The standards for Rec.709 display transforms were set way back when flat screens first replaced the other CRT tube screens in the official addendum to the Rec.709 specs, called Bt.1886. This called for a "power law transform" essentially similar to a gamma of 2.4, be applied to the signal data prior to display.
Apple chose to use a display transform similar to gamma 1.96, but only on some Apple devices! The Apple machines that do not have Reference modes.
So thanks to Apple's decision, we have basically two groups of screens:
- Apple screens on Macs without Reference modes.
- All other screens including Macs with Reference modes, broadcast spec systems, most TVs, PCs, and Android devices.
Group 1 above uses a display transform roughly of gamma 1.96, but only in programs that allow ColorSync to 'manage' (or mangle, depending on your point of view) Rec.709 color. Such as QuickTime player, and Chrome and Safari.
VLC and Potplayer normally do not allow ColorSync to touch the image, so they normally give a decently close actual Rec.709 display of the image on machines like yours.
And VLC and Potplayer normally show you far closer to what all the screen in Group 2 above will see.
So you have two choices here:
- Set Premiere's Viewer gamma to 1.96, grade the file to taste, and export. It should look fairly similar in QuickTime player if you are on a Mac without reference modes.
- Set Premiere's Viewer gamma to 2.2, grade to taste, and export ... unless you grade in a controlled, darkened room, as pro colorists do, which is the only time gamma 2.4 should be chosen.
And understand if you choose option 1, your exports will look similar (but never, ever, the same!) on other Macs without Reference modes. BUT ... will be too dark and oversaturated on all screens of Group 2 above.
If you choose option 2, then ... your exports will appear light and low in saturation, compared to within Premiere, when viewed on Group 1 screens. BUT ... your exports will look similar to within Premiere on all screens in Group 2 above.
Pick your poison. There ain't no fix.
And understand ... no one ever under any circumstances, will see exactly what you saw on your screen. That is never ever possible. Colorists don't spend the vast sums on pro Reference monitors and spectros to calibrate them to get you to see what they saw ... as it ain't possible.
They grade under controlled viewing conditions on tightly calibrated and profiled screens, simply so that their exports, on all screens out there, will in relative terms, look like other professionally produced media on each screen.
And btw ... no one ever grades pro media for broadcast or streaming at gamma 1.96. Period. Nothing you have ever watched was graded to be seen with gamma 1.96. Has that been a notable problem for you?
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