What’s the consensus on using the ColorSync Compatible button on export. It makes the image look right in QT player, but after reading a ton about 1-1-1 to 1-2-1 i’m even more confused than ever. Use it for viewables but not deliverables, don’t use it at all, or use it all the time ? ugh. Thanks -M
I use it all the time.
I use it all the time.
Mainly because grading QuickTimes are tagged 1-2-1 as well.
In my opinion, professional software and stations ignore nclc completely like you need to tag your QuickTimes in flame manually.
Therefore it’s more for clients watching in color sync active players.
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If the grade I’m confirming is tagged 1-2-1, I’ll use it. If not, I don’t.
If my bg is a ProRes encoded as 1-2-1, I’ll use it. If not, I don’t.
It’s a pain in the ass. Because there is not “a right” mode. Sometimes I receive QT exported from resolve as 1-1-1 and sometimes as 1-2-1. The annoying is once the QT is exported by the colour “artist” , it’s marked like the “right one”, we have to mach it , because if not , then “you are exporting wrongly” . And then I wanna kill, kill everybody.
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Thanks for the replies. I’ve been going with what resolve gives me. The interwebs is filled with the “right” way resolve should be set up so they can match 1-1-1 to what they see in resolve, 1-2-1 won’t be accepted for broadcast, bla bla bla. It’s confusing. I did come across a this though which is kinda interesting: QuickTime Colour Management on Vimeo
Hehe new macbooks have a reference 709 mode that requires 1-1-1 quicktimes to work correctly .
So throw all the things out of the window, the king is dead long live the king.
I usually do this;
-Send 1-2-1 versions named “MacOS Softproof”.
-Send 1-1-1 as actual masters.
- send huge email explaining why and how- usually nobody dares to question and everyone is so confused they just take it.
But I also ask for a M1max/Pro to review on trying to get i to their heads that their macbook air from 2012 might not be good enough
But then Rec709 and sRGB are made for CRTs so why do we even adhere to these ancient standards in the first place? 
To add more confusion: Resolve default behaviour has changed with recent versions, it used to be timeline colorspace is rec709 gamma 2.4 by default (and the export tag in resolve by default is derived from the project timeline colorspace). and now its set to rec709(scene) by default which is 1-1-1
Also: Resolve CAN and WILL read the nclc tags when you are in colormanaged mode. you can override it of course…
Great job Apple 10/10…
I am struggling with this as well. I am hoping the following brings some clarity to this thing. I feel like these were key stumbling points in my understanding of the issue.
If you get 1-2-1 to work with and clients will be comparing your work to elements supplied to you, and viewing them all in quicktime, then you want to export 1-2-1 so things match in quicktime as they view it on their machines. A 1-1-1 export will look brighter than a 1-2-1 but only in quicktime.
It does note affect the footage if you bring it back in, the NLC tag only affects playback in quicktime. I think everybody knows this, but thought I would mention it.
If the colorist sends you 1-1-1 the whole issue goes away in my opinion.
And, in light of the fact that the new macs apparently display the color correctly without the 1-2-1 tag as per @finnjaeger’s post in this thread - let’s walk away from 1-2-1 altogether, shall we? And for the macs that don’t display it properly, well, maybe they can turn down their brightness until they get a new mac…?
I think I understand that phones and tablets and even different browsers can respond to 1-2-1. Stop me if you know this. I barely do.
Is there such a thing as a plug-in for quicktime? If so, is there one that can be found or made to view 1-2-1 if you need it? This sounds like the way to fix this crap.
And this: (Again, from what I understand) Exporting any clip through any adobe product will ONLY result in a 1-1-1 clip. So don’t expect it to be there if you make your OLV versions in Media Encoder. Anyone? Bueller?
If you wanted to get crazy, you could insist on only 1-1-1 I guess?
Thanks for letting me scribble my ramblings here.
Peace.
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this is not the case all platforms re-encode for web viewing, so you always see 1-1-1.
On macOS is effected by this, mot iOS not iPad OS, on fact only thumbnails of videos are colormanaged… not the video itself
the rest checks out
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That is huge. Thanks so much.
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The only rule to really live by is this…
If the colorist gives you ProRes, check the tags.
If it’s 1-1-1, import normally and export with ColorSync off.
If it’s 1-2-1, import normally and export with ColorSync on.
that is all.
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Hi All,
Just read through all of this…question for you…right now I am exporting QT 4444 and in the movie inspector on QT I am seeing my movie is a 1-2-1 (fine, no worries there)…let’s just say I wanted this to be exported as 1-1-1…how does one export to make it so?
Exporting from Flame?
Try unchecking “ColorSync Compatible” in the Advanced Options when you export.
-Ted
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Hi Ted, thanks for the reply- I did try unchecking ColorSync as I was sure this too would be the culprit. Last project I was working on, and all my color was 1-1-1 so its a bit mysterious. I’ll try reverting to that project to see what could be different in the metadata for those clips that might be different from what or how I’ve currently ingested my footage.
Make sure you check the status of the coloursync button AFTER you select the codec for export especially if you have a saved export preset.
if you have a pattern to reproduce the problem please open a support ticket with the your recipe. I was not able to replicate such behavior using Flame 2025 with Foreground / Background Export and loading / editing presets before / after codec selection.
i think he ment if you turn off the colorsync button then switch rpesets the colrosync button stays with the preset so might be accidentially turned back on happend to me a few times.
(i once again ask you to remove this button and give us a dropdown to select the tags :-D)
also the default prores preset says finalcut which does not read these wrong 1-2-1 rec709 tags anyways.
the correct tag for rec709 output is 1-1-1 .
media encoder strips the 1-2-1 and makes mp4s 1-1-1 anyways, no?
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yes , as do all the web platforms (youtube… vineo… frameIO) , usually they only allow 3 different tags.
rec709 / PQ-HDR and HLG.
because those are realistically the only 3 formats ((ignoring rec601 and SDR)) that anyone should deliver files in for consumer viewing, rec709-gamma 2.4 doesnt “exist” as a standard, thats also why there isnt a tag for it but 2 means “unknown” and then it falls back to old gamma atom.
“colorsync compatible” actually does a LOT more than just tagging stuff as 1-2-1 it will also choose p3d65 and hdr and whatever else you export as as the metadata tag.
A better name would be “set nclc metadata” or something and I have no idea why the finalcur preset specifically would have that on … and then yes everyone working in sdr gets their files tagged like garbage by default… so thats not great.
The default flame GUI viewer and the default export behaviour are both imho wrong - especially for XDR displays.