Basic video color management information ... which should be everywhere, but ain't.
Nearly all video media is recorded as Rec.709 media. That's a long-time standard. Between the written standards and pro broadcast delivery expectations, such media is to be used on systems with these display specs:
- Video sRGB color primaries.
- Rec.709 profile both for the camera transform function (think gamma curve) and the display transform function (typically Bt.1886).
- Display gamma for processing of 2.4 in a semi-darkened room, 2.2 in a bright room.
- Monitor brightness of 100 nits.
Premiere is hard-coded to be used on computer systems built to those specs. If you've got that, it's great. If you don't ... well, thar be dragons, matey! Um ... yea.
Most monitors do not come close to the above even when using their Rec.709 options, if they've got one. They will either do so at the monitor's full brightness which can be anywhere from 160nits to 400+ nits these days, or ... they'll have a "Rec.709" or "Dark mode" setting which is maybe 80 nits brightness. And I've not heard of a monitor that says it comes with dead-on Rec.709 profile actually even coming that close with a full-on test with say Lightspace color management/profiling app.
Windows isn't particularly fussy about adiding by any visual standards. So you have to set this up some yourself. And that's where using the puck/software profiling setup saves your bacon. If you run a good calibration with i1 Display Pro and set that ICC profile for the monitor, in a semi-darkened room, you'll get close enough to 'accurate' to get by on quite nicely.
Outside of that, it's ... dicey. Very, very dicey.
Now ... also understand ... nearly every video player and browser and streaming service will do it's own thing to "enhance the viewing experience" ... meaning mess with things so they're nowhere near "standards". Some browsers may work decently on say Windows but not so well on a Mac, with its very unique color utility. Others ... the reverse. Some swear by VLC and Potplayer, some prefer one or the other. On some systems QuickTime player is ok, on others, it's a complete joke.
The coming of HDR media is only helping things get murky, and it's doubtful at the moment that you're running any actual full-on HDR media. So we'll skip that for now.
Do read through now and watch the things I've listed in the first post. Some things won't make sense at first, but after reading/watching through they'll start to gel in your brain.
As the user, this is something you need to know enough about to 'fix' for yourself. And you can.
Neil
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