Monday, December 01, 2008

Brightness Issues with H.264 QuickTime Movies

Chris Meyer | 12/01- 10:21 PM

Solutions - good and bad - to a long-standing problem.

If you haven’t encountered this problem yet, you will: QuickTime movies re-exported from applications such has QuickTime Player Pro using the H.264 codec (a common format for web content) appear brighter than the original in some contexts - such as inside QuickTime Player on the Mac, or on a web page viewed by Safari - but not in other contexts such as QuickTime Player on Windows, or the stripped-down QT Player inside After Effects.

Many attribute this to a bug introduced by use of a hidden, optional “gamma” tag (which is different than a full-blown color profile tag) inside QuickTime movies that is supposed to aid in cross-platform compatibility. Unfortunately, this tag is not exposed for the user to edit, and may be interpreted differently by different programs. It has been the cause of much grief among After Effects users employing color management, and has spread into the realm of web video.

I was recently bitten by this myself when I went to encode a batch of introductory video training movies going onto the DVD for the second edition of our book After Effects Apprentice. Everything worked fine two years ago when we did the first edition, but something has changed since then, and now the same settings produce unsatisfactory results:

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Liberating segregated HDTV sets

Allan Tépper | 11/26- 10:28 AM

Unfortunately, many of the latest-generation HDTV sets sold in the USA are segregated, but we can liberate them partially…

Unfortunately, many of the latest-generation HDTV sets sold in the USA are segregated, meaning that they cruelly block 50Hz signals on their video input. In some cases, they simply show no picture, while in others, they put up an unfriendly message stating: “Unsupported format”. However, as I explained in my recent comparative article on HD players, both AppleTV and WDTV fortunately liberate these segregated HDTV sets so that they can play 50Hz material (25p, 50p, or 50i) with no problem, along with ±60Hz material. My comment here regarding segregated HDTV sets refers to distribution, since for professional production and post-production, I highly recommend the use of professional HD monitors. So far, all of the professional HD monitors I have used personally or have researched are all free of segregation nonsense and play all desired signals.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Delivering review cuts with yousendit

Richard Harrington | 11/21- 06:44 PM

Easily send up to 2GB to clients via email

Richard Harrington examines how to deliver large files online with yousendit, at the ‘08 New Media Expo in Las Vegas.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

AppleTV, WDTV, or Blu-ray: Which one is best to distribute your HD project?

Allan Tépper | 11/20- 09:28 AM

Even if your HD project isn’t destined to be shown over the air, you’ll still want your client be able to play it on an HDTV set

Even if your HD project isn’t destined to be broadcast over the air, you’ll still want to have your client be able to play it on an HDTV set, not just on a computer. The good news is that you have several options to make that happen, including Blu-ray, AppleTV, and the brand-new WDTV device from Western Digital. During this transitional period, it is often the producer who influences the client as to which HD player to acquire. Many producers even incorporate the cost of one of these HD players in the project price and then give the device to the client “as a gift” with the first HD project, if the client doesn’t already own any HD player. It’s great to have options, but you must understand them fully (both their strengths and weaknesses) in order to pick one, two of them, or all of them, depending upon the exact format of HD you have produced, the hardware you own (or are willing to buy), the type of client, and the type of delivery. This article will help you learn the details that will help you make the appropriate decision.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Mobile Phone Distribution and HDTV with mDialog

Richard Harrington | 11/19- 06:36 PM

Turnkey solution for web deployment

Richard Harrington discusses the mDialog online video platform with Greg Philpott at the 2008 New Media Expo.

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

The End of the DVD Reel

Alan Shisko | 10/01- 10:53 AM

There. I said it. DVDs are done like dinner. Disappered like dodos. Disposed of like dirty dishes. Dissapated like disparaging alliterations that I’m now going to stop, please and thank you. Yes, I’ve burned my last DVD, and I’ll be a richer, more dynamic and connected man for it.

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