This is one part of the common mistakes when using Levels' "Computer RGB to Studio RGB" preset.

The other one is: it often will set your peak levels to the places of reference levels and reference levels to places where they should not be according to the appropriate color space.

Often you'd better use a carefully adjusted Broadcast Colors FX instead where you want a global FX "legalizing" your levels.

It would be great if Vegas understood that when I put that computer to studio levels fx on my output it meant that I wanted EVERYTHING to fall within 15-235. Is there really a time when anyone would use the levels adjustment on the output and still want a black level of 0 on the finished video?

If you don't use a specified background color, Vegas Pro asumes you want to use a transparency level. And RGB 0 would be correct then.

I'm not saying this is what most people would expect, it's just the logic behind.

The logic of Vegas behavior makes perfect sense I just can't help being annoyed that after all these years of using the application I still sometimes make the common mistake.It's usually at the end of the editing process and I decide on a fade in from black. I grab that fade envelope and then forget to add the black media.

I think the confusion is over the concept of the Output FX stage - for me I visualize that the fx is being applied to all the media at the point that it is being rendered and so it would apply the level filter to the empty track (black) as well

I don't like blank in my projects for my background, so I normally use a generated media for the color I want. If you want a 16,16,16 "black" then make a generated media preset & use that.

If I don't mind the 0,0,0 I don't bother with a background, but many times I do because I want the extra control.

Been doing this for a while now.
At start of project add a black solid on bottom track with a computer to studio Levels FX, then right click and Lock it.
Essentially gives you the same behaviour as Premiere, any transparent sections are at 16.
And because its locked I can cut and ripple delete, and make any other adjustments without having to worry about it. It just sits there on the bottom.

The normal editing background is not 0 black, but 0 alpha.
That's why levels fx don't affect it, and that's why we need a black blocking track in 24 bit projects. Easy enough to save as a template for new projects.

Simplest approach is to leave everything on the timeline at or within 0-255, including text and generated media, be sure to use the blocking track, and put the Studio filter on the output, very last in the chain.

The Broadcast Colors fx can still show chroma slop, even at "very conservative," so it is not suggested for digital broadcast.
PBS and some other broadcasters will likely reject such material. Using the Studio RGB Levels on the output does not have this problem, as it hard clamps chroma as well as luminance to 16-235.

Another equally common and bad mistake is leaving the text color at it's default white of 255,255,255 instead of 235,235,235.

Another equally common and bad mistake is leaving the text color at it's default white of 255,255,255 instead of 235,235,235.

You mean "Another equally common and bad mistake is leaving the text color at it's default white of 255,255,255 instead of grey 235,235,235."

:)

Pardon the interruption, but with 0-255 video source, the white text should be left at 255, and the blocking track should be left at 0, as long as the Studio levels filter is placed on the output, last in the chain, meaning here:



The method is so simple, I am surprised that it is not more widely understood.
Edit Computer RGB, Render Studio RGB. That's all there is to it. Really.

One work of waring when you use the rendering FX: they add to anything on the timeline. So if you prerender a section to a new track, THAT section has the FX applied. When you render again, if you don't remove the FX from the rendering output, it will apply it again.

But isn't this how everyone does a master levels change for final output, entire project wide FX, etc?