Only adjusting the color wheels or relying absolutely on scopes to get the best possible video is a mistake. While the new color wheels are a huge improvement over the previous method, and the scopes are for sure useful, you're missing the possibilites if you don't use them in conjuction with gamma, gain, levels and color curves in addition to the color wheels. All these filters interact with one another and frequently just a minor treak in one filter can have a profound effect on the video's fidelity. The worse the source file the more impact and the more useful the various filters become.

Further, obsessing over some SMPTE color bars or attempting to get precise white and black levels is another mistake since rarely does either appear in the real world and attempting to achieve same in every video tends to make your work look artifical. Trust your eyes and own judgement as well.

Finally I would not put too much faith in what you read in a book not targeted to a specific application since they must take a shotgun approach. Also like books on computer programing, books on digital video now that is gaining a lot of attention are known to be riddled with errors. Nothing beats practical hands on experience with the application of your choice.

Thanks for the response, BillyBoy -- still, it doesn't answer my original questions...

How involved an answer do you expect for FREE?

Besides you got a book. <wink>

Hi Jim,


>>>In the chapter concerning scopes, the authors cast doubt on the reliability of software scopes. Their accusations are that some software scopes use only a small portion of a scene's chroma/luminance information in order to provide their readouts, and I was wondering what Vegas does to get its info? In other words, how much of the total available information does Vegas use to generate scopes? <<<


To begin, Vegas4 uses the data that builds the preview-image for the sample... this is easily confirmed by watching the scopes as you change the preview resolution (or close the preview window).

Continuing on that line, if you crop the bars pattern in the timeline to eliminate the lower portion of the pattern, the scope display reflects the change, confirming that Vegas is not just sampling a few lines, but the entire image.

The scope is displaying the format analog scopes display when reading lines as opposed to fields, so I can only asssume that is the case in Vegas.



>>>>>On the topic of scopes -- consider this my request for the insertion of a QI line for skin tones in a future version of Vegas 4; and if possible, a composite color wheel/vectorscope window.<<<<

Until Q & I lines are displayed, on my TEK scope the Q line runs on the 33o axis (in Vegas degrees), the I line runs on the 303o axis (in Vegas degrees). Altho using the Vegas pointer it shows the Vegas-bars on the 20o and 328o axiis...



>>>>>After some reading, I kept seeing the word "pedestal" pop up here and there, and it's often used in the book's various tutorials. Page 46 defines pedestal as synonymous with "black level," "lift" or "setup." Is this also analogous to Vegas's "offset" in the color corrector window?<<<<<


Yes, altering the offset value in the V4 CC has the same effect as changing the setup or pedestal on a VTR's TBC, by raising the black-level and the entire range above.


>>>Ah, that's about it for the moment -- back to reading -- more questions later :)

- jim <<<<


My advice is free, take it for what it's worth....




HTH, MPH

Tips:
http://www.martyhedler.com/homepage/Vegas_Tutorials.html

Marty --

Thanks for the responses.

Based on what you say about the scopes gathering info from the preview window, color correction is probably best saved for last since you can then do a correction over a file previously rendered -- and hence utilize a greater area of information.

- jim