Reds in my DVX are coming out pixelated...

RebelD

Well-known member
I'm having an issue with the color red with my DVX. I'm not sure if I hit a wrong setting or something but when I import any kind of footage with color red or a red shirt, it looks majorly pixelated. Can anyone help me out. I'm using Final Cut 6. Thanks
 
red is a dangerous color in dv. Is your saturation in cam cranked up (aka chroma)?
 
These are the settings that I always use

detail=-2
v detail=-1
detail coring=+2
chroma level=+2
chroma phase=0
color temp=0
master ped=-8
iris=-3
gama-cinelike d
knee=low
matrix=cinelike
skin tone=off
v detail freq=thin
24PA
 
If your reds are coming out you should just let them... some colors are just born gay, and you shouldn't repress them.. it will only make them and you blue.

(sorry but I couldn't help myself)
 
The simple answer is that it's a codec issue. The DV color space is limited and a saturated color like red will come out poorly.
 
Knock up your colour temp a couple of notches to cool down your image and supress the reds, and you could also desaturate the pic a touch by turning down the chroma level to around -2 or -3, which should also help chill the reds out a bit.
 
Actually this is an issue with dvx footage being captured as MOV. I have used both pc and mac to capture dvx footage and only the mov gives me blocky reds. AVI was always great.
 
Actually this is an issue with dvx footage being captured as MOV. I have used both pc and mac to capture dvx footage and only the mov gives me blocky reds. AVI was always great.

It's not a problem with Quicktime or .MOVs so much as it is a tradeoff. Quicktime doesn't smooth out DV because it holds up better over a longer post chain than if you smooth it out before and after every render. It's pretty easy to work around when you're making the final master though.
 
I am so surprised no one has just told him to use a chroma blur plug in....it always smooths out those terrible reds;)
 
Yea, red is out of the dvx's color space. I recently shot super 16, and lit with heaps of CTR and even had my lead in a red coat. It all looks perfect. So just once to do it shoot film, and have red all over your film. For now on the dvx, just stay away from it. I tried to desaturate my dvx footage that has red in it to draw attention away from the reds, it kinda works.
 
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It's not a problem with Quicktime or .MOVs so much as it is a tradeoff. Quicktime doesn't smooth out DV because it holds up better over a longer post chain than if you smooth it out before and after every render. It's pretty easy to work around when you're making the final master though.

You are absolutely right.
However, don't disregard my advice because i have used both Mac and PC to capture my footage, and i'll repeat what i already stated. If you want to avoid blocky reds, capture on PC, because i had NO issue with blocky reds when my footage was avi. I don't know how it's doing it or what it's doing to the footage in the process, but i don't really care for that. All i know is that he blocky reds were not present in avi.

nough said. Take it or leave it, that's the help i can offer.
 
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