Added the levels and now youtube matches the original SPOT ON! Thank You eric. Just strange, when I added the levels my preview looks super washed out. But sure enough once its on youtube things fell into place.

Having a read now.. Thanks

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/studio-rgb-computer-rgb-still-not-getting-it--101126/

@LongIslander Your preview in Vegas looked washed out because you are probably viewing with full computer RGB so the full colour range isn't there. But viewed in a player it stretches out Studio RGB to Computer RGB. There are lots of threads here on the topic, including the one you linked.

Here's a light-hearted look at the whole conundrum.

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/pc-to-tv-levels-a-comedy-of-errors--107325/

Thanks Musicvid; ive been using VLC player to view my media on my PC; thinking it was displaying colors/contrast correctly thus setting my bit-depth in Vegas to "32bit full range" to match the preview window in VLC media player. Turns out VLC was showing "Clipped Shirley" 😂. After installing media player classic I finally saw how my colors were supposed to look; thus leading me here. It is quite a conundrum.

Now what about photos?

Photos are RGB levels, Like RGB video levels (PC Shirley), they must be leveled to YUV (TV Shirley) for correct output and playback in a video stream. One way to accomplish this is with the Computer -> Studio RGB Levels filter at the track or output level, depending on your need.

Setting 32 bit project mode for an 8 bit render is a fallacy. It accomplishes only longer render times and introduces Q-noise to the output. In some cases, it can wreak havoc with otherwise acceptable levels. These internet myths die hard, but we've done the tests.

Again, the only sure way to get everything in gamut is with video scopes; I like the histogram for this.

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/10-bit-vs-8-bit-grading-the-musical--111748/

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/this-is-not-about-grading--114804/

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/hdr-to-8-bit-vegas-grading-tip-reclaiming-the-shadows--117747/

Thanks MusicVid. So with the gopro footage applying the computer to studio levels matched the source contrast perfectly for youtube. Moving on to iphone video applying the levels has the opposite effect? The video now doesn't look like the original and now its just washed out.

What am I doing wrong here. 😳

Again, use the histogram to tweak your levels to 16-235, because the Studio Rgb levels filter is DUMB -- it assumes 0-255 source, which your flat scene lighting obviously is not.

Maybe, you need no filter at all for this one. So don't fly blind, use the scopes!

@LongIslander

Look at your iPhone Source. It is already nearly perfect for delivery without any filter. You could tweak a little for richer blacks, but the highlight shoulder characteristics are about where they belong, and it is quite legal for YUV 16-235 delivery.

Don't use a sledgehammer when what you really need is a paint brush.

Yes, im just wondering why I dont need to apply the levels fix for the iphone video but I do for the gopro video.

Because the iPhone video already lives in YUV space because the lighting was flat. That's all. Really. Please do not overthink.

Your "wrong" example with the levels filter "on" is actually the way it was shot.

Has little to do with the camera being used. In full sunlight your iPhone is fully capable of blown levels, too!

Lighting. Exposure. Contrast. That is all it is about. Nothing else. You can think of it as fitting the levels you are given into the space that is available. Visualize.

Shoot lots. Make many mistakes. Read Ansel Adams. Learn the scopes.You will thrive.

Here's a good place for you to begin the learning curve.

https://thelenslounge.com/dynamic-range-in-photography/

Now you will know as much as I do, and good luck. I'll check back with you in about six months.

Here is a 4k 30p file directly from the iphone that is "blown out". If I render the below with "computer to studio to levels" then upload to youtube the contrast will be incorrect. (lighting was not flat) This is not the case with the gopro footage.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Ahv-IyLujhokuDc0eKE-f5kzsR-yNuB8

Here is a 4k 30p file directly from the iphone that is "blown out". If I render the below with "computer to studio to levels" then upload to youtube the contrast will be incorrect. (lighting was not flat) This is not the case with the gopro footage.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Ahv-IyLujhokuDc0eKE-f5kzsR-yNuB8

So don't do it then.

Not all cameras record video to "legal levels" (16-235), some of them use all there is, (0-255).

The "blown out" thing is because your iPhone lacks dynamic range needed for that particular hi-con scene. :)

@LongIslander

The levels in your iPhone video sample are generally fine. If you want to be particularly fastidious, you could add a Color Curve to wrangle the few pixels that are slightly out of limits without destroying the look of the overall video.

Now, go read all those links. See you in a few weeks.

If I render the below with "computer to studio to levels" then upload to youtube the contrast will be incorrect.

You seem to be telling me that you "prefer" the clipped output, lopping off 16% of the available dynamic range to achieve more contrast. You already alluded to that tendency above. That is "kind of" ok on the internet; my impression is that many people do that, and as mentioned in my article, is an extremely common "preference." That is because "clipped" is the first thing one sees when they play their full range phone video on their computer!

At least now you have the benefit of being able to include the full dynamic range if you wish. It's your gig.

Here's how your rendered video will play. No judgment.

A couple of basics you may have missed:

The Vegas Preview is flatter than the Render, for reasons already stated. They are not going to match.

The video scopes are found at View->Window->Video Scopes. @john_dennis prefers the waveform display, as do many traditional editors.

The Levels filter is not a grading tool. The Brightness / Contrast filter is a grading tool. As mentioned before, don't use a sledgehammer when what you need is a paint brush.

P.S. If you ever plan on your stuff being picked up for broadcast, out-of-gamut video will never be accepted.

Just for giggles, here is my "subtler" graded rendition. Depends on what you're going for -- a hard punch or a light touch.

Now, we've talked long enough. It's time to play the game.

So don't do it then.

Not all cameras record video to "legal levels" (16-235), some of them use all there is, (0-255).

The "blown out" thing is because your iPhone lacks dynamic range needed for that particular hi-con scene. :)

+10

Well said @adis-a3097

Grading is not leveling. Leveling is not grading.

I just spent a few hours on my current project, trying to figure out why my video sometimes plays dark/clipped on YouTube and why sometimes it doesn't, depending on what I upload. All I know is, I will never understand the science behind this stuff, LOL!

I do know that I always set my project Pixel Format to 32-bit floating point (full range) and I edit with that. When I am done, I add "Computer RGB to Studio RGB" to the full project and render it out. It works. That's all I know.

I just don't understand why some videos I render out without the Computer RGB to Studio RGB upload and look fine on YouTube and some videos I render out don't. That is what throws me for a loop.

I do know that I always set my project Pixel Format to 32-bit floating point (full range)

I suggest you don't do that, unless you want l-o-n-g renders, noisy shadow output, and messed up levels. In a word, it does no good. The links to the objective tests are already above, no matter what you saw on the internet.

I just don't understand why some videos I render out without the Computer RGB to Studio RGB upload and look fine on YouTube and some videos I render out don't. That is what throws me for a loop.

On the chance that you would like to understand more, study this thread and the links provided in detail. Then experiment. At the very least, it can do no harm. Best Regards, and welcome to the forum.

Hey @Musicvid, you mention that working in the 32-bit floating point (full range) isn't a wise idea. However, going through the links above, there were at least three others who said you SHOULD work in that setup, above all else. Why do you say different and what setting would you recommend if I am editing with either 10-bit 4K, .mxf files, from a Sony FS7, or 8-bit 4K, .mov files in C-Log, from a Canon 5D Mark IV? I just want to make sure I am working with the best settings as possible and the conflicting opinions here makes it tricky to know what to do. Thanks for your help!

@Musicvid, after reading deeper and deeper into this never ending discussion, I see where you say to use 8-bit pixel format for video that was shot in 8-bit, but use 32-bit pixel format for video shot with a 10-bit or higher camera. That leaves me with just one main question. If I am editing with the 10-bit files that a Sony FS7 puts out, should I use the 32-bit video levels or full range?

Your question is now waaay Off-Topic, but if you wish to continue it, please do so in another thread of your own. This thread is about leveling in REC 709 space, and nothing else.

I really have no further input to offer here, on either topic.

I just don't understand why some videos I render out without the Computer RGB to Studio RGB upload and look fine on YouTube and some videos I render out don't. That is what throws me for a loop.

Exactly ^, I could care less about scopes or color grading; all I want is the source file colors to match when I upload on youtube.

iPhone video is shot in in 0-255 full range

GoPro video is shot it 16-235.

Thus I only need to apply the levels filter for my GoPro footage for proper color.

IE. Apply the levels filter for media that is in a limited color space.

Media shot in 0-255 (like iphone) you can leave alone because that's what Vegas renders out in default.

@Musicvid, sorry I didn't mean to stray off topic. For me, it was all related, because I felt that the pixel format does play a part in how to deal with the YouTube issue with high contrast.