"The End" - Patch for GH2 Hack

This is the final patch from Apefos. Read the developing history in post below.

Works for PAL and NTSC

It has all achievements from previous Apefos patches: WorkHorse, Boson, GSpot, DCT, Apefos Settings, The Patch, Denoise (see Top Settings section of P-V to read about these other patches with discussions).

Solves the Diagonal Rain Pulsing Pattern problem.

Matrix desing with fallback finetuned for isos 6400 and below, in custom design for each recording mode. Improved for best image quality considering the noise, details and texture minimizing artifacts, banding, moiré, aliasing, flickering. Also improved for denoise in Luma and Chroma channels for delivery a clean image, but preserving the texture. Deblocking matrix improved for removing macroblocking.

For flickering free images use isos from 160 to 2000. Some isos can be better than others, some isos can increase noise or flickering, some reports says that isos 320 and 2500 are no good even with other patches, so do your tests about isos behavior in your GH2.

Careful tweak in all settings of the ini file in PTool tester section for best stability and image quality with extensive tests since 2013 year resulted on this patch. These settings working together makes the datarate enough for great quality.

Datarates are in the maximum limit for stable work with the auto electronic features and native lenses: 24H = 96Mbps, 24L = 76Mbps, SH = 76Mbps, H = 60Mbps (the results in recorded videos are different from the datarate typed on the ini file)

Best gop configuration for the available datarate: 24p = gop 3, hbr = gop 3, 720p50 = gop 3, 720p 60 = gop 4 The frame rate perceiving is similar in all areas of the image, similar to intraframe gop1 patches due to the finetunings (read post below).

In Pal all recording modes are stable.

In NTSC the H and FH can be more stable than SH and FSH, but the SH and FSH are better quality. Tip: try using only one or two auto electronic features in SH and FSH in NTSC. Auto electronic features are: Auto Exposure, Auto Focus, OIS image stabilization, iDynamic, iResolution, Noise Reduction. Example: using OIS and idynamic and disable other features in SH NTSC is good idea. If using all features enabled at same time in 720p or 1080i, use the H and FH recording modes. 1080p24 24H and 24L both works ok.

The camera never freezes, no battery pull needed.

Works very good for neatvideo denoise using temporal noise reduction "1" and spatial luma noise reduction "30". In neatvideo, set the noise area in a more fine noise on the screen instead of on a gross noise area when denoising high isos. Chroma reduction in "100" with a +50 in first sliders also is good for high isos.

Stress tests was done in the 45MBps Sandisk card, but it can work in slower cards also (30MBps).

Added a second zip file with The End High Datarate version, for the datarate freaks. For use with manual lenses, avoid native lenses for more stability. Auto electronic features does not work in 720p, 1080i and HBR, avoid them. H and FH can be more stable than SH and FSH. In 24p the native lenses and the features can work, try both 24H and 24L. Datarates are: 24H = 104Mbps, 24L = 96Mbps, SH = 96Mbps, H = 88Mbps. Same gop as the stable version. If it cannot handle the recording it will stop recording and go back to stand by mode, the camera will not freeze, no need battery pull.

All the settings in the patch was finetuned to work good with the standard default stable datarate version and the image is ok. I do not know if it would worth changing firmware just to increase datarate. Maybe a datarate increase can change the balance of I/P/B frames size and improve just the I frames quality and makes the texture pulsing, more noticeable in slowmotion. Do your tests. Or just use the default version which is ok, improved for good slowmotion. (for more details read next posts below). In my tests I saw no significant benefits using the high datarate version for 720p60 NTSC in high iso 2000, it just improves I frames quality a little and introduces more pulsing due to generate higher difference from I and P quality, when doing slow motion this creates pulsing, the datarate increase is not enough to change the textures of the P frames in 720p. About 24p, it is already good datarate in the default version using the 24H record mode so there is no need to use the high version for 24p. Also, PAL lands are less frames in HBR and 720p so the camera can record more data per frame making the default version very good for PAL. Even the HBR mode which is a challenge for patches is looking pretty good in the default version. People likes comparisons, so the two versions are here for tests. My final option is to keep "The End" in camera and no more firmware change. I do not see significant reasons to use the high datarate version, maybe for HBR in NTSC mostly (read posts below).

Enjoy