[Alan Cook]

I too suddenly have this issue. Everything’s always been perfect until now. All I’ve done recently is install the Coremelt update (for FCPX 10.0.7) and the latest FXFactory (402_3708).

Compressor 4.0.6 FCPX 10.0.7

Any footage of any codec (Uncompressed 8bit, ProRes 422) goes very dark. Whereas anything in FCP X or playing QuickTime player remains as you would expect.

Problem is do I take any action to compensate or not? Is it a “visual thing” only? I’m now having to waste my time on tests and experiments because my work is being shared in Windows environments and I’ve got to make .wmv files. Do I compensate in the encode or not?

In fact I am embarrassed to ask an Agency guy what my footage that I gave him Uncompressed on a hard drive looked like (sounds too unprofessional to ask) – he wanted to do his own .wmv compression on their windows machine, out of choice. I’m wondering what sort of compensation he made, if it was as accurate as I would have wanted it to be, and what he thought of my work if it was so dark! It’s my first time working with this Agency.

Got to sort this out, it’s embarrassing. Always been OK using DV, Prores etc with reference/confidence monitoring SD through DVCam decks and SD monitors (also Decklink and BetaSP machines). Now with HD (by-passing above) going direct to files (H264, wmv…) confidence is knocked.

Been using FCP since v1.25 starting on Targa 2000Pro hardware, blah, blah, blah – always certain of output.

[Alan Cook]

Yeah, it’s one thing to go to the forums to look for solutions and work-arounds (and thank goodness for such forums), but when it comes to expressing an important point of view about the current design, we’re all helpless to change anything.

So in order to change the Application into a better product it is essential that the designers hear from the people who actually DO the work under tight deadlines etc, etc, AND that sufficient numbers express the same thought or have the same opinion. It seems to me that the FCP X software designers are quite dislocated from real-world editing scenario (that the previous design team was more tuned in to) and need to be constantly reminded about what was good and useful in their legacy product.

So if anything is a waste of time it would be to express that opinion here (on such forums). If you’re going to type anything in a box like this one , rather use Apple’s one (on their feedback page), where it stands a chance of making a difference… that’s my opinion anyway.

[Alan Cook]

Hi Julian. Please, please send FCP X feedback to Apple (via the feedback menu option). The only way the new software team will know that they’ve not implemented something that was useful and efficient, is for a sufficient number of editors/user’s to TELL THEM SO! So let your thoughts be known to them. It will help all of us in the long run. Cheers

[Alan Cook]

Thanks for the prompt reply. Looking forward to the updated versions…