Widescreen Letterbox Color Issues at DVinfo.net

Robb Swiatek · March 18th, 2007, 03:18 AM

For a project that I've just recently completed, it needed to be in widescreen (converted from 4:3 footage) so I 16:9 letterboxed each frame and changed the properties to widescreen and such and everything works and looks fine during playback.

Only when viewed on a standard TV, not widescreen Hi-Def since the letterbox framing doesn't show on those, the black widescreen lines differ in color from say a black ground with white text. It's as though the black background is darker than the widescreen lines and they look more like light grey instead of the entire black background of the screen to match.

Any suggestions on how to fix this or has anyone had this problem?

Douglas Spotted Eagle · March 18th, 2007, 09:27 AM

it's not a problem, it's a feature. :-)
Use the Broadcast filter on your NLE system to bring your blacks to 16RGB instead of zero RGB.

Robb Swiatek · March 18th, 2007, 04:05 PM

Thanks Douglas. But do you mean simply drop a video fx filter onto the entire track or by doing this another way? In Vegas, mind you.

Mike Kujbida · March 18th, 2007, 06:25 PM

You could also try dropping a track of black (Media Generators - Solid Color) on a new track under your video.
The trick is, as Douglas mentioned, to set the black to 16-16-16 instead of 0-0-0.

March 18th, 2007, 03:18 AM	#1
Robb Swiatek Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: O-Town, CT Posts: 52	Widescreen Letterbox Color Issues For a project that I've just recently completed, it needed to be in widescreen (converted from 4:3 footage) so I 16:9 letterboxed each frame and changed the properties to widescreen and such and everything works and looks fine during playback. Only when viewed on a standard TV, not widescreen Hi-Def since the letterbox framing doesn't show on those, the black widescreen lines differ in color from say a black ground with white text. It's as though the black background is darker than the widescreen lines and they look more like light grey instead of the entire black background of the screen to match. Any suggestions on how to fix this or has anyone had this problem?

March 18th, 2007, 09:27 AM	#2
Douglas Spotted Eagle VASST Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Stockton, UT Posts: 5,648	it's not a problem, it's a feature. :-) Use the Broadcast filter on your NLE system to bring your blacks to 16RGB instead of zero RGB. __________________ Douglas Spotted Eagle/Spot Author, producer, composer Certified Sony Vegas Trainer http://www.vasst.com

March 18th, 2007, 04:05 PM	#3
Robb Swiatek Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: O-Town, CT Posts: 52	Thanks Douglas. But do you mean simply drop a video fx filter onto the entire track or by doing this another way? In Vegas, mind you.

March 18th, 2007, 06:25 PM	#4
Mike Kujbida Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Windsor, ON Canada Posts: 2,770	You could also try dropping a track of black (Media Generators - Solid Color) on a new track under your video. The trick is, as Douglas mentioned, to set the black to 16-16-16 instead of 0-0-0.