Very very dark video in FCP X viewer.

Sort of getting to like FCP X.

I am getting very very dark video in my viewer. The clips look fine in the clip viewer (sorry if thats the wrong name but I mean the central window) but as soon as I select a clip and scrub through it the clip itself goes very dark and the clip playing in the viewer (the large window on the right) is very very dark, I would say maybe three stops darker than it should be. I have output a couple of clips as a QT mov file and they play just fine in QT it's just that they are showing up very dark, to dark to edit in FCP X.

Any ideas?

thanks.

Final Cut Pro X-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Jun 22, 2011 3:42 PM

76 replies

ricoh

Level 1

19 points

Jun 23, 2011 7:01 AM in response to johnjamesfoto

Yes, i Think, you need a matrix profile, not a table profil (i only konw the german word: Tabellenprofil). I can choose the type of the profil in the profiling software.

Older versions of Aperture also had this problem.

Jun 23, 2011 7:39 AM in response to johnjamesfoto

Yes, I'm using the Eye One Display 2 to calibrate. Selecting an Apple profile gets around the gross problem. But then I'm operating without a calibrated monitor and with no way to use my blackmagic card and external monitor. That renders any color correction capabilites of FCPX worthless.

hvxuser

Level 1

37 points

Jun 23, 2011 7:55 AM in response to johnjamesfoto

I've turned up the brightness on my Macbook Pro to full and it helps I guess its all about the contrast. With the FCPX 'facia' being so dark maybe its sort of influencing you in an optical illusionary way? Does that make sense??????

Jun 23, 2011 7:58 AM in response to hvxuser

i dont think so...^^

ricoh

Level 1

19 points

Jun 23, 2011 8:50 AM in response to julienfrompoitiers

I have testet it. To calibrate my Displays i use basiccolor display. I can choose between two types of profiles, a lut profil or a matrix profil. If I create a matrix profile, final cut works and the colors are correct.

The workaround is to create a matrix profil, not a lut profile.

Jun 23, 2011 9:34 AM in response to ricoh

can someone send an ICC matrix profile because i don't know how does it work... 😟

Jun 23, 2011 10:22 AM in response to ricoh

Thank you.

Jun 23, 2011 10:48 AM in response to johnjamesfoto

I don't think color calibration is the problem. I'm having the same trouble as you, but using the default (uncalibrated) profile, and I still have the same issue. Here's what it looks like.

It almost looks like the green channel is being removed completely. Very strange...

I do have an "incompatible" video card, but the app launches and runs fine.

HELP.

tcolq

Level 1

0 points

Jun 23, 2011 10:53 AM in response to johnjamesfoto

I have a brand new top of the line 27" imac with the best graphics card and my viewer is way too dark. Clips are noticeably lighter/less contrasty than the viewer. I calibrated the screen (with Colormunki Photo) to work with Aperture and the photos look fine (and print to match).

Apple, come on, for photo and video work, screens should be calibrated. This thing should work fine with color munki and others from day 1. Get on it.

ricoh

Level 1

19 points

Jun 23, 2011 12:36 PM in response to tcolq

To test it you can download my Profil at this link: files.me.com/ricohofmann/1l0fsp

It's from my 30" cinema display. The colors will be not correct, but the brightness of the viewer should be ok. If this solve the problem, you know the cause of the dark viewer.

Jun 23, 2011 12:45 PM in response to ricoh

Thanks so much! It's definitely not the color calibration. I installed your profile and I still have the same issue. This is much more extreme then some color calibration, It's EXTREMELY noticable even to novice users. Please apple, help us!

ricoh

Level 1

19 points

Jun 23, 2011 12:50 PM in response to chordmasta

I think, your Problem is the incompatible graphic card.

Jun 23, 2011 1:08 PM in response to ricoh

This is my Graphic card info

ATI Radeon HD 5870:

Chipset Model: ATI Radeon HD 5870

Type: GPU

Bus: PCIe

Slot: Slot-1

PCIe Lane Width: x16

VRAM (Total): 1024 MB

Vendor: ATI (0x1002)

Device ID: 0x6898

Revision ID: 0x0000

ROM Revision: 113-C0780C-194

EFI Driver Version: 01.00.436

Displays:

Cinema:

Resolution: 1680 x 1050

Pixel Depth: 32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)

Main Display: Yes

Mirror: Off

Online: Yes

Rotation: Supported

Display Connector:

Status: No Display Connected

Display Connector:

Status: No Display Connected

Just installed this card and FCPX flies but the only way I can get the clips and the viewer looking the same is to select an Apple Cinema profile in the System Prefs. It works just fine now although my monitor is not calibrated to anything.

I really don't think it is Graphic Card related I seem to remember something like this happening when Snow Leopard was launched, it didn't like monitor profiles created in ColorMunki and I think that ColrMunki (Xrite) had to issue a software update to rectify it.

At the moment I'm quite happy to start testing FCPX

I seem to have managed to keep my FCP Studio3 running on the same machine.

ricoh

Level 1

19 points

Jun 23, 2011 1:11 PM in response to johnjamesfoto

The ATI 5870 should be compatible. Have you tested my profil?

Jun 23, 2011 1:31 PM in response to ricoh

How does that explain this https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3135195?answerId=15472002022#15472002022

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Very very dark video in FCP X viewer.