Export a file to HDD 24p 1080 WITHOUT application of limited NTSC color range

[Harpers Tate]

Input file is is 1080p 60fps.

I want to export this at 23.976p 1080p so as to make use of the frame blending feature of APE14 and ghet a full HD progressive file.

However every export format I have tested appears to select (without any option to change it) the limited NTSC color and brightness range and they play back with grey blacks and muted colors.  The (old) NTSC color palette isn't relevant to nor necessary for full HD.

Is there any way to persuade APE14 to export with the full color range at full HD 23.976p?

[Bill Sprague]

Can you post your output settings?  A screen shot or two would be helpful.  

[Harpers Tate]

Well, for example

but I have got the same artefact with umpteen different variations; different codec presets, custom values, AVCHD, etc.

[Harpers Tate]

Actually I had a brainwave this morning and decided to try running the entire project again as a PAL project, with the intention to slow it down to 23.976 fps using another tool afterwards.  And I note that this isn't a PAL vs NTSC issue at all since, even running PAL HD (50) it still renders the output with the same limited color palette and "look".  So still unsolved.    Since I have made no adjustments to the source in the project (except some editing together of two clips and interpreting the footage at a higher frame rate to compensate for the later reduction in another app) I'd have thought there should be no change to the "look" in the output.

This is an extract of the MediaInfo page for one of the sources:

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.2
Format settings : CABAC / 4 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames : 4 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 2 h 1 min
Bit rate : 19.1 Mb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 60.000 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.154
Stream size : 16.2 GiB (98%)
Writing library : x264 core 157 r2945 72db437
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=1 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=hex / subme=2 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=0 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=0 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=0 / threads=12 / lookahead_threads=4 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=1 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=25 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=10 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=7.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Color range : Full
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
Codec configuration box : avcC

Perhaps APE isn't importing this "right"?

[Bill Sprague]

Harpers,

I thought I might be able to see something obvious.  I don't.  Worse, having never had any "limited color palette and 'look' " issues myself, I don't know what to offer.