FCP color bars vs. Igniter color bars

[David Battistella]

Michael,

I would set up the monitor according to the FCP bars as everything other piece of video is coming through FCP. I would apply the same principle to audio, play your tones from FCP to set your audio and video levels.

While I do not doubt that the Igniter bars are accurate, you should use the FCP bars because this is showing you the signal path. That is the signal fcp hands QT to play through igniter.

David

[Michael Rogers]

David,

That is what I usually do. Without the center pluge bar it makes it a bit of a guess.

I ended up doing a test print to video with bars and tone and that output the bars with all three pluge bars.
These bars levels were similar to the Igniter bars levels. I would trust these bars since that is what will go to tape and be the reference for any dubs or playback of the master.

I find it odd that FCP would have a discrepency with it’s out output (to tape) color bars and it’s Bars and Tone (NTSC) from the viewer.

Michael

[David Battistella]

Put the bars in the timeline and that might make a difference.

David

[Michael Rogers]

I still don’t get the 3 bars, but I did notice a shift in brightness when playing the bars as opposed to sitting on a still frame of the color bars. Thus, playing bars in the viewer or timeline does give the same result as the print to video bars, less the middle pluge.

So, I’ll just use print to video to set up my monitor.

Thanks for your help,
Michael

[Chuck Reti]

from greatdv.com ond other sources:
PLUGE is designed with three black chips: the middle BLACK is set at 7.5 IRE black, or in the digital realm, 16,16,16. The first chip SUPERBLACK is set at about 2.5 IRE below black, and the third chip DARK GRAY is set at about 2.5 IRE above black.

Look at your output.
What do your scopes say?

—
Chuck Reti
Video Editor
Detroit MI

[Michael Rogers]

I determined that the discrepancy in the levels had to do with viewing a still frame of Bars and Tone in the viewer as opposed to playing the Bars and Tone.
The other issue was that FCP doesn’t have a center, 7.5 IRE, pluge in the Viewer Bars and Tone.
I just used Print to Video on a test sequence with 60 seconds of Bars and Tone, which gave me the center pluge to adjust the brightness on my NTSC Monitor.

Thanks for your response,
Michael

[Arnie Schlissel]

[Michael Rogers] “I still don’t get the 3 bars”

Funny, I’ve been getting the 3 Pluge bars since I upgraded to FCP 3. Now I’m working with FCP 5, & I’ve still got the 3 Pluge bars. I wonder if there’s something optional that needs to be installed?

Arnie
https://www.arniepix.com