PR4444 exports from RCX and Color are fine, but a gamma shifting render from FCP?

[Matthew Fuller]

Hello everyone,

I am having some trouble with Final Cut Pro exports using ProRes 4444 and 422 (HQ) codecs. I am working with 2240x960 footage which successfully renders out of RCX and Colour, but whenever trying to export from FCP at 2240x960 or 1920x817, the image is significantly darker. I have tried Gamma at 'None' and 'Automatic'.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Matt.

 

[Johnny Friday]

HOW are you grading it and what on? are you grading on a properly calibrated monitor FIRST and reviewing footage on the SAME monitor ? This has been a consistent issue in the past. BUT, this said, i've found that you can change render from YUV to RGB to see what it looks like on WEB. AND, if you are on a proper corrected REC 709 monitor and working in FCP via an I/O card like Black Magic or Matrox to another properly corrected monitor you should see proper results--but viewing the prores on your computer monitor will be a problem. I always go back and review my footage via 10bit to an external monitor via Matrox to see what the Prores file REALLY looks like.

 

[Matthew Fuller]

I have a calibrated Eizo monitor connected to my Mac Pro. However, I am not using a video card. Strangely, the FCP render files match the renders from the RCX and Colour, but whenever I manually export using QT conversion, the gamma shifts. Does RCX and Color render RGB PR4444 and FCP YUV?

Thanks,

Matt

 

[Tom.Wong]

try, export quicktime movie (not conversion) and un select recompress all frames, and leave make self contained movie checked. leave all other settings alone.

doesn't matter what monitor you are looking on, a gamma shift is a gamma shift. if you open one export in QT on your computer monitor, and open the render put out of fcp and see a difference, the gamma shift still exists.

also if you still get the shift, take that and convert it to a delivery format, like h264 and see if it shifts back...

yes i've had that happen too. I hate quicktime.

 

[jimhare]

Are you monitoring FCP in 1.8 or 2.2 gamma? Maybe the shift is because of this?

 

[Matthew Fuller]

Hi Tom,

This seems to work perfectly! QuickTime codecs certainly can be very inconsistent. Hopefully this will be fixed in FCP X. Thank you very much!

Jimhare, how would I check this?

Thank you to everyone for their help!

 

[Tom.Wong]

the QT "conversion" step is the culprit a lot of the time. the re processing out of FCP causes the bug worse than any other piece of software. which makes no sense since it's just using the standard QT converter built into mac os. and yet it's there. the make qt movie step without recompressing the frames, kind of knits the clips together from your source material, copying that material rather than reconverting, and only renders transitions effects, etc. It works a lot better, and exports out of fcp a lot quicker too.

there was a way in qt 7 too to match your player settings with FCP gamma, so you really see what the picture should look like, the removed it from QT X, so that can always throw you off too. generally i don't view anything with QT X anymore except quick preview. qt 7 gave a much accurate rendition of the file viewing wise.

glad I could help.

 

[Kenn Michael]

Hello everyone,

I am having some trouble with Final Cut Pro exports using ProRes 4444 and 422 (HQ) codecs. I am working with 2240x960 footage which successfully renders out of RCX and Colour, but whenever trying to export from FCP at 2240x960 or 1920x817, the image is significantly darker. I have tried Gamma at 'None' and 'Automatic'.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Matt.

The gamma shift is happening because the frame sizes you are working at are not 'approved' sizes by FCP. So everytime you hit play or export, gamma will shift. Try using more common frame sizes: 1920x1080, 2048x1152, 2048x1024, etc..

 

[Johnny Friday]

Seems this rabbit hole keeps getting deeper.

 

[Johnny Friday]

So how would you set the most suitable export up from FCP when exporting individual clips or an entire timeline....FOR TV deliverable that is.....and to prores 422 HQ or 4444? Render of course must be YUV instead of RGB.

......so EXPORT: then.......
thanks

 

[Jake Bastian]

The gamma shift is happening because the frame sizes you are working at are not 'approved' sizes by FCP. So everytime you hit play or export, gamma will shift. Try using more common frame sizes: 1920x1080, 2048x1152, 2048x1024, etc..

This is not accurate. It's the quicktime conversion option that does it as Tom Suggested.