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BetaSP output color issues from FCP via Kona LHi
Hi All,
Here is my setup. I have an 8 core, running the latest FCP suite. With a Kona LHi card installed, and outputting to a Analog Beta SP Deck (Sony UVW-1800).
We output tvc’s, and send them normally to a couple tv stations have one station that we send the tapes to that runs off BetaSP decks to broadcast. From a few random visits and just eyeing their control room, they go tape to tape, from the original that we supply into their control room.
The problem that we’ve found is when our tvc’s are broadcast from this station, the color is dimmed/desaturated/muddied to enough of a degree that it looks like a few generations have been lost along the way.
When we send our tapes to other tv stations with newer broadcast equipment everything is fine.
I was wondering if anyone could suggest a few leads to me to research or any possible solutions. Other commercials that play on the old school channel look a lot more crisp and colorful.
When I output from FCP to the BetaSP deck, I’m going off a 10-bit uncompressed timeline. We are connected to the BetaSP deck using the breakout component cables.
Any help or guidance/leads would be huge.
Many Thanks,
Scott
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check my stuff out at https://scottkdouglas.com
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5 Replies
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I am assuming your monitoring has been properly calibrated and you have also legalized your output either with FCP or with hardware.
My guess is they are using composite coming out of the Beta deck into a composite router. Ask them. If so, you might try monitoring composite and seeing how it looks at your end and tweak accordingly. Its also possible they are using a different method of playback for the spots, which is why they look ok. They may also be running the output of the deck through an MPEG encoder before broadcast and its mucking up the signal. A lot of variables.
The Kona has a setting on the control panel that toggles the colorspace between Betacam and SMPTE. You want Betacam. There is a visible difference between the two, but its usually more subtle than you are describing…but its worth checking to see if its set correctly.
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I’ll contact them to find out. As a base for knowledge about this station, their equipment is about 15 years old at the least. My producer has worked with them for a long time now and has reassured me of this, so if that helps at all for further responses, just thought I’d mention it.
I appreciate the tip John. I’ll ask about the composite router and double check the AJA setup to make sure it’s betacam and not SMPTE.
Any more help/leads like this would be great!
Scott
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check my stuff out at https://scottkdouglas.com
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[Scott Douglas] “Any more help/leads like this would be great!”
well, quite honestly if that one station is the only one having the issue
then its really up to them to correct it. Their on-staff engineer should know
what to do about that.my 002 cents.
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I agree Chris, but there are other tvc’s that play on that channel/station that look a lot better, especially with proper saturation and colors. Otherwise we’d write it off as being exclusively the station’s problem.
Scott
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check my stuff out at https://scottkdouglas.com
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ah ok.
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