provide an installer for the read portion.) After a bit of research, I found a couple of hacks to make it work on Windows but they didn't sound very reliable.

Fortunately, I also stumbled on this commercial program:

Footage Studio 4k

This is a standalone Windows program that can take almost any video footage (uncompressed or otherwise) and convert it to many professional formats including all variants of ProRes.

In my case, I used the lossless Lagarith in .avi as my archival format and I was able to convert that file to ProRes 4:2:2 .mov for the client. The client said the ProRes .mov file I sent worked perfectly on their end in Final Cut. So, if you really need to do this conversion on the Windows platform I can recommend this program.

The program does a bunch of other stuff as well, like deinterlacing footage and frame rate conversion--I haven't tested its quality for that yet though.

G.

[chucky]

Typically un-classy behaviour from Apple.

[slowtiger]

Luckily the workaround is pretty nifty. I render from AS to Apple ProRes 4444, which goes quite fast, then import into FinalCut and render to Uncompressed 4:2:2, which is a matter of just seconds. I would prefer to send the ProRes files, but my client is a german TV station, and those are ridiculously conservative: "We don't use Apples here."