I'm currently using WinAVI Video Converter to convert HD 720p or greater MKV files to WMVs. I have it so that WinAVI will invoke FFDShow to do the conversions. What I have noticed is that the converted WMVs seem to be slightly darker than the original MKVs, especially with those MKV files which are HDDVD/BluRay rips, and was wondering what settings I can adjust in FFDShow to have the WMVs looking a little bit brighter? The converted WMVs make it seems as though there is a thin layer of a slightly dark tint on my TV screen. I'm looking at the Picture Properties settings section of the FFDShow and I think I can play around with the Luminance gain/offset, which are contrat/brightness respectively. There's also Gamma correction as well. But I have no idea as to about how much I should increase to bring the WMVs to look just slightly brighter than they currently end up being. Any input or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
If you select preview in WinAVI you can play around with those settings you mentioned and get them just right.
One thing I always get confused is the difference between contrast and brightness. If I wanted to make my converted WMVs from the MKVs appear a bit brighter, which should I be paying more attention to? Contrast? Brightness? Thanks.
I always think of contrast as the difference between the lightest and darkest parts of the picture. If the contrast is too low, the image looks flat and dull. If it is set about right, the picture looks alive and full of "punch". If it is set too high you get what photographers used to call a "soot and whitewash" effect. The brightness setting affects both the dark and light parts of the image. In TV engineering it is called the "black level" setting. If you have the brightness set too high, the black parts of the picture look too pale, and the light parts look washed out and detail is lost. It is best to find out by experiment what settings are best, and to only make small changes at a time. Don't put all your eggs in one basket - if you want to pep up a flat looking image try a small contrast adjustment and a small brightness adjustment rather than just relying on one or the other. Anyway that's my 2 cents worth.
