DVFilm EPIC I Version 1.0.0

Package includes the EPIC I Plug-in for Sony Vegas, and a control panel.

1.     Requirements

 

Requires a Pentium 4, Athlon 64, or compatible processor. The processor must have the SSE2 instructions. See Intel.com or AMD.com for details. EPIC checks and warns you if you don’t have the necessary processor. 1.8GHz speed or higher is recommended. Operating system must be Win 2000, Win XP 32/64, Vista 32/64, or Windows 7 32/64.

No disk speed requirements if you want to edit in EPIC Red, the low-quality mode, however a dedicated drive for video data is recommended. The throughput requirement for running EPIC Red with Ľ size proxies as much as editing DV.

Quicktime 7.6 is required. Get it at http://support.apple.com/downloads/QuickTime_7_6_for_Windows

EPIC I has been tested with Vegas Pro 9.0 (32-bit only). EPIC will also work with Sony Vegas Movie Studio.

EPIC I does not presently support Vegas 9.0 64-bit.

 

 

2.     Installation

 

If you have any existing installations of EPIC remove them with the UnInstall.

Copy the EpicISetup.exe file to the desktop or any folder and double-click the file to install the application. EPIC installs into the Windows Start Menu, DVFilm program group.

Run the Epic Control to enable the EPIC Plugin (click the Update button on the bottom of the panel).

Then you are ready to drag your DSLR Quicktime files into Vegas.

Remember to re-install I if you ever re-install Vegas 9.

3.     EPIC Quicktime File Plug-in for Vegas

 

Vegas users can enjoy the direct import of H.264 DSLR Quciktime files into the timeline and get real-time playback. In Vegas use File->Open or File->Import->Media Files. Select a file and click Open.  Or drag the DSLR Quicktime file directly from the Vegas file browser into the timeline. 

Here’s how it works: when Vegas is started the EPIC control task (purple or red Greek column in the Windows task bar) is started as well. When you import or drag an H.264 file into the timeline, a message is sent by the plug-in to the EPIC control program to start creating the proxy. The proxy file is an MXF file in the DVCPROHD or DVCPRO format. The frame size of the proxy is the same as the frame size of the H.264 file, unless you have the ˝ or Ľ-size options selected. A progress dialog appears on your screen showing the progress of the conversion. The conversion is approximately real-time for fast, dual-core processors. You may continue editing while the proxy is being made. You may import or drag other clips into the project and the plug-in will queue up the files to be converted. You can scrub through the clips, change in and out points, do all normal editing while the proxies are being made, but playback may not be very smooth depending on the speed of your computer system. If you do not want to see the progress dialog, dismiss it by clicking the X in the upper right-hand corner of the dialog. You have the option of clearing the file queue when you do that by answering Yes to “Clear Proxy Queue?” Answer “No” if you want the proxies to continue to be made, but without the progress dialog.

 

As soon as the proxy is completed, you will then notice smoother playback for the H.264 clip. The EPIC plug-in will start using the proxy immediately. If the make proxy option is turned off when you start a project, and then during editing you turn the option on, you may need to re-open the project to get the proxies made.

 

There are two rules to remember on switching the proxies on and off during editing. There is one rule for the 10-bit YUV mode (see section on 10-bit YUV mode) and one for normal mode:

 

10-bit YUV mode H.264 files

The proxy is used only when the EPIC Quality Column is red. Otherwise the H.264 original is used. The Vegas Preview quality setting has no effect in this mode. In this mode, we strongly suggest that the “Mark Proxy” option be turned on. This will warn you if a file is rendered in EPIC Red.

Normal (RGB) mode, H.264 files

In this mode, with 10-bit YUV turned off, it is the Vegas preview setting that controls the proxy usage. If Vegas is in Preview ˝ mode, or in the lesser size modes, the proxy will be used. In Preview Full, the original H.264 file will be used. However, you can force the plug-in to use the proxy in all preview modes by setting the EPIC quality to red.

 

Proxy Burn-in

With the “Mark Proxy” option turned on, the video will be burned with the word PROXY in the left-hand corner. This is a good way to let you know if the proxy file is being used. When you render a final cut of your project, setting the quality to EPIC Purple will prevent this mark from appearing in your exported video.

 

Proxy Folder

The proxy files are normally stored in the PROXY folder with your source files.  You may wish the proxy files to be stored somewhere else. In this case, click the Browse button in the EPIC config panel,  and select and/or create the folder.

If you ever change the folder option in the middle of an edit, you should save your work, kill EPIC Control  (right-click on the ball in the task bar and select “Exit...”) and restart Vegas.

 

If a Proxy File is Corrupted

A proxy will be remade if you delete it. To force an existing proxy file to be remade, save your work and quit Vegas. Delete the file using windows explorer. Kill EPIC Control and restart Vegas.

 

Efficient use of EPIC

If you use the proxies for H.264 editing, keep in mind that the proxy is created from the entire clip, not just the trimmed clip or the portion of the clip used in the timeline. So it’s better to stop and start the camera between takes rather than letting it run.

 

 

 

4.     Problems with playback

 

If you have problems getting full speed playback do one or more of the following:

1.  Change EPIC speed setting to EPIC Red.

2.  Use a smaller size monitor window. Preview ˝ or 1/4 are  recommended. Smaller is faster.

3.  Make sure your EPIC files are on a clean non-fragmented drive used only for media.

4.  Make sure no other processes are running.

5.  Edit at 24P if you shot 24P, the data rate is 20% less than 30.

 

 

If you have problems with the quality of playback try the following

 

1.       Make sure the display settings are 32-bit “True Color” or 24-bit (“Millions” or “16M” color). Do not use 16-bit (“high color”) or 8-bit 256 colors.

 

2.       Change EPIC quality setting to Purple.

 

 

Note: EPIC I cannot export H.264 format. If you need to export a quicktime, disable the EPIC plugin from the Epic Control panel, then restart Vegas.

 

5. OTHER OPTIONS

Mark Frames Red

This option draws a red border when using EPIC Red. No border is drawn in EPIC Purple. This options serves to mark rendered material that was not done at best resolution, therefore any output which has the borders present is flagged as ad hoc or preliminary material.

10-bit YUV Mode

This mode features higher quality for H.264 files. The quality difference is subtle and may not be apparent unless you have very fine gradients such as with cloudless skies or smooth walls with brightness increase during color correction. You may notice a very slight difference in contrast between 10-bit YUV and the original (RGB) mode.

 

Mark YUV mode

Creates a watermark in the YUV mode so you can check if it’s working.

 

 

6.     General Limitations

 

If the DVFilm watermark appears then you are running the demo version of the program. Purchase the release version and reinstall to remove the watermark. Also the demo limits you to 20 files per session, and for 60 days of use.

DVFilm is not responsible for any damage or loss resulting from the use of this program.

Make sure you try the demo version and test it with your editing system before purchasing.

 

Send any questions to DVFilm Support at dvfilm.com

 

c. 2010 DVFilm