color correction
 

Just started to learn color correction by a tutorial i found on the web.
I applied Hue/sat.,Levels,Curves,Brightness,Unsharp mask.

I looks better than original..on in my comp window,but sometimes when I encode the file to MPEG2 burn it and watch on TV is either too bright or some places too dark.

I just cant really tell when the correction is right.What is your workflow??

What software are you using? When you color correct an image and encode it to another format it may have a different color space than the image your coming from which would mean your image will look different. It is a good Idea to use a reference monitor to preview your image in the NTSC colorspace if that is your final output because computer screens show color differently and have different black levels.

Thanks.
I use After Effects for correction.Its possible to view on TV straight from AE??

Most NLE's have the ability to do a preview out to a tv hooked up to your video card but I am not sure about AE. If you are running it as a plugin through Premiere pro you should be able to preview it but this is just speculation as I dont use PPro.

Of course, though, your video card must have tv-out... assuming it does the quick and easy way is simply to output your entire desktop to tv, and look at it that way.

In any case, the ability to preview on an external TV is a MUST for color grading.

1- I wouldn't use the TV-out option from your video card... it may not necessarily be accurate. It may be affected by things like video card overlay settings.

2- Doesn't the latest version of AE have firewire out preview?

Yep, version 7 of AE has firewire preview jsut go to the video preview section of the preferences and change the preview from computer monitor to firewire.

What does this do ?

Do you need a TV monitor with an iLink/firewire connection ??

Use your camera to act as a "firewire to tv converter" the video comes out of AE through firewire to a deck or camera in VTR mode and plays on the lcd display of the camera, then from the camera use composite or s-video (if possible) to go from the camera to the tv. That way you see your AE comps as they would look on a tv.

Thanks !!!!!

No problem Lee

I heard composite video is better than S video, is this right?

another investment
 

Another very important investment you should make is a "spider" to calibrate your monitor. Pantone offers some cheap kits, they will help. If your TV or monitor is not calibrated properly then you will be color correcting blind, for you have no reference.

Also get the book Color Correction for Digital Video by Steve Hullfish. Great book.

I am pretty sure this is due to differences in gamma and levels. Simply put, you need to preview through a broadcast monitor (not computer).

No, S-Video is better than Composite.

Component is better than both of them though, maybe that's what you meant.