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CineForm Intermediate is an open source (from October 2017)[1] video codec developed for CineForm Inc by David Taylor, David Newman and Brian Schunck. On March 30, 2011, the company was acquired by GoPro which in particular wanted to use the 3D film capabilities of the CineForm 444 Codec for its 3D HERO System.

The press release in the GoPro acquisition noted that CineForm's codec had been used in movies including Slumdog Millionaire and Need For Speed.[2][3][4]

History

[edit]

The CineForm Intermediate Codec was originally designed in 2002 for compressed digital intermediate workflows for film or television applications using HD or higher resolution media. The CineForm media is most commonly wrapped within AVI or MOV files types, using the 'CFHD' FourCC code for all compressed media types.

Implementations support image formatting for 10-bit 4:2:2 YUV, 12-bit 4:4:4 RGB and RGBA, and 12-bit CFA Bayer filter RAW compression (as used with the Silicon Imaging SI-2K camera.)

All compression is based on an integer reversible wavelet compression kernel, with a non-linear quantizer to increase compression. Compression data-rates typically range from 10:1 to 3.5:1, based on quality settings. An uncompressed mode supports RAW files.

The codec uses a constant quality design, such that the data rate varies based on the source image data. It shares some properties with other wavelet codecs, like JPEG 2000, yet it trades off some compression efficiency (larger file sizes) for greater decode and encode performance. CineForm is available only on Mac OS and Microsoft Windows platforms, however a Linux SDK is available. FFmpeg is also capable of decoding and encoding CineForm files.[5]

The DPC format (also known as DPX-C) is a DPX file header with or without an uncompressed DPX image part that contains only a thumbnail. A compressed CineForm sample is attached to that file, containing the wavelet compressed image. The format is used in post production when CineForm files are rendered. Tools can split up CineForm AVI or MOV files into DPC file sequences, and vice versa, to reassemble CineForm MOV and AVI files from DPC sequences. These steps just copy data and do not reencode the images, thus are fast and do not cause iterative recompression artifacts.

Plugins for Blackmagic Fusion and The Foundry Nuke compositing systems are available to read and write CineForm natively. These plugins were developed by Magna Mana Production.

CineForm is stable to iterative recompression.

CineForm has a slightly higher data rate than JPEG 2000 at similar PSNRs (peak signal to noise ratios) with the benefit of up to 7x faster encode/decode.

According to a GoPro press release,[6] SMPTE standardized the CineForm codec as the SMPTE ST 2073 VC-5 video compression standard.[7] In practice the VC-5 specification did not provide enough information to decode Cineform files and reverse engineering was necessary.[8]

GoPro released CineForm as open source in October 2017[9][1] dually licensed under the MIT License and the Apache License 2.0[10]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
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CineForm

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CineForm is a 12-bit, full-frame compression designed for high speed and visual quality in professional film and television workflows, prioritizing performance over compact file sizes. Originally developed by CineForm, Inc. starting in 2001–2002 as a lightweight alternative to DV formats, it gained prominence with the release of CineForm HD in 2003, supporting 10-bit and 12-bit RGB/RGBA color spaces. In 2005, it introduced CineForm RAW, the first codec to compress CFA RAW data for cinematic capture. The technology was acquired by in 2011, where it became integral to products like the Hero5/6 cameras and the Omni rig for 8K 360° video at 30 fps. Standardized by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) as VC-5, CineForm supports 8/10/16-bit 4:2:2, RGB , RGBA , and 12/16-bit CFA RAW formats, with compression ratios from 10:1 to 4:1 in a constant-quality mode. GoPro open-sourced the CineForm SDK in 2017 under Apache 2.0 and MIT licenses, making over 160,000 lines of C/C++ code available to accelerate development for high-resolution and 360° video applications across macOS, Windows, and . It features Active Metadata for RAW development parameters and stereoscopic 3D support, enabling efficient cross-platform editing in tools like and Premiere Pro without additional plugins. As a cross-platform intermediate , it is widely used for HD, 4K, and beyond in post-production, bundled with for seamless (.mov) file handling.

Introduction

Definition and Core Purpose

CineForm is an intra-frame, -based designed for visually in professional video . This employs compression techniques to achieve high-fidelity results, enabling efficient handling of video data without significant quality degradation. The primary purpose of CineForm is to serve as a for editing, , and archiving footage, preserving quality superior to distribution formats such as H.264. It facilitates pipelines by maintaining visual integrity across multiple processing stages, making it suitable for high-resolution and complex projects. At its core, CineForm emphasizes high-fidelity compression ratios, typically ranging from 10:1 to 4:1, to balance manageable file sizes with exceptional quality retention. For instance, it is commonly used to store raw or near-raw video data in a compressed yet fully editable form, thereby avoiding generational loss during repeated encodes and manipulations in editing software.

Key Advantages Over Other Codecs

CineForm offers superior encode and decode speeds compared to , achieving up to 5 to 10 times faster performance at equivalent quality levels, which facilitates real-time editing on standard hardware without the need for specialized acceleration. This efficiency stems from its wavelet-based compression approach, enabling rapid processing while maintaining high image integrity. In terms of stability under recompression, CineForm demonstrates minimal quality degradation across multiple encode-decode cycles, making it particularly suitable for iterative workflows where footage may undergo several generations of processing. Its constant quality design ensures that subsequent compressions preserve visual details with little perceptible loss, outperforming (DCT)-based codecs like ProRes in artifact-free results over repeated operations. CineForm delivers visual fidelity comparable to that of uncompressed formats at significantly lower bitrates, providing near-lossless results through efficient compression that avoids common artifacts such as blocking or ringing. In high-end applications, it has been shown to reduce storage needs by 70-80% relative to uncompressed sources without introducing visible artifacts, as evidenced in tests converting raw image sequences like DNG files. Typical compression ratios range from 4:1 to 6:1, balancing file size and quality effectively for professional use.

Development History

Founding and Initial Design

CineForm Inc. was established in 2002 by developers David Taylor, David Newman, and Brian Schunck, with the primary aim of developing advanced video compression solutions tailored for emerging high-definition production needs. The company emerged during a pivotal shift in the film and television industries toward digital workflows, where traditional formats like DV struggled to handle the data demands of HD and 2K resolutions without compromising efficiency or quality. The initial design of the CineForm was driven by the need for a lightweight, compressed alternative to or less efficient DV formats, enabling seamless storage and editing while preserving . This focus addressed key limitations in (DI) processes, where large file sizes and processing bottlenecks hindered real-time workflows for professional applications in film and television. The employed wavelet compression as its core method to achieve superior efficiency in balancing file size, decode speed, and visual quality. A significant early milestone was the codec's development as a solution integrated into CineForm's own Neo HD software, which provided a real-time HD DI workflow compatible with major systems. Targeting professional-grade performance, it supported 10-bit 4:2:2 color space to ensure robust handling of broadcast and cinematic content without generational loss. The first commercial release of Prospect HD in 2004 marked its integration into hardware-accelerated capture devices, such as those from Silicon Imaging, facilitating efficient data transfer for 2K applications.

Acquisition by GoPro and Product Integration

On March 30, 2011, acquired CineForm Inc., a developer of advanced video compression technology, to enhance its capabilities in handling high-definition and 3D video for action cameras. The acquisition was driven by CineForm's expertise in 3D content creation, particularly to support the 3D HERO System, an accessory for 's 1080p HD cameras that enabled stereoscopic capture. Following the deal, CineForm became a division of , with its codec rebranded as GoPro CineForm, and the company continued to develop professional tools while integrating the technology into 's ecosystem. Key integration milestones included the incorporation of CineForm into 's editing software, where it served as the core intermediate for converting camera footage. CineForm's technology powered GoPro Studio, a desktop application developed post-acquisition to handle synchronization, optimization, and editing of 3D footage from action cameras like the HERO3, allowing users to transcode H.264 files into high-quality CineForm formats for smoother workflows. This software integration extended to on-camera applications starting with the 3D HERO System and later models, enabling efficient encoding of high-quality footage directly tied to GoPro's action sports capture needs. Product expansions under focused on advanced formats and resolutions, including the development of RAW support such as 12-bit converters for professional workflows. These enhancements, like CineForm RAW with 10:1 compression, allowed direct editing in tools such as while preserving . During 's expansion into 4K video with cameras like the HERO4 in , CineForm was optimized for high-resolution editing, supporting large frame sizes and maintaining performance in pipelines. Post-acquisition, CineForm's wavelet-based compression continued to ensure compatibility across these developments, facilitating lossless handling of stereoscopic 3D video and reducing file sizes by ratios of 10:1 to 4:1 for action sports footage without compromising quality.

Technical Specifications

Compression Mechanism

CineForm employs an integer reversible 2-6 as its core algorithm for intra-frame compression, enabling mathematically lossless reconstruction of the original data when no quantization is applied. This full-frame 2D three-level wavelet decomposition processes the image by separating it into low-frequency and high-frequency components, avoiding the block-based artifacts common in (DCT) codecs like or MPEG. The transform is applied horizontally and vertically, with the low-frequency component calculated as the sum of adjacent pixels and the high-frequency component derived from a more complex filter involving six neighboring pixels to capture finer details, ensuring efficient representation across varying resolutions. Following the wavelet transform, a non-linear quantizer is applied to the coefficients, particularly emphasizing high-frequency components, to achieve variable compression ratios while preserving perceptual quality. This quantizer exploits the human visual system's reduced sensitivity to subtle high-frequency changes, dividing outputs by a scaling factor tailored to quality settings, which range from visually lossless at lower ratios (around 4:1) to more aggressive compression up to 10:1. The non-linear nature allows for higher compression in less perceptually important areas without introducing ringing or blocking artifacts, maintaining fidelity suitable for professional workflows. The compression process is strictly intra-frame, with each frame encoded independently to eliminate temporal dependencies and prevent artifacts during , such as those from frame reordering or trimming. This design supports seamless integration in environments, where frames can be manipulated without re-encoding the entire sequence. The overall wavelet decomposition can be represented mathematically as y=Q(W(x))y = Q(W(x)), where xx is the input frame, WW denotes the 2-6 , and QQ is the non-linear quantization function; decoding approximates the inverse via x^=W−1(Q−1(y))\hat{x} = W^{-1}(Q^{-1}(y)), yielding near-lossless output dependent on the quantization level. CineForm's mechanism supports color spaces such as 10-bit 4:2:2 YUV for efficient chroma subsampling, aligning with its focus on high-quality intermediate formats.

Supported Formats and Bit Depths

CineForm offers versatile support for various color spaces and bit depths, enabling high-fidelity intermediate encoding suitable for professional post-production. It natively accommodates 10-bit 4:2:2 YUV for chroma-subsampled video, providing efficient storage while preserving broadcast-quality color information. Additionally, it supports 12-bit 4:4:4 RGB and RGBA formats, which deliver full-resolution color sampling and alpha channel transparency essential for compositing and visual effects workflows. For raw sensor data, CineForm handles 12/16-bit CFA RAW, log-encoded to maintain dynamic range from capture through processing. A key distinction of the 12/16-bit CFA RAW capability is its facilitation of lossless debayering in , where and initial color corrections can occur without introducing artifacts or precision loss—unlike 8-bit consumer codecs prone to banding and quantization errors during similar operations. In terms of resolutions, CineForm scales from standard HD (1080p) up to 8K, leveraging intra-frame compression to support demanding high-resolution pipelines without frame dependencies that could complicate editing. Encoded files are typically contained in or MOV wrappers utilizing the CFHD FourCC identifier for broad compatibility. Platform support includes native encoding and decoding on Windows and macOS, with the open-source SDK facilitating Linux deployments and seamless integration with FFmpeg for extended interoperability across diverse editing environments.

Standardization and Evolution

Transition to VC-5 Standard

In 2012, submitted its codec to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) for as a video compression format suitable for professional workflows. The submission aimed to formalize the codec's specifications to promote broader industry adoption beyond proprietary implementations. By June 2014, SMPTE approved the as the ST 2073 VC-5 standard, designating it specifically for high-quality video acquisition and applications. This approval marked a pivotal milestone, transforming CineForm from a company-specific technology into an open, vendor-neutral standard. VC-5 represents a superset of the original CineForm, retaining its core wavelet-based compression mechanism while introducing enhancements for expanded capabilities. Key additions include support for resolutions up to 16K x 16K, a wider array of formats, and embedded metadata structures to facilitate professional file interchange and workflow integration. These extensions addressed limitations in the proprietary version, enabling VC-5 to handle diverse image essences and bit depths up to 16 bits per component more robustly. As an open standard, VC-5 has facilitated high-quality, variable-bit-rate compression in broadcast and cinema environments, promoting interoperability among equipment from multiple vendors and reducing reliance on less efficient alternatives like JPEG 2000. Its ratification has enabled streamlined post-production pipelines with reported performance improvements, such as up to 8x faster processing compared to prior standards. As of June 2025, ongoing revisions to ST 2073-10 for MXF mapping of VC-5 essence are nearing completion, incorporating new features for layers, sections, and metadata.

Open-Sourcing and Community Adoption

In 2017, open-sourced the CineForm SDK on October 25, releasing it under dual licenses of MIT and 2.0 to facilitate broader adoption by third-party developers and the open-source community. The SDK, hosted on , provides reference implementations encompassing 16 years of innovations developed since the codec's inception in 2001, including support for high-bit-depth formats that enable modifications for emerging technologies such as HDR video. This move aimed to accelerate workflows for high-resolution content, particularly beyond 4K, by allowing integrators to build upon the codec's wavelet-based compression without proprietary restrictions. Community developments rapidly followed the release, with the SDK enabling direct integration into major open-source tools. Notably, FFmpeg incorporated enhanced decoding and encoding support for CineForm, building on pre-existing reverse-engineered efforts that had already provided initial Linux-native compatibility prior to open-sourcing. These improvements, including optimizations during projects in , allowed FFmpeg users to handle CineForm files efficiently across platforms, supporting both 10-bit and 12-bit variants for professional-grade intermediate workflows. Reverse-engineering initiatives from , such as those targeting environments, laid foundational work that the official SDK later refined, eliminating the need for unofficial implementations and fostering more robust, cross-platform tools. Adoption milestones highlight CineForm's expansion into open-source ecosystems, with integrations in projects like , where native support for the codec was bolstered by the SDK for seamless decoding in pipelines. Community-driven custom encoders, such as those in transcoding applications like Shutter Encoder, leverage the FFmpeg backend to produce CineForm outputs, enabling high-quality, lightweight intermediates without reliance on closed systems. This has democratized access, allowing developers to extend the codec for specialized uses like processing and beyond environments. Overall, these efforts have sustained CineForm's relevance as a versatile, modifiable standard in open-source video tooling.

Applications and Usage

Post-Production Workflows

CineForm serves as a versatile intermediate in professional pipelines, particularly within nonlinear editors (NLEs) such as and , where it facilitates proxy editing and final conforms by providing high-quality, low-latency playback without the need for additional during the edit process. Its wavelet-based compression enables efficient handling of high-resolution footage, allowing editors to work directly with master files in these environments while maintaining visual fidelity throughout iterative cuts and revisions. In color grading workflows, CineForm integrates seamlessly with software like , leveraging its 12-bit RGB support to preserve and enable precise adjustments without introducing artifacts, which is essential for HDR and wide-gamut projects. This capability, combined with active metadata for embedded color corrections and LUTs, supports non-destructive grading passes directly on encoded files. For archiving, CineForm's constant-quality encoding ensures low degradation over long-term storage, making it suitable for digital masters that retain editability and require minimal reprocessing for future retrieval. Notable applications include its use in the digital intermediate for Slumdog Millionaire (2008), where CineForm RAW handled 2K source footage to streamline editing and finishing while preserving the film's dynamic visuals. It was also used in post-production for Need for Speed (2014). These examples highlight CineForm's role in high-stakes pipelines. Since open-sourcing in 2017, CineForm continues to be supported in modern tools like DaVinci Resolve for high-resolution editing as of 2024. CineForm excels in multi-generation workflows, allowing footage to be recompressed multiple times with minimal visible loss due to its full-frame wavelet structure, which outperforms intra-frame alternatives like DNxHD in maintaining stability across repeated encodes and decodes. This resilience is particularly valuable in collaborative environments where assets are shared and revised multiple times before final output. Its 10-bit 4:2:2 support further aids grading by ensuring robust color subsampling for professional corrections.

Integration in Cameras and Devices

CineForm has been deeply embedded in the ecosystem since its acquisition, serving as a key for processing footage from the series cameras, which capture video in formats like H.264 or HEVC but require conversion for optimal editing and playback. In models such as the Hero4 and later iterations, including those supporting , users formerly converted captured files to CineForm using GoPro Studio software, enabling smooth handling of non-standard resolutions like 2.7K and high-frame-rate modes without taxing consumer hardware. This integration allows for immediate playback and transfer of processed files, preserving quality during workflows for action-oriented content. The plays a pivotal role in stereoscopic capture through GoPro's 3D rigs, which synchronize two Hero cameras in a single housing to record paired 2D footage that is subsequently converted to 3D using GoPro CineForm Studio. This system, introduced for the HD and HD HERO2 cameras, leverages CineForm's support for 3D workflows to align and encode left- and right-eye views into a single, editable file, facilitating for immersive stereoscopic video. The resulting files maintain for playback on 3D displays or further editing in professional software. Beyond GoPro's own hardware, CineForm found integration in external recording devices for live capture and compression of or SDI inputs from various cameras. Convergent Design's Gemini and recorders, for instance, supported direct encoding to CineForm, allowing users to compress incoming signals in real-time while retaining 12-bit quality suitable for acquisition. These devices enabled on-set recording of high-resolution with reduced storage demands compared to uncompressed formats. A primary benefit of CineForm in these hardware contexts is its ability to manage storage for demanding acquisition scenarios, such as high-frame-rate action footage at 120 fps in 2.7K resolution from cameras, by applying wavelet-based compression that achieves visually lossless results at ratios around 5:1 to 10:1, depending on settings. This ensures files are manageable for transfer and editing without generational loss, particularly valuable for extended shoots where raw , including color filter array patterns, is processed into editable intermediates.

References

  1. https://gopro.github.io/cineform-sdk/
  2. https://gopro.com/en/us/news/gopro-open-sources-the-cineform-codec
  3. https://helpx.adobe.com/after-effects/using/gopro-cineform-codec-settings.html
  4. https://github.com/gopro/cineform-sdk
  5. https://workflow.frame.io/guide/editing-codecs
  6. https://www.adobe.com/learn/premiere-pro/web/gopro-cineform-codec
  7. https://www.cined.com/gopros-old-but-efficient-cineform-codec-goes-open-source/
  8. https://ramsteinbeer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Studio-Manual.pdf
  9. http://cineform.blogspot.com/2008/02/cineform-444-always-better-hdcam-sr.html
  10. https://cineform-neo-hd.software.informer.com/5.3/
  11. https://news.microsoft.com/source/2004/04/19/microsoft-announces-breakthrough-high-definition-video-production-solutions-for-windows-xp/
  12. https://www.siliconimaging.com/DigitalCinema/SI3D_CineFormTech.html
  13. https://www.postmagazine.com/Press-Center/Daily-News/2011/GoPro-acquires-CineForm.aspx
  14. https://www.theverge.com/2016/6/2/11837018/gopro-storyteller-desktop-app-video-editor-ceo-nick-woodman-interview
  15. https://www.eoshd.com/news/cineform-raw-and-cinema-dng-converters-now-available-for-5d-mark-iii-raw/
  16. https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-codecs.html
  17. https://mande.net/btl/crafts/post-production/gopros-cineform-codec-moves-closer-to-smpte-adoption
  18. https://gopro.com/en/us/news/professional-filmmakers-tap-gopro-to-deliver-stunning-content-for-the-big-screen-and-tv
  19. https://www.smpte.org/standards/st2073-landing-page
  20. https://www.smpte.org/hubfs/SMPTE-Quarterly-Outcome-Reports/SMPTE%20Standards%20Quarterly%20Report%20June%202025.pdf?hsLang=en
  21. http://cineform.blogspot.com/2017/10/cineform-goes-open-source.html
  22. https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/SponsoringPrograms/GSoC/2018
  23. https://github.com/gopro/cineform-sdk/issues/39
  24. https://www.reddit.com/r/shutterencoder/comments/15dxka0/using_the_cineform_codec/
  25. https://www.provideocoalition.com/an-overview-of-codecs-in-adobe-premiere-pro/
  26. https://community.avid.com/forums/t/133276.aspx
  27. https://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=3113584&seqNum=3
  28. https://gopro.com/en/us/news/gopro-leading-activity-image-capture-company-acquires-award-winning-video-compression-software-company-cineform-inc
  29. https://www.coconut.co/articles/cineform-vs-prores-delving-into-highfidelity-codecs
  30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldkdyhG9YJE
  31. https://www.provideocoalition.com/stereo-3d-with-the-gopro-hero2/
  32. https://www.dvxuser.com/threads/worlds-first-official-convergent-design-gemini-4-4-4-recorder-short-test.264341/
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