I had some time and wanted to really make sure I am using Avid settings correctly - so below are my conclusions, and hopefully some really smart folks will see if I'm right or wrong.
Step 1: Avid project settings - YCbCr vs RGB: As I understand this, RGB is only for cameras that shoot fancy-pants 4:4:4, and since I do not have one of these and likely won't for a long time, I will set project to YCbCr. Setting to RGB here will not make the colors look different, but rather simply takes up much more drive space. Frame rate: My 3D Mk 3 shoots at 29.97 progressive fps, so I will set my project to 29.97P. If I am using something like HDV, I would use 59.94i instead. So far so good?
Step 2: Import Settings - RGB vs 601/709. My Canon 5D Mk3 (I believe) shoots in studio levels 16-235 (Rec709). Thus, I would want to keep those studio levels as-is for the Avid, and would import (or more likely AMA/transcode) that video as 601/709. My older 5d Mk 2 shoots at 0-255 so I would import that camera's stuff as RGB which would compress the 0-255 to studio levels. Also, photoshop graphics I import would likely also import as RGB. I have noticed that After-Effects animations I import sometimes have blacks much blacker than I can create in the title tool, and therefore I imported those wrong and need to crush those animations into the 16-235 color swing.
Step 3: Export Settings - RGB vs 601/709. I usually produce for web streaming, so I will want to export to the 0-255 full-swing range. Therefore, I will export as RGB, which expands from the Avid-native Rec709 space to the fuller non-broadcast standard RGB 0-255 colors. If I was going to make a DVD, I would export as 601/709 to prevent illegal colors.
Step 4: Sorenson Squeeze settings - when using a QT reference, I am guessing (hoping?) that Squeeze simply takes the color space that I have exported from Avid, and use that to create my streaming media. Therefore no special settings to change or mess with here. Hopefully?
Ok, so that's my interpretation of data culled from the forums. If there's anything wrong here, please let me know. Thanks for any input or corrections!
I have also created a device to remember the process which may be of help to others:
"RGB. Compress what I will see! 709. Leave it alone, it's fine!"
I spend most of my time between New York and Los Angeles. In Nebraska.
Step 1: Avid project settings - YCbCr vs RGB: yes, you are correct. RGB 709 is sometimes referred to as the "arri alexa setting" and overkill for most people.
Step 2: Import Settings - RGB vs 601/709: That Canon 5D Mk3 shoots in video levels is news to me. quite certain it's also RGB. big downside of DSLR imho. Just import and check where ur blacks whit end up on avid's scopes.
Step 3: Export Settings - RGB vs 601/709: Depends on your streaming application. Youtube and Vimeo handle my rec709 wmvs, mp4s correctly (carbon coder here). I don't do anything but AE in RGB really. If you're on your own html 5 streaming platform, things get dicey. Apple and Windows/Android platforms interpret levels differently in my experience. when in doubt produce a testfile containing superblack/white (like smpte bars), see how that goes.
Step 4: Sorenson Squeeze settings: should be 709, yes. not using it though.
Best advice I can give: Posting in this Forum means you are on a PC, chances are that you are using an Nvidia GPU, chances are, you have Dual displays. Right klick on desktop: Nvidia control panel -> Adjust video color settings -> How do you make color settings -> With Nvidia Settings -> under advanced, set one display to full range, one to limited. now one screen behaves like TV, other like computer display. in a month you'll be on top of the whole issue no problem.
I am posting on this thread because I am getting the following message from Vimeo:
"This video contains unknown color properties, and may look incorrect on Vimeo as a result. If it looks weird, try re-encoding your video with explicit color properties."
Yes, there is a clear color shift between the Squeeze output and the Vimeo output. My problem is I don't know at what point in the workflow the explicit color properties have to be set and how.
My workflow is the same as it was Media Composer > QTRef/Full Same-As-Source HD Export > Squeeze H.264, but that was several versions back. Recently I was on a Mac using X.264 in Compressor. This is my first time with X.264 in Squeeze. I am using their preset but with Vimeo's recommended bitrate.
Thank you for any suggestions you can give me.
© Copyright 2011 Avid Technology, Inc. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Site Map | Find a Reseller