Lack of color

Once again the color in our webcast stream is very dull. I don't think the problem is the signal; on my monitor it is fine. I'm using a communicator running at 500 kbps. Maybe the software converts the signal better?

We had the same problem in our Stake, but one of our Bishops had some experience with video production, and had us install either a -5dB or -10dB in-line module for the signal coming into the composite jack on the Webcast Communicator, and that seemed to make the color better. You might try tracking down something similar, and see if it helps.

OK, thanks, I'll look into that.

The camera has some lighting controls built in as well. The fluorescent light (in most chapels) makes people look washed out and dull. Optimizing the color settings of the cameras can help compensate for that. You can also ask FM to put a warmer colored light in the spotlights that shine on podium, too. That would help.

sammythesm wrote:You can also ask FM to put a warmer colored light in the spotlights that shine on podium, too. That would help.

Cameras do not deal well with mixed lighting colors. You want everything that will be shown on camera lit by the same color light. Otherwise you're going to end up with something like the speaker looking red and the choir green. But do take advantage of the camera's white balance.

I did forget to do a white balance; I was pressed for time. But the image looks fine on the monitors in the stake center, it is just the webcast that doesn't look good. I don't think the monitors are all adjusted weird but I will check.

A washed out picture can be caused by splitting a video signal instead of using a video distribution amplifier.

Another way to increase color is to close the iris of the camera and make the picture darker. Some cameras have an adjustment to compensate for spotlight situations, decrease video gain, iris compensation, etc.

Thanks. I wouldn't call the picture washed out, and the signal is never split except via a VDA. But I will play with the camera settings. But again, the picture is great on the local monitors, it's only the stream that has an issue.

Stake Conference weekend again. The color is still poor, not quite black and white but almost. We are now pulling the signal straight off the main distribution amplifier, so a weak signal can't be the issue. I also have a monitor hooked up to the same distribution amplifier and the color is fine on it.

We have a hardware communicator box and I tried the max 750 bit rate and it didn't help. In fact, I saw no difference whatsoever between the lowest (200) and the highest.

Where does the poor color first show up? Is it a receiver problem?

It's only evident on the receiving end of the webcast; it appears to be the same at all receiving locations.

Have you tried the other video inputs to the communicator?

How are the remote sites setup? Are they using VGA to the projector or something else?

I haven't tried the other video inputs, good idea.

The remote sites are using VGA to connect to the projector, but the lack of color is evident on the PC directly.

craiggsmith wrote:I haven't tried the other video inputs, good idea.

I'm eyeing that S-video input. S-video has separate luminescence and chroma lines. It looks to be an an alternate connector for "Input 1". Somehow it seems like a reasonable possibility that if mis-set or broken, you could end up with a situation where you'd have video with no color when using composite. Switching to a different input seems like a good test.