Gopro mp4 to prores gets clamped to broadcast safe :-(

I am trying to find the best way to convert footage from my gopro camera to prores. I seem to have stumbled across nastiness.
Gopro footage : 1080p 25fps
Using Prores 1080p 25fps (not proxy, LT etc)
I have tried converting my in compressor. I have also tried rendering the mp4 in fcp 7 and exporting a self contained version prores version for fcp 7. I have tried using compressor 4 (also installed) and moeg streamclip. When I look at the resulting prores video using scopes in either fcp or color it looks like the footage has been clamped to the broadcast safe values. Where pointy peaks should be, there are flat dense lines at the broadcast safe values. Pulling back the highs in a three way color correction revels a reduction in detail, particularly notable in the highlight areas
Through much trial and error, I have discovered that if I convert to prores using the ancient QuickTime 7 app there is no "clamping" and there is significant detail retained in the highlight areas (and darks too). This allows me room to color correct to better result.
It seems qt7 is only thing that will do the conversion accurately.
I have double checked as much as I can. In color for example I do not have "broadcast safe" switched on. It has made me doubt my process and I feel I have gone through fcp and compressor (and mpeg stream clip) as much as I can looking for some sort of similar "broadcast safe" switch.
I obviously don't want to loose highlight info at such an early stage of the workflow.
As far as I can tell, it does not happen when converting to gopro's CineForm codec and highlight detail beyond the legal broadcast level is retained.
I would love to hear that I am missing something about this or doing something wrong!
MacPro 4x dual core
Mountain lion (latest updates)
Note: I have fcp x installed but I am not using this for this job.

Interesting stuff Zebulun.
Something is not right.
Using FCP X to view gopro mp4 at either 720p and 1080p at 25fps shows there is no clamping. FCP X seems to be the boss at handling these files. Ive tested this with the new Go Pro Protune codec (which makes a huge quality difference by the way) as well.
Mpeg Streamclip does indeed seem to do a decent job with 720p. I see no difference between the pro res file from this app and the raw mp4 in FCP X - or a prores converted in FCP X.
Its not quite the case for 1080p though. The version from MPeg stream clip is not exactly clamped but the range seems reduced compared to the efforts made by FCP X.
I don't know what is at the root of all this. I don't think the gopro is clamping anything as it all seems as expected in FCP X. I guess it might be writing dodgy files that confuse other software.
What I feel confident about is that FCP X handles the raw camera footage very well indeed. Even if I end up sticking to FCP 7 for some time I shall be converting Gopro in FCP X.

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You will note an "automatic" level clip at 100% and then its easy to set White RGB Out at say 250 and fix any Color Channel Luminance issue..the same way.
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im gonna put up some images to illustrate...
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The company I go to for mastering suggests the RGB limit filter for dodgy shots and not the "broadcast safe" one, and I listen to them. By the way, I've been going there for years here in LA and Greg, the boss, will always "work with you" on price if you are an independent. I can give you the phone number if you wish. They are very helpful but I think it's kind of against the rules to give the appearance of advertising on this site.
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http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/video_levelsnattress.html
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Is "Broadcast Safe" necessary if the output will never be broadcast?

I'm doing a project whose final output will be a set of DVD's which will never be broadcast. I really like the color look I've achieved for my clips, but when I check my scopes, they're outside broadcast safe, both up and down. If the output will never be broadcast, do I need to adjust these for broadcast safe?
Also, to get the best for the output, which settings for YUV, etc. should I use to have the DVD's match what I'm seeing in FCP?
Just a bit of additional information, I'm making the assumption that most if not all of the ultimate viewers of the project will be viewing it on modern HD sets. Does that also make a difference to my final output settings?
Thanks.

You must view FCP's output on a calibrated, professional broadcast monitor to assess the "look".
Computer monitors do not provide a true indication of how your movie will appear on a consumer television.
Try to find two consumer televisions that are accurately and identically adjusted. It is very unlikely.
While there is some degree of tolerance and there's not much chance of you blowing up someone's TV these days, you should at least use the "Normal" settings in the broadcast safe filter.
As an example. whites and yellows that are too bright can "crossover" and cause an annoying buzzing sound in the audio as well as being unpleasant to look at.

Color scopes and Broadcast safe

In the process of experimenting, I have sent 100% bars ( 8 bit Uncompressed PAL) from FCP to Color. The first thing I noticed is that when ‘broadcast safe’is enabled, it clamps the signal quite harshly especially round the mids area. The waveform monitor (and an external Techtronix 601 A Scope) confirms this with the luminance levels of Magenta and green being almost identical. Same result when clip is imported rather than 'Send to'
The weird thing is that when I disable broadcast safe, this restores the bars to how they should look and the external scope displays correctly but the internal scope in still incorrect.
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The answer might be in your post.
You say you sent "100% bars". If this means 100% saturation, Broadcast spec is 75%, at least in good old NTSC. Just don't start it... that's what SMPTE sez, I didn't make up the rules.
And COLOR's "broadcast safe" will chainsaw the image at whatever you set it to in the "Broadcast Safe" settings dialog. I pine for the good old days of the Hewlett Packard QA103, which rolled off quite nicely, but that product is no longer manufactured and was SD.
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jPo

Broadcast safe filter problems... help

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See screenshot below, broadcast safe filter applied but waveform monitor still gives me above legal levels of 100 IRE???
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Interesting.
Right now I'm exporting footage using the broadcast filter applied to an adjustment layer. So, while all the tracks below have their own effects, I placed an adjustment layer over the top over everything (track 5 as it happens) and applied the broadcast safe filter to that.
I have no idea what order thiswill get applied, but it's probably worth trying and see if it helps....
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Yes, it is acceptable, AFTER you have done extensive work with the 3-way CC to adjust things, if there are still spots that are too hot to add teh Broadcast Safe filter. It clamps down the hot spots.
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Gopro mp4 to prores gets clamped to broadcast safe :-(

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