Washed-out H.264

I have HDV 1080i60 footage from HDR-FX1.
When I export it using the HDV 1080i60 codec, the colors looks as good as original, but the size is always 1920x1080, even when I put in a smaller size (the weird thing is that the file info then shows the smaller size in finder, even thorough it’s still the 1920x1080).
Apple Intermediate Codec leaves the colors alone, but people with PC’s can’t play the file.
H.264 is the best; I can select any size, and the files are small with good quality, but the colors are washed out.
Is there anything else I can use that will not wash it out and be playable by everybody and unloadable to YouTube and MySpace?
Thank you,
MaW

macalltheway wrote:
Is there anything else I can use that will not wash it out and be playable by everybody and unloadable to YouTube and MySpace?
You should be fine sticking with h.264 so long as you specify the color space.
What that means is, after you've adjusted all your other setting, go to the Filters pane in Compressor's Inspector window and hit the Color tab (the one on the right). The default setting is Default for Encoder, but you should have better luck with +Preserve Source.+ If that doesn't suit your needs, you might want to experiment with the HD (709) color space.

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H.264 mp4 Export Washed Out

I can't seem to export an H.264 video without it being washed out. Lower contrast, lower saturation, very noticeable. As if there's a hidden conversion to rec709 or some such that I can't turn off.
PC
Premiere Pro CC
Exporting from Premiere Pro through Media Encoder to H.264 in an MP4 container.
Video appears the same in VLC, QuickTime, and on Vimeo.
I've looked and looked and all the solutions I've seen relate to H.264 within a MOV container. Nothing I've seen works.
Other codecs play back as expected. Definitely not a driver issue.
This is infuriating. Thoughts?

Tried exporting a 10-bit DNxHD and taking it through DaVinci Resolve, exporting an H.264 (mov) using Data Levels, and it exports and plays correctly. As a test, I ran this file through Media Encoder reconverting to H.264 (mp4) and the result plays correctly (at data levels).
This seems to confirm that Premiere Pro / Media Encoder by default (and without an option to change it) export H.264 with video levels. In a day when web video trumps television, it seems at the very least there would be an option to export using data and not video levels, especially when Vimeo and YouTube both request H.264 files. Am I missing something obvious, or this completely retarded?

Washed out blacks with H.264

When i export my sequence with H.264 from FCP all the blacks seem to be washed out,
anyone else on this forum find this happens to them?
is there anyway to correct it?

There's a brightness and contrast filter you can add to the h.264 file as you compress it. Might try that... in the options/filters button...
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H.264 gamma shift/washed out colours on export

I know this has been discussed before but I've been researching this topic for the past two hours and still can't find a solution.
I have .mov source files from a Canon 7D. Exporting them from PP CS5.5 (Mac OS X - Lion, 10.7.4) in h.264 or by 'matching sequence settings' results in a gamma shift/desaturated colours. Playing the resulting h.264 file in QuickTime Player, VLC, Elmedia all result in the same colour shift so this is not an issue with QT simply interpreting the gamma incorrectly.
Uploading to Vimeo and Youtube results in the same gamma shift. The monitor I'm using is not calibrated but when puling up a VLC window of the exported file next to the Program Monitor (on the same monitor) shows that there is a definite difference. Below is a screenshot.
Is there any way to produce an exported file for Vimeo use that reproduces the gamma as I see it in the Program Monitor?
Any help would be massively appreciated.
Thanks.

Did you use Quicktime's H.264 export option? Or just standard h.264 using the .mp4 container? If you used the Quicktime h.264 the option itself is flawed. Here are some links regarding the issue.
http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/cmg_blogs/story/brightness_issues_with_h264_quickti me_movies/
http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/2008/06/fix-quicktime-gamma-shift/
http://imnotbruce.blogspot.com/2011/07/fixing-quicktimes-gamma-export-problem.html
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1358418?start=0&tstart=0
http://byteful.com/blog/2010/07/how-to-fix-the-h264-gamma-brightness-bug-in-quicktime/
https://discussions.apple.com/message/8551140?messageID=8551140#8551140?messageID=8551140
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2292530?start=0&tstart=0
If you read around the net a lot of people have had this issue with h264. A couple of the articles I posted are supposed to "fix" the problem although I haven't ever tried any of them myself. I've never experinced a gamma shift when using the standard h.264 format option in Premiere, however if you have already used that option and you're still having issues then I have no clue what is going on. However when I import ProRes files into Premiere they don't appear washed out, but when I play them in Quicktime or VLC they do appear washed out. I've always just assumed Premiere was somehow correcting it, because when I export my video to mpeg-2 for playback on our server it looks like it looked in Premiere.
From what I have read though the reason the Quicktime format does this when using the h.264 codec looks and looks washed out is because of a incorrect gamma tag. But Premiere isn't affected/fooled by this like most media players are. According from how they made it sound on provideo and the one other site I read it on anyways.

H.264 Codec making Videos "Washed Out".

Hi guys, I am compressing a normal .mov file using H.264 compression and it always makes the video appear much lighter and washed out. I've tried everything to fix this. Any ideas?

I got jagged edges when I did it in H.264 and .MOV. I just did the "same type" of editing in Pinnacle 12 Ultimate and was totally different. No jagged edges.
I will say, I can't seem to find a good software that does 1280x720 at 30fps that is for the normal user, i.e. not using Final Cut Pro, Adobe anything, or Sony Vegas.
Oh well. It's just for Facebook anyways.
Good luck.
I'm sorry I couldn't be much help. Maybe if you use the color correction options before you export the video file?

How come Colors are Washed Out, FCE QT Conversion H.264

I have searched this forum on this problem, but nothing I found directly addresses this.
I have transcoded 1080p h.264 video to AIC, editing in FCE4 works beautifully. If I export to QT movie only converting to h264 original size, a 3 minute video becomes 3 GB but the playback in QT matches the colors I see in FCE. If I use FCE to QT conversion to a smaller size, 640x360 h.264, the colors get washed out. I tried MPEG Streamclip to convert the 3GB version, and the colors are beautiful, but even at 100% quality, the video looks slightly pixelated.
Still on MAC OS X 10.5.8 with QT7. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Nelson

it's an old bug, and one I hoped had been fixed with the release of QT7.
there is supposedly a field in the mov file which indicates the Gamma of the mov. from memory, QT is either not writing the value, or it's ignoring the value when the mov is played back. the bug is also evident in Safari. it only affects movies exported as H.264 (which is laughable since Apple has been heavily promoting H.264 for quite some time)
I have an urgent project for friends overseas. this is not a welcome predicament.
search the net for "quicktime gamma fix" and you'll find a raft of web pages regarding the problem. for example, Luxology Quicktime Gamma Fix.
disappointedly,
Gregory

Has anyone solved the "washed out colors" / gamma correction problem?

I'm trying to create a high-quality slide show from pictures. I've tried iPhoto, iMovie, and FotoMagico. What they have in common in the Quicktime engine for compression. There seems to be a problem with washed-out colors - across all programs - when trying to export the slideshow. I've tried many different codecs (H.264, x264, Photo-JPEG, PNG, JPEG-2000), as well as a variety of settings and filter corrections. Nothing has been effective. Last year, I was able to use FotoMagico with the Photo-JPEG codec, and the photos looked great. This year, things are not working (see photo below). The folks at FotoMagico attribute problems to Quicktime. And since I've tried creating the slideshow on a variety of platforms, I have to agree.
And yes, I know this is a common problem - I've read many google links - but I wanted to see if there was any current workarounds / solutions.
Any other options?
Thanks.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1140668576_UHnXX-L.png

Seriously Apple... this has been an issue for many years now!
Why can't this be fixed once and for all?
The ridiculous thing is that VLC play H.264 videos with much better colors than QT.
This question has been asked many many times over the years and i have yet seen a single reasonable explanation from Apple.
Here's a quick test of a color image screen recorded to a mov and viewed on screen together with the TIFF image (screen shot of everything in OS X 10.6.6)
The washed out look doesn't show as much in this simple color test but is very obvious in normal videos.
http://screencast.com/t/qQFCKZ0lgg5
1. TIFF image
2. Screen recording of above image with Intermediate Codec, viewed in QT 10 (colors not 100% but ok)
3. Same screen recording exported from Intermediate to H.264, viewed in QT 10 (colors washed out, red very wrong)
4. Same H.264 video (viewed in VLC 1.1.5)
Will this problem ever be fixed, or just ignored until no one use H.264 anymore?
Cheers

Quicktime movie washed out in Safari

I'm having a problem with my quicktime movie published in Safari. The movie looks good on Firefox but washed out on Safari. I cant seem to find a way to stop this from happening. I copied the movie from the Safari version on the web to see if it was Safari and played it out on the desktop and its washed out. The original was HD and very clean. I converted with H.264 in compressor and the final movie looked great. Sure would like it to look as good as the H.264 on my desktop. Any suggestions would be great.
Erik
Sample.
http://mediaartproductions.com/Media_Art/Welcome.html
Message was edited by: Erik Naso

No, this isn't a rookie thing. I believe the problem lies within the new quicktime update, the last one did the same thing. However, this is a frustrating problem, but my suggestion is to wait a few days, and see if apple picks up on the problem and releases a fix.
DON'T UNINSTALL QUICKTIME USING PACIFIST!!! I tried that and had to reinstall my operating system. I don't know why, but it is not advisable.

Quicktime output washed out

Hi all,
The web seems rife with theory about this, but can someone explain why my output from the FCP timeline to a quicktime movie (using current settings, DV, HDV, doesn't matter, even ProRes) is washed out? The Enable Final Cut Color check does not fix this problem.
What's going on here?

Thanks Steve, Steven and Todd for your responses. I am sorry that I hadn't mentioned my OS is Windows Vista with AE CS3.
Steve : In the output module, I selected Quicktime Movie format and by default the codec is H.264 which I think is the culprit for making the washed out mov. I then followed your advice to use Animation and the result was great! I'll try different settings for a better result. But I wonder why H.264 yields such a poor result as most movies nowadays use this codec.
Steven : I tried switching on "Match Legacy After Effects Quicktime Gamma Adjustments" in Project Settings, and left everything default, but the result was the same, e.g. the color of the rendered mov was lighter than the original.
Todd : I'll read carefully the information on the link that you mentioned.
Best Regards
jusko

Quicktime MOV washed out

Hi, I had a movie edited in AE and rendered with format of Quicktime movie while everything remained default. But the color of the rendered movie was washed out when played in quicktime player.
If I rendered the movie with Windows Media format, the rendered movie was OK.
Was I missing something in the output module settings for quicktime mov?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Regards
jusko

Thanks Steve, Steven and Todd for your responses. I am sorry that I hadn't mentioned my OS is Windows Vista with AE CS3.
Steve : In the output module, I selected Quicktime Movie format and by default the codec is H.264 which I think is the culprit for making the washed out mov. I then followed your advice to use Animation and the result was great! I'll try different settings for a better result. But I wonder why H.264 yields such a poor result as most movies nowadays use this codec.
Steven : I tried switching on "Match Legacy After Effects Quicktime Gamma Adjustments" in Project Settings, and left everything default, but the result was the same, e.g. the color of the rendered mov was lighter than the original.
Todd : I'll read carefully the information on the link that you mentioned.
Best Regards
jusko

Quicktime export, colors washed out

I think this question has been asked before but I just couldn't find a good explanation in the archives. Wondering if anyone knows why, when I export my movie out of FCP to h.264 and then playback in quicktime, the colors become much more muted and washed out. This has been happening for awhile now, and its been driving me nuts and now I have a project that is absolutely going to hurt because of it.
I want the bright vibrant colors that I see in my canvas in FCP -- what gives? Any help would be great. Thanks.

Yeah, sorry, this was actually a graphic created in Motion 3 then sent to FCP to sync with some audio and other sound effects. The entire workflow is HDV 1080p24, compressed to various sizes of h.264 and meant for web only. Because it is meant for the web, I have bypassed a calibrated monitor and am just doing all the work on my Apple Cinema displays.
Like I said, I can take the exported h.264 version from FCP, open it in quicktime and hold it up right next to my FCP canvas and the luma and chroma values are noticeable muted, less vibrant, and just not as much fun to look at.
I have played around with the general settings in Quicktime, specifically the "Enable Final Cut Studio color compatibility" option, but still no change. I have read other places about this being a gamma issue once the movie is played back in Quicktime, but I really don't know what that means.
All of my software is about as up to date as you can get.

Washed out color in QuickTime videos on Windows machine

I recently shot a video for my church using an older Sony camera in HDV format. I edited the video in FCPX, and the colors looked fine in the FCPX timeline -- bright and rich. I exported the file using Compressor in H.264, 1920x1080 for projection in the church, and in .mp4, 640x360 for website display. The colors looked fine in the church projection (the QuickTime file was run on a MacBook), and they look fine when the website version is displayed in a browser running on a MacBook. However, when I view the video in a browser running on a Windows machine, or simply display the video in QuickTime on a Windows machine, the colors look totally drab and washed out, like a nasty grey filter was applied. I know it is not my Windows computer display, since other web videos look just fine. If you want to see what I am talking about, check out http://www.newsongchurch.com/ministries/small-groups/index.html.
I spent hours one day researching this issue in old discussion groups posts. I tried a lot of different suggestions that I found:
--Encoding using x264encoder and changing the settings for the "nclc atom" and "gamma 2.2"
--Use JES Deinterlacer to change the same variables
--Increase gamma settings in Compressor
I must have exported the video 25 times with different settings and nothing seems to work. It is incredibly frustrating to work for days shooting and editing a video and then have it look like poop on Windows machines (which is what most people will use to view this video). In the 6 or so years I have been using Final Cut, I've found that it takes way longer to find the right export settings than it does to edit!
Does anyone have any thoughts about how I can make this video look the same on both Macs and PCs? Please let me know if you need more information about my project. Many thanks in advance!

I have both my PC & Mac running through the same display, the Mac digital and the PC analog, easy enough to switch between using the monitor front panel.
They look about the same to me, I had a custom calibration on the PC which had the gamma raised so it looked a a little washed out but only by a small amount, changing to a standard calibration and they looked nearly identical.
What I would like to see is the gamma lowered by a small increment and the contrast raised by the same amount.
The contrast alone might do it but I would try both.

Youtube Video distorted/washed out in beginning

Seems that every video I make with Quicktime or Imovie in MP4, H.264 format and then upload to Youtube ends up with the beginning of the video washed out and distorted for the first 3 or 4 seconds. Then everything is OK.
Everything looks fine on my Mac.
Check out this video for example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FekHQ1o_bLA
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Mac OS X (10.4.8)

<1. Is this work-around something that others are having to do? I don't see anyone else having this issue, so not sure why it only is affecting my videos.>
Don't know why....
<2. Will the black intro be removed during the conversion to FLV?>
Why would it be removed if it's part of the video?
<3. Will converting to FLV on my machine before uploading solve this problem?
Probably not...........
Write to YouTube and ask...There is a page on their site on how to prepare videos for delivery....This isn't a Quicktime issue, it's a YouTube issue. Do a Google search or a search of this forum. This topic has been hashed over a zillion times.....

Pic HERE: Losing color/washed out when exported

So I exported my movie using H.264 and the result is a washed out image.
The left image is the exported footage and the right is the footage viewed in FCP.
Is this a common problem or am I just doing something wrong here?
[img]http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/6871/1190482208.jpg[/img]

The only difference I could see was that the whites were (Slightly) brighter in the left.mov pic... Maybe a slight shift in "warmth" or saturation in the mids (I can see it in the mans face far right).
Hey, you are compressing and something has to give. Simply boost the controls in FCP that are important to you before compression based on the results you see. Keep in mind that every web viewer’s computer will display something different.
Props to you for being fussy!

Exporting Canon 5D footage - colours are washed out

Hi, I am a film student. It seems everyone but me cuts in Apple Final Cut Pro but I can't get my head around Apple as a whole and much prefer Premiere Pro. I working in CS5.5 Here is my current problem. I have the job of synching audio and video from a film shoot. The vision was shot on Canon 5D Mark II and the audio is .wav format, which was recorded on an external recorder. I need to replace the camera audio with the cleaner and more professional .wav files, and then I have to give the synched footage to another student who will edit on Final Cut Pro. The clips are 1920 x 1080 (1.0) 23.976 fps. The clips i have received are .mov. My project settings match perfectly the footage settings. I have now tried exporting in 15 different formats, and in every single case, the colour of the exported files is very washed out compared with the original .mov file. If I give this to the editor to work with, I'll be shot I'm sure, for being so recalcitrant. It needs to be lossless and full quality. So please someone - urgently - can you help me? I only have tomorrow to finish this and there are around 80 shots I need to synch and export in that time. Thanks, Nicky

1. If you're using Internet Explorer, set it to 'Compatibility View' so as to be able to upload images.
2. So as to judge on colour shift you need at least to compare like with like. It's not clear from your screenshot how and where you watch your original footage. Is it also Windows Media Player or another player on your computer?
Also H.264 is a highly compressed 8-bit delivery codec, with which you can experience quite visible quality loss over every next encoding (generation loss). Production codecs, like mentioned above UT Video or DNxHD, let you avoid dramatic generation loss, preserving visual quality.
3. When you encode to DNxHD 4:2:2 (that's what you were doing), set Color Levels to 'RGB Levels':
Set Color Levels to '709' when you encode to DNxHD 4:4:4
DO NOT interfere with the Depth settings when encoding to DNxHD and generally avoid using 'Maximum Render Quality'.
4. Since you wisely cropped the left part of the Export Setting dialog box, it's unclear whether you see video output on exporting or not.
5. With high probability Windows Media Player won't be able to play MOV files with DNxHD codec inside. You need to play them back in QuirkTime, which, in turn, applies crooked colour management. You need to disable it. If you're on a PC with NVIDIA card, open up NVIDIA Control Panel, go to Video -> Adjust video color settings and in the How do you make color adjustments? section choose 'With the NVIDIA settings'.

Washed-out H.264

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