[Gary Adcock]

[Mario Kralj] “However, i have not tried reinstalling AJA drivers or maybe entire FCP Studio…. But I must say that before Snow Leopard upgrade (I was working with Leopard) everything worked PERFECT! =) Now, I have this serious issue which drives me totally crazy… “

Ok

I sound like a broken record BUT

did you UPDATE the FIRMWARE on the Kona Card when you updated the driver software?

Go to Applications > AJA Utilities > FirmWare Update

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows for the Digitally Inclined
Chicago, IL

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php

[Gary Adcock]

“[Jorge Torrens] “but then how it is posible that the Dreamcolor sees the image as RGB, otherwise it would not allow to select a colorspace?”

[Jeremy Garchow] The ioExpress is outputting RGB. “

This is one of those tricky areas in communication.

Technically the HDMI output is RGB – Since the Io Express v1.0 was not designed to handle the RGB Video Out signal from animation or graphics applications.

The default setting for ALL HDMI devices is to output RGB.

All RGB is not created equally. Also remember that HDMI is not and has not been considered anything more than a Consumer grade connection.

It was designed initially as a low cost AV connector for computer monitors and displays- that has been accepted as the default for Home Video and Television connectivity , it does not carry any ancillary data other than the HDCP digital rights protection.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows for the Digitally Inclined
Chicago, IL

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php

[Gary Adcock]

[Eric Sternberger] “But the problem persists: No Preview with 10bit Display-Setting, only works with 8bit… “

and you are using the EASY SETUP for your flavor of video and ProRes.

this was an issue in the very first 6.0 driver, I have not seen it on the Kona 7.0 driver.

Make sure you DID NOT install the 64bit driver – correct?

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows for the Digitally Inclined
Chicago, IL

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php

[Gary Adcock]

[Jorge Torrens] “[gary adcock]First – The 1.0 Release version of the Io Express software does not support RGB V-out from any the animation sources you list. So there is some color conversion going on in your workflow that is not being accounted for….

I clearly understand that, What I was meaning is that using nuke and a gradient generated in nuke it would be by definition a progressive rgb image, so it would not be any extra conversion from yub to rgb or psf to true progressive, and would be one less thing to consider.”

OK – the IoX does not support RGB video out- so something is doing the conversion from your Nuke file to YUV- it is NOT the hardware.

[Jorge Torrens] “Exactly the same problem, the black level is to high. If I adjust the black level in the monitor as per Jeremy’s suggestion I can get an image that looks fine, but it kind of defeats the porpouse of having a calibrated monitor, doesn’t it? “

Isn’t that what calibrating a monitor is??- adjusting it so that the viewing space is a close to correct as possible? Correct calibration of BroadcastVideo monitors is done using the “blue only settings” while viewing 75% SMPTE Color bars.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows for the Digitally Inclined
Chicago, IL

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php

[Gary Adcock]

[Niklas Wikman] “The reason for asking here is that Aja does not specify iMac at all as “approved”. But then again, FCP7 should run on an iMac, right?”

it is not approved because an iMac does not allow the user access to any type of external storage as the IoHD takes the entire FW buss to handle the video.

Since there is only one FW buss on your computer there is not a place to capture or playback the media from other than the System drive- and that is NOT recommended.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows for the Digitally Inclined
Chicago, IL

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php

[Gary Adcock]

Yup..

The Updated IoHD software is still only capable of delivering SD output from Apple Color.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows for the Digitally Inclined
Chicago, IL

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php

[Gary Adcock]

[Jorge Torrens] “I understand the points you make about YUV and pfs but If I take YUV and pfs out of the ecuation by generating a gradient in nuke and monitoring from there, the wrong black levels persist. “

First – The 1.0 Release version of the Io Express software does not support RGB V-out from any the animation sources you list. So there is some color conversion going on in your workflow that is not being accounted for.

Second- YUV and PsF are different things- one (YUV or Y’CrCb) is a Color Space- the other is a signal transport for progressive imagery as interlaced fields.

So lets start back at the beginning.
What do the Color Bars generated by Kona Control Panel via the device look like on your Display, not some questionable video but just something like 75% Bars?

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows for the Digitally Inclined
Chicago, IL

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php

[Gary Adcock]

[Eric Sternberger] “I was under the impression that ProRes is 10 Bit! So why the issues? And what has it got to do with audio?
We recently upgraded to Control Panel 7.0. I´m not sure, but I think I havent seen this before that… “

Eric
this is one of those – I think you downloaded the driver, but forgot to update the firmware on the card.

the firmware update on the Kona 3 Card is a manual process.

Applications > Aja Utilities > Kona Firmware updater.

[Eric Sternberger] “When we switch the Video settings in FCP to 1080i 10bit we get nothing but garbage on our preview monitors. “

when you change the compression version you need to change the Video Out preset also

Question : why are you converting to UC when working with ProRes files- this is unnecessary the way ProRes was designed..

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows for the Digitally Inclined
Chicago, IL

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php

[Gary Adcock]

[Jorge Torrens] “My problem is exclusively with the black levels out of the HDMI output of the Aja IoExpress, and I’m seeing the problem irregardless of where the material originated or the application I’m using.

I see the wrong levels in:
YUV originated material, AVCIntra panasonic in FCP and color
RGB converted to YUV, RED to prores in FCP and color
RGB native, computer generated gradient in nuke
RGB native, Red r3D in nuke and color
“

Jorge,
your english is excellent.

I understand that you are not seeing Black Levels that you expect- have you looked at a waveform or vectorscope to check the signal from the source?

You are trying to match to something that may or may not be changing your video-out signal via the HDLink and any of those things can affect the output. There are LUT’s for the HDLINK converter. ( look up tables- files that change the nature of a signal being played)

1) The DreamColor is NOT a video display, it is a computer display that can handle a video signal.

2) Do NOT use the FULL RANGE for HDMI- the default is SMPTE for a reason.

You cannot call something RGB because you think it is- the HDLINK is converting YUV video to RGB via some unknown factor- it is conforming your video to the 709 color space and then to RGB for the HDMI to the DreamColor settings as REC 709- you have no choice in this if you are trying to use this computer monitor as a video monitor.

3) RGB signals are traditionally DUAL LINK HDSDI- if you are trying to send RGB over a SINGLE cable of HDSDI this is the first place to start.

4) Video is by it’s nature a YUV (Y’Cr’Cb’ in HD) signal.

5) Depending on how the RED footage was converted it is YUV within the REC 709 Color space. Your Panasonic 3000 footage is always YUV and 1080 Psf.

OK I took My Io Express and sent a 1920x 1080 ProResHQ file of the ASC’s StEM demo footage and set it up so that I could simultaneously view 3 different sources via Component to a Panasonic 17′ display, via HDMI to a HP Dreamcolor and using the HA5-3G converter (HDSDI- HDMI) from the HDSDIO output to my Sony Bravia XBR client monitor direct out of the IoExpress.

I do not see any difference between the signals, and my Tektronics scope confirms my visual inspection, but I do not have a HDLINK to test this on, but I am not seeing the differences you describe in the signal output with my tests.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows for the Digitally Inclined
Chicago, IL

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php

[Gary Adcock]

[Brendan Coots] “It seems that a lot of people are suggesting the use of REDRushes for capturing R3D to ProRes 4×4, but I wanted to run it through FCP 7’s Log & Transfer for testing. I am only getting ProRes422 or HQ as my RED “

without a capture card the 4444 setting for ProRes were not installed by default.

if you go to Applications > Final Cut Pro Additional Easy Setups you will find all of the additional easy setups including the ones for the 4444 codec.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows for the Digitally Inclined
Chicago, IL

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php