Preview window is dark

[Guillermo Parraguez]

I changed the gamma correction to “Approximate” and solved the problem to me.

[Joshua Sandler]

It fixed the problem for me too but just while the cursor is moving. when the cursor is still the image goes back to being dark.

[Gabriel Lahovary]

I bought a new computer screen, my first. When I connected my MacBook pro to it every videoclip are getting darker in final cut pro. When exporting from it and look on the file from my desktop it’s like it should be. I had this problem when I tried to connect to my LCD 40″. Why does it get darker and different colours in Final Cut pro 7?

I think my MacBook pro laptop are already calibrated. I can’t afford to buy a calibrator and don’t now anyone who have one.

What could I’ll do? Why does the clips getting darker in FCP when i connect it to an external screen?

Is that my screen couldent connect to RGB or like people write in here about the gamma?

Please help me! I have jobs I need to do!

[Holt Adams]

I too have experienced this dark preview issue when using my 27″” Cinema Display…….but think my problem didn’t occur until I installed Red Giant’s Magic Bullet Suite 11. When using FCP, I didn’t have the problem until I added the Video Effect Colorista II. Immediately the preview screen goes dark (about 1 to 2 exposures). I reset the Playback control as suggested and it worked ..but not consistently…as if added the Colorista filter to another clip….I experienced the dark preview issue.

Disconnecting the 27″ display…before starting FCP…..appears to work inconsistently too for me. hmmm

For me…..my issue is definitely related to using the Colorista II Filter/Effect. I just got this software plugin and my problem started. I did not have the problem with the Colorista II Trial version…but once I activated my license today…my problems started.

I’m still investigating my problem…..I’ll post more as I figure things out.

Thanks, Holt

[Holt Adams]

Found a workaround for my problem……..I did some more research and for me….its a monitor calibration issue……or to be more precise…its an Apple FinalCut Monitor profile issue. Not saying its a perfect work around…but at least its more information. Below is a link that has a lengthy discussion about it. Bottom line for me is….if I use an Apple profile that is the default for my Apple Mackbook Pro LCD laptop and my Apple 27″ Cinema display….the dark preview issue goes away. hmmmm

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3135195?start=30&tstart=0
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3135195?start=45&tstart=0

When my problem started a few days ago I had both installed Red Giant’s Magic Bullet Suite 11 and calibrated my monitors using X-rite’s i1Profiler. Previous profiles from X-rite’s i1Display2 software worked…but since moving to MAC Mountain Lion…I had to installed i1Profiler. The new calibration profiles from i1Profiler…..appear to set my monitor such that the Dark Preview occurs.

Holt

[Dan Hrkman]

Choosing Real-Time Playback Gamma Correction Options almost worked for me. Choosing “approximate” made the picture much better, but not quite back to where it should be. Using Holt Adams suggestion is what finally cleared up the problem for me.

When I went into the “Color” section of the Display system control panel, both my MacBook Pro screen and external monitor had the same color profile chosen that I had never seen before. And the really weird part was that when I chose another color profile on both displays, the strange color profile disappeared entirely; I couldn’t reactivate it. It was just gone. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to write down it’s name before it disappeared, so I can’t tell you what it was labeled.

Anyway, thank you Holt for solving my problem.

[Leandro Machado]

Very good! Thank you!

[Sunil Joseph p.]

Thank you Peter!!! It was the gamma correction.
…who knew the answer was in the owners manual…strange

-Sunil

[Eric Bacus]

Peter’s solution worked for me! Thanks for making me look like a genius 😀

[Bounty Umbara]

I had the same problem.
Mine is Yosemite on iMac late 2013.

I always turn on my external monitor first before I open FCP 7, but a few days ago I was in hurry to see some cuts in an FCP project without turning on my external monitor. There I saw my whole sequence looks much darker in Preview window.

There was no setting changed in FCP 7, all settings were set as how it was before. So I didn’t touch any setting there.

However I found one thing changed in (OS X) System Preferences pane, the Display Profile, It was set to HD 709-A, not iMac as how it was set before.

So I changed it back to iMac.
It solved my problem.

System Preferences > Display > Color > Display Profile > iMac

– Bounty –