proper settings of my workflow and color management properties

[Mike Calla]

Ok, long time Vegas user… ummm, I’ll admit it. I lost my cheat sheet! Now after reinstall I can’t remember the following answers regarding the proper settings of my workflow and color management properties.

This is for monitoring and color correction.

My workflow settings:
Edit format - HDSLR Canon files (and Sony MFX, DNxHD and uncompressed too)
Final Render Format Sony AVC “Internet 640x360-24p”
Monitoring on Windows Secondary Display (ASUS Proart calibrated to 709)

What should my settings below be?
> Video Scopes settings – 7.5 Set up UNCHECKED?? (i know, keep "unchecked" unless i'm going to NTSC but...)
> Video Scopes settings – Studio RGB (16-235) or CHECKED or UNCHECKED??
> Preferences > Preview Device > Use Color Management CHECKED
> Preferences > Preview Device > Use Studio RGB CHECKED or UNCHECKED??
> Preferences > Preview Device > Monitor Color Profile SET TO MY "CALIBRATED 709 PROFILE"

Render Settings > Secondary Color Corretion > sRGB to Computer RGB > UNCHECKED??

And I know that the settings can change, so…
For 50 extra points - I also have a JVC Broadcast CRT that gets its feed via firewire. Would any of the above settings change?

For 100 extra points. ...but sometimes I render to NTSC DVD 24p. Would the above setting change?

Whew!!
This info should be a sticky. These are some of the most important settings.

That’s why I had cheat sheet!!

Thanks
M

[Gerald Webb]

I'm sure others would like the answers to these questions as well, I know I would.
Can anyone get hold of Glen Chan?
Also wouldn't mind knowing any changes in the above for DVD delivery rather than Internet .

[Roy Feldman]

Interested to know the proceedure you used to calibrate secondary to .709.
That being said here are my choices:
> Video Scopes settings – 7.5 Set up UNCHECKED?? (i know, keep "unchecked" unless i'm going to NTSC but...) Yes unchecked
> Video Scopes settings – Studio RGB (16-235) or CHECKED or UNCHECKED?? CHECKED on scope: 0 now = 16 and 100=235
> Preferences > Preview Device > Use Color Management CHECKED-Yes, no longer available in Ver 11, I assume your calibration is done by setting a profile, if so be sure this is selected in Control Panel> Color Management in Win 7
> Preferences > Preview Device > Use Studio RGB CHECKED or UNCHECKED??Unchecked if it is truly .709
> Preferences > Preview Device > Monitor Color Profile SET TO MY "CALIBRATED 709 PROFILE"Yes, option not available in Ver11

[Jon Shohet]

I'm not sure if/how it would affects scopes/preview device settings, but perhaps it's worth mentioning that the native files from a Canon DSLR are Computer RGB and not Studio RGB.
You may also want to look at the thread I opened about Vegas incorrectly assuming rec709 for the Canon files while they are in fact rec601. I still haven't got a response from Sony support about that.

[Mike Calla]

Originally Posted by Roy Feldman

Interested to know the proceedure you used to calibrate secondary to .709.
That being said here are my choices:
> Video Scopes settings – 7.5 Set up UNCHECKED?? (i know, keep "unchecked" unless i'm going to NTSC but...) Yes unchecked
> Video Scopes settings – Studio RGB (16-235) or CHECKED or UNCHECKED?? CHECKED on scope: 0 now = 16 and 100=235
> Preferences > Preview Device > Use Color Management CHECKED-Yes, no longer available in Ver 11, I assume your calibration is done by setting a profile, if so be sure this is selected in Control Panel> Color Management in Win 7
> Preferences > Preview Device > Use Studio RGB CHECKED or UNCHECKED??Unchecked if it is truly .709
> Preferences > Preview Device > Monitor Color Profile SET TO MY "CALIBRATED 709 PROFILE"Yes, option not available in Ver11

Thanks Roy,
My monitor is calibrated to REC709 via a Datacolor Spyder3Elite. I’m on V10e (and 9e and 7e)

So I’ll assume if the external monitor is REC709 then you don’t need to apply the 16-235 box if your video is sRGB ie > Preferences > Preview Device > Use Studio RGB UNCHECKED

I also have a Panasonic commercial plasma display, (though I have an another I/O card for this monitor, IF I was using the “Windows Secondary Display” option and this TV is natively REC709 (fancy way of saying its HD video), so I would continue not to check this box.

Jon,
i.ve known about the “Computer RGB and not Studio RGB” problem since the release of the 5dII. I was using Cineform at the time, and it corrected the material upon transcode. When I recently switched to editing with the native canon MOV’s, SONY MXF and AVID DNxHD codecs I didn’t see any major color shifts so choose not to worry. Buts it only been a few months. I did see your recent thread and it scared me a little!
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I’ll try and extrapolate other workflow settings from Roys response…I said try:)

First, Gerald; you and I were wondering about HD to DVD workflow. You’re in OZ, so PAL right? The settings shouldn’t change, unless we were rendering for NTSC country hardware. For NTSC case we would have CHECKED > Video Scopes settings > 7.5 Set up

So, (in v10e)
HD PROJECT > EXTERNAL PREVIEW and PAL DVD RENDER or Computer formats (again these settings are identical to what ROY wrote above)

Scopes:
> Video Scopes settings – 7.5 Set up UNCHECKED (because eventually the hardware used to watch the dvd will be PAL and 7.5 ire is only checked for NTSC in North America
> Video Scopes settings – Studio RGB (16-235) (because its video footage in the project)

External preview HD computer monitor: (calibrated to REC709)
> Preferences > Preview Device > Use Color Management CHECKED
> Preferences > Preview Device > Use Studio RGB UNCHECKED
> Preferences > Preview Device > Monitor Color Profile "CALIBRATED 709 PROFILE

External SD CRT:
> Preferences > Preview Device > Conform To PAL CHECKED

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AND Not very often but sometimes I make an NTSC 24p DVD (even though I live in PAL all the DVD players can play NTSC dvds, and almost everything I edit originates as 24p, so…

HD PROJECT > EXTERNAL PREVIEW and NTSC DVD RENDER
> Video Scopes settings – 7.5 Set up CHECKED (because eventually the hardware used to watch the dvd will be SD on NTSC hardware so to speak)
> Video Scopes settings – Studio RGB (16-235) (because its video footage in the project)

External preview HD computer monitor: (calibrated to REC709) (these setting stay the same because its HD footage/project. IF and only IF I was editing SD footage would I change this to REC601)
> Preferences > Preview Device > Use Color Management CHECKED
> Preferences > Preview Device > Use Studio RGB UNCHECKED
> Preferences > Preview Device > Monitor Color Profile "CALIBRATED 709 PROFILE

External SD CRT
> Preferences > Preview Device > Conform To PAL CHECKED (Because I have a PAL Firewire DV device but If I was in NTSC land, mostly likely this would be “Conform To NTSC CHECKED”

So when I correct the levels of the HD material in my scopes, my scopes are reflecting an eventual viewing on NTSC equipment.

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For people without an external monitor, you can still use the preview full screen function and VEGAS will apply a colour profile if you have one.

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And a WARNING: DON’T BELIEVE A WORD I’VE WRITTEN ABOVE UNTIL SOMEONE SMARTER COMES ALONG AND COMMENTS (seriously)


And lastly I have three external monitors on this work station. My plasma is for clients to view, and my secondary display is for me while editing.

The third monitor bought on the advice dvinfo regular Mike Kujbida gave here is JVC thm-150.
I can tell you when i do color correction my lowly, less than 500$ JVC JVC THM-150 is my main external . It has served me well. I've had dozens of broadcasted TVCs cc'ed with it and it has never failed me. Colors translate as well as i could have hoped. The post houses i've used for print to Digibeta or HDCam have never had a problem with my levels.

IMHO if it looks good on the SD monitor it will look good on everything!!!!