Answers.Body: <p>You can use <a href="http://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.html#Simple-filtergraphs" rel="nofollow">simple filtergraphs</a> easily with <code>ffplay</code>.</p>
  
  <p>Example using <a href="http://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html#colorlevels" rel="nofollow">colorlevels</a> filter in <code>ffplay</code>:</p>
  
  <pre><code>ffplay -vf colorlevels=rimax=0.902:gimax=0.902:bimax=0.902 input.mp4
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Then you can use the same filter in <code>ffmpeg</code>:</p>
  
  <pre><code>ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf colorlevels=rimax=0.902:gimax=0.902:bimax=0.902 -c:a copy output.mp4
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>This example will <a href="http://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.html#Stream-copy" rel="nofollow">stream copy</a> the audio.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-02-26T23:44:17.330Z
Answers.Text: Thanks for the help. "colorlevels" as used above or even raised to 1 made no difference, but did the job: "-vf lutyuv=y=val*1.5"
Answers.UserDisplayName: Gulbahar
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-02-26T23:46:07.520Z
Answers.Text: @Gulbahar The values used in my example were probably too subtle (I was lazy and just copied an example from the documentation); you would have needed to lower the values for a greater effect. However, it's good you found an alternative: there are several filters that can brighten the video.
Answers.UserDisplayName: llogan
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-02-26T23:04:18.337Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-02-26T23:04:18.337Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: llogan
Body: <p>I have a video which is a bit dark that I'd like to re-encode and brighten up with ffmpeg.</p>
  
  <p>As a smarter/faster alternative to running ffmpeg in trial/error mode, is there a way to simply use ffplay to find how much to brighten things up, before running ffmpeg with the same settings?</p>
  
  <p>"ffplay -h" returns so much infos that it's hard for newbies :-/</p>
  
  <p>Thank you.</p>
  
Tags: <ffmpeg>
Title: Use ffplay to check how much to brighten video before using ffmpeg?
UserDisplayName: Gulbahar
ThreadText: # Use ffplay to check how much to brighten video before using ffmpeg?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-02-26)
  
  I have a video which is a bit dark that I'd like to re-encode and brighten up with ffmpeg.
  
  As a smarter/faster alternative to running ffmpeg in trial/error mode, is there a way to simply use ffplay to find how much to brighten things up, before running ffmpeg with the same settings?
  
  "ffplay -h" returns so much infos that it's hard for newbies :-/
  
  Thank you.
  
  **Tags:** ffmpeg
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2016-02-26. Score: 4
  
  You can use [simple filtergraphs](http://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.html#Simple-filtergraphs) easily with `ffplay`.
  
  Example using [colorlevels](http://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html#colorlevels) filter in `ffplay`:
  
  ```
  ffplay -vf colorlevels=rimax=0.902:gimax=0.902:bimax=0.902 input.mp4
  
  ```
  
  Then you can use the same filter in `ffmpeg`:
  
  ```
  ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf colorlevels=rimax=0.902:gimax=0.902:bimax=0.902 -c:a copy output.mp4
  
  ```
  
  This example will [stream copy](http://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.html#Stream-copy) the audio.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Thanks for the help. "colorlevels" as used above or even raised to 1 made no difference, but did the job: "-vf lutyuv=y=val*1.5"  
  > **username_1**: @username_0 The values used in my example were probably too subtle (I was lazy and just copied an example from the documentation); you would have needed to lower the values for a greater effect. However, it's good you found an alternative: there are several filters that can brighten the video.  
  
  ---
  
  