Exported images Brighter than in Resolve

Ok I like the finished images in Resolve but when exported they always seem brighter than in Resolve. I have done side by side screen shots and clearly the exported video is lighter. Am I crazier or....

import this image back to Resolve and compare against source in Resolve.
Most likely you have issues between different preview apps, not in the actual data.

Could it be that you are grading in "data" mode and rendering in "video" mode?

If you are not working with 10 bit RAW or ProRes 4444 log material. Your clip attributes should be set to "Video" or "Auto". Resolve does a good job picking the right clip attribute. Right click on a clip and select "Clip attributes" to see what going on there.

Check these settings out: System Preference >Master Project Settings > Video Monitoring > select "Video"

On the Deliver page click "more" on the lefthand side and select "Video" . You might have to regrade if your setting were set to "Data" under video monitoring and "Data" on the Deliver page. If these settings are correct, then this is likely a preview app issue. Download VLC Media Player and try this, as it does a good job properly representing correct gamma. Quicktime (if you are using it) is for the birds.

On another note, are you using a properly calibrated monitor and video interface?

And as I always say, make sure you check the workflow and make a few seconds of SMPTE bars and a grayscale pattern part of the test. Check the export with scopes against the original and see what's changing (if anything).

Be aware that some export formats will shift more than others. And do a Google search on "Quicktime Gamma Shift." This is a known issue that has nothing to do with Resolve.

Not sure where that myth came from, but transcoding itself doesn't shift any colours or gamma!
It's all related to bugs in encoding stage or players.

When you export to h264, mpeg2, AVC-I, XAVC etc than colours, gamma, etc should stay the same. You may loose 444 precision, have softer video etc, but colors itself shouldn't shift. If you do it with just a static bars than this should stay perfect for every modern format. For real footage, depending on compression strength you may have a small shift when you examin through RGB picker, but this shouln't be visible for eye (this can't be avoided).
Common statements that: this is just h264, so it will have different colors are one big nonsense. When process is correct than it will look fine.
Always compare on the same screen and the best with the same software. Mac screens will always destroy shadow details (they basicaly clip first 20 levels). If you use QT X player make sure you files have colour space tagging (get info on file, than more info and you should have Color Profile info). QT X uses this to convert to final RGB data for the screen. If you don't see it most likely file won't look good and means your expoter is crap. There is an automator action to add Rec.709/Rec.601 flagging to MOVs, but this is job for the export software.

Hi,
I am experiencing strange brighter image after exporting.
In this scenario, it's ProRes 422HQ source recorded on Ursa mini 4.6k loaded in resolve
- exported image to the right is Quicktime h.264.

Try importing the h.264 exported image into Resolve and compare it to the 422HQ source in the same program. The viewers may have different gamma settings from each other, causing the mismatch.

HERE IS THE SOLUTION:

I have also spent hours researching how to fix the problem of Resolve displaying my clips too dark, and with too much contrast. However after nearly tearing my hair out in frustration, I found the solution on BMCUser forum.

"Something else i can think of is how are you interpreting the footage? In the edit tab in Resolve right click on your footage and go to 'clip attributes'. You should see a section under the video tab called levels and three options: auto, data and video. On default it's set to auto, try setting it to data and click ok. If the footage you've just changed is loaded in the viewer you should see the blacks/shadows raise, and you can confirm that with the scopes in the color tab. From there you should fix shadows and then output using data levels."

It turns out that this magically solved the entire problem, and saves the need to go through an extremely complex and painful set of steps to calibrate the viewer. Simply select all clips in the Media Manager and set the Clip Attributes to "Data" or Full. Then when exporting using the Deliver page, in the advanced section, for Data Levels to Full, and your Quicktime or MP4 H.264 movies will finally match what every other software program shows in the way of color, gamma and contrast.

Also Note the following:

Project settings/Color Management as follows:

"Use Mac Display Color Profile for viewers" Checked.

Timeline Color Space: Rec.709 Gamma 2.2 (not the default of Gamma 2.4).

Your Resolve viewer will now show your video clips looking exactly the same as Final Cut Pro, Quicktime, etc. And the exported video will also look correct.

- David Skok

I'm glad this topic keeps getting brought up.

I can tell you what issue this is not:
Use Mac Display Color Profile for viewers
1.8/2.4 Gamma Shift
Full/Video levels
Monitor Calibration
Various video playback application's color/gamma management

This can all be proven from exporting a clip out of resolve and reimporting it and comparing in scopes.

I reached out to Blackmagic support and was told that a shift in gamma upon output is 'normal behavior' for ProRes. Which is funny since this does not occur with Premiere or FCPX. Acknowledging that this occurs with H.264, ProRes and DNxHD alike, BM did not have a further response.

Though it must be noted that there is no shift on export when set to ProRes 444

Hello,

I'm coming up with this subject since I deal with this issue to.
I did set up gamma 2.2 for the timeline.
I did unchecked "Use Mac Display Color Profile for viewers" (cause if I check it it is way more darker in the davinci window than on my grading sdi screen)
I did check "video level" everywhere.

The screenchot here is a side by side of a 444 prores export, opened in Quicktime on the left, the original in davinci on the middle and opened by VLC on the right side...

Screenshot 2018-12-03 at 15.31.56.jpg (350.3 KiB) Viewed 7803 times

I noticed that once on youtube, it will be closer of the quicktime gamma, and that's the main issue because it doesn't look at all like my grading...

Do someone has a solution ? Thanks a lot.

So, I still do not get it, it is ok to have data levels settings at full, when exporting video for web and VLC use?

So, I still do not get it, it is ok to have data levels settings at full, when exporting video for web and VLC use?

Read this:

https://jonnyelwyn.co.uk/film-and-video ... o-editors/

As a side view of Mark's link, another you may want to read... https://www.provideocoalition.com/solut ... ranscodes/

Just about the famous box to check or not ("Use Mac Display Color Profile for viewers"), what it does is basically bypass everything about monitor profile to rely on your OS color profile you chose in Sys Pref > Monitors.
Therefore if you chose sRGB there, everything shown on your computer screen will be according to this specific color sync profile (including VLC, QT etc...).

The way to do it with this box unchecked is to select a color profile there (now let's say Rec 709), then the same in Resolve's color management.

So, I still do not get it, it is ok to have data levels settings at full, when exporting video for web and VLC use?

Not at all. Stay away from full range setting for YUV based codecs (ProRes, h264, etc.). Your problem has nothing to do with range (it's all related to color management).
Use Resolve 16, set Rec.709 with 2.4 gamma (not any other) and it will match QT X and youtube preview. "Use Mac Display Color Profile for viewers" needs to be selected.
Also- don't use VLC (specially old one), but QT X.

I had this issue and David's post solved it. Thanks David!

HERE IS THE SOLUTION:

I have also spent hours researching how to fix the problem of Resolve displaying my clips too dark, and with too much contrast. However after nearly tearing my hair out in frustration, I found the solution on BMCUser forum.

"Something else i can think of is how are you interpreting the footage? In the edit tab in Resolve right click on your footage and go to 'clip attributes'. You should see a section under the video tab called levels and three options: auto, data and video. On default it's set to auto, try setting it to data and click ok. If the footage you've just changed is loaded in the viewer you should see the blacks/shadows raise, and you can confirm that with the scopes in the color tab. From there you should fix shadows and then output using data levels."

It turns out that this magically solved the entire problem, and saves the need to go through an extremely complex and painful set of steps to calibrate the viewer. Simply select all clips in the Media Manager and set the Clip Attributes to "Data" or Full. Then when exporting using the Deliver page, in the advanced section, for Data Levels to Full, and your Quicktime or MP4 H.264 movies will finally match what every other software program shows in the way of color, gamma and contrast.

Also Note the following:

Project settings/Color Management as follows:

"Use Mac Display Color Profile for viewers" Checked.

Timeline Color Space: Rec.709 Gamma 2.2 (not the default of Gamma 2.4).

Your Resolve viewer will now show your video clips looking exactly the same as Final Cut Pro, Quicktime, etc. And the exported video will also look correct.

- David Skok

HERE IS THE SOLUTION:

I have also spent hours researching how to fix the problem of Resolve displaying my clips too dark, and with too much contrast. However after nearly tearing my hair out in frustration, I found the solution on BMCUser forum.

"Something else i can think of is how are you interpreting the footage? In the edit tab in Resolve right click on your footage and go to 'clip attributes'. You should see a section under the video tab called levels and three options: auto, data and video. On default it's set to auto, try setting it to data and click ok. If the footage you've just changed is loaded in the viewer you should see the blacks/shadows raise, and you can confirm that with the scopes in the color tab. From there you should fix shadows and then output using data levels."

It turns out that this magically solved the entire problem, and saves the need to go through an extremely complex and painful set of steps to calibrate the viewer. Simply select all clips in the Media Manager and set the Clip Attributes to "Data" or Full. Then when exporting using the Deliver page, in the advanced section, for Data Levels to Full, and your Quicktime or MP4 H.264 movies will finally match what every other software program shows in the way of color, gamma and contrast.

Also Note the following:

Project settings/Color Management as follows:

"Use Mac Display Color Profile for viewers" Checked.

Timeline Color Space: Rec.709 Gamma 2.2 (not the default of Gamma 2.4).

Your Resolve viewer will now show your video clips looking exactly the same as Final Cut Pro, Quicktime, etc. And the exported video will also look correct.

- David Skok

Thank you for fixing my 5 year problem.

Why does Resolve do this? Why does it secretly interpret videos as brighter? I do all the animations in after effects, its all normal, till I export and its brighter on social media... Then I fix this in Resolve and thats fine, but why does it interpret it 'secrely' as brighter

Literally had this problem for many many years. Had to export large 40 GB Quicktime JPG because they were color accurate. YOu know how much time ive spent uploading it on YOutube lol

I went through monitors and graphics cards lol