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FCP 11 displays Lumix GH6 100fps files in black

They work fine in FCP 10.8.1, so I had to revert to it for now, as I am using this kind of HEVC slomo files in several projects. When you create optimized media, they are displayed correctly, but I don't want to create these giant files if I don't have to...


Anyone else having encountered this bug, or found a workaround without creating optimized media?


I hope this will be fixed in the next update!

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 15.1

Posted on Nov 17, 2024 7:56 AM

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Posted on Nov 20, 2024 9:31 AM

@iHeimo, you are correct. The clips themselves if loaded to a new FCP 11 library are OK. The problem happens during the library upgrade of a prior FCP version to FCP 11. It also happens if you export a 10.8.1 library XML or project XML containing those clips and load that to an FCP 11 library.


So a workaround is to stay on 10.8.1. If work was already done on the FCP 11 library, you can export a prior-version (1.12) library XML and load that on 10.8.1. That should preserve all the clips and projects.


I tested Sony XAVC-S and XAVC-HS 100.0 fps and 120 fps files and those work OK after upgrading to FCP 11. Another user reports a Nikon Z9 clip turns black but he has not told us the clip specs or uploaded a clip to examine.


I am investigating how the problem happens....

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Nov 20, 2024 9:31 AM in response to iHeimo

@iHeimo, you are correct. The clips themselves if loaded to a new FCP 11 library are OK. The problem happens during the library upgrade of a prior FCP version to FCP 11. It also happens if you export a 10.8.1 library XML or project XML containing those clips and load that to an FCP 11 library.


So a workaround is to stay on 10.8.1. If work was already done on the FCP 11 library, you can export a prior-version (1.12) library XML and load that on 10.8.1. That should preserve all the clips and projects.


I tested Sony XAVC-S and XAVC-HS 100.0 fps and 120 fps files and those work OK after upgrading to FCP 11. Another user reports a Nikon Z9 clip turns black but he has not told us the clip specs or uploaded a clip to examine.


I am investigating how the problem happens....

Nov 18, 2024 6:47 AM in response to iHeimo

I was able to get the file.


The problem may be associated to the fact that this is a high frame rate file (recorded at 100fps).

Quicklook shows the file without issue. Quicktime Player plays it first at normal speed, then as slow motion, then again at normal speed.


In FCP, the clip thumbnail appears, and I could even skim over it, and see it there, but the viewer remained black. It seemed like the clip caused some weird effect, since then everything in the viewer was black.

I deleted preferences, and now the clip does play (as does everything else).

Nov 18, 2024 9:34 AM in response to iHeimo

I downloaded your GH6 clip which had the below characteristics. It worked on the five Macs I tested, all but one was running Sequoia 15.1 and FCP 11.0. I imported it via drag/drop from Finder to the FCP event. The GH6 clip was on the internal drive of each Mac. I tested playback in both Event Browser and on 100 fps and 50 fps timelines, using 1x speed and 1/4 speed, plus fast forward and reverse. I did not use optimized media for any of them. It worked OK in all cases.


Edit/add: All of the below machines were on Pro Video Formats 2.3.2. This is indicated in System Information>General>About>System Report>Software>Installations, scroll down to Pro Video Formats.


This is normally installed as part of MacOS updates, but it's a secondary update where you must click on the blue link in System Settings>General>Software Updates.


M1 Ultra Mac Studio, Sequoia 15.1, FCP 11.0: OK

M1 Max MacBook Pro 16, Sequoia 15.1, FCP 11.0: OK

M4 Pro Mac Mini, Sequoia 15.1, FCP 11.0: OK

2019 i9 MacBook Pro 16, Sequoia 15.1, FCP 10.7.1 and 11.0: both OK

2017 i7 iMac 27, Ventura 13.7.1, FCP 10.8.1: OK (can't be upgraded to Sonoma or FCP 11).



Format : HEVC
Format/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding
Format profile : Main 10@L6.1@High
Codec ID : hvc1
Codec ID/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding
Duration : 8 s 160 ms
Bit rate : 288 Mb/s
Width : 3 840 pixels
Height 2 160 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate • mode : Constant
Frame rate : 100.000 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 10 bits
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.347
Stream size 280 MiB (98%)

Nov 19, 2024 11:50 AM in response to iHeimo

@iHeimo, I may have briefly seen a version of this on my M1 Ultra Mac Studio and Apple Studio monitor, but not my M1 Max MBP, with or without the LG Thunderbolt 5k monitor connected. In my case, it manifested as a rapid blinking of the FCP viewer when your UHD 4k 100 fps HEVC GH6 clip is loaded and if I sweep my mouse across the viewer. However, it went away, and I now can't make it happen.


Can you try to reproduce it with your BenQ monitor disconnected? Also, please give us the complete specs and model number on that monitor, and how it's connected to your M1 Max MacBook Pro. Is it by direct HDMI cable or does it go through a hub, dock or other hardware?


I suspect this is a timing-sensitive issue and only appears under certain hardware and monitor configurations. This must be better understood before filing a formal bug, because it only happens under certain configurations that we don't yet understand.

Nov 21, 2024 12:03 AM in response to joema

@joema, thanks for your work in determining the exact causes for this (mis-)behavior! I hope it can be fixed in the first update.


While they're at it, the relink feature should be completely revamped, as well. Many of these problems could be fixed easily, if FCP would finally allow any file (in this particular case, the slomo files) in the library browser to be re-linked to (or even better, to be replaced by) whatever file the user choses, whereas since version one FCP many times stubbornly insists that it's not the same file type/length/codec etc. as the original, even when it actually is the exact same file.


This was biting me sooooooo many times since the very first version of FCP X...


How about either a simple warning before re-link/replacement the user has to agree to, or, even better, a preference setting "allow all file types for re-link"? The day this becomes reality, I'm gonna party all night ;-)

Nov 19, 2024 2:11 AM in response to joema

Thanks joema, Tom and Luis for your time and effort in evaluating this problem!


I gave it another shot, this time carefully recreating the settings after installing FCP 11, but that didn't help.


I found out though, when selecting the clip in the library, a monitor frequency warning shows up, so that's probably where this bug is hiding! This applies to both my external BENQ and to my MacBook's internal display. As I said, when I create optimized media for the clip, all is back to normal (but with huge additional files I don't want). 


I also tried to create a new library and project with just this clip, and here it displays just fine, but also shows the warning and force creates a hidden thumbnail file with 1.3 GB (!!!) in the background! Maybe that’s what happened in your trials also, without you noticing it?


So unless someone finds another solution, I'll have to revert to FCP 10.8.1, until this bug is ironed out.


Nov 19, 2024 4:16 AM in response to iHeimo

@iHeimo, Luis reported this problem was fixed when he reset FCP preferences (aka settings). Please try that. While holding down OPT and CMD keys, launch FCP. Then see if it works.


Edit: I see you already tried this. In my tests I have background rendering disabled. I also get the "video frame rate" warning, but I currently don't think it's related to the problem.


In FCP>Settings>Playback, please turn off Background Rendering, also turn off Create optimized media for multicam clips. In FCP>Settings>Import>Files, please set that to "Leave files in place".


After doing this select the FCP library in the left sidebar, and do File>Delete Generated Library Files>Delete Render Files>All, and also delete optimized media, proxy media and unused magnetic mask files.


Then see if it still happens.

Nov 20, 2024 2:55 AM in response to joema

Ok, I have a BENQ PD3220U, connected via Thunderbolt.


The project I created a couple of months ago containing these 100fps files works fine under Sequoia 15.1.1. and FCP 10.8.1—no warnings, no problems whatsoever.


When updating to FCP 11 (with deleting prefs, of course) the 100fps files go black, and there's the monitor/fps warning on the BenQ. With the MBP only, they are still going black, and they only can be resurrected by creating humungous optimized files. Reconnecting originals doesn't work ("not the same file type...")


When I create a new project in FCP 11 with the exact same files, all is working as intended (as long as automatic render is turned off, and the normal slomo 25% setting vs. Smooth is used—both would cause creation of huge cached files).


So it seems that FCP 11 doesn't update project files created in earlier versions with 100 fps footage correctly. You might be able to replicate that with libraries created in 10.8.1 containing the 100 fps files, and then updating them with FCP 11. It might even concern other high fps file types from Canikony etc. ;-)


I am curious what you find out...

FCP 11 displays Lumix GH6 100fps files in black

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