Unless HK became European country, no.

BASIC FACTS (taken from known resources) (@ALL PLEASE CAN WE ADD TO THIS!!!!)
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1. GOP
means Group of Pictures.

There are closed or open GOP. Closed GOP will make compression less efficient. If the GOP is not closed and you use B-frame, the last B are dependent to the next I-frame. This makes the movie harder to cut. If all GOP are closed you can cut between the B and I frame. If the GOP's are open you have to delete the last two B-frame and cut between the P and I.

A GOP begins with an "I" frame (Intra-coded), followed usually by a number of "P" (predictive) and "B" frames (Bidirectional).

Each GOP is independant: all frames needed for predictions are
contained within each GOP.

GOP's can be as small as a single I frame, or as large as
desired, but usually no more than 15 frames in length.

The longer the GOP, the more efficient, but less rubust the
coding.

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2. What the GOP frames I, P & B mean

I frame

"Intra-coded" frames : average 7:1 reduction.
Like JPEG, every video frame is broken into blocks of 8x8
pixels of Y, R-Y, and B-Y.
Blocks are grouped into "macroblocks" of 16x16
Macroblocks are grouped horizontally into slices which
have similar average block levels.
Multiple slices form a frame, and these frames are the
resulting "I" frames.

P frame
P frames are predicted based on prior I or P frames plus
the addition of data for changed macroblocks.
Average about 20:1 reduction, or about half the size of I
frames
p frames have to be decoded before the B frames between them.

B frame
Bidirectionally predicted frames based on appearance and
positions of past and future frames macroblocks.
B frames require less data than P frames, averaging about
50:1 reduction.
B frames require more decoder buffer memory because 2-4
frames are compared during the reconstruction process.
B frames also require manipulation of the coding order:
frames moving from the coder to the decoder are NOT in
presentation sequence.

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3. Extended GOP Stuff
The longer the GOP the lower the bitrate you can use and still get the same quality.

The advantage of long GOP is that it achieves better compression, and thus yields higher video quality than a shorter GOP recording at the same bitrate.

When using constant quality encoding GOP size effects file size. What is the GH2 doing - does it switch to a constant quantizer mode with different GOP sizes? If its constant, then the output file gets smaller as the GOP size increases.

As you go from a GOP length of 1 through 4, the filesize and bitrate drops dramatically but after about a GOP length of 5-6 the filesize and bitrate levels out. ie there is not much to gain in terms of filesize and bitrate by using a longer GOP than 5 or 6.

A GOP of 1 will give all I frames.

A GOP of 3 will give a sequence of IBB frames in the recording and no further P frames after the initial first half second burst (GH2).

A GOP of 5 will give a sequence of IBBPB frames and no further P frames after the initial first half second burst (GH2).

Its best to run GOPs in multiples of 3 (ie 1, 3, 6, 12, 15, etc...) to avoid problems like losing P frames.

The standard unhacked or base GOP of a GH2 (AVCHD standard) at 1080p24H is GOP 12 = IBBPBBPBBPBB.

A Low GOP with high bitrate gives a 'cinematic motion' look and is preferable for some filmmakers. (GH2 users)

MPEG2 GOP encoding works by referring to one frame before the current frame and one frame after.

AVCHD H.264 encoding is more powerful in that it uses four frames at a time, consequently more blocks in these frames can be used for compression of the intended block in the current frame, thus enhancing effeciency.

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4. Compression, pixel blocks & Quantisation

AVCHD uses Interframe compression.
Hi Quality image compression is achieved through optimised DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform) block units.

In AVCHD H264 Main Profile, the block unit is 4 x 4 pixels, enabling motion-compensated residual DCT to be applied in finer detail. Compression rate is fixed.

In AVCHD H264 High Profile, the block units can use both 4 x 4 pixel and 8 x 8 pixel blocks in the same frame. Optimal frequency transformation is applied depending on patterns and movements: 4 x 4 pixel blocks are used for detailed parts, whereas 8 x 8 pixel blocks are used for flatareas in the same image.

High profile improves image quality by processing relatively evenly patterned parts such as the sky, using high transformation performance 8 x 8 pixel blocks, allowing more information distribution (ie bits) to detailed parts in the same image. Compression rate is thus variable.

You can receive optimal compression through quantisation matrixes.

Image distortion due to data compression is often more noticeable in flat patterns and can be visually disregarded in detailed patterns. A charateristic of the human visual system!

With some image patterns, a uniform compression might cause image degradation. Employing a quantisation matrix therefore enables the retention of high image quality by maintaining the original image properties, achieved by applyiing low compression to the flat areas of an image.

Therefore flat parts of an image are low frequency - image degradation is controlled by fine quantisation (low compression) and busy parts are high frequency - image degradation does not stand out in rough quantisation (high compression)

A 1/4 Pixel accuracy is used in motion estimation to get the best fit for each macro-block. say you have a panning camera and each frame the picture hasnt moved an entire number of pixels across the screen then 1/4 accuracy helps get the predicted macro-blocks in a much better possition. This isnt used in I-Frames because motion estimation isnt used in I-frames as it is basically a JPEG encoded frame using a different Quant value (typically 16).

The use of B-Frames does improve the compression/quality of the codec by a considerable amount but requires a lot more motion estimation (a large portion of the encoding time) to be done hence the much longer encoding times. B frames are typically 1/2 the size of P-Frames but require more encoding and decoding.

GH2 Quantisation tables consist of integer values.

The Ptool GH2 "Encoder Settings" look like scaling factors for quantisation tables. 720p and 1080i/p seem to be addressed each with 4 progression stages to control A kind of 4-step adaptive matrix. (tbc)

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5. Bitrates
Always keep lower bitrate settings within 95-70% of high bitrate settings.
Otherwise, you'll see a dramatic bitrate drop in the low modes. (GH2)

There is currently a known drop in bitrate in the first frame set or GOP - known as the blip. Still to find out a definitive answer as to why. (GH2)

1) If you mean magnified view, no, it is technically impossible.
2) It requires a look. If something is not present it usually means that whole logic also is not in the code.
3) As for start frames, we'll see.
4) no 1080p50 or p60 modes exists, this is my understanding.
30p already exist and working in default GH2.

@Nik_N You can use touch focus (ie touch LCD screen) during video shooting.

Focus ring doesn't work in AF. I turn AFContinuous OFF in the menu and AFSingle ON on the mode dial and then use the touch screen LCD to pull focus. It requires practice on such a little screen but works well. To pull focus manually is too much for my eyes - need a bigger monitor with a FF unit on rails, etc…which turns our tiny camera into something that may impress others but… is no longer the little powerhouse that is cheap and as capable as the operator. Or go on a buying spree : ) ??!!

While doing so it says STONEBAT, but still would like the normal controls: (

@driftwood You wrote good stuff. Definitely not basic stuff though. Prolly it will be buried here. Do you mind if I merge your writing to http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/456/ptools-questions-from-gh2vk-noob-tester? I will mention your name on the merged page. As you enter more advanced stuff into the linked thread, I will continue to merge and maintain the 1st post.

Edit: never mind. too much work. I created a link to your writing from my post.

@driftwood

A few minor corrections specific to the GH2:

"Like JPEG, every video frame is broken into blocks of 8x8"

Because of 4:2:0 color subsampling the blocks are broken down into a 2x2 matrix of 4x4 blocks for Y - no 8x8 matrices are used. Cr and Cb blocks are 4x4 matrices.

"Blocks are grouped into "macroblocks" of 16x16"

A Macroblock consists of the Luma blocks and the Cr and Cb blocks; there are 16 4x4 blocks (as explained above) for Luma (Y), and the two sets of 4 4x4 blocks for Chroma (Cb and Cr).

"Macroblocks are grouped horizontally into slices which have similar average block levels."

The GH2 uses one slice for an entire frame unless it is interlaced, in which case it uses one slice for all odd lines and another for all even lines. Intra encoding doesn't only use macroblocks on the same row as references, it can use any macroblock that is neighboring that has already arrived; it doesn't have to be in the same line. In fact, if it were only using macroblocks from the same line there could only be one reference, the line above provides three more.

"Multiple slices form a frame, and these frames are the resulting "I" frames."

In the case of progressive, there is only one slice per frame. In the case of interlaced, each half-frame only has a single slice.

"In AVCHD H264 High Profile, the block units can use both 4 x 4 pixel and 8 x 8 pixel blocks in the same frame. Optimal frequency transformation is applied depending on patterns and movements: 4 x 4 pixel blocks are used for detailed parts, whereas 8 x 8 pixel blocks are used for flatareas in the same image.""

Not with the GH2 - it uses only 4x4 blocks.

"High profile improves image quality by processing relatively evenly patterned parts such as the sky, using high transformation performance 8 x 8 pixel blocks, allowing more information distribution (ie bits) to detailed parts in the same image. Compression rate is thus variable."

The GH2 doesn't use 8x8 matrices. Also, this has little to do with the variable bitrate. Variable bitrate occurs if the pre-determined quality level for macroblocks can be met without reaching the maximum allotted bitrate (assuming you use the VBR feature, which the GH2 does).

"The Ptool GH2 "Encoder Settings" look like scaling factors for quantisation tables. 720p and 1080i/p seem to be addressed each with 4 progression stages to control A kind of 4-step adaptive matrix. (tbc)"

There are no progressive stages, one is for I frames, one for P frames, one for B frames, and one as a falllback if the encoder can't use the previous ones without violating bandwidth constraints. Each scaling table has six components consisting of intra and inter tables for Y(Luma), and Cr and Cb (Chroma). The scaling matrices are fixed and used intact.

Chris

[EDIT - fixed up some language]

@snoopdogg49r

Check PM.

Thank you Vitaliy. It was the SD card that didn't let me install the firmware, which is surprising because my 64 GB Lexar SDXC 133x speed was the one that didn't work and the 8GB Kingston SDHC was the one that let me install the firmware. I guess it was because it was a Lexar. I will start testing now. : D Woohoo

what are the best GOP settings in 24p Ptools 1.62 for steadicam and glideshots (which i use a lot)

I would like to ask a few simple questions

Are their any changes to the menu once Hack is loaded ?

Has anyone had their sound disappear mine is not working at all ?

Do I reverse the process by just installing the V10 patch again ?

Thanks for your help

@Vitaliy
I posted this on the Rice High's famous Pentax site, which get's a lot of hits:

With the release of the new Sony line insight we might say here that the i.q. of this new sensor combined with the algorythms of the software is all important factor here. Of course pro magnesium body etc. is a nice bonus! But @ the end it's the picture quality that counts!
The new AVCHD II videocodec is also promising since (despite of all the critic) AVCHD is a great codec!
So any improvement of that will be a huge bonus for Indie filmers!
I have been following the developments of GH1/GH2 from the start.
Especially through the stalin hack threads on Vitaliy Kiselev's personal view site/blog http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussions

Sony has to come up with something quite special to give better iq than the hacked GH2!
But maybe they'll do it with AVCHD II, who knows? For stills GH2 is nothing c.t. K-5! Zeiss glass in combi the new Sony line looks even more apealing!
I have been using Pentax fore over 35 years now and I might sell the whole collection soon!
Probably i keep alll the nice Pentax primes and buy myself a PK > Nex adapter!
K-5 is a great camera i must say, she is a true lowlight queen! Also for vid. it's pretty ok - better colors i.m.o. than Panny but less analytic: http://www.youtube.com/user/EddieBoschma?feature=...
Other points are:
* Absortion of almost 30% of the light by the translucent mirrors of the new Sony Alpha line, def. a con (i don't even use filters!)
* beautifull autoadapters for alpha>nex and a adapter with buildin translucent mirror, def. a pro http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-the-revolution...
So wait a while and see........