Today I rediscovered this more than five year old solution from Buchel:

 

"If you have problems with slightly blurred titles in an HD project and you are shure you have set all settings correct (media creation and timeline quality) I have a solution for you.

Open the Console and Type: "HDTitleFilter"

This toggles the title "anti-alias-downscale" filter to off and your new created titles get crisp. You already have washy titles? Just recreate them. This is also for imported graphics with alpha. (Matte Keys)"

 

See the complete thread here.

 

I did a quick test and was surprised: This is still valid in 2017 with MC version 8.9.3

Is there any reasonable explanation why this filter is ON by default?

 

 

Yes! Wow you saved my life =)

Just remember this was put in for a reason - high frequency luma spikes that can cause QC failure.

Beware.  Check your final with good scopes.

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Jef

hi Jef-

I create PNG files from After Effects and bring them in, checking the levels so should be good, but thanks for your input!

Although with this hack, titles DO look sharper, there is something still not great about them - almost as if they are not properly anti-aliased for that sharpness.... I can't quite put my finger on it.  Regardless, the titles imported from After Effects look worlds better.  

Is there some sort of technical reason why native titles in all of Avid's software options are so much worse than After Effects?  It seems weird that the software can import amazing graphics but has never been able to create them. It just seems odd.

I would be curious if any high-end productions for telelvision ever use native Avid titles.  I have used them for TV, but it was at a non-high-end place where graphics were not a high priority. Seems like anything that would hit any major networks would all use Adobe or some other 3rd party?

AsafBlasberg:

hi Jef-

I create PNG files from After Effects and bring them in, checking the levels so should be good, but thanks for your input!

That is EXACTLY my workflow.  The Avid title tool is dead to me except for slates.

Jef

Yeah, it is sad about titles. NewBlue FX 5.0 is a titling program but it's very difficult to use and confusing

Thats not the case here in the UK. A lot of Broadcast content uses Avid Titles but I ahve to agree its really sad that the Avid solution hasn't evolved at all.

We had Marquee but it was overly complex for simple work and slow. Thats now sidelined and we have New blue but agin its complex and so so slow compared to Title tool for simple titles.

Using third party tools is what some people chose and After Effects is a popular choice but here AVid shoot themselevs in the foot. If you need After Effects then you will go for an Adobe subscription and then you have access to premiere and a tight After Effects Photoshop Premiere integration. And then you've lost an Avid customer.

 

Pat Horridge:

Using third party tools is what some people chose and After Effects is a popular choice but here AVid shoot themselevs in the foot. If you need After Effects then you will go for an Adobe subscription and then you have access to premiere and a tight After Effects Photoshop Premiere integration. And then you've lost an Avid customer.

Way too obvious Pat. 

Jef

Pat Horridge:

Thats now sidelined and we have New blue but agin its complex and so so slow compared to Title tool for simple titles.

IMO Avid should have struck a deal for a Fusion and Edit Connection option for ALL MC users.  Great Titling options. None of the Adobe subscription draw backs. Plus MANY additional FX benefits beside Titling.

Edit Connection is a supported MC plug-in with the full Fusion Studio version (now only $250 US).  This means that any $ value that could realistically be placed on making a fully functional Edit Connection available for Fusion Free / MC users would be significantly less than the other options currently offered by Avid.

Hi Andrew,

I don't know that product, but are you saying that any MC user today could get Fusion Studio for 250 USD and then use Edit Connection to access it from MC?

Job ter Burg:

Hi Andrew,

I don't know that product, but are you saying that any MC user today could get Fusion Studio for 250 USD and then use Edit Connection to access it from MC?

Andrew is absolutely right.

Still not as convenient as having a titling tool within MC, but a good alternative. One thing I particularly like about Avid's title tool was how easily you could alter the timing of a roller by simply changing the clip length on the timeline.

Wasn't the title tool one of the things on Avid's NAB list of things they were developing? I seem to remember the slide saying something about a next generation title tool launching around the middle of this year. Was that Newblue's offering or are we still waiting for Avid to deliver?

Hi Job,  Yes as Bruno posted Fusion Studio and Edit Connection work properly together with MC.  However I do need to correct my original posts pricing of $250 for Fusion Studio to the actual price of $299 (Apparently I should not always rely on memory these days )

In MC 8.8.0

Marquee-1 Tiff    High Quality render in MQ
                         Save all to bins as Prores HD

Marquee-2 Tiff    Low Quality render in MQ
                         Save all to bins as Prores HD

Marquee-3 Tiff    High Quality render in MQ
                         Save all to bins as DNxHD 100

TitleTool-1          Save title as Prores HD

TitleTool-2          Save title as DNxHD 100

TitleTool-3          Save title as 220x

Bring on the new MC Titler!

With the command HDTitleFilter to OFF, I can confirm the titles look extremely sharp, importing a PNG from After Effects to Avid. And the ability to re-import titles in case i need to change them is fantastic.  Yes, I hope Avid creates its OWN professional title tool ....