Vegas9d/FirstLight Histogram Difference

[Laurence Kingston]

Paul, You can attach the sRGB to cRGB convertor to the preview monitor alone, this way you can color correct using the desktop and not mess-up the outputs.

I do this except that I just correct the black end. Whites of 255 look blown out to me even on a computer monitor. I adjust my colors to range from blacks of 0 to whites of 235. Kind of a "just the blacks" half sRGB to cRGB correction.

I leave this color correction filter on when I am rendering Vimeo or Youtube versions as well, but disable it for Bluray or DVD renders.

Also, Vegas text defaults with whites of 255. I adjust them to RGB values of 235,235,235 so that my text doesn't overdrive the TV on DVD or Bluray renders.

Another thing that I do is put a cRGB to sRGB color correction filter on any still photos (jpeg or png) that are on the Vegas timeline. Still pictures are always cRGB in Vegas.

Yet another thing that I do is put a track of generated 16,16,16 black below all my video tracks so that any fade to blacks don't go below 16. Most of the time this isn't a big deal but twice in my career I've run into either an old CRT TV or video input switcher that loses sync on blacks of 0. It is rare but it is such a severe problem when it happens that I always put the sRGB 16,16,16 black as the bottom track on every project.

You can also do the same thing with a broadcast colors filter except then nothing will smart-render. I use the generated black track so that I can still smart-render. The broadcast colors filter will also tame your text whites if they are the default 255 white, but I would rather just set the RGB values on the text below 235 so that this isn't an issue to begin with.

[Chris Barcellos]

Keith, if I am reading this right, David Newman was saying you applie the sRGBtocRGB filter to the preview output by clicking on the filter addition for the preview monitor the same way as if you are adding it to the time line. This actually works to get the screen to look more like the original file does played in First Light. He further seemed to say the rendered output would not be affected because of where you put the filter, believing that it only affect the preview at that point, but I believe it does affect the rendered output. Thus, you have shut it off before you render, your output should be right. Its just that we apply the filter to make the preview look like what original file looks like.

[Laurence Kingston]

Yes, First Light has the more accurate representation of the color that you will see in the final render. Yet another reason that I like Cineform and FirstLight so much.

[Montgomery Kosma]

Originally Posted by Chris Barcellos

Dave:

Just for your benefit, the attached photo dipicts a typical difference I am seeing with 9d.

Also, to resolve the slow function and file recognition by Vegas of Cineform files, I did a dll replace in Vegas 9 d as set forth in this Vegas forum note, and it sped everything up, and it fixed that problem:

CineForm codec playback issues in Vegas Pro 9

Chris -- this is the answer I've been looking for! I made this change in Vegas 9.0d 64-bit, and it's made a night and day difference. I kick myself for not finding it at 4am Sunday morning, when I still had 15 hours before my delivery deadline on a 48 hour film project....

Thanks!!

monty

[Chris Barcellos]

Yeap... but changing a .dll in the middle of a 48 hour project has its own risks...... glad it helped.