[Jorge Torrens]

Hi Gary,

[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’m just using the HDMI output from to Aja to the HDMI input in the dreamcolor, so no extra conversions, and I can monitor in Nuke with no problems, but no in AE or Motion.

[gary adcock]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.

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.

[gary adcock]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?

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?

For the time being, I hope to have access this week to a hdmi to sdi converter to check the signal in a waveform monitor, this solution is ok, but I’m not very comfortable with it

Thanks again for your help

Jorge

[Jorge Torrens]

Hi Jeremy I tried changing the black levels with a set of bars and with a value of 125, the same as yours and looks much better, the original one was 128, but I find odd that the monitor was calibrated using a probe and it worked fine before with a blackmagic card.

Anyway until I can test the signal with a waveform monitor, I believe it is close enough now to be usable.
I have created a new profile specific to the HDMI input that uses the colometry of the calibrated REC 709 colorspace with your suggested black levels.

Thanks a lot and best regards

Jorge

[Jorge Torrens]

Hi again Gary

[gary adcock]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.

Ok, here is where we are seeing something different, I’m sure you have the right setup to test it so I guess there is something wrong with mine. I only have access to a blackmagic ultrascope so no hdmi input to test it on.
You mention in your last post that you could access the video out for the aja in motion and after effects. Could it be that you are using a newer version of the drivers than the ones posted in aja’s website?

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.
Remember that I always have been able to access the different colorspaces in the Dreamcolor and this is only posible if you send a signal that is both RGB and true progressive.

Would you be so kind to check if your Dreamcolor firmware version is the same as mine TR:133 SL:063BL:167, and your IoExpress drivers are 1.0?

I am receiving very soon a Kona LHi and I have another dreamcolor where I can try both side by side.

Thanks again for your time and your answers, they are very thorough, both you and Jeremy are more than helpful.

I’m hopeful that with both your help I will be able to get to the bottom of my problem.

Jorge

[Jorge Torrens]

Thanks Jeremy my Aja settings are exactly as you show them and so are the FCP with the exception of the frame rate which is 24 fps instead of 23.98, my material originated as 24 and is an offline for a film out at 24 fps. But my problem occours also in nuke where the settings are completely different.

I’m really sorry to be such a drag but I would very much like to make it work as I find it to be a very nice solution for monitoring 10bits out to the HP

By the way I am receiving very soon a Kona LHi and I have another dreamcolor where I can try both side by side.

Jorge

[Jorge Torrens]

Hi Gary thanks for your time I really appreciate it.

I believe you are misinterpreting me, most likely due to my english, I understand perfectly how the dreamcolor works, I’ve been using it without problems for over a year, so I’m not worried about how to get it to work with a predefined colorspace. I’m not asking how to send a true progressive RGB signal to the dreamcolor.

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:

[Jorge Torrens]

Hi Gary, In my case neither AE4 or Motion allow me to select Aja as a video output device, maybe there is something wrong with my installation?

Jorge

[Jorge Torrens]

One more thing, I thought that I’ve checked the IOExpress with After Effects, but I was mistaken I have only checked with FCP, Nuke and Aja own’s TVOut, at the moment IOExpress does not work with AE or Motion, sorry for the confusion.

Jorge

[Jorge Torrens]

Ok, I’ve tried a couple of things, just in case, but clearly the problem is with the aja output.

1. I connected the Dreamcolor straight to the computer via a dvi->hdmi to check if it was the Dreamcolor HDMI input the culprit, and the levels look fine, just in case I created another REC 709 profile with the HP probe using the HDMI input and it look fine too, the image looked the same if I switched from the dvi to the hdmi input in the monitor.

2. I installed the pro-aplications upgrade that came out last week, no changes.

3. As per Tim’s suggestion I’ve tried aja own application TVout and the same results, black levels to high.

Sorry to keep coming back with this problem but It would really like to make it work, it would be a very good solution if it worked properly, the sdi output works perfectly.

Jorge Torrens

[Jorge Torrens]

Hi Tim, I though it was clear from the conversaion that I was using a mac and FCP as well as nuke and after effects, as for the settings I have tried every combination in the hdmi tab, but for the dreamcolor the only one that has sense is RGB, as it needs to be driven by a true progresive RGB signal to activate the colorspace settings otherwise the monitor works in full range. For the program settings in fcp I use 1080p 24 and 25 fps settings in prores 422, and in nuke and fcp there are no timeline settings as suchs as the image is allways progresive RGB uncompress.

I have not tried the own aja application, I don’t recall the name either, I will give it a try on monday but I don’t belive it would make a difference as every other application gives me the same result on the blacks, as if they where lift and to noisy, even in a computer generated graphic where there is no noise.

Jorge

[Jorge Torrens]

Hi Jeremy, sorry but probably is my lack of command of the english language, spanish is my mother tonge, I’m using true progresive material originated at 4k in a RED camera at 24 fps and converted to prores 422 at 1080p also in 24 fps. and in a 1920×1080 24fps timeline, if I would be outputing 24PsF the dreamcolor would not allow me to select a colorspace other than full range and I can choose rec709 with no problems.

I’ve been using the dreamcolor with a multibridge and a hdlink for over a year now with no problems at all, but I wanted to use the 10bit monitoring capabilities of the aja over HDMI and there is where I see the problem, the dvi output off the aja works well.

Thanks Jeremy for your help, and patience.

Jorge