Exporting Avid DNxHD Colour Space

[advisiontv]

I'm having an issue lately exporting Quicktime Avid DNxHD 185 files. If i export a file - eg colour bars to illustrate a point, regardless whether I select 709 or RGB on export, I always get the same result - the white bar is above 100% and black is below 0%.

The edius fix is to change the properties from SuperWhite to White - but I'm trying to export the file to give to someone in Avid and I believe this fix doesn't exist so I need to get it right!

My question is how!? Why doesn't it change the range if I change from 709 to RGB? If i export Quicktime as H264 its perfect, and you can't change the colourspace inside edius anyway - but select Avid and it goes all wrong!

Any advice??

[Liverpool TV]

I'm having an issue lately exporting Quicktime Avid DNxHD 185 files. If i export a file - eg colour bars to illustrate a point, regardless whether I select 709 or RGB on export, I always get the same result - the white bar is above 100% and black is below 0%.

The edius fix is to change the properties from SuperWhite to White - but I'm trying to export the file to give to someone in Avid and I believe this fix doesn't exist so I need to get it right!

My question is how!? Why doesn't it change the range if I change from 709 to RGB? If i export Quicktime as H264 its perfect, and you can't change the colourspace inside edius anyway - but select Avid and it goes all wrong!

Any advice??

Are you using the DNxHD plugin?

[advisiontv]

Not the new MXF plug in that you pay for - just the free Quicktime one to produce Avid DNxHD.mov

[Liverpool TV]

Hi Matt.

If you post me a link to a source file, I will do a 185 encode using the plugin and post it back. This may give you an idea on weather or not the plugin would be of use to you. I have not noticed any problems with it, compared to using the standard exporter in QT, which I have personally always found to be problematic. I think this problem is due to QT levels, and maybe not the actual codec?

Cheers,
Dave.

[Andreas_Gumm]

Edius sadly produces color shift & degrades it to 8 bit color depth on export via QT API!
It is often mentioned here in the forum area but it never got improvement.

QuickTime export works reliable on native HQ/HQX codec only.

MXF option is great, but a lot other tools can't read AVID MXF files.

Andreas

[advisiontv]

I would love to see an example of the Avid MXF clip. If it works I'll purchase it.
Attached is a 1 sec clip of some colour bars in HQX. I'd also like to know from anyone with experience, is a DNxHD the quickest way of getting a clip into Avid without it all being converted??

[Andreas_Gumm]

The attached clip is created by AVID option!

Andreas

[advisiontv]

It wouldn't let me open this! Does this mean I need to have to buy the codec to view it!!!?

[Liverpool TV]

It wouldn't let me open this! Does this mean I need to have to buy the codec to view it!!!?

You can't open it in standard Edius without the plugin. It will open in Avid.

[advisiontv]

Can anyone with access to avid confirm that the colour space would be correct on this file!? If it is i'll buy the plug in!!!

[Andreas_Gumm]

You can test it in AVID 30 day trial version!

http://www.avid.com/UK/support/downloads/media-composer-trial

Andreas

[advisiontv]

Actually I've found the problem and I think it's a bug.

If my project settings are 10 bit, and I export an DNxHD.mov the levels are wrong.
If its 8 bit, then the levels are all correct.

This is regardless of whether I'm exporting out an 8 bit or 10 bit file.

[Andreas_Gumm]

Actually I've found the problem and I think it's a bug.

Edius DNxHD handling for QuickTime based files is an ignored bug since years!

Andreas

[David Clarke]

I checked on Avid and 8 bit Quicktime DNxHD files were ok but 10 bit ones were not. Changing from REC709 to RGB in EDIUS did not make any difference. In a typical Avidy way MC refused to load Andreas MXF file complaining about permissions. Have not had time to sort that out yet.

I am using 7.5, the latest DNxHD codec pack and MC 8.31.

[Liverpool TV]

I checked on Avid and 8 bit Quicktime DNxHD files were ok but 10 bit ones were not. Changing from REC709 to RGB in EDIUS did not make any difference. In a typical Avidy way MC refused to load Andreas MXF file complaining about permissions. Have not had time to sort that out yet.

I am using 7.5, the latest DNxHD codec pack and MC 8.31.

Hi David.

I've had different versions of Avid react in different ways to the MXF files, as you've noticed. If you do the full GV recommended export route and then the recommended import into Avid. You can manage the bins from there and prep media and bins for other projects. The latest Avid may well allow the media files to be imported directly into its MXF folder, not sure as I have not tried it.

I know a number of Avid editors who work in and out of Avid and FCP, they use something called Automatic Duck, that helps to restructure and move media and bins about. This may be of some use.

Cheers,
Dave.