Cineform HDV and 32 bit question

Salamander wrote on 2/5/2008, 4:59 PM
I downloaded a trial version of Cineform HDV and used it to capture clips from my Canon XH-A1 - using the setting to automatically convert the clips to Cineform intermediate. I used the match media settings option to set the project settings. I then rendered a video twice - once using 32-bit and then 8-bit. The 32-bit version looks a bit more washed out or less vibrant than the 8-bit version. Is this how it's supposed to work?

Comments

GlennChan wrote on 2/5/2008, 10:15 PM
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=114079
Salamander wrote on 2/6/2008, 4:56 PM
I guess I still don't understand. If I use 2.222, will that give me more vibrant colors than 1.000?

As I read your article, Cineform decodes to Studio RGB. Is this why the 32 bit looks a bit washed out compared to 8 bit? If so, do I need to convert to computer RGB - and if so, how is that done?
Bill Ravens wrote on 2/6/2008, 5:31 PM
The easiest way to get your head around this is to do the following:
1-open your footage in whatever mode(8 or 32 bit) you desire
2-Open the Vegas waveform monitor and tick on the Studio RGB button
3-playback your footage while watching the waveform monitor. observe where the minimum and maximum values fall.
4-apply the LEVELS FX plugin and adjust so that nothing goes below zero or above 100. The more effect you dial in, the more washed out your image will get, so be judicious.
5-Render and repeat to verify that the codec you rendered in didn't reset your levels
6-go have a beer
Side note: if you always carry a color bar pattern with your footage, you don't need to play thru the entire reel, just adjust to the colorbar pattern.
GlennChan wrote on 2/6/2008, 11:10 PM
If I use 2.222, will that give me more vibrant colors than 1.000?
No. None of the choices really give you more vibrant colors. If you handle the levels correctly, then the different modes will look very similar.

As I read your article, Cineform decodes to Studio RGB. Is this why the 32 bit looks a bit washed out compared to 8 bit?
It's probably something to do with the particular codecs you are rendering from and to. I don't know what codecs you are using. But presumably you are rendering to a codec like HDV or MPEG-2, which behaves differently in 32-bit and 8-bit modes.

Also, you can refer to the table in the article regarding codec behaviour.

If so, do I need to convert to computer RGB - and if so, how is that done?
Apply the "studio RGB to computer RGB" color corrector preset.

This presumes you are working in 2.222 compositing gamma. (1.000 is a different beast, and for simplicity's sake I don't recommend it.)