settings bellow from your patch. I noticed the entry 'Encoder setting 1 720p=3' I unselected this in Ptools and 720p is now working fine. The default value is 'Encoder setting 1 720p=2'.

[Information] Comment=Highest Quality No adverse affects. Works 100% with any
memory card including class 6.

AVC-HD 24p High settings. 42 mb/sec 1080p AQ = 4 and
36 mb/sec 720p AQ = 4. Gop default. No other AVC-HD
changes.

AVC-HD Low settings. 32 mb/sec 1080p AQ = 4 and 24
mb/sec 720p AQ = 2. Gop default. No other AVC-HD
changes.

MJPEG 720p = 1280x720 highest bit rates with no write
errors.

MJPEG 480p = 1024x768 highest bit rates with no write
errors.

All settings are 100% stable with all memory cards. Except
Eye-Fi cards must use 720p Low instead of 720p High. SD_Card=Any Camera=GH2 v1.0E [Settings] Version increment=1 All Interface Languages=Checked 30min limit removal=Checked Maximum ISO limit removal=Checked PAL<->NTSC Menu=Checked 480p30 width=1280 480p30 height=960 E1 Quality=175 E1 Table=32 E2 Quality=150 E2 Table=64 E3 Quality=125 E3 Table=96 E4 Quality=100 E4 Table=128 F1 Quality=180 F1 Table=32 F2 Quality=150 F2 Table=64 F3 Quality=125 F3 Table=96 F4 Quality=100 F4 Table=128 Video Bitrate 24H=42000000 Video Bitrate 24L=32000000 Video Bitrate FSH/SH=36000000 Video Bitrate FH/H=24000000 Auto Quantizer for 1080 modes=4 - All to details Auto Quantizer for 720 modes=4 - All to details Encoder setting 1 720p=3

@nod Many people experiencing problems with 720p haven't upgraded to the ptools v3.64d dated '200212' Check the top of ptools in the heading area for this date - if it read 180212 its the lightly older one. The new one has updated B frame support from VK.

I suggest anyone who is having probs to double check, reinstall ptools, reinstall firmware, re-download settings from testers and try it out afresh.

Encoder setting 1 720 = 3 gives i frames, P frames AND B frames in GOP.

Encoder setting 1 720 = 2 Is just i frames and p frames in GOP.

Encoder setting 1 720 = 1* is just i frames in GOP. * So long as GOP is set to = 1

@driftwood @mpgxsvcd Now using v3.64d dated (200212) and the 'Zero Penalty Patch' is now working perfectly in 720p mode. Thanks driftwood and mpgxsvcd for your responses. Really appreciated. So I now have B frames in GOP. No idea what that means, but guess it's good. I guess there will be multiple explanations all over this site. Thanks again.

Thanks for your guide, it was useful. I'm a beginner and after trying your settings with ptool 3.64, I plan to try the higher bitrate patches. My question is: If I'm using the latest ptools v3.64d dated '200212' and loading the latest GH2 firmware V11, is it possible to use settings which were made earlier, before the hack came out for the new firmware? Or new firmware/new ptool will only work with new settings?

Just another (maybe lame) question: If I dowload a setting (formerly: patch), is it legit to overwrite the bitrates in it just to fit my needs better, while leaving the other parts of the file untouched?

Thank You, Tom

hi bechou, i think the difference is VBR means Variable bit rate which means the encoder changes its bit rate depending on what you are shooting at, for example leaves on a tree are complex so the bit rate will go up to get all the detail, in contrast if you are shooting at night with low light the bit rate goes down because you dont have much detail, CBR mean Constant bit rate which means the encoder will try to hold as much information as it can regardless of what you are shooting at whether it is complex or not. HBR im not sure what it stands for could it be High bit rate related to patches which go beyond normal bit rate from 44 or more up to even 150+. Both vbr and cbr can be hbr!

Choosing between cbr or vbr depends on your style what you do and the situation you are going to be. Also cbr as it tries to maintain constant quality consumes more space than vbr on your memory card!

@mpgxsvcd thanks im hoping to get a faster card soon to try driftwood patches!

Great Video, Thank you. But as a beginner I have two questions: 1) what's the latest Ptools Version and where can I Download it? 2) Where can I Dowload the "No Adverse Effects file" Thank you again Orla

@mpgxsvcd

I have a native pal camera and it works good in pal and ntsc mode.
Users who have problems with changing from ntsc > pal or visa versa.
Here is probable the solution, it works for me without any further problems.

1. after you have updated your gh2 with the new settings, go check if everything is still oké in your menu. change the setting if you want to pal or ntsc.
2. now TURN OFF your gh2!
3. Turn the gh2 on, and now format your sdcard...

I always go this route.
If i dont, i get write errors, exceed limit warnings, and language warning to set the correct language.

When users get the "file limit exceeded" that trick also works.
Most likely users who have set the ntsc > pal or vice versa switch have this problem.

@Dkane

Yes that is the correct file.

I have mpgxsvcd's 'No Adverse Effects' settings (thank you for those) but can anyone suggest what the highest stable, or at least mostly stable, settings would be for a SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB SDXC card? I bought one so that I could push this camera. I've been looking around the settings vault and noticed that Driftwood's Quantum v7 isn't in Beta like v8 and v9. Can I infer from that that it is relatively stable?

Also, I am eyeing the Sanity settings for 720p60. Is there any reason why settings can't be mix-and-matched? For example, could I run Driftwood Quantum v7 for my 1080pP24 24H settings, and Sanity for my 720p settings (i.e. as long as they aren't directly competing for the same camera setting)?

And finally, the letter values of the settings files -- they affect the buttons in PTools, but what's the reason behind that naming convention? Just curious. Can I rename them "seta.ini", "setb.ini", "setc.ini", etc. without any ramifications?

I know that these are pretty remedial questions but I haven't been able to find the answers anywhere. Thanks in advance!

@mpgxsvcd

Thank you for your answers. No Adverse Effects is incredibly useful. It's great that there is something out there that will work on ALL SD cards, and I'm sure that it will be more than enough for most shooters.

However, I was hoping that spending a little extra for a SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB SDXC card might open up some additional options in terms of stable quality. I'm still new to the idea of hacking cameras, but it seems to me that a setting that is designed to work on ALL cards must be "dumbed down" to accomodate the very slowest card in the range. What I'm just trying to gauge is whether there is a higher fidelity No Adverse Effects setting that uses these faster 95mb/s SanDisk Extreme cards as a baseline instead of the slowest card. Do you know of anything like this? Any feedback that you have would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Guys,

I installed the a 88mbit hack some week ago and shot two or three jobs, no problem, everything worked fine. I was using a SDHC Sandisk Extreme Clas 10 30mb/s. In the field, I tried to playback and the card gave me a write error. I worked it out in the camera, deleted a few clips, everything starts working again. So when I imported the footage (I'm using a macbook to edit with 8gb and premiere pro CS5) just by coping it to my HD, and tried to playback in VLC. Some clips played fine (the short clips) and some just won't play to the end. They go to some point and stop the image - the audio continues.

So I updated the VLC and still the same problem. I imported in premiere and it plays fine on the clip preview window, but when I put the clip in the timeline, it played strobed. I rendered the clip then to Vimeo HD quality and it played just fine.

This problem is going on ever since. I tried to switch hacks to mpgxsvcd Updated 2-23-2012 10:16 AM EST and the same keeps happening. I just ordered from B&H a new card, but it's on the mail. I own other two class 6 cards and the give me the same problem.

On top of it all, my macbook is having some trouble to recognize the cards from lumix - only it I open disk utility the card appears on the finder window.

Did anyone have similar problems like these? I'm having major trust issues with my GH2 and thinking the hacks my have damaged the body. What do you guys think?

Regards, Tiago

@mpgxsvcd A new trancend 32gb class 10 just arrived. I will test on another speedy card. Thank you for your reply, I was really worried. I will look for a fix and post here if I find.

All the best and thank you for your patch!

Regards, Tiago