Set-up Levels

Graeme Nattress · September 27th, 2003, 07:31 AM

Bill...

Yes - you can do it in software - most programs have that functionality. A couple of problems with this though:

If you're going out to DV, then you've got a non-standard DV tape, with incorrect black levels. If you're going out to an analogue format, depending on software, you may have rendering to do, and because of the 8 bit colour space you're in with DV, you're going to loose a little of that - the 16 - 236 range is limited enough without reducing it to 32 - 236.

So I agree - you can get away with it, but there are still a couple of small advantages to the hardware route.

Hopefully, however, setup will become increasingly a thing of the past as all video and distribution becomes digital.

Bill Ravens · September 27th, 2003, 07:36 AM

yeah...it's a drag to lose that range. it's hard enuff trying to make an outdoor scene without fill lights fit the latitude of the sensor, much less after the remapping to NTSC limits. Where is 24 bit? just kidding.....guess that's called HD.

Graeme Nattress · September 27th, 2003, 07:39 AM

DV is a little less thatn 24bit colour - 8 bits per channel. If it were RGB, then yes, we'd be 24bit colour, but YUV has a smaller gamut than RGB. DigiBeta is 30bit colour with 10bits per channel (YUV). Going up to 16bits per channel would be rather nice, as long as the editing software keeps up. That would give us a much wider range of adjustment.

Until then....

Bill Ravens · September 27th, 2003, 07:41 AM

can you imagine the render times? i think we need MUCH faster processors.

Graeme Nattress · September 27th, 2003, 07:47 AM

I suppose that's where the new 64 bit processors come in - surely they'd be just right for handling 16bits per channel images + 16bit alpha.

September 27th, 2003, 07:31 AM	#16
Graeme Nattress RED Problem Solver Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 1,365	Bill... Yes - you can do it in software - most programs have that functionality. A couple of problems with this though: If you're going out to DV, then you've got a non-standard DV tape, with incorrect black levels. If you're going out to an analogue format, depending on software, you may have rendering to do, and because of the 8 bit colour space you're in with DV, you're going to loose a little of that - the 16 - 236 range is limited enough without reducing it to 32 - 236. So I agree - you can get away with it, but there are still a couple of small advantages to the hardware route. Hopefully, however, setup will become increasingly a thing of the past as all video and distribution becomes digital. __________________ www.nattress.com - filters for FCP

September 27th, 2003, 07:39 AM	#18
Graeme Nattress RED Problem Solver Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 1,365	DV is a little less thatn 24bit colour - 8 bits per channel. If it were RGB, then yes, we'd be 24bit colour, but YUV has a smaller gamut than RGB. DigiBeta is 30bit colour with 10bits per channel (YUV). Going up to 16bits per channel would be rather nice, as long as the editing software keeps up. That would give us a much wider range of adjustment. Until then.... __________________ www.nattress.com - filters for FCP

September 27th, 2003, 07:47 AM	#20
Graeme Nattress RED Problem Solver Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 1,365	I suppose that's where the new 64 bit processors come in - surely they'd be just right for handling 16bits per channel images + 16bit alpha. __________________ www.nattress.com - filters for FCP

September 27th, 2003, 07:36 AM	#17
Bill Ravens Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: santa fe, nm Posts: 3,264 Images: 10	yeah...it's a drag to lose that range. it's hard enuff trying to make an outdoor scene without fill lights fit the latitude of the sensor, much less after the remapping to NTSC limits. Where is 24 bit? just kidding.....guess that's called HD.

September 27th, 2003, 07:41 AM	#19
Bill Ravens Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: santa fe, nm Posts: 3,264 Images: 10	can you imagine the render times? i think we need MUCH faster processors.