Saturation/contrast in rendered version

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Hi! I'm editing on my MacbookPro with Resolve 15 studio. I have noticed that the rendered output .mov file has less contrast (looks flatter) than the same frame appears on the edit/color page within Resolve. So I grade to arrive at the look I want in Resolve, but the output file does not match exactly. Apple Prores 4444 seems the flattest, H.264 has slightly more contrast, but still not identical to the in-app frame.

Ha anyone noticed this? Am I missing a setting somewhere in the deliver set-up? Or is this the Quicktime Player?

Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Andrew

it's quicktime player, do a search on the forums for more info

Thanks Tom...I also saw some information here about setting the LUT's for output viewer in project settings and so I'm looking into all of that as soon as my laptop monitor is recalibrated.
Thanks!
Andrew

I just VLC instead as QT and the flatness is identical to QT...so I think I have to go back to monitor calibration and investigate the project settings for out put to make sure the delivered file is a true representation of the file in Resolve. Does that sound logicaL

Thanks,
Andrew

Nope, I'm sorry.....it's a Resolve setting. I edited the same video file in PremPro, out put to H.264 and Apple ProRes...the output files are indistinguishable from the edit frame within the program.

Any other suggestions - which setting(s) could be the problem here?
Andrew

Render the file in Resolve, then import it to Resolve and check the scopes against the same frame of the project. If it's the same, then your players are wrong.

try enabling/disabling the "use mac display color profiles for viewers" in the system config.

Also judging a grade in the gui isn't the best idea, which I'm sure you've heard - but I understand if that is your situation.

And to repeat advice given many times in the past:

Read page 1885 of the Resolve 15 manual: "Limitations When Grading With the Viewer on a Computer Display." This goes into some detail why you cannot accurately monitor directly from the computer and operating system. You have to have a color-managed output, like one from a Blackmagic display card, preferably on a calibrated external Rec709 display.

As a test, place a second or so of SMPTE color bars (and/or gray scale) at the head of the file, bring that back into Resolve, and check both files on the scopes. They should be identical. If the scope readings are identical, then the pictures will be identical. Without test signals, it's guesswork.

Don't try to make judgements on uncalibrated GUI displays. That will lead down a perilous road of pain and suffering. And if you do look at anything in the GUI display, don't compare it to what you see coming out of the color-managed Resolve output (aka "the hero display").

Thanks everyone for the input (no pun intended!)

Disabling the Use Mac Color Profiles had the immediate effect...now the viewer in Resolve matches the output as displayed by QT and VLT players.

I agree that using a "Blackmagic display card, preferably on a calibrated external Rec709 display" would be an ideal solution, I don't have the funds for that.

At least now, I can grade to what my output will be.

Thanks again.
Andrew