My beloved forum,

I've been editing on Avid for many years now, mainly broadcast, but struggling with proper quality internet uploads nowadays. I found a link here in the forum reg export settings but unfortunately for me it does not do the job.

Here is a typical scenario: I edit and grade a story in MC6 (full HD), export same-as-source (Color Space 601). The export looks perfect. Then I go into Squeeze and do a Quicktime export with MainConcept H264, restricted to say 4000 Kbps, 1280x720, the rest default settings. The exported file always looks flat, dirty and washed out. Sure, I can use filters and bring back some contrast and colors but this can't be the way. When I export from Avid as RGB it's the opposite: too dark and too contrasty. I tend to get better results when exporting as Quicktime H264 (601) straight out of Avid instead of going through Squeeze. The clip is not as flat and washed out but still not great.

So my question is: what am I doing wrong or is there a surefire way to export and convert a video so it looks as it should look on youtube or Vimeo? Sorry but this is just so frustrating....

Thanks heaps guys

iMAC 3.1 GHz Intel Core i5, 16GB DDR, OSX 10.7 Lion, Media Composer 6.0.3.2, Squeeze 8.1

Come on guys, don't tell me I'm the only one having this problem???

601/709 will always look washed out on a computer monitor.

Usually, we are happy with the settings when we export Avid Same as Source RGB, then encode into some other format.

Thanks heaps Kevin, 

my same-as-source RGB outputs always look oversaturated and too contrasty. Anyone else with some ideas? PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!

What the file looks like is dependent upon where it's being viewed.  If you look at a 601/709 source on a video monitor it should look fine, but it will appear washed out on a computer monitor that's expecting black at 0 rather than 16 and whites at 254 rather than 235.  Opposite applies when viewing RGB levels on a computer monitor vs. a video monitor.  Just to complicate things a bit more, QuickTime and ColorSync sometimes conspire to "fix" what you see on your computer regardless of what the levels are.  I don't use Sorensen but when I'm exporting a QT reference to Compressor for web or computer viewing, I use RGB levels out of the Avid.

hbrock:

 I don't use Sorensen but when I'm exporting a QT reference to Compressor for web or computer viewing, I use RGB levels out of the Avid.

The latest versions of Squeeze, starting with 9, have a " luma scale " filter that works well for me, 16 - 235 out of Avid and using the default " 16 - 235 to RGB " in that filter for web publishings.

One of the nice things with this is that I can use the same 16 - 235 file out of Avid for BD encodes keeping those levels.

601 levels (studio swing) are ideal while in post and for archiving files but outside of that they will look flat and low contrast.

RGB levels (full swing) looks correct in most other scenarios (that expect full swing levels).

So you either export 601 levels and re-map to full swing in the encode or you export full swing RGB levels

Those outputs will look over cranked because your display is probably setup for 601 levels.

Thanks Pat,

this kinda makes sense. But I'm not entirely sure how I would "re-map to full swing in the encode"... are we talking filters in Squeeze? Everything looks fine on my video monitor and my Avid viewer. The HD same-as source file looks perfect in Quicktime player and VLC. It's just after turning the clip into H264 it's washed out.... Thanks

Hi guys !!

I got the same issues whem I export, but for me It´s critical when I export a sequenec of photos and time lapse movies.

I never get quality using photos, is frustrating!

What the best setting to do this ?

Thanks a lot

First off, it depends on whether the material on your timeline has consistent levels.  If your video looks good and your phots don't, you might want to try a different import setting (RGB rather than 601/709 or vice versa).  Ultimately, it depends on where the file is being viewed.  RGB levels (full swing) for computer displays and 601/709 (studio swing) for television displays.  In other words, don't evaluate 601/709 images on a computer monitor or RGB images on a TV monitor.  

If you're on a Mac you can use the Digital Color Meter (found in the Utitlites folder inside the Applications folder) to check levels on a RGB display but be aware that QuickTime and ColorSync will sometimes alter what you see on the screen despite the original levels of the source material.

Finally, in regards to the quality of photos, I'm assuming you've got a issue with levels rather than resolution.  If it's a quality issue, try using the Avid Pan & Zoom effect.

You saved my life !!!

In my tests I found out a impossible quality working with 24fps for photos , but when I work with 29.97 or above the quality is excelent and now  I don´t export h.264 but QT to sorenson squeeeze with avid codecs.

Thak you very much