I have tried to make a movie from my time resolved 2D data by using the XINTERANIMATE routine. Although the colors are quite OK when creating .GIF or .PNG images from the plots, the colors are just turned weird making the movie rather useless when translated into the mpeg format. I have gone through various more obvious possibilities with the tech. help center, but nothing works. (I think it is not a windows or 24-bit problem, since .gif and .png images displayes and reproduces correctly and the same happens if I try it on a UNIX platform.) By creating one-color images, like red-tones or blue-tones, it is recognizable but not good. It seems as the mid-tones are converted to nearly uniform color and occupy more of the total color'space' than before conversion. Hence the darkest and lightest colors occupy less 'space' on the displayed colorbar. Total result is that the color is loosing the nuances and look 'flatter' than the original image. Composed colors are indescribable, making black bands in between, red backgrounds and so on.... My question: Is there ANY possible solution at all out there, or is the mpeg converter in IDL just weird and of no use? Still hopefully, Ashild