Return-Path: Received: from st11p02mm-asmtpout001.mac.com ([17.172.220.236] verified) by media-motion.tv (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.2.10) with ESMTP id 4725412 for AE-List@media-motion.tv; Sat, 26 May 2012 22:17:00 +0200 MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Boundary_(ID_eW0tp5hB2FCFgHn//TlzZw)" Received: from [10.0.1.10] (c-67-172-133-183.hsd1.co.comcast.net [67.172.133.183]) by st11p02mm-asmtp001.mac.com (Oracle Communications Messaging Server 7u4-24.01(7.0.4.24.0) 64bit (built Jan 3 2012)) with ESMTPSA id <0M4N00A14CFV9PA0@st11p02mm-asmtp001.mac.com> for AE-List@media-motion.tv; Sat, 26 May 2012 20:19:08 +0000 (GMT) X-Proofpoint-Virus-Version: vendor=fsecure engine=2.50.10432:5.6.7580,1.0.260,0.0.0000 definitions=2012-05-26_04:2012-05-21,2012-05-26,1970-01-01 signatures=0 X-Proofpoint-Spam-Details: rule=notspam policy=default score=0 spamscore=0 ipscore=0 suspectscore=0 phishscore=0 bulkscore=0 adultscore=0 classifier=spam adjust=0 reason=mlx scancount=1 engine=6.0.2-1012030000 definitions=main-1205260244 From: Michael Malone Subject: Re: [AE] CS6, Animation codec & trillions of colors ? Date: Sat, 26 May 2012 14:19:06 -0600 In-reply-to: To: After Effects Mail List References: Message-id: <5E819590-A386-4BB4-BD30-0EACF2D05BD1@mac.com> X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1278) --Boundary_(ID_eW0tp5hB2FCFgHn//TlzZw) Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT I'm old school. Been doing this since AE version 1. Old habits die hard and, before ProRes, it was the most accessible codec that supported alphas (not counting image sequences of course). I do use ProRes quite a bit. Odd thing is, I swear that to my old eyes the Animation codec shows slightly less banding issues then ProRes 4444. At 100% quality Animation is lossless while ProRes is always lossy (although very good at it). And according to some quick internet research, Animation is supposed to support higher then 8 bits. In AE 5 it does let me select trillions of colors. I just checked. It may not be doing anything though. At any rate, this is all academic. ProRes is the modern day codec of choice and the file size savings is huge. I have to FTP all my work. Thanks for the insights. mike On May 26, 2012, at 12:35 pm, Jack Tunnicliffe wrote: > I haven't used the animation codec for years. I'm really surprised when I see so many people still are using this codec. You know that codec was created in 1990 or so and while it was great at the time and even handled an alpha channel, it is a 20 some year old codec. It is 8 bits so don't bother trying to render trillions of colors with it. ProRes 4444 is a wonderful codec and is a higher data rate than ProRes HQ and also provides a straight alpha. --Boundary_(ID_eW0tp5hB2FCFgHn//TlzZw) Content-type: text/html; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable I'm = old school. Been doing this since AE version 1. Old habits die hard and, = before ProRes, it was the most accessible codec that supported alphas = (not counting image sequences of course).

I do use = ProRes quite a bit. Odd thing is, I swear that to my old eyes the = Animation codec shows slightly less banding issues then ProRes 4444. At = 100% quality Animation is lossless while ProRes is always lossy = (although very good at it). And according to some quick internet = research, Animation is supposed to support higher then 8 bits. In AE 5 = it does let me select trillions of colors. I just checked. It may not be = doing anything though.

At any rate, this is all = academic. ProRes is the modern day codec of choice and the file size = savings is huge. I have to FTP all my = work.

Thanks for the = insights.

mike

On May = 26, 2012, at 12:35 pm, Jack Tunnicliffe wrote:

I haven't = used the animation codec for years. I'm really surprised when I see so = many people still are using this codec. You know that codec was created = in 1990 or so and while it was great at the time and even handled an = alpha channel, it is a 20 some year old codec. It is 8 bits so don't = bother trying to render trillions of colors with it. ProRes 4444 is a = wonderful codec and is a higher data rate than ProRes HQ and also = provides a straight alpha. 

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