DVDSP 3 adds ten pounds of brightness on formatting!!!

Question

I have a MiniDV project which I color-corrected to perfection in FCP HD and encoded using Compressor High quality 4:3 One Pass CBR 6.8 Mbps Best Motion Estimation settings. I reviewed the entire project in DVD SP simulator. I applauded Compressor for its excellence. Everything looked wonderfully accurate. I then proceeded to build and format the project using DVDSP 3 and when I watched the final DVD on two different TVs and computer screens it looks terrible - way too bright and washed out!!! There are basically no blacks. I had to turn the monitors' and TVs' brightness all the way down for it to begin to look right. I found the Video TS folder that DVDSP built the project to and reviewed it side by side with the Mpeg 2 version encoded from Compressor - the Video TS stuff looks awlful - just like the final DVD!!! So I concluded that something bad is happening at that point in the process... During the Build process. I looked over DVD SP 3 preferences to see what kind of control I could have over that part of the process... and it gives me none. So, what can I do to ensure that my stuff looks right on the final media??? I have a color accurate NTSC video monitor that I perform color correction on professionally and a pretty good Apple 23 inch Cinema HD Display. So I know my references aren't messed up. Something messed up is definitely happening once the project is dumped into video TS files. How can I prevent this??? Anyone out there can help me???

Answer 1

I did not adjust the computer display for NTSC color during these tests because I wanted to minimize my variables.
I didn't mean to suggest that you should have used an NTSC display profile, I just wanted to give an illustration of how much a display calibration (or profile) can change the results.
I don't think there is much more you can do at this point other than to go back and make adjustments to your sequence in FCP. This assumes, however, that you are confident that your DVD/TV playback system and environment is a good match for what your customers will have.
You might want to purchase a home theater setup or tune-up DVD that you can use to make adjustments to your TV/DVD mix (a visual calibration). Next thing would be to run a reference clip with a good range of contrast levels, colors, bright and dark scenes through your workflow from end-to-end to make certain that what you see early on is what you get in the final product. Be aware, however, that things like room brightness can have a marked effect on how someone perceives color and tone. You should also review or check on what kind of changes your digital-to-analog converter may have introduced (I assume that you used some type of Firewire-to-analog converter with your NTSC monitor during you color adjustment work in FCP).
As a form of test, you could even try to run duplicates ("rips") of small sections of pre-existing DVDs through your workflow. I suspect that you will find a good amount of information on the internet about video color calibration and FCP, I'm no expert on the subject, but I certainly have an appreciation for how difficult color adjustment and matching can be. Good luck along the way.