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Guillaume30883528kcuh
Participant
March 4, 2025

P: “Viewer Gamma” Settings Affect Exported Video

  • March 4, 2025
  • 10 replies
  • 1128 views

"viewer gamma" settings dont act the same wether a clip color space is unchanged or not

 

  • Adobe Premiere Pro version number: 25.1.0 (build 73)
  • Operating system : macOS sequoia 15.3.1
  • System Info:

    • Apple M2 MacBook air

    • 3,5 GHz apple GPU 10

    • 16Go DDR5 RAM

    • Hard Drive 1To

  • Video format: any image media
  • Workflow details: any project, any sequence
  • Steps to reproduce - (Very important!)

    I'm french so excuse my english please.

    Place any image media clip with rec709 2.4 profile (video, png, jpg...) on a timeline (any settings)

    select the clip
    In the lumetri color settings panel :
    Display color management is on

    working color space : rec709

     

    Set the "source clip" section on "use media color space" (so rec709)

    "viewer gamma" on 2.4

     

    export the clip as an h264 file (any settings) this is FILE 1A
    change "viewer gamma" to 1.96
    then Image should look different inside Premiere's program monitor
    export the clip as an h264 file (any settings) this is FILE 1B

    Now Set the "source clip" section on "override Media Color Space" and select sRGB (for instance)Same pattern of export :
    Set "viewer gamma" to 2.4
    export the clip as an h264 file (any settings) this is FILE 2A
    Set "viewer gamma" to 1.96
    This time image should not undergo any change of look inside Premiere program monitor
    export the clip as an h264 file (any settings) this is FILE 2B
  • Expected result - "viewer gamma" should not change the actual gamma correction of exported files even if we override some media color spaces, since it seems meant to be a monitoring setting. HOWEVER, it woulb be very nice to be able to apply a gamma correction on a timeline (wich would apply on exportted files)
  • Actual resul
    FILE 1A and FILE 1B look the same, same luminance, even with different viewer gamma set in Premiere
    FILE 2A and FILE 2B look differents, shift of luminance, because of different viewer gamma set in Premiere

    SUMMARY :Viewer gamma set on 2.4 or 1.96 change the look of images inside premiere's display but does not affect the exported file.

    EXCEPT

    if for some reason we want to override media color space of the clip (here set to sRGB instead of rec709) then we get in the reverse situation : changing "viewer gamma" from 2.4 to 1.96 won't do anything in premiere display, but the exported files will be different.

    It seems like overriding color space of the media is applied after the gamma viewer correction, wich is very weird logic to me.

    Am I missing something ?

    10 replies

    R Neil Haugen
    R Neil Haugen
    Legend
    August 20, 2025

    For the graphics issue, simply use the Settings tab Override-to option to set that to HLG or probably any log option.

    Everyone's mileage always varies ...
    G
    gcc36773400
    Participating Frequently
    August 20, 2025

    I just have this same issue. and one more issue which is unable to create white caption in a sequence. under a seqence with output tone mapping, as the white color in graphic will be converted to grey, around 70 IRE.

     

    I hope premiere will have some option for output tone mapping. For now there is no control for sequence output tone mapping which create some issue in color management.

    G
    gianniw27226249
    Known Participant
    May 31, 2025

    I’ve got another problem: one video was exported using Viewer Gamma Web, and the other with Viewer Gamma QuickTime — but despite that, the black levels in both videos look exactly the same when viewed in QuickTime. In the past, it was ALWAYS the case that I could use this method to correct that annoying gamma shift, depending on which platform I was rendering for.

    R Neil Haugen
    R Neil Haugen
    Legend
    May 31, 2025

    First, understand that no two screens will ever show the same image ... even two "identical" monitors, heavily calibrated, sitting side-by-side fed an identical image from a Decklink card. As has been demonstrated time and again. By the time you allow for every panel being slightly different at manufacturing, the differences in hardware built around that panel, the firmware involved, the different operating systems and setups and all of the playback device, it's totally bonkers what any one screen will actually show.

     

    And pro colorists (yes, I teach same) are taught no one will ever, in any delivery process, see the same image you do.

     

    There isn't any "everyone gonna see exactly this" possible. Ok, now that we have that truth stated, let's get to your post.

     

    The viewer gamma is not applied to the file at export ... as no gamma is applied at export. Changing viewing gamma only changes the gamma used within Premiere's program monitor in sending the image to the screen in Premiere. So after changing viewing gamma, did you re-correct the image in Premiere before export? As if you didn't, of course nothing in the image file would be different.

     

    Changing viewer gamma only changes the view of the image, in Premiere, as it changes the gamma used to display the image. You then need to modify the image color/tonal corrections after setting viewing gamma. That is what gets exported ... the file as newly corrected.

     

    If Apple had simply followed proper, long-established/published standards for Rec.709-Bt.1886 video display in ColorSync, we wouldn't have this mess.

     

    Qt Player, on Macs without Reference modes with that set to HDTV, will use essentially gamma 1.96 to display SDR video. The standard is supposed to be gamma 2.4, which actually, VLC and Potplayer will use on those Macs.

     

    Macs with Reference modes set to HDTV, and virtually all other screens PC/broadcast-compliant/Android/TVs ... will use the gamma 2.4 of the expected standard.

     

    And "web is 2.2" ... yes, for stills with the sRGB color space. Nearly all monitors/devices will use the 2.4 for Rec.709 video files.

    Everyone's mileage always varies ...
    R Neil Haugen
    R Neil Haugen
    Legend
    April 25, 2025

    I haven't been able to replicate this. It shouldn't be an issue, and it's good to hear they are checking into why it happens some times.

    Everyone's mileage always varies ...
    G
    Guillaume30883528kcuhAuthor
    Participant
    April 25, 2025

    Hi @R Neil Haugen 

    I know it should set "the program monitor gamma.... period"

    But sometimes it doesn't.

    This is the very point of this topic actually

      Ckun
      Community Expert
      CkunCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      April 24, 2025

      Hi jamieclarke

       

      Thank you for answering my question.
      I hope this issue will be resolved soon.

      Ckun
      Community Expert
      CkunCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      April 23, 2025

      お世話になります。日本語での投稿にて失礼致します。

       

      ビューアガンマの設定は、ビューアの表示のみに影響するものだと思います。

       

      しかし、シーケンスの出力カラースペースと異なるカラースペースのクリップを使用すると、ビューアガンマの設定が出力に影響します。

       

      再現の手順

      1. Rec. 709のシーケンスを作成します。
      2. Rec. 709のクリップと、それ以外のカラースペースを持つクリップ（HLGの動画やsRGBの静止画など）をシーケンスに載せて、左右に並べます。
      3. ビューアガンマの設定を変更すると、Rec. 709ではない方のクリップのトーンが変化します。

       

      期待される結果は、ビューアガンマの設定値は出力される映像に影響を及ばさず、ビューアの表示のみに適切に反映される状態です。

       

       

      検証に使用した環境はこちらです。

      MacBook Pro 13-inch, M1, 2020, macOS 15.4.1, Premiere Pro v25.2.1

       

      再現テストの様子の動画ファイルを添付します。

       

      Prec. 709のシーケンス上で、左にRec.709のクリップ、右にHLGのクリップを配置しています。ビューアガンマの設定を変更すると、Lumetriスコープの動きから分かる通り、右のHLGのクリップのトーンが変化してしまいます。

       

      なお、Lumetriスコープにて、RAMP信号からトーンの変化が読み取りやすいよう、意図的に入力トーンマッピングはOFFにしております。

       

      この現象は意図しないものではないかと思うのですが、いかがでしょうか。

       

      よろしくお願いいたします。

        R Neil Haugen
        R Neil Haugen
        Legend
        April 23, 2025

        The viewer gamma sets the Program monitor's internal display transform for gamma 1.96, 2.2, or 2.4 at your choice.

         

        I can't be sure, but it looks like you're using the Program monitor, and what little I can tell of your provided clip, the whole image looks like it is changing. As it should.

         

        Because it sets the Program Monitor's display gamma ... period. The Program monitor cannot show two different color spaces at the same time. It is one or the other.

        Everyone's mileage always varies ...
        G
        Guillaume30883528kcuhAuthor
        Participant
        March 5, 2025

        Hi Jamie

        I didnt notice the big shift at 2.2.

        The problem with my kind of edits is that its mixing different sources of medias with multiple color spaces. So when setting the viewer gamma to 1.96 (in order to export preview for  my clients who are macOS users), some clips would keep the look I see in Premiere and some others wont (those with color space override).

        Thanks for your answer though, I hope it would be fix soon because its a very tough issue for color managing

        jamieclarke
        Community Manager
        jamieclarkeCommunity Manager
        Community Manager
        March 4, 2025

        Hi @Guillaume30883528kcuh -   We are aware of this issue. When using the Auto Detect Log Video feature and tonemapping to Rec. 709, a gamma shift may occur when exporting with "Viewer Gamma" set to 1.96, 2.2, or 2.4, with the most noticeable shift occurring at 2.2. As a workaround, set “Viewer Gamma” to 1.96 or 2.4 before exporting.

          Kevin J. Monahan Jr.
          Community Manager
          Kevin J. Monahan Jr.Community Manager
          Community Manager
          March 4, 2025

          Hi @Guillaume30883528kcuh,

          Thanks for the post and welcome to the forum. I am Kevin from Support, a mod here. I appreciate you filing the bug report and providing all the details here. I hope the team will answer you shortly. Sorry for the problem.

           

          Thanks,
          Kevin

           

          Kevin Monahan - Sr. Community and Engagement Strategist – Adobe Pro Video and Audio
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