ProRes color shift when playing in FCP

[Andy Mees]

i’m guessing that because you have created a non-native frame size so you are losing full realtime … ie what you are seeing when playing is realtime preview quality only, it needs rendering to get full quality

[Walter Biscardi]

You’re viewing this on an external monitor and seeing this issue or in the Canvas?

In the Canvas, some formats will display exactly as you mentioned, but keep in mind that FCP purposely degrades the Viewer and Canvas displays. It is expected that you will view all work on an external video monitor.

When you’re playing the video back you’re probably seeing more degradation since it’s an odd frame size and FCP is playing it back in realtime, but most like by dropping the resolution. When you stop, you are seeing a full resolution still.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

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[Rick Diamond]

Walter, that brings up a question I’ve had. Why does the canvas degrade the image? The viewer, showing the original material usually looks good. I use an external monitor but it would be really nice if the canvas image didn’t suck.

Rick

[Walter Biscardi]

[Rick Diamond] “Walter, that brings up a question I’ve had. Why does the canvas degrade the image?”

This improves playback on the external monitor and allows for more realtime effects. I never rely on the Canvas so it doesn’t bother me.

Media 100 had a better viewer on the computer screen, but again, I never relied on it. We’re always focused on the external monitors.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Peter Dewit]

May be a stupid question but is the footage in the timeline marked green on the top? It sounds like you’re getting a preivew playback that may need to be rendered.

I’d also check your RT settings and make sure they’re at high or dynamic.

[David Burrows]

Yes – I’m monitoring in the Canvas window only – not through a card onto a broadcast monitor (which does fix the problem) I think Rick (above) does raise an interesting point though – why does FCP degrade the image in the Canvas window if it’s an odd frame size?

[David Burrows]

Not a stupid question Peter – thanks for responding.

No I’m not getting a green bar – the clip and sequence settings match each other in every way – it just has this degraded display in the Canvas when playing. I’m happy enough with the reasoning from Walter and others that it is the odd frame size that’s causing the problem – but I’d love to know why FCP is behaving this way..

Cheers,

Dave

[Sean Oneil]

David,

This is an issue that occurs in FCP 6 when it is playing back RGB footage. That’s why you see it with JPEG stuff.

Could be one of two things.

1. Check your custom sequence settings, under video processing, and make sure it’s set to render all footage as high-precision YPrPb, not RGB.

2. This could also be that ProRes doesn’t function properly with custom resolutions. It assumes that non-standard video resolutions are RGB because they would typically be created in a graphics program.

Sean

[David Burrows]

Thanks Sean,

Yep, render all footage is set to high-precision YPrPb, not RGB.

I think you’re correct in putting it down to the fact that I’m using a non-standard frame size.

Cheers,

Dave

[Francois Stark]

Next stupid question: Why are you using that strange size?