Very very dark video in FCP X viewer.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3240818

ricoh wrote:

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.

I am also using basICColor 4.1.28 in Mac pro with ATI 5770 card, Eye-one display 2 puck

Changing to matrix was not enough to get rid of dark playback for me. Changing to gamma 2.2 instead of L star fixes it for me (or of course an Apple profile)

Caramel sorry for the delayed response. My answer is both. I have an external calibrated monitor. But this is not my issue. Even if I choose an Apple profile and don't use the custom calibration the viewer is too dark (green channel missing issue). I have an unsupported graphics card. Which is really weak because my graphics card and CPU both support OPEN GL instuctions Apple just did not bother to utlize them. My laptop is just over 2 years old now. Which in Apples eyes meant I need to drop another 2/3 thousand dollars after I have already spent an additional thousand updating this one.

I have made my decision to renounce Apple and now state "I am a PC".

I bought a new i7 with 8 gigs RAM, 2 GB video card, 1.5 TB hard drive and much more. For $517 then added student Adobe CS 5.5 for $439. Plus I complained to Apple and they refunded me for FCP X.

For less than a grand I have an amazingly fast system and companies that care about their customers. Sometimes you have to vote with your money.

Done and done.

@MattFromHugo,

MattFromHugo wrote:

For $517 then added student Adobe CS 5.5 for $439. Plus I complained to Apple and they refunded me for FCP X.

I don't know what is your situation, whether if you are student or not, since you mention you purchased Adobe CS5.5 at educational price, when you plan to upgrade, you will not be able to upgrade to next upcoming versions with Adobe apps. It is upgradeable with full-retail price, once purchased at that, then you'd be able to upgrade regardless. It is different with educational pricing strategy at Adobe. Although, you didn't say which app of Adobe CS5.5 as it is too broad, and not specific or clear as to which one.

In the past, I purchased Adobe Creative Suite Design Premium for years starting with CS2 at the time. Since that time, I upgraded to every Creative Suite CS version releases. As for Adobe Creative Suite CS5.5 Master Collection back few months ago when Adobe released CS5.5 (that ends with a .5), I felt that I was justified to proceed the upgrade, although I pay over $1,500 in Canadian dollars plus tax with some discount from membership with NAPP, it is well worth it. Since I use and work with many Adobe apps such as Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop Extended, and for past few months with Adobe Premeire Pro C5.5 and so forth, it makes sense for me that I use Master Collection package. For future upgrades for Master Collection, it is probably pretty good reasonable upgrading strategy plus use of NAPP membership discount, it serves me well for years.

As for Apple refunded your money back to you with Final Cut Pro X purchase, it is your decision. I cannot comment further. Although, I still use both Adobe Premeire Pro CS5.5, along with Adobe After Effects CS5.5, as well as Adobe Encoure CS5.1, AND Apple Final Cut Pro X and Motion 5 and Compressor. I am comparing some of footages in those apps, I like both.

Not only that, I was going to purchase Final Cut Pro Studio back few months ago, but then I had figured that Apple would release Final Cut Pro newer version. But then I discover it is a totally different, inside-out app between Final Cut Pro Studio vs Final Cut Pro X. I'll just leave at that.

I guess it is individual's perference and comfort zone.

Brian

I just got FCPX today, hacing 2 macs I decided to get it on my (supposedly unsupported) macbook from 2008 first.

The software runs, but as soon as I hover over a clip in the "catalogue" (dunno the right term there), it's getting darker. The same happens when I put it on the timeline and then see it in the viewer. Just as if there's a transparent black or grey layer over it.

I do see green colours though...

sorry I am not an expert with colours and video editing, so can't explain really.

But my main problem seems to be "too dark", like a grey layer over it.

Now also have it running on my iMac from 2010, and it works fine there.

Hope there will be the way to use FCPX on my macbook after all, cos judging from the first sight, it's exactly what I want.

Caramel, No I am not a student but I am an educator. As for upgrading. You can upgrade to the commercial edition you just can not upgrade from one student copy to another student copy. Which is less than ideal but is still a better than having to spend 1-2 grand on a computer every time you want to upgrade. Which I know is a bit of an exaggeration but there is a bit of frustration thrown in there.

Hello MattFromHugo,

MattFromHugo wrote:

Caramel, No I am not a student but I am an educator. As for upgrading. You can upgrade to the commercial edition you just can not upgrade from one student copy to another student copy. Which is less than ideal but is still a better than having to spend 1-2 grand on a computer every time you want to upgrade. Which I know is a bit of an exaggeration but there is a bit of frustration thrown in there.

Well, you use interesting choice of two words as in "commerical" and "student", from what I had read and observed on many forums all over the Internet with huge confusion.

It seems that MANY people out there tried to do illogical way of avoiding to buy a commercial version, then they chose educational version at discount rate. I had seen or read that many people are non-students, and with their illogical thinking, and they think that there is other way around. It is not what it is.

Perhaps that software vendors such as Adobe or Apple, or other software companies, that they should put in clear, easy words in commercial and educational version, and who qualifies to purchase software (the ones with discounted educational pricing strategy).

As for some people to purchase more expensive commercial version, someone is responsible to justify the purchase and why someone want to use that app or creative suite - nicely packaged apps.

I agree with you about how expensive softwares are, but that is what it is designed for. As you already know, there are pretty good alterative third-party apps in competitive software industry. So, people have plenty of choices and options, and things to look at.

To clarify, I upgraded from and to EVERY commercial creative suite over many years, including old Adobe and formerly Macromedia apps. Off topic, but I am glad that Adobe acquired formerly Macromedia, if it werent for Adobe, I would think Microsoft probably had acquired Macromedia and that Mircosoft have the reputation for messing up third-party apps into their strange fancy marketing campgins that it is good thing. I avoid Microsoft for years.

Anyway, have an amazing day!

Brian

I had the same problem using ColorMunki. Just go to the X-Rite support for ColorMunki and the solution is there. In your ColorMunki Pref, select the older "version" of the ICC profile and your problems will be solved. (I hope this was not answered later as I did not read all the responses.) There is no need to switch profiles in the OS system prefs.

I borrowed an i1 (eye-one) from my buddy. I'm running Lion. Thank goodness I figured this out using the various notes in this forum: essentially I had to choose ICC Profile v2 (vs v4). FCP 7 now sees it fine.

Hi. I use Basiccolor software as well and not choosing V4 did not do the trick with the Spyder 3 Elite. Any ideas? Time for another update I would say.

found out this:

Final Cut Pro X only

- supports V2 instead of V4 profiles
- matrix instead of table-based profiles
- 2.2 gamma instead of L*

I hope they fix it!

quite a bummer. I use dispcalGUI to get a Rec 709 profile (with 2.4 gamma), but FCP X displays very dark, oversaturated colors.

By the way, the native LCD of recent Macbooks seems to be much closer to 2.4 gamma (and Rec. 709) than to sRGB (gamma 2.2). sRGB gives me overexposed, washy shadows, very different from "native LCD" which many use to watch videos on vimeo.

In a way we video people are lucky that native LCDs are closer to 709-2.4, than to "by the book" 2.2-sRGB... (which is meant for a quite light viewing environment, which explains why it gives washy shadows)

Having used FCPX for the first time last night (version 10.0.5, running on OS 10.8.2) and finding that all the very dark and very light (blacks and whites) in my videos were being masked over with strange colors), I Googled and found this thread. This thread, like so many other discussion forums, point the finger at Color Munki display profiles. Well, I do NOT have Color Munki. Instead, I have a Pantone Huey Pro generated color profile. I just confirmed that if I go to my iMac's Display Prefs and click on the "native" profile, when I switch back to FCPX the problem is resolved.

But yet, the problem is most assuredly NOT resolved in light of the fact I want to continue using my Huey Pro color calibration profile! And seeing that FCP 7 does NOT have this problem, it is clearly a bug in FCPX. But guess what? I've found various conversations about this problem going back to 2011. It's October 26, 2012 today as I write this, folks. No doubt many others have filed bug reports with Apple on this over the last year. And yet, despite all the updates to FCPX Apple has released this year, even this most fundamental and serious color-calibration-profile bug is not yet resolved. In light of that, all I can say is...

What the heck is Apple doing about it!?

I really need help guys. I have a 2008 macbook 10.7.5 and the green channel is non-existent. Is there now a problem to fix this? It's nearly 2013!!!

If you haven't already, you should post this in the Final Cut Studio forum as well.