Running ProRes Lite on FCP 6.0.6

I have read on ANOTHER FORUM which will go unmentioned, that poor folks like me who are on FCP 6.0.6 can get ProRes Lite etc to work on their systems by downloading the appropriate package from Apple and using a little application called "unpkg" to unpack it and get at the Codecs.

So I have done the downloads and I have the loot.

But before I do this, I thought I'd better check with you guys and gals because I don't want anything to blow up.

Please tell me what you think. Here's the post from ANOTHER FORUM in case you have time to give me advice:


(Here he's speaking about the ProRes Codecs other than 422 and 422HQ)

In order to get these to show and also to have access to all the other georgeous 422 codecs and other goodies, download the new QT codec pack: [support.apple.com]

Then use the little app UNPKG ( [www.timdoug.com] ) to unpack the contents by simply dragging the downloaded PKG codec pack onto the app window. This then unpacks on the desktop. Inside navigate the folders until you get to the QT .component files.

Next, drag these into your Library/Quicktime/ folder and then you'll have the LT codecs ( and many others) to use in FCP 6 and all other apps like Streamclip, QT Pro etc. (I would recommend renaming the existing ones in case of problems of course)

I've done a test with it and it works like a charm on my Mac Pro running 10.6.7 and FCP 6.0.6. I'm not able to create an LT sequence but if you create a new one and then drag the material on with the prompt enabled to match settings it will make an LT sequence. I was also able to render out a 422 LT clip from QT Pro and Streamclip to use in the project. All the correct 422 labels also show in the codec lists in all encoding apps.

If you try and install the QT pack on anything not FCP X it will give you an error but this manual installation gets around the Apple Police and their insistence you buy everything new the minute it comes out! You can keep FCP 7 and X, I'm quite happy with 6!

Hi Harry, that is interesting. However, if you ask me, you may have issues with the RT engine in FCP. I'm not sure if it recognizes the codec, so you may need to render a lot more to playback even simple effects like a cross dissolve.



www.strypesinpost.com

Hey, Strypes, thanks for reply.

I'll get through my current job and try this out next week.

Prepare to see smoke rising from La Crescenta.

Harry

Can't see it causing any unrecoverable issues, Harry. And if everything goes wonky (unlikely), just take them back out!. ProRes is a lovely codec.

Do you have a AJA Kona card?
If so then try this, as it has worked for me fine...

I had a project that required Quicktimes to be in ProRes Lite whilst running FCP6. The way I got round this was to get hold of the QT component from a friend who had FCP 7, then in the Library/quicktime folder moved the following file to the desktop (just in case) AppleProResCodec.component, in fact I copied the entire folder to the desktop, before dropping the the new ones in.
Now this didn't enable the codecs to work in FCP or compressor, even though they are listed, BUT I used my Kona timeline codecs, the AJA KONA 1080i LT codec to be precise, to place the footage on, re-render and export and the end result was a ProRes LT QT from FCP 6.0.6

Whether or not you could install the Kona driver with no card and get it to work I have no idea.....