HDR Gamma control creates indow on upper left of the movie window

Kami_1 wrote on 10/21/2020, 12:01 AM

MEP 2021; graphics card Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB GDDR6; 32 GB Ram; 9th Gen. Intel I7, 8-core, on board audio

I've used the HDR Gamma tool many times but never saw this happen. It creates a window in the upper left quadrant, regardless of settings, and its affect appears only in this "window." It's difficult to see on the first two s-shots because all it did was make the evergreen branch, already light, lighter, and didn't touch the dark part. (In the s-shots, the reason it looks like more than the quadrant is affected is because I didn't select the entire window.)

Nothing in the Help file about this.

An unrelated problem I'm having is with the audio. I hit play, no sound, hit play again, have sound. This also happens in the Audio "fix" window.

Anyone else have these problems?

In case you can't see the jpg names, which are the settings:

1) Gamma 86; HDR Gamma 84, Blur 75, auto exposure on

2) Gamma 0; HDR Gamma 84, Blur 75, auto exposure on

3) Gamma 86; HDR Gamma 84, Blur 32, auto exposure off

4) HDR 70 - all other settings at "base"

5) HDR 70 - HDR Blur 72, all other settings at base

Kami

Comments

johnebaker wrote on 10/21/2020, 4:58 AM

@Kami_1

Hi Kami

I have had the same issue - see this topic.

So far I have not found out what is causing this, however the exports looks fine.

John EB

Kami_1 wrote on 10/21/2020, 4:52 PM

Not sure if I should reply here or the earlier post.

Regular HD videos here. Standard mode (Direct 3D, etc.)

Tried Compatability Mode. The entire monitor is covered, but it affects the entire monitor, not just the dark areas. When I switch back to Standard Mode, the upper left rectangle reappears.

When I use the tool in Standard mode and get the rectangle, then switch to Compat. mode, the rectangle disappears.

Does Magix Tech Support know about this issue?

Tried Intel UHD Graphics 360, the entire object (on the Timeline) blacked out.

Tried MS Basic Render Driver.... Crashed.

Re the audio problem, yes it exports correctly, but it's more difficult making the adjustments when I have to play everything twice.

Kami

CubeAce wrote on 10/21/2020, 5:11 PM

@johnebaker

Hi John.

Is that happening on your laptop? The one with the processor we were discussing in the other thread?

If so is it possible the Intel Graphics are just not powerful enough but trying to work?

Ray.

johnebaker wrote on 10/22/2020, 4:42 AM

@CubeAce

Hi Ray

. . . . Is that happening on your laptop? . . . .

This is on my main PC with the UHD 630.

I just checked the problem again on my PC, and the issue has gone since I updated the Intel drivers to the latest version.

@Kami_1 have you updated your Intel graphics driver to the latest version?

Which Intel i7 do you have, if it has a UHD 620 or 630 graphics chipset the latest version is 27.20.100.8853

HTH

John EB

Scenestealer wrote on 10/22/2020, 4:48 AM

Hi All

No problem here with HD530 and latest driver although my main display is connected to my GTX1060.

Peter

terrypin wrote on 10/22/2020, 7:50 AM

@Kami_1 @Kami_1 @Scenestealer @CubeAce

I recall issues with top left corner windows arising inexplicably many years ago. It's unlikely, but just in case it offers clues here's a thread from eight years ago, which on a quick read appeared to revolve around the Hardware acceleration setting.

EDIT: Sorry, forgot to include the 2012 thread. Here it is:

https://www.magix.info/us/forum/top-left-corner-problem-how-to-reproduce-or-avoid--885548/

Terry

CubeAce wrote on 10/22/2020, 9:57 AM

@terrypin

Hi Terry.

Where's the thread?😀

Ray.

Kami_1 wrote on 10/22/2020, 12:45 PM

@Kami_1 have you updated your Intel graphics driver to the latest version?
Which Intel i7 do you have, if it has a UHD 620 or 630 graphics chipset the latest version is 27.20.100.8853

HTH

John EB

Intel UHD Graphics 630.

9th Gen Intel Corp i7 9700 8-Core, 12 MB cache, up to 4.7 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology.

Kami

Kami_1 wrote on 10/22/2020, 1:12 PM

John and Terry ....

I had Hardware Accelerator turned on for plaback and encoding.

Guess what!!

I unchecked it for playback, and the rectangle is gone!! I closed and relaunched MEP, and the triangle is still gone. 😃😄🙃🙂

THANK YOU Terry!!

Kami

terrypin wrote on 10/22/2020, 1:43 PM

@terrypin

Hi Terry.

Where's the thread?😀

Ray.

@CubeAce

Sorry Ray, I forgot to include it, but have done so now.

Terry

johnebaker wrote on 10/22/2020, 4:07 PM

@terrypin

Hi Terry

I think this is a different issue as this is what it looked like. I have rechecked the project this occurred in -the issue has now disappeared after the Intel driver update, nothing else has changed.

John EB

Kami_1 wrote on 10/22/2020, 4:23 PM

Hi Terry

I think this is a different issue as this is what it looked like. I have rechecked the project this occurred in -the issue has now disappeared after the Intel driver update, nothing else has changed.

John EB

John, how do you have Hardware Accelerator for playback checked or unchecked? If checked, try unchecking it. That worked for me.

Kami

johnebaker wrote on 10/23/2020, 5:46 AM

@Kami_1

Hi Kami

. . . . how do you have Hardware Accelerator for playback checked or unchecked . . . .

Both were/are checked, I also did try unchecking as well however that made no difference.

Pleased to see you are sorted.

@Scenestealer

Hi Peter

. . . . No problem here with HD530 and latest driver although my main display is connected to my GTX1060 . . . .

Mine like wise, however the issue was present on both monitors connected to both GPU's, the only changes were the driver update.

John EB

Kami_1 wrote on 10/23/2020, 7:07 PM

Spoke too soon. Went back to the video today, and got this with HDR Gamma setting, regardless of setting of Hardware Accelerator/Play.

It's showing a quarter of the video, not a shrunk video. As soon as I set HDR Gamma to normal, the full screen shows.

It does export "normally." But I need to see the entire screen to use the tool!

Wondering if anyone has contact Magix tech support about this. When I show them a problem, they keep saying they can't replicate it.

Kami 😖👎

CubeAce wrote on 10/23/2020, 9:49 PM

@Kami_1

Hi Kami.

I admit I'm at a bit of a loss on this one. I don't think I'm fully aware as to what is being applied here or more precisely, how.

Could you possibly show another screen grab but of the whole MEP window showing an expanded view of the key editor like this one in case I'm missing something?

Forget adding info as I have done but do expand anything showing in the Key Editor please. You may have to expand the Key Editor Window down or up to achieve that.

Then maybe I can replicate the problem (or not, but with more confidence I'm trying to duplicate the same problem).

Ray.

Kami_1 wrote on 10/24/2020, 12:00 AM

Ray, here's the full program; the MEP monitor window is in second monitor. The one with 1/4 of the video screen is with a Gamma HDR setting; other one is with the HDR control at zero. Before I tried unchecking the Hardware Accelerator for playback, the entire monitor showed, but with the upper left quadrant was "masked" (as shown in my first s-caps at the beginning of this thread, along with my computer specs). Unchecking the Accelerator setting seemed to "fix" it. The next day I got the following, regardless of the Accelerator setting.

What I want to do is, of course, brighten only the bird. The evergreen branches are bright enough.

I hope these s-caps are useful.

CubeAce wrote on 10/24/2020, 4:55 AM

@Kami_1

Hi Kami.

Not exactly what I was looking for although enlarging the double screen shots to a size I could make out, the text in (Always useful) I think I may be seeing part of the problem.

From your screen grab, enlarged for me to try to see some detail in the text.

First I notice you have adjusted more than just the HDR Gamma. No matter. What I'm not seeing is any recording of the actions in the Key Frame Editor. That probably means that with no recording of the alterations there is nothing to apply when the project is next opened.

To show you what happens when I alter similar settings within my copy of MEP 2021.

First, no alterations.

Nothing has been applied. Nothing shows in the Key Editor.

Next I add an adjustment.

Immediately it is recorded in the Key Editor.

So I add more adjustments.

More is recorded for that clip in the key editor.

Why this is not happening for you I'm not sure but you also mentioned the use of masks and they are not being recorded either as far as I can see. Certainly there is no mention of masks on the clips themselves, which if the clip is long enough normally shows, but should also show up recorded in the Key Editor.

Ray.

johnebaker wrote on 10/24/2020, 5:11 AM

Hi Kami

For brightening the thrush, did try the normal Gamma with the Mid or Low option instead of the HDR Gamma?

Did you update the Intel drivers?

John EB

Kami_1 wrote on 10/24/2020, 5:03 PM

Cube. I looked at your s-caps. I don't use masks (don't even know how).

Is this what you wanted to see. It goes with the previous s-cap which shows one quarter of the image in the monitor.

Kami

Kami_1 wrote on 10/24/2020, 5:10 PM

Hi Kami

For brightening the thrush, did try the normal Gamma with the Mid or Low option instead of the HDR Gamma?

Did you update the Intel drivers?

John EB

Hi John,

The regular gamma tool helps, but doesn't give me the brightness I want of the Thrush (happy you can ID it!), as well as darken the surrounding evergreen branches which are too bright. I was able to do this in the older (2019) version, and frequently used the tools. Also, the Brightness tool rarely helps; the image fades too much. When I "play" with Brightness, Contrast and Gamma settings, I get something which looks more like a painting than an image, and it becomes too grainy.

Kami

CubeAce wrote on 10/24/2020, 5:37 PM

@Kami_1

Hi Kami.

Yes. That's what I wanted to check and seems normal. Thank you.

Unfortunately that means I have no idea what is going wrong.

Ray.

Kami_1 wrote on 10/24/2020, 5:52 PM

OK, thanks for trying.

CubeAce wrote on 10/24/2020, 5:52 PM

@Kami_1

Hi Kami.

However, if you have it, I find using the Hit Film Shadows and Highlights plug-in to be a more effective tool for this.

Scenestealer wrote on 10/24/2020, 6:13 PM

@Kami_1

When I "play" with Brightness, Contrast and Gamma settings, I get something which looks more like a painting than an image, and it becomes too grainy.

Just my ten cents worth:- In the case of your SShot picture - I would not use the contrast slider at all in conjunction with the HDR slider because it is trying to reduce the contrast by only raising the dark areas and leaving the bright areas, and if you then increase the Contrast slider then one adjustment is trying fight the other.

For further brightening in the mid to lows - in MEP you can only increase the Gamma (or "Low" gamma as @johnebaker has suggested) slider some more, and bring the highs down a fraction with the Brightness slider (no more than -5%) to gain any detail that is there in the overexposed areas.

In VPX you have a few more options to alter the balance using the (Gamma) Curves option to create S curves.

As you have found pushing the HDR control up too much usually brings up the noise too much and I never use more than 30% for that reason, as by that stage you are seeing about as much detail in the dark areas that actually exists due to the cameras lack of dynamic range.

Just a thought on you original problem of the 1/4 display - a while bck we had a problem with HDR causing the picture to go dark which appeared to be related to the effect not liking Direct X 11. Have you checked your Direct X is up to date? Strangely I found a workaround that made HDR work correctly and that was by applying a New Blue effect on the clip and then resetting the NB settings to "None". Worth a try.

Peter