-
Export still image problem – Gamma shift
Hi,
We recently bought a complete Blackmagic 10bit HD compatible G5, with Final Cut Pro HD 4.5 and Photoshop CS. The problem I am having is using this setup to create menus for DVD’s. What I am doing is I capture a piece of video, using the setting Blackmagic 8bit PAL, from within Final Cut. I then pull this onto the timeline, with a Photoshop file overlayed, which has buttons on, etc. I then position the timeline play head on the last frame on the timeline then goto Export using Quicktime conversion, still image, quicktime version is 6.5.2, as a BMP file, although I have tried all types. I then out the piece of video, with overlayed buttons from the timeline through Compressor to an M2V file. I then use the M2V file as the main menu, which then plays into the still frame, in the dvd authoring app, ie, Scenarist. Now here is my problem, when it plays from the video to the still there is a big difference in brightness, it could be a colour difference I suppose, but the difference is quite noticable. I have tried this in Premiere Pro, Vegas Video, etc, and it is perfect. It is not the DVD authoring app, I have also tried it in Spruce, same thing. I have tried creating a Freeze frame in Final cut first, but whatever I do there is a big difference in brightness. What am I doing wrong. Some people have said you need to colour mach it. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. There must be a setting or something. Please please help us, we are going mad with frustration at this problem. This is such a fundamental part of our process.Kind regards.
Kevin Wells -
5 Replies
-
Kevin,
Sounds like 16-235 video levels to 0-255 computer levels scaling.
You can correct this in photoshop using the levels tool.
You don’t say how it changes in brightness.
Jonathan Smiles
Managing Director/CEO
Digital Safari Ltd
UK – Specialist Reseller
dCinema – HD – SD
https://www.digitalsafari.co.uk -
Hi Kevin,
In standard definition, we capture using the Apple codec and not the Blackmagic codec. So you want to choose Apple’s “Uncompressed 8 bit PAL” setting rather than the Blackmagic 8 bit setting in any export options. Sometimes QuickTime 6.5.2 (and older) accidentally invokes the Blackmagic codec even when you have specified the Apple codec. If this is happening to you, quit from the application (FCP, QuickTime Player, etc) remove the Blackmagic codec from /Library/QuickTime/ and then try again. Don’t forget to reinstate the Blackmagic codec when finished.
We’ve been working with Apple to overcome such problems and the combination of Final Cut Pro HD v5.0 with the DeckLink v5.0 drivers should no longer exhibit this problem.
Regards,
Luke Maslen
Blackmagic Design -
Luke, I tried what you suggested, but there was no change in the exported .bmp file, I have also tried other formats of still but they all come out darker that the original.
Kind regards,
Kevin Wells. -
Hi Kevin,
If you’ve captured to the Apple codec, removed the Blackmagic codec, and yet an exported file appears darker than it should, then the problem is unrelated to the Blackmagic codec as it isn’t even in your system. I’m not sure what’s causing your problem. You could try taking the clip from FCP, open it in to QuickTime Player Pro and then export it. Does that overcome the problem? If it does, then the problem might be specific to FCP. If it doesn’t, then the problem is more general.
Regards,
Luke Maslen
Blackmagic Design -
We have encountered this too, the “fix” is to first make sure that the sequence settings Video Processing tab says “Always render in RGB”, and that the codec is set to the blackmagic rather than apple 8/10bit, second delete any video renders, and finally export the frame to quicktime without using quicktime conversion. We then use after effects or quicktime pro to get the frame to photoshop.
Sounds like a real pain but you get used to it. Frankly I’m delighted someone else has finally noticed it, it is a huge bug but I think most people who don’t need to hit a specific frame miss it. It has bitten us a lot of times (we make DVD’s too) but now all of our Final Cut users are trained in to this procedure. The Quicktime conversion output has always been buggy for us.
Glenn Stewart
1k Studios
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up