Render output darker than project files

burgor57 wrote on 12/7/2011, 11:56 AM
I notice that rendered files output from my HD Stuio 10 Platinum are clearly darker with lost shadow details than the project files. I carefully adjust colour, brightmess, contrast etc to get the correct balance, but what is output never matches what I carefully created. Shadow detail and the darker end of midtones are lost and shadows are too dark - even just black. Like a strong adjustment curve is applied. Why would this be? Can't be right - no professional editor would possibly accept it. Anyone klnow what is the problem? I work on a properly calibrated NEC Spectraview 2690.

Comments

Marco. wrote on 12/7/2011, 2:15 PM
In most cases not the video signal of the rendered file is darker but the software or the device used for playback decodes different so it appears darker. Be sure to check the rendered file within Movie Studio first.
burgor57 wrote on 12/7/2011, 2:33 PM
Actually - I have uncovered a new twist on this issue. I opened the untouched file from the camera, in Adobe Bridge and also in Windows Media player. Both show the clip the same way, same levels of dark/light/col etc. But when the same clip is loaded on the Vegas timeline and seen in the preview window, it is noticably brighter, and shadows are not near as dark. So when I then edit in Vegas to make it look 'right', when rendered out and displayed in Windows Media player it now looks too dark. So the issue seems to be the way Vegas preview window is rendering the clip, making it too bright to start with. This is thrue for both Vegas Pro 11 and Movie STudio HD Platinum. Any ideas how to make everything display correctly?
musicvid10 wrote on 12/7/2011, 3:08 PM
Vegas preview maps RGB levels. Players do not.
You can:
a) apply a Computer RGB filter to the preview during editing, remembering to remove it before rendering; or,
b) edit in native RGB preview space, and apply a Studio RGB filter just prior to rendering (if you will be using a YUV codec, not RGB).

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