DVDs too DARK on computer! File attached.

[sdsumike619]

As I did understand it, when adjusting the black level in Vegas, I use the video scopes and check the two boxes that say 7.5 IRE Setup and Studio RGB. I do this because when the customer puts this DVD into the set top DVD player, it will add 7.5 IRE Setup, so checking the box raises everything 7.5 IRE which enables me to get proper black level. Is this correct?

So I did this and I used the levels filter to bring the black level down to 0 on the waveform scope. The settings I used are:

Input Start: 0.131
Input End : 0.858

The problem is that my encoded .m2v files are ridiculously DARK when playing the DVD in my computer viewing it on the CRT computer monitor. Now I have to think that the hollywood DVDs follow the same standards. Why isn't there the huge difference of brightness between the set top player and playing the dvd in the computer that I have with my DVD?

The only thing I can seem to come up with is that I shouldn't be checking that 7.5 IRE setup box. Why do encoded m2v files look so much darker (and more red) than what you see on the timeline?

If anyone could shed some light on this, I'd be very thankful. I've attached a frame of encoded NTSC DV AVI of the video in question if anyone wants to advise me of the best setting so that my video looks decent on both the customers using a TV and/or the computer.

Thanks in advance!



frame.avi

[JohnnyMalaria]

The answer lies in the subject of your post!

Windows-based PCs use displays with a different gamma response to that of video equipment such as TVs etc.

Getting video to look right on a PC is something of a fool's errand. To paraphrase Star Wars, "Trust in the waveform, Mike!"

If you are following the right guidelines for using the waveform display etc, things should look good on a TV.

To illustrate the difference in the perceived picture brightness and contrast, have a look at this image:



What I did was download your frame. On the PC monitor, it is open in Movie Maker and, on the video monitor, it is open in Media Player. I have a nVidia 7600 dual monitor card and one of the outputs is an S-video connection to a video (not computer) monitor. The image displayed on the video monitor is much more dynamic than that on the computer monitor.

Can you test your DVD on a player connected to a TV? You should see an improvement....

so that my video looks decent on both the customers using a TV and/or the computer

Hmm...tricky. Current generation video cards will let you adjust the gamma of the overlay portion of the display so that DVD, DV etc will look closer to how it should. That's really down to your customers' choice of video card...

[sdsumike619]

Yes it looked decent on the television when I did a test DVD, opposite was true though, it was very very bright (black wasn't black) I had to turn the brightness control on my television set almost all the way down.

And on the computer monitor, it's super dark.

Did I have the waveform scope correct then? Both boxes checked and black sitting right on that 0 line?

[JohnnyMalaria]

A rule of thumb (from where I can't remember) is to get the skintones to be about 70 IRE.

[sdsumike619]

Hmm I see... Do you use vegas? If so, is there a way to isolate what I'm looking at on the waveform scope? If I could isolate the skin, I could set it at the right level , I think ?

[vhelp]

*EDIT* -- posted response withdrawn.

-vhelp 4109

[Scorpion King]

Don't suppose you ever though about calibrating your monitor

http://epaperpress.com/monitorcal/index.html

[sdsumike619]

that adobe gamma program doesn't make any sense at all.. I just tried it..

[sdsumike619]

the other one you mentioned made more sense, so now I guess I'm calibrated, it wasn't that much different from what was already set though..