[Jeff Coleman]

A. Here Walter is a test that should get beyond the White level diversion and focus on the edge anomalies:
Try this simple non-peak white test:
1. Create matte color white 85
2. Place that white on V1 and also on top of it on V2
3. Select V2 white clip and create a motion effect with scale at “50” to start and “80” at end of clip. (creating a zooming white box over a white background)
4. Render the effect.
5. Look at waveform monitor (internal FCP, or external). Notice the faint white dots and waveforms at about 95, not all at 85 as it should be.
6. Notice the peak transient white artifacts on the edges of the box in your NTSC broadcast monitor as the box moves. (kinda looks like a thin glass bevel effect on the box)
7. Confirm: Try 1-6 above on FCP 4.5. No problems. White boxes moving over white backgrounds look like, well, white.

B. As I believe I said in my first post, the Broadcast Safe filter appears to clip the whites on regular video clips to safe levels until rendered, then FCP produces peak whites well above 100, nearly 110 as Mark reports in his post.

[Jeff Coleman]

and another thing. I’m not trying to clamp a 100% white. I’m just trying to move a white box over a white background.

[Jeff Coleman]

Respectfully Walter, I have no control over the videography that comes in higher than 85 or 90 white levels. Expecting source footage and graphics to come in always below 85 or 90 is NOT a real world workflow. Broadcast Safe doesn’t work after applying the 3-way–there are still transient spikes that aren’t clipped. I get .7volts peak to peak in my signal and I’m going to use all of it. You can use .6v and feel fine, but this box should handle .7volts. That’s NTSC and that’s what I’m editing. Final Cut 4.5 can handle NTSC and I expect this newer version to handle a full, legal NTSC signal as well without creating artifacts around the edges.

[Jeff Coleman]

Didn’t get that result here even with the Color Corrector filters applied as you said. Lowering highlights from 255 to 235 brought white levels generally down to 92. (not the effect I’m looking for anyway). The box however peaks at 104 with significant edging at 96. In other words white box on white background still produces a box with visible luminance difference edges. This is with Broadcast Safe at Extremely Conservative, sliders all the way to the left (ultra right wing setting).

[Jeff Coleman]

Adding color corrector filters is not the test.

I’m not interested in arguing about whether broadcasters broadcast white video. I have 25+ years in broadcasting including three of the major networks and they shoot white, edit white and broadcast white–not TV white (78 IRE), but white!

If you run the test and don’t get the results I’ve posted about, I’d like to know. We’ve tried a G5 laptop, three G5 desktops, some with BMD and others with AJA and some with no capture cards. The units were owned by Apple as well as production companies and certified Apple consultants. ALL thought this shouldn’t happen. NONE said you have to use the 3-way color corrector to make the Broadcast Safe filter work.

Please post your rantings about Rules on White on another post. I’d like to stay focused on the bug, please.

Love,
Jeff

Final Cut Studio 5.1, G5 2GHz Dual Processr, 2.5Gb RAM, AJA IO

[Jeff Coleman]

I’m sorry Walter, but I don’t see that as helpful. Are you saying this BUG isn’t a problem?
I never heard of that “rule” and certainly not number one. My Bars for SD in FCP have a 100% white chip on them. Apple (not to mention Ikegami, Sony, Tektronix, Leader, Panasonic, etc.) apparently doesn’t know this “rule” either. I haven’t found a camera roll yet that saws off the whites at 90 or 85. I like white and want to be able to do it. I can do white on anything else (Linear, Avid, FCP 4.5, etc.) and I should be able to do it in FCP 5.1.1, even Super White if I want to. Apple didn’t mention I shouldn’t be able to do 100% white on their system when I showed them this BUG. They seemed surprised their Broadcast Filter didn’t cut the whites off at 100. I think you should too.

Love,
Jeff

Final Cut Studio 5.1, G5 2GHz Dual Processr, 2.5Gb RAM, AJA IO

[Jeff Coleman]

Are you using the Time-Code Reader filter?
Are you applying it to the clip in the time-line? not to a nest?.
It burns the time-code of the clip, not the time-line unless you’ve nested.
cf. FCP Help under “Generating timecode window burns”

Love,
Jeff

Final Cut Studio 5.1, G5 2GHz Dual Processr, 2.5Gb RAM, AJA IO

[Jeff Coleman]

Don’t think it can be done as an AIFF. Try:
DVD: Put Time Code Reader filter on your clip in timeline and turn it into a DVD that your transcriptionist can listen to and watch for TC numbers on the screen. (Transcriptionist needs to be able to transcribe from DVD)
QUICKTIME: You could also eliminate the rendering and DVD compression by simply exporting as a quicktime movie with video (grungy custom multimedia small setting) and have your transcriptionist play the quicktime movie with free Sebsky Tools in order to see the TC. https://www.dharmafilm.com/sebskytools/. (Transcriptionist would need a Mac OS X 10.2.2 or later to view the movie via Sebsky.)
HERVE N: export the clip/tape as an AIFF, have it transcribed and then take that transcription and add the time-code numbers manually at key points (by viewing the original clips and matching them to the transcription).
anybody else?

[Jeff Coleman]

Seems a FW Card of some sort to go into the PCI slot is in order if I’m going to capture with IO and store on FW drives? (I have a mix of FW400 and FW800). Which FW bus cards work on the PCI-X G5? Any recommendations?

Love,
Jeff

Final Cut Studio 5.1, G5 2GHz Dual Processr, 2.5Gb RAM, AJA IO