This IS the Avid L2: [Avid-L2] Re: QT video levels?

I don't know if this would apply to your situation but I've had good results with taking HD shows 1080i/59.94 DNX 220 and exporting a QT ref. I open the QT Ref into QT 7 Pro and export a Prores self contained movie there. When I ama link back to the resulting prores .mov the levels look good in Avid. There is a slight difference in color bars but it's very slight in a quadrature sort of way but nothing like the gamma shift problems I've heard in other work flows. I don't recall if your Avid media was DNX or Prores. Might be worth a try. I tested my files with an ama link so it looks directly at the video essence and bypasses the QT engine, at least that's what I've been told. I'm not sure if a prores QT ama linked clip will let you right click and set source setings from RGB to 709. Avid codecs like DNX don't allow that option but perhaps prores does. The general rule I heard was if it's an Avid native codec those options don't exist but I'm not sure if that is completely true. Hopefully someone can confirm or correct my general understanding.

--- In Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com, "michaeljshen76" <mikejshen@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks, Michael! I read the thread you posted. Very helpful.
>
> My end goal is preserve the 709 levels in a Same-As-Source export of a ProRes MXF sequence. And for various reasons, I'd like to avoid transcoding to DNxHD before export. I'd much prefer to convert the exported Quicktime file to 709 somehow.
>
> Could I export Same-As-Source with 709 setting (resulting in a file flagged as RGB), then re-import to DNxHD 115 with the 709 setting (thereby resetting the levels and gaining access to the original detail/information), and then export as 709?
>
> Or would I experience some kind of generational loss as a result of this process?
>
> Thanks.
>
>
> --- In Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com, Michael Brockington <brocking@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Mike:
> >
> > I haven't seen it documented, only observed what happens under
> > testing. It looks to me like there is a flag set in the file that
> > indicates it should be interpreted as RGB, rather than a change to
> > underlying pixel values. But the effect is the same (of dropping the
> > blacks and lifting the whites) unless you can force another application
> > to disregard the flag. For instance, in After Effects you can fool
> > around with colour management as I describe at the bottom of this thread:
> > http://community.avid.com/forums/p/113013/677905.aspx
> >
> > You could also download a trial version of Avid 6.5 and do your own
> > testing. The belle-nuit test chart can be downloaded here:
> > http://www.belle-nuit.com/test-chart
> >
> > Sounds like a good exercise for one of your students!
> >
> > Cheers,
> > --Michael
> >
> > On 13-05-08 8:15 AM, michaeljshen76 wrote:
> > >
> > > Michael, thank you so much for the reply.
> > >
> > > Does "flagged" mean the same as "converted", i.e., the blacks will go
> > > down, the whites will go up, and the levels will be clipped on a video
> > > monitor?
> > >
> > > Does anyone know if 709 Same-As-Source ProRes exports are working in
> > > version 6.5? It would be a lot easier to upgrade one school machine to
> > > 6.5 and export all the student sequences using that machine, rather
> > > than convert all the films to DNxHD.
> > >
> > > Sigh.
> > > -Mike
> > >
> > > --- In Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com <mailto:Avid-L2%40yahoogroups.com>,
> > > Michael Brockington <brocking@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Yes, I believe your colour levels will be flagged as RGB on export.
> > > >
> > > > I guess one workaround would be to transcode the finished pieces to
> > > > DnxHD at a suitable bitrate, and export that same-as-source using
> > > > 601/709 levels.
> > > >
> > > > Cheers,
> > > > --Michael
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On 13-05-07 9:48 AM, michaeljshen76 wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > I have a number of students exporting their finished thesis films.
> > > > > They've been editing in on MC 6.03 in Apple ProRes MXF. The plan was
> > > > > to color-correct in the 709 color space, and then have them export a
> > > > > Same-As-Source .mov using 601/709 settings. This would be their final
> > > > > master.
> > > > >
> > > > > Am I correct in understanding that the 601/709 setting won't work,
> > > and
> > > > > that color levels will expand to RGB levels upon export? What's the
> > > > > best workaround for this?
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks for helping my offline editor brain with these online
> > > conundrums!
> > > > >
> > > > > Cheers,
> > > > > Mike
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com <mailto:Avid-L2%40yahoogroups.com>
> > > <mailto:Avid-L2%40yahoogroups.com>,
> > > > > Michael Brockington <brocking@> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On 6.0.3 this flag seems to be set properly by Avid for DNxHD
> > > exports.
> > > > > > ProRes exports in that version seem to be always flagged as RGB.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I reported some testing results here comparing DNxHD vs ProRes
> > > > > > same-as-source exports on Mac:
> > > > > > http://community.avid.com/forums/p/113013/677905.aspx
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I suspect not all applications observe the flag that is set.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Cheers,
> > > > > > --Michael
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On 13-05-07 3:57 AM, Fabrice Altman wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > So... moving on from the goose ;)
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Apparently there is an internal flag in the exported DNxHD QT file
> > > > > > > that is supposed to be set to either RGB or 709 according to the
> > > > > > > export settings.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > However, this flag seems always set to 709 on export from MC 5.5,
> > > > > > > whatever the export settings are. Can anyone confirm this is a
> > > bug
> > > > > and
> > > > > > > has been fixed in later releases?
> > > > > > > (The flag seems to work on export from AFX).
> > > > > > > Does a similar flag exist in ProRes?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Cheers,
> > > > > > > F.
> > > > > > >
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