Video Monitoring Data Levels for 10bit Sony PVM?

[Justin Quinn]

I'm still confused about this...

I use a Sony OLED PVM 2541A which I connect to my computer via Decklink or Ultra Studio Express, depending on where I am. If I understand correctly, my monitor is capable of displaying the "full 10 bit data range" as mentioned on page 266 in the October V10 manual. Therefore, should I have my Video Monitoring Output set to Data Levels?

Am I taking full advantage of my monitor by staying on video levels, when working with R3Ds?

I see the difference in my Sony PVM when I switch between video and data levels in the settings menu, but does that really matter? There is the caveat below about choosing the right option for my display... sorry still confused on this one... any help would be great. Thanks!


"Data Levels: If your monitor ior projector is capable of displaying "full range" video signals, and you wish to monitor in the full 10-bit data range while you work, then this is the correct option to use...

It is imperative that the option you choose in Resolve matches the data range the external display is set to. Otherwise, the video signal will appear to be incorrect, even though the internal data is being processed accurately by DaVinci"

 

[martinnoweck]

i will check monday … best wishes and kind regards,
martin

 

[Frank Cueto]

Data levels is also known as "Full range" Where the white and black levels will basically reach from 0.0 all the way thru 1.0 (0-255 in 8-bit displays and 0-1023 in 10-bit displays). The amount of bits only has todo with the monitor being able to draw or represent shading more precisely. You can get the exact same blacks via data range or legal range. Just make sure both are set up accordingly.

I personally would grade in data range, set the monitor to data range as well. From there make sure you have a way to "legalize" your renders before delivering to client. UNLESS, he is only doing web stuff.

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

Data - 0-255 in 8 bit, 0- 1023 in 10 bit
Video - 16-235 in 8 bit, 64-940 in 10 bit

You can use a greyscale chart and see what is happening with extreme values if you mix up the input range to monitor settings range.

 

[Adrian Jebef]

IMHO if you are unfamiliar with legal vs. extended or data vs. video ranges I would keep everything legal/video. This way you won't accidentally screw something up in the internal processing/ display device/ render output chain. If you are getting consistent results from a legal/video workflow then by all means keep using it. Switch to extended/data on personal/test projects if you want to toy around with it. Also realize, as the manual states, that your entire workflow chain needs to be switched and supported in order to work in extended/data ranges. This means the software you are using needs to be set to extended/data and your monitor device has to be able to display extended/data ranges. Not all hardware or software is capable of this. Also realize that at the end of the day when you do your final conform/render/master you will output in legal/video range.

 

[Robert Ruffo New]

Adrian is wrong. You can set your monitor to data (often called "full") range or to video/"limited". Most likely is it at "Full" by default.

If you set DaVinci to the same thing, you will have no issues. Many deliverables no longer use video range. Only broadcast TV does. DCP conversion very certainly does not, nor does youtube or any other Internet deliverable. iTunes now adapts to whatever you send them, and any Blu-Ray mastering software will scale ranges automatically.

VFX pipelines prefer full range as well.

If you are asking this question then for sure you are not working in broadcast TV - so just stick to full.