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Table Of Contents
22 Safe Colors
This chapter provides information about the Safe Colors feature of your Avid editing application.
Overview of Safe Color Limits
Safe Color Settings Options
Understanding the Graphical View of Safe Color Settings
Understanding Safe Color Warnings
Managing Safe Color Warnings
Making Adjustments to Achieve Safe Color Values
Safe Color Limits with Waveform and Vectorscope Information
Working with the Safe Color Limiter Effect
Overview of Safe Color Limits
Your Avid editing application can warn you when the color values in your sequence fall outside
of a range that you specify. Your Avid editing application can also limit all or part of your
sequence to the safe color range that you specify. Your Avid editing application lets you set three
different types of safe color limits — for the composite signal range, for the luminance range,
and for the RGB gamut.
Typically, safe color limits are useful to ensure that your sequence stays within a range of values
acceptable for broadcast or for additional processing such as DVD encoding, or more generally
to ensure that colors display well on television screens.
Most broadcasting companies set specific limits for the composite signal and the luminance
range. Programs that do not meet these limits are not normally accepted for broadcast. For
example, a typical set of limits for broadcast in the United States might restrict the composite
signal to a range from –20 IRE to 110 IRE and limit the maximum luminance to approximately
100 IRE..
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The composite signal for a program intended for broadcast should never exceed 120 IRE, which
is the highest level that can be broadcast.