Creating broadcast masters in Vegas?

GlennChan wrote on 4/28/2005, 11:43 PM
Does anyone here do this? I guess my question is, are any of you creating masters for broadcast and not getting them rejected?

Issues I've found in Vegas:
1- Vegas doesn't normally create proper video levels. If you want proper digital levels, then blacks should be at 16 and whites at 235. This assumes:
You are working in an 8-bit format such as DV. For 10-bit, it's a little different.
You are working in an all-digital workflow and don't care about the transition from digital --> analog (where you have to make sure 16 digital translates into 7.5IRE). Prosumer equipment often puts 16 digital at 0IRE (which is wrong for non-Japan NTSC, where black is defined as 7.5IRE).

Many of the filters in Vegas use illegal colors in their presets. Whites should be 235 235 235 in RGB and blacks should be 16 16 16 in RGB. No biggie, just type in the right numbers and save a preset.

Dissolves put blacks at 0. To work around this, add a bottom track with black at 16 16 16. If there are composite modes above, be sure to use the child/parent relationships so this bottom track is not affected.

*Final Cut users: Sometimes 255 gives a white that is at a proper level. So don't confuse Vegas with other programs.

2- Countdown: Vegas doesn't include a nice countdown video in it like Final Cut or Adobe Premiere (with the rotating clock). But you can use the timecode generator to get a reverse countdown with numbers.

See:
http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=374449
Be sure to add the timecode filter to media FX, as it only works there.

3- Timecode: Never tried this because I don't have the equipment. But a proper broadcast master would have the program start at 01:00:00;00. Vegas can do this?

4- Audio: Vegas is good at handling this. No gripes here. Not hard to do -20 or -12 dBFS tone and to put program audio at the right level.

5- Video Scopes: You need to change the settings and check both boxes for non-Japan NTSC / DV.

Comments

busterkeaton wrote on 4/29/2005, 1:02 AM
Vegas is not just a broadcast application. It does web video too. Computers use the 0-255 color range.

There is a broadcast filter you can apply to your video bus to make sure, you are not creating illegal video.
Marco. wrote on 4/29/2005, 1:49 AM
Using Broadcast Colors FX does help in many cases if it is about broadcast stuff.

>> But a proper broadcast master would have the program start at 01:00:00;00. Vegas can do this?

Vegas can set the timecode to a desired start value internally. But it's not the software job to set the timecode of the printed tape in the end. Your tape device must support setting the desired start timecode.


Marco
Edward wrote on 4/29/2005, 4:29 AM
cool thread. helped alot.
winrockpost wrote on 4/29/2005, 5:41 AM
..........I guess my question is, are any of you creating masters for broadcast and not getting them rejected.

Never had one rejected, just check our levels and as far as start time goes ,we supply a log sheet which gives exact start time, no need (at least my experience) to have an exact top of the hour time.Countdown is a simple make or many floating around for free .
Not like we've done thousands of broadcast with vegas, but the ones we have were never a problem
Good luck
plasmavideo wrote on 4/29/2005, 6:31 AM
Also keep in mind that it also depends on how your content is being delivered. If you are delivering on DV tape, most broadcast facilities tape machines add 7.5 IRE setup automatically to the output, so if you artificially ad 7.5 IRE to your DV tape, then an additional 7.5 setup will be added resulting in a very washed out look.

If you are outputting through your 1394 to analog to tape machine for delivery on Beta, then, yes, add the 7.5 IRE setup. Some 1394 to analog devices allow you to add 7.5 IRE setup as well, so the computer master should then be 0 IRE.

There are other considerations as well - some facilities take delivery of content via satellite to digital servers, and all facilities have proc amps that allow color correction of sources such as DV.

The best plan is to check with the facility you are delivering the content to and ask what they require.

At our facility, we can deal with just about any type of content that's delivered to us.

Also, make sure the chroma is not too hot. A lot of facilities will reject a spot for hot chroma quicker than one with black level problems.