Is this troubling?

DaVinci Resolve

Is this troubling?

Posted by David Smith on August 4, 2011 at 12:28 am

I’m not sure if this is troubling or if I just don’t know how to export from FCP correctly.

I created a new Project in FCP: 10 bit uncompressed.

I then created a black to white gradient: The “A” button in the bottom right of the viewer > Render > Gradient. I now have a 10 second black to white gradient in my viewer WITH NO BANDING (at first I thought this was strange because I was on my cheaper, DVI, user interface monitor – but then I thought I was in B&W – with no color).

I then dragged the clip to the timeline. The same clip in the canvas window now has A LOT OF BANDING. OK, well it needs to play in real time right?.

So I then exported the clip 2 different ways. Once using “current settings” and once using “uncompressed 10 bit”.

I then imported the clip and put in in my viewer. Now THERE IS BANDING IN THE VIEWER”?????????????

I can only think that 1 of 3 things may be happening.

1) I don’t know how to export a clip correctly.

2) FCP processing is degrading the image… quite a lot.

3) Or when it exports it actually is converting it “in color” even thought it still looks B&W. (Could someone with a 10 bit monitor test this?)

I did import the clip to Resolve and on my 10 bit monitor I see the banding…

What do you all think of this? I heard that FCP can import 10 bit but when it does processing, it can only do it in 8 bit. Although I’m not sure why that would effect this here since it’s luminance only.

David Smith replied 14 years, 9 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
2 Replies

Jay Moffat
August 4, 2011 at 10:17 am

Hi David, I’ve tested this on 8-bit and 10-bit Broadcast monitors for you…Ultimately though, if this is intended for broadcast or projection, your results should only really be taken into account on the external display, if you need it for web or other potential 8-bit environments, perhaps consider dithering the gradient (adding a bit of grain) in AE or something like that

On both displays the unrendered gradient ‘slug’ in FCP results in banding on the internal canvas as well as both grading displays.

When rendered out and imported back into the same sequence:
1. No Banding on the 10-bit Grading Display
2. A bit of Banding on the 8-bit Grading Display
3. A bit of Banding in the Canvas

In all cases the unrendered ‘slug’ from FCP results in a more pronounced banding than the rendered version

Hope that helps.

J
David Smith
August 5, 2011 at 5:02 am

Hey Jay,

Thank you.

So it sounds like rendering in 10 bit in FCP gives you an actual 10 bit export.

I can’t for the life of me think why I get no banding on my 8 bit user interface monitor in the viewer.

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