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J
jis_ks
Participant
August 22, 2025
Answered

Premiere Timeline looks different than original clip and exported clip

  • August 22, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 398 views

Hi guys I got a new job and I'm using a Macbook Pro. For my own business I use a PC.
(Not sure it's relevant)

I'm having an issue where the Macbook Premiere export has less contrast and the colors seem a bit different particularly in the reds/magentas vs the export.

This is with a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 using D-LogM.

The left photo is the export and the right photo is the premiere timeline.

The first clip of the flowers and building (not log profile):
I have tested this with the raw clip comparing it the raw clip to the clip exported in premiere and also in premiere timeline.
I found that the raw clip and the raw clip exported look the same, but in the premiere timeline it has more contrast.

The 2nd clip of the horse:
You can see there is less contrast in the export and the skin tones seem different.

The 3rd clip is probably the best to compare:
That is the raw clip on left vs the raw clip in Premiere timeline.

I am working in a rec.709 workspace everything should be default on the Macbook since it's a fresh install.

I can provide more photos if that helps.

Correct answer R Neil Haugen

Ancient issue, by now. But sadly still here.

 

I assume you are checking Premiere's exports by viewing them outside of Premiere on a Mac without Reference modes set to HDTV, and in an amateur viewer like QuickTime player?

 

Because for some reason, Apple chose to set their ColorSync utility to use a wrong display transform for Rec.709 media. Seriously ... and as someone who works for/with/teaches pro colorists, many of whom are total Mac geeks, this has been infuriating for the last seven years or so.

 

Their color manglement utility (not a miss-spelling, intentional rephrasing there) ... uses essentially gamma 1.96, rather than the required gamma 2.4, as given in the specs for Rec.709/Bt.1886 video display transforms.

 

And you caught another issue ... not only do they use the wrong display gamma, they also didn't properly remap Rec.709's sRGB color primaries within the monitor's native P3 color space. Their chose display for Rec.709 video is off on both counts.

 

Hence any app that allows Apple's ColorSync to manage color, actually mangles Rec.709 video. Which include QuickTime Player, and the Chrome and Safari browsers.

 

Instead, use the VLC or Potplayer video players, which do not allow ColorSync to control display tranforms and use the correct transform/hue-remapping to the monitor. And Firefox browser.

 

This is only an issue on Macs that do not have Reference modes, set to HDTV. As Macs with Reference modes set to HDTV will use the correct display transform.

 

As will all other screens and devices.

 

Your PC uses the correct display transform ... as will most Android devices, all broadcast systems, and nearly all TVs.

 

No professional broadcast media is graded with the expectation of the (essentially) gamma 1.96 used by Apple's ColorSync utility. Period.

 

You can use the Viewer Gamma option in Premiere to set Premiere's internals to gamma 1.96 for the Program and Source monitors. Then when you color correct under that, you will get a simllar view in QuickTime player on that Mac.

 

But all viewers on correctly setup systems, including all broadcast compliant systems, and the vast majority of PCs, Android, and TVs, will see a very dark and over-saturated image.

 

Yea, it's a mess. But again, no professional broadcast/streaming is prepped at gamma 1.96. It's all done under gamma 2.4. You didn't notice this on that Mac though, I'll bet. What your screen is, is what you expect is correct, for most people.

1 reply

R Neil Haugen
R Neil HaugenCorrect answer
Legend
August 22, 2025

Ancient issue, by now. But sadly still here.

 

I assume you are checking Premiere's exports by viewing them outside of Premiere on a Mac without Reference modes set to HDTV, and in an amateur viewer like QuickTime player?

 

Because for some reason, Apple chose to set their ColorSync utility to use a wrong display transform for Rec.709 media. Seriously ... and as someone who works for/with/teaches pro colorists, many of whom are total Mac geeks, this has been infuriating for the last seven years or so.

 

Their color manglement utility (not a miss-spelling, intentional rephrasing there) ... uses essentially gamma 1.96, rather than the required gamma 2.4, as given in the specs for Rec.709/Bt.1886 video display transforms.

 

And you caught another issue ... not only do they use the wrong display gamma, they also didn't properly remap Rec.709's sRGB color primaries within the monitor's native P3 color space. Their chose display for Rec.709 video is off on both counts.

 

Hence any app that allows Apple's ColorSync to manage color, actually mangles Rec.709 video. Which include QuickTime Player, and the Chrome and Safari browsers.

 

Instead, use the VLC or Potplayer video players, which do not allow ColorSync to control display tranforms and use the correct transform/hue-remapping to the monitor. And Firefox browser.

 

This is only an issue on Macs that do not have Reference modes, set to HDTV. As Macs with Reference modes set to HDTV will use the correct display transform.

 

As will all other screens and devices.

 

Your PC uses the correct display transform ... as will most Android devices, all broadcast systems, and nearly all TVs.

 

No professional broadcast media is graded with the expectation of the (essentially) gamma 1.96 used by Apple's ColorSync utility. Period.

 

You can use the Viewer Gamma option in Premiere to set Premiere's internals to gamma 1.96 for the Program and Source monitors. Then when you color correct under that, you will get a simllar view in QuickTime player on that Mac.

 

But all viewers on correctly setup systems, including all broadcast compliant systems, and the vast majority of PCs, Android, and TVs, will see a very dark and over-saturated image.

 

Yea, it's a mess. But again, no professional broadcast/streaming is prepped at gamma 1.96. It's all done under gamma 2.4. You didn't notice this on that Mac though, I'll bet. What your screen is, is what you expect is correct, for most people.

Everyone's mileage always varies ...
    J
    jis_ksAuthor
    Participant
    August 22, 2025

    Thank you. Between your response and some on reddit I have a much much better understanding.

    This was also a great video that might be worth using if you didn't want to explain all the time to people like me lol.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ8VY9aWUfE&t

    R Neil Haugen
    R Neil Haugen
    Legend
    August 23, 2025

    I do find that although he generally explains things well, he did miss one rather crucial bit.

     

    When he says that Apple is actually applying the correct display transform according to the original Rec.709 specs, that is bluntly wrong.

     

    Why?

     

    The original Rec.709 specs did not include a display transform function nor reference such a thing.

     

    Why?

     

    Because at the time, all monitors were CRT tech, which had a totally common response to signal levels. No display transform was even possible with that tech. All monitors would display the same tonal curve to the image signal. Chrominance might vary but the general tonal curve was simply provided via the tubes producing the image.

     

    When flat-screen LED monitors came out, the image on those didn't match the CRT monitors. And Bt.1886 was appended to the Rec.709 specs to make the image 'the same' on flat screens or CRTs.

     

    What was the gamma 1.96 figure for?

     

    Gamma 1.96 was clearly specified in the original Rec.709 specs as the camera encoding transform.

     

    Gamma 1.96 was never, ever used by anyone or anything as a display transform.

     

    Premiere, to most colorists I know, actually does a decent job of displaying proper Rec.709/Bt.1886 media on the Mac P3 monitors if you have Display Color Management and viewing gamma 2.4 both set in you Premiere preferences.

     

    Although if you are working in normal room light for doing color corrections, by the Rec.709 specs! ... you should actually set Premiere's viewing gamma to 2.2, as that is specified for "bright-room color corrections."

     

    The details for this are deep, well specified ... including the exact environment color correction should be done under for broadcast. Which is a pretty dark room, brightness in LUX specified, with all visible walls a totally neutral gray (this value tightly specified!) ... and a bias light between the monitor and the 'back' wall, such that there is a slight lightening, to the colorist, around the reference monitor. The exact value of this is also specified.

     

    My "suite" is compliant with broadcast specs. But then, I work for/with/teach pro colorists, both in Premiere and Resolve ... so this is something I need to know and to follow precisely.

    Everyone's mileage always varies ...
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