Sony Creative Software
Release Notes
 
Catalyst Prepare™
March 2017
 
Contents
This document contains information on the following topics:
 
1.0 Welcome
Thank you for purchasing Catalyst Prepare. This document contains information about installing and using Catalyst Prepare
 
2.0 What's New
Notable fixes/changes in version 2017.1
  • Added support for grading in the Rec.2020/S-Log3 (HDR) color space
  • Added support for reading OpenEXR image sequences and transcoding OpenEXR image sequences to other video formats.
  • Added support for sharing clips via YouTube.
  • Added support for connecting to FTP devices by fully qualified domain name.
  • Added support for reading fragmented MP4 files created by the Sony PWS-100TD1.
  • Added support for reading files using the .mpeg file extension.
  • Improved time-remaining estimates when uploading multiple clips to Sony Ci using the Share pane.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when copying clips from a storyboard with missing files.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when adjusting color for a clip list if no library was open.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to become unresponsive when deleting a large number of clips from some slower storage devices.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause a Busy indicator to be displayed in the video preview and the clip to be added at the end of the storyboard instead of after the selected clip when adding a duplicate clip to a storyboard in Edit mode.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause essence marks added in Organize mode to be lost when switching to Edit mode.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause incorrect Mark In/Mark Out timecode values to be displayed in the Inspector when sequentially previewing multiple selected clips.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented the application from reading ProRes 422 files created by the Convergent Design Odyssey 7Q+ recorder.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented clip lists from being copied when dragging a clip list in the Places pane.
  • Fixed a bug that caused color adjustments to be applied after the Look profile setting (when Grade in is set to Log) or after the RRT/ODT (when Grade in is set to ACES). Color adjustments are now correctly applied before the Look profile or RRT/ODT.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause image corruption in transcoded clips when the Grade in drop-down list was set to ACES and no color-space conversion or color correction was applied.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause color adjustments to be applied inconsistently to clip lists when switching among Clip, Clip List, and Adjust Color modes if no library was open.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause inconsistencies in the available Output color space settings when transcoding after changing the Grade in setting.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the Render preset and Output color space settings to be set incorrectly after switching between the Export and Inspector panes.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the Exposure Index value to be set incorrectly after closing and restarting the application if no library was open.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the Gain sliders to be set incorrectly after closing and restarting the application if no library was open.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause an unexpected error when attempting to add a clip to a storyboard or clip list with missing files.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent the cursor position from updating for clip lists and storyboards when typing a new timecode value below the video preview.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent keyboard shortcuts from controlling playback after updating the cursor position by typing a new timecode value below the video preview.
  • Fixed a bug that incorrectly enabled the Copy only between mark points check box when copying spanned clips. Copying between mark points is not available for spanned clips.
  • Fixed a bug that caused deleted folders to remain in the Recent list in the Places pane.
  • Fixed a bug that incorrectly enabled the Copy clips to library check box in the Copy pane when a clip list or spanned clip was selected.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented proxy clips from being copied when copying a storyboard clip with Copy all related media selected.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented storyboards from loading correctly when double-clicking them in Organize mode.
  • Fixed a bug that caused increased audio volume after transcoding mono MOV clips to XAVC format.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the Repair flash bands automatically check box to be selected and unavailable when using the Export or Share pane.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause Start time and End time values on the File tab of the Inspector to be incorrect for clips rendered with Add padding to clips selected.
Notable fixes/changes in version 2016.3
  • Added position controls to allow you to choose the text position when transcoding clips with Burn in timecode or Burn in clip name enabled.
  • Added a Use fast device-to-device copy check box to the copy pane, allowing you to copy clips directly between an XDCAM device and another device via FTP. When this check box is selected, clips are copied directly between the devices without copying to your computer.
    Copy progress is not displayed and copy operations cannot be canceled when using fast device-to-device copy.
  • Added support for reading X-OCN clips.
  • Added support for reading XAVC interlaced proxy clips.
  • Added support for automatically linking clips from a known folder structure (such as an XAVC or XDCAM volume) when importing an EDL.
  • Added support detecting the playback frame rate for DPX image sequences on the Summary tab in the Metadata pane.
  • Improved performance when reading ProRes clips (macOS only).
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to hang when transcoding using an XAVC interlaced preset.
  • When importing an EDL, blank space between clips is now displayed in a contrasting color in the timeline.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause a blank space between clips in an EDL to be linked to a clip.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when double-clicking the OK button after being prompted to overwrite an existing clip list.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent copying of spanned AVCHD clips.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause proxy subclips from a known folder structure to be copied to the incorrect subfolder.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause a black frame to be displayed at the Mark In point when sequentially previewing multiple selected clips.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause incorrect Mark In/Out points to be used when copying a clip with the Use mark in/out points check box selected if no library was open.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause Mark In/Out points to be ignored when transcoding clips from a storyboard.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent you from adding an essence mark at the beginning of a clip.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented keyboard shortcuts from controlling playback in the EDL Import workspace.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent padding from being applied correctly when uploading a clip to Sony Ci and using the Transcode clips before upload and Add padding to clips settings.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause timecode for MXF clips to incorrectly start at zero when uploading a clip to Sony Ci.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent color adjustments from being displayed correctly for some clip list clips in Clip List and Adjust Color modes when no library was open.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent the Media Browser from displaying clip details when browsing folders containing large numbers of clips.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the clip indicators in the Video Preview timeline to move unexpectedly when sorting clips in the Media Browser while previewing multiple selected clips.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the Devices list in the Media Browser to display an incorrect folder structure after switching Optical Disc Archive cartridges.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent clips copied to an Optical Disc Archive volume from being displayed in Organize mode.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent the Include drop-down list in the Share pane from displaying the No color adjustments and Input settings only settings.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented the application from updating files that had been overwritten outside of Catalyst Prepare during preview.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause visual artifacts when previewing some 4K MP4 clips.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause color adjustment controls to be adjusted inconsistently when creating a new library.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented the Optimize encoding speed setting from working when rendering AVC/AAC clips.
  • Resolved an issue that caused video with very high ISO settings to be displayed incorrectly. For these clips, no exposure processing is applied and the Exposure control is not available.
Notable fixes/changes in version 2016.2
  • Added support for reading ProRes clips when using Catalyst Prepare on Windows. Please note that reading 4444 XQ clips is currently supported on Windows only.
  • Added templates for rendering QFHD and 4K XAVC Intra Class 480 clips.
  • Transcoding clips with Burn in timecode enabled now supports discontinuous timecode (LTC change table).
  • Added search support to the Media Browser.
  • Added support for synchronizing multicamera clips.
  • Added support for preserving timecode start values when transcoding to XAVC S format.
  • Added support for setting the playback frame rate for DPX image sequences on the Summary tab in the Metadata pane.
  • Added support for transcoding DPX image sequences to other video formats.
  • Added support for viewing and editing clip lists.
  • Added support for repairing flash bands automatically while transcoding.
  • Added support for adding and editing mark in and out points on the Summary tab in the Inspector pane.
  • Added support for adding, deleting, and editing essence marks for library clips (editing was previously available only for clips selected in the Places pane).
  • If mark in and out points have been set in an MXF clip, Catalyst Prepare will read the mark in/out points from metadata. After you add a clip to the library, you can choose whether to synchronize mark in/out points with the source clip:
    • If you want to save mark in and mark out points with the library, clear the Synchronize mark points with file check box on the Summary tab in the Inspector.
    • When the Synchronize mark points with file check box is cleared, mark in and mark out points for MXF clips are saved back to the source media when you edit them in Catalyst Prepare, and your library will be updated if the mark in and out points are edited on disk.
  • When sequentially previewing multiple selected clips, a vertical line in the Video Preview timeline indicates where each selected clip begins.
  • Added support for exporting a project's bins to Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro X.
  • Added support for displaying the time remaining when transcoding, copying, backing up, and uploading clips.
  • Added support for closing the library. Some Catalyst Prepare features are unsupported without an open library:
    • When no library is opened, color adjustments are applied globally to all clips. If you want to save your color-correction settings, you can transcode clips to create new files.
    • When no library is opened, Channel Assignment controls in the Inspector are not available.
    • When no library is opened, storyboard support is not available.
    • When no library is opened, bin support is not available.
  • Added support for copying clips to XDCAM Station via CIFS.
  • Improved performance when browsing or playing back clips from XDCAM Station via CIFS.
    When accessing media from XDCAM Station via CIFS, we recommend setting the Preview using proxy clips switch in Options to Off.
  • Improved performance when playing back 4K or QFHD ProRes clips (macOS only).
  • When using Save As to save a library, clips that are stored in the library's _cpreplib folder are now copied to the new library. Externally linked clips remain linked unless the Consolidate media with new library check box is selected.
  • Added a Show thumbnails switch in the Application Options pane: enabling the switch will display thumbnail images in the Media Browser; turning off the switch can improve performance on some slower storage devices.

    To improve performance when browsing SxS media in an XDCAM Station via CIFS, turn off Show thumbnails before accessing the media.
  • The Return/Enter key now starts and stops playback, returning the cursor to the starting point.
  • When using Export storyboard as project and transcoding the project's media, transcode options are now available.
  • Summary metadata is now preserved when transcoding to MXF format.
  • Audio meters are no longer displayed when previewing video-only clips.
  • Updated Japanese, Simplified Chinese, French, and German language support.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when attempting to browse to a folder that had been deleted.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause clips to be deleted when copying from a known folder structure to a local folder multiple times.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented users from editing cursor position, mark in, mark out, and selection length timecode values for clips with discontinuous timecode (LTC change table).
  • Fixed a bug that could cause interlaced media to be incorrectly transcoded as progressive-scan media when using Export storyboard as project.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause rendering to fail when transcoding some XDCAM clips to AVC/AAC (*.mp4) format using the Internet 480p widescreen preset.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause inconsistent behavior in the video preview after resizing the application window.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause distorted audio when previewing clips (macOS).
  • Fixed a bug that prevented start and end timecode values from being preserved when exporting a storyboard with Render clips as separate files and Use mark/in points selected.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent changes from being saved when adjusting mark in/out points in a clip list.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause incorrect timecode to be shown for clips in a clip list when adjusting mark in/out points.
  • Fixed a bug that caused flash band and essence marks to display incorrect timecode values in clips with discontinuous timecode (LTC change table).
  • Fixed a bug that prevented the use of the Add padding to clips controls when repairing flash bands.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause deleted libraries to be displayed in the Recent Libraries list.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause Optical Disc Archive volumes to switch discs unnecessarily when browsing or copying clips.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause temporary files to remain in the destination folder after canceling a transcode operation.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent some clips from being transcoded properly while copying with Copy only between mark in/out points selected.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause intermittent audio noise when playing some clips.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent Summary metadata edits from being saved to Professional Disc volumes.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause some IMX clips to display incorrect channel counts.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent temporary files from being removed after sharing clips via Ci and canceling the operation.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause copy operations to fail when copying subclips to a subfolder.
  • Fixed a bug that caused proxy-only clips to display blank thumbnail frames after uploading to Ci.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent related media from being copied correctly when copying clips.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent storyboards from being displayed correctly after using Save As to save the current library with a new name.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause audio inconsistencies when transcoding to AVC/AAC format.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the output color space to be set incorrectly after uploading a clip via the Share pane.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause Premiere 2015 to crash when opening Premiere projects created by exporting storyboards from Catalyst Prepare.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause copy operations to fail when the destination folder name contained a space.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause clip mark in/out points to be incorrectly applied during playback in the EDL Import workspace.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause clip mark in/out points to be incorrectly applied during transcoding in the EDL Import workspace.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented clip color adjustments from being reset after closing a library.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented some applications from reading XDCAM EX clips copied from a disc image folder.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented editing essence marks for storyboard clips.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause proxy-only clips to be transcoded incorrectly when Use mark in/out points and Add padding to clips were selected.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the Copy button to be temporarily unavailable when browsing clips via FTP or slow network connections.
Notable fixes/changes in version 2016.1.1
  • Updated Japanese, Simplified Chinese, French, and German language support.
  • When sequentially previewing multiple selected clips, each clip's timecode is now displayed.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when loading some MXF files rendered by DaVinci Resolve.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when disconnecting USB devices.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when opening some AVCHD clips with invalid metadata.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when opening some transport stream (*.mts) clips.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when opening ProRes clips (macOS only).
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when opening or playing some *.mp4 clips.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when transcoding to *.mp4 format.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when applying a color preset to a clip if the current library contained no clips.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when deleting a clip from a storyboard when Display secondary window was enabled.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to freeze when navigating an FTP server.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause copy operations to fail when copying subclips from XAVC source material when the Copy all related media or Copy only between mark points check boxes are selected.
  • Fixed a bug that resulted in proxy files being copied only when the Copy proxy only and Copy all related media check boxes were both selected.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause export operations to fail when exporting a storyboard to ProRes format (macOS only).
  • Fixed a bug that could cause clip names to be truncated for some clips when using Burn in clip names while exporting.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the source color space to be incorrectly read from HFR XAVC S clips.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the grading color space to be set incorrectly after deleting a library.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented ACES/Linear from being displayed properly in the Output color space drop-down list when exporting clips and grading in the ACES color space.
  • Fixed a bug that could result in audio synchronization discrepancies when transcoding to AVC/AAC (*.mp4).
  • Fixed a bug that caused AVCHD clips to be transcoded when the Copy clips only radio button was selected.
Notable fixes/changes in version 2016.1
  • Added support for playing clips that span discs on an Optical Disc Archive volume. An icon is displayed to identify spanned clips, and an indicator is displayed in the timeline to identify the point where the clip switches discs.
    Please note that playback of ProRes and AVCHD clips that span discs is not supported.
  • Added support for browsing devices via FTP. Click the Tools button in the Places pane and choose Add remote server to specify a server's connection settings.
    Playback and editing functions are not available for clips loaded from an FTP volume: editing mark in/out points; editing summary metadata; repairing flash bands; transcoding; uploading to Ci; and creating clip lists.
  • Added a Copy proxy only check box to the Copy pane to speed your workflow by copying only proxy-resolution clips.
    • An icon is displayed to indicate proxy clips that do not have full-resolution clips available.
    • When you edit the metadata for a proxy file, the metadata for the full-resolution clip is updated when you copy the proxy clip back to the device.
  • Added a Preview using proxy clips check box in Options to improve playback performance on systems with limited processing power.
  • Added support for the Rec.2020 color space in the Source drop-down list in the Adjust Color workspace.
  • Added support for choosing the output color space (Rec.709 or Rec.2020) when using an external monitor device connected via a Blackmagic Design device.
  • Added support for the Rec.2020 color space when transcoding to 10-bit QFHD/4K formats:
    • XAVC Intra 3840X2160 or XAVC Intra 4096x2160
    • DPX 10 bit when the source clip is QFHD/4K resolution
  • Added an indicator in the timeline to identify discontinuous timecode (LTC change table).
  • Added support for saving a snapshot of the current frame to a file.
  • Added a Display secondary window switch to Options to show the video preview in a secondary window that you can position anywhere on your screen or on a secondary monitor. Windows 7 users, please see Known Issues.
  • Added a shuttle control and Mark In/Mark Out buttons to the Preview pane in the Inspector to allow you to adjust mark points in Organize mode.
  • The mark in/out portion of a clip is now displayed as a blue bar in the Preview pane in the Inspector.
  • Temperature settings for color presets created in versions of Catalyst Prepare 2016.1 or later will now be correct when loaded in Catalyst Browse.
  • Added support for reading AS-11 DPP clips.
  • Added new low-bit-rate templates for transcoding HD AVC/AAC clips.
  • Added new DV templates for transcoding XDCAM clips.
  • Added support for consolidating a library's clips to a single folder. Click the Library button in the Places pane and choose Consolidate.
  • Added support for saving a copy of a library with a new name or to a different folder. Click the Library button in the Places pane and choose Save As.
  • Added support for exporting a library's bins as folders. Click the Library button in the Places pane and choose Export bins as folders.
  • Added support for relinking a library's clips. Click the Library button in the Places pane and choose Relink.
  • Added a Crop type drop-down list to the Export pane to allow you to choose the aspect ratio of transcoded clips.
  • Added an Encode mode drop-down list to the Export pane to allow you to emphasize image quality or encoding speed when transcoding clips.
  • Added support for including timecode in transcoded clips. Select the Burn in timecode check box in the Export pane if you want to include timecode in the lower-right corner of the transcoded video.
  • Added support for including clip names in transcoded clips. Select the Burn in clip name check box in the Export pane if you want to include the clip name in the lower-left corner of the transcoded video.
  • Added support for transcoding only the clip between the mark in and mark out points. Select the Use mark in/out points check box in the Export pane if you want to transcode only the mark in/out region.
  • Added support for transcoding with the flip and stretch clip settings when transcoding anamorphic clips. Select the Use flip and stretch settings check box in the Export pane if you want to transcode using these settings. When the check box is cleared, letterboxing will be applied.
  • Added support for adding padding to clips during transcoding. Select the Add padding to clips check box and type a number in the Seconds box in the Export pane if you want to preserve media before the mark in/mark out points.
  • When transcoding to DPX format, you can type a value in the Starting frame index box in the Export pane to append a numeric index to transcoded file names.
  • Added an indicator to represent a clip's mark in/out points in the library.
  • Added support for keyboard navigation in the Library pane.
  • The selected Video processing device is now used for transcoding.
  • Added support for displaying proxy file metadata in the Inspector.
  • Added support for editing Summary metadata for Professional Disc volumes in the Inspector.
  • Added support for displaying half-step timecode for each field in 50p/60p sources. The timecode for field two will be displayed with an asterisk appended. Use the 50p/60p half-step timecode display switch in Options.
  • Improved file numbering when rendering to DPX and OpenEXR formats.
  • You can now double-click folders in the Places pane to expand or collapse the view.
  • The Copy, Export, and Share panes are no longer available when editing a storyboard.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when using an external monitor.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when browsing to a folder containing some DNxHD clips (macOS only).
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when browsing a folder after opening the Export pane.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when right-clicking a bin.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to crash when working with storyboards created in previous versions Catalyst Prepare.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the application to become unresponsive when rendering to AVC/AAC format.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the render process to crash when canceling during XAVC rendering.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause unexpected behaviors when canceling flash band detection.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause flickering in the video preview in the Flash Band workspace when using the After preview mode after applying color adjustments.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented some keyboard shortcuts from working correctly in the EDL Import workspace.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause audio distortion during playback when Preview using proxy clips was selected (macOS only).
  • Fixed a bug that could cause storyboard clips that use interlaced media to display a black frame at the beginning or end of the clip.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented color adjustments from being applied when transcoding clips.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented you from rearranging clips in a storyboard that contained only two clips.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented clips from being added to the library when editing metadata for multiple selected clips.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented the Tab key from moving focus to the next field in the Summary tab in the Inspector.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent Channel Assignment changes from being applied to clips when adding them to the library.
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent clips from being added to the library when changing Channel Assignment settings with multiple clips selected.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented DPX file names from reflecting the Add padding to clips setting when transcoding.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause clips to discard a frame when transcoding with the Add padding to clips setting turned on.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause incorrect files to be displayed in Organize mode after modifying a folder in Windows Explorer or Finder.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented look profiles from being loaded with color presets.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause video thumbnail images to display incorrectly on some systems using an NVIDIA GPU.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause a delay before the Export button could be clicked when browsing folders with large numbers of clips.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented the spacebar from beginning sequential playback when multiple clips were selected.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented the Home and End keys from moving the cursor if the Media Browser was visible.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause the Exposure index value to be read incorrectly when working with clips recorded by the Sony Alpha α7 II camera.
  • Fixed a bug that caused combined relay clips to be named incorrectly.
  • Fixed a bug that caused clips to be sorted incorrectly.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented the application from playing some DNxHD clips.
  • Browsing an Optical Disc Archive volume is not available when copying clips from the volume.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause clip fades to be updated incorrectly when scrolling the timeline.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause unexpected behavior when using Go to location to navigate to a file rather than a folder. Now, the specified file is loaded in Edit mode.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented clips that were not in a library from being added to a storyboard.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented storyboard thumbnail images from reflecting color wheel adjustments.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented Look profile settings from honoring Undo actions.
  • Fixed a bug that could result in files being copied incorrectly when copying to the root of a Professional Disc volume.
3.0 Known Issues
  • The application may not display if you run the application on a secondary monitor and then restart the application with the secondary monitor disconnected. Hold Ctrl+Shift when starting the application to reset the application settings.
  • When playing 4K clips, the video preview can display irregularities on some systems that do not meet the system requirements for 4K media.
  • ASC-CDL (.cdl) files are not displayed in the Load ASC-CDL dialog when the file is saved in a known folder structure (such as an XAVC or XDCAM volume). Saving the ASC-CDL files in a generic location such as the General folder will allow you to load them.
  • The application may fail to start on some notebook computers with the Intel HD Graphics graphics adapter. Please visit https://downloadcenter.intel.com to manually download and install the latest driver for your graphics adapter.
  • If the application displays “A compatible graphics card that supports OpenCL 1.1 is required for GPU acceleration. Please install updated graphics drivers or install a compatible graphics card.” please try to install a newer graphics driver. If that is not possible, install the Intel OpenCL runtime for CPU: https://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/opencl-drivers.
  • If playback is not smooth when previewing high-resolution clips, click the magnifying glass in the video preview window and decrease the preview resolution.
  • Metadata cannot be saved in non-MXF files — and some MXF files — that are not in a folder structure.
  • On some systems, transcoding can fail when using Intel HD Graphics Driver for Windows 8.1 version 10.18.15.4279. Please use the latest driver from Intel.
  • Blackmagic Design Desktop Video 10.1.1 or later is required when using an external monitor via a Blackmagic Design SDI or UltraStudio device.
  • Spanned AVCHD clips may exhibit audio and video noise when previewing the transition between clips. Transcoding is not available for spanned AVCHD clips. We recommend that you copy the clips to your local drive before working with them.
  • If you need to format an SxS card, please use the Memory Media Utility.
  • If you need to format or finalize an XDCAM Professional Disc volume, please use the XDCAM Drive Software.
  • Transcoding performance can be slow when transcoding to an exFAT-formatted SxS card on Windows.
  • When exporting a storyboard, the Destination folder exports to your Home folder by default, resulting in a failed export. Choosing a different folder will allow the export to complete successfully (macOS only).
  • In some cases, metadata and mark in/out points that were edited in Catalyst Browse are not preserved after importing a clip into Catalyst Prepare. Closing and reopening Catalyst Prepare will update cached metadata.
  • In some cases, the application can crash if you edit a storyboard before the storyboard has finished loading.
  • On some computers, the application can hang during startup/registration. Updating your graphics driver will allow the application to start normally.
  • When using libraries created in Catalyst Prepare 2.0 or earlier, external folders in the library are displayed as bins.
  • When using DaVinci Resolve to open a Catalyst Prepare project that was exported to Final Cut Pro X format, color-correction information (Lift, Gamma, and Gain) can be imported if the DaVinci Resolve timeline frame rate matches the Final Cut Pro project frame rate.
  • When using Catalyst Prepare 2015.1 to create color presets that contain a Temperature adjustment, the Temperature value will be incorrect when loading the preset in Catalyst Browse or any other version of Catalyst Prepare. You can adjust the Temperature value in the destination application and resave the preset to use it.

    Color presets created in Catalyst Browse or any other version of Catalyst Prepare will display incorrect Temperature values when loaded in Catalyst Prepare 2015.1. You can adjust the Temperature value in the Catalyst Prepare 2015.1 and resave the preset to use it.
  • Catalyst applications can crash on some Windows 10 systems that include multiple GPUs (one AMD GPU and one Intel or NVIDIA GPU). Please check for updated AMD GPU drivers: http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/AMD-Radeon-Software-Crimson-Edition-16.1-Hotfix-Release-Notes.aspx.
  • Hardware decoding of 10-bit HEVC clips is supported on Intel Skylake U, H, and S processors.
  • When working with clips from multiple discs in an Optical Disc Archive volume, playback can pause when switching discs. If you experience interrupted playback, copy the clips to a local drive.
  • On some Windows 7 computers using an AMD Radeon GPU, the application can crash during playback when Display secondary window is selected.
  • Spanned clips are not intended for use with Catalyst Prepare libraries. However, a bug permits AVCHD spanned clips to be added to libraries. Inconsistent behavior can occur when applying color correcction, adjusting mark in/out points, or adding spanned clips to storyboards.
  • Start and end timecode values are not preserved when exporting a storyboard with Render clips as separate files and Use mark/in points selected.
  • If you want to reset the applications's preferences to their default values, hold Ctrl+Shift while double-clicking the application icon. When the application starts, you'll be prompted to reset all preferences.
  • When working with DPX image sequences, the following features are unavailable: renaming, deleting, creating a storyboard from a selection, copying to a library or folder, uploading to Ci, and flash band repair.
  • When copying a clip list and its clips to an XDCAM device via FAM, the clips' UMID data is changed, which breaks media links and will cause the copy operation to fail.
  • Copying growing MXF clips to the PDW-HD1500 via FTP can fail.
  • Attempting to preview a clip with a backslash (\) in the file name will result in a "The media is offline, missing, or unsupported" error message (macOS only).
4.0 System Requirements
The following lists the minimum system requirements for using Catalyst Prepare:
  • A 64-bit operating system: Microsoft® Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 or macOS 10.11 (El Capitan) or 10.12 (Sierra)
  • 2 GHz multicore processor (8 cores recommended for 4K media)
  • 500 MB hard-disk space for program installation
  • Solid-state disk (SSD) or high-speed RAID for 4K media
  • 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended; 16 GB recommended for 4K media)
  • NVIDIA, AMD/ATI, or Intel GPU with support for OpenCL 1.1 or later with at least 512 MB of memory (2 GB recommended for 4K) or a CPU with SSE 4.2 or higher. OpenGL 2.1 is recommended for optimum performance.

    You must provide your registration information to Sony Creative Software Inc., a US company, in order to activate the software. Product requires online registration.
5.0 Installation
The install utility creates any necessary folders and copies all files required by Catalyst Prepare to your computer.
 
Installing on Windows
  1. Download the install utility from our Web site.
  2. Double-click the file, and then follow the on-screen prompts to install the appropriate version of Catalyst Prepare for your computer. 
Installing on macOS
  1. Download the Catalyst Prepare DMG file from our Web site.
  2. Double-click the downloaded .dmg file.
  3. Drag the Catalyst Browse icon into to your Applications folder to install it on your computer.
6.0 Trials and Demos
If you would like information or trial/demo versions of other products from Sony Creative Software Inc., please visit our Web site. You will always find the latest technical information, trials, demos, and product announcements from Sony Creative Software Inc. there.
 
Commercial distribution of the trials and demos requires written permission from Sony Creative Software Inc.
 
7.0 Contacting Sony Creative Software Inc.
Sony Creative Software Inc. can be contacted in the following ways:
 
Mailing Address:
Sony Creative Software Inc.
8215 Greenway Boulevard
Suite 400
Middleton, Wisconsin 53562
USA
 
Customer Service/Sales:
For a detailed list of Customer Service options, we encourage you to visit http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/support/custserv.asp.
 
Telephone support during normal office hours:
  • 1-800-577-6642 (toll-free) in US, Canada, and Virgin Islands.
  • +608-203-7620 for all other countries.
  • Fax: 1-608-250-1745.
Technical Support