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Question

Blurry/Digitized Videos

Jul 10, 2013 1:58AM PDT

When I export my videos they come out .MTS files. I use VLC to view them and they are digitized and grainy. Why is that? They look great on the camera. Is it because my computer is not HD?

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
Tell all, tell more.
Jul 10, 2013 2:03AM PDT

Without the full story and the steps you used it's unlikely to find a ready answer.

They look great on almost all cameras because it's a 3 to some inch screen. One owner thought they had a HD camcorder but it was only 480p. That's not HD.
Bob

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More info.
Jul 10, 2013 2:13AM PDT

It is a "Full HD" JVC camcorder that uses SD cards (I am using a 10x writing 8gb card). I have a MAC laptop so I have to take the SD card out and drag the files onto my laptop. When I do so they do not look anywhere close to the way they look on the camcorder. It is a HUGE difference, I really do not think it can be chalked up to the size of the viewing screen.

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Sorry
Jul 10, 2013 3:08AM PDT

But the fine details are missing.

I don't see the model of the camcorder and what is used to play the files.

In spite of this, try another video player. I suggest VLC PLAYER.
Bob

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Thanks Bob!
Jul 11, 2013 1:10AM PDT

I really appreciate your time and help. The model is a Everio GZ-E10BU and I have been using the VLC player to play on my Mac. The issue remains. Any other ideas? I'm open to anything!

Matthew

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I don't mean to interrupt...
Jul 11, 2013 6:13AM PDT

Bob's doing great, so apologies for the intrusion.

In your original post, you indicated "digitized and grainy"...

1) What is the video quality setting in the camcorder?

2) How's the lighting when the video was captured? Poor lighting (low light or indoor, incandescent-only generally not good lighting) is the typical cause for what you report. It is easy to miss the pixelly "noise" (you call grainy) on the camcorder's small LCD panel as opposed to a much larger computer screen, TV/HDTV or other much larger monitor). If you capture video outdoors under bright sunlight, is the grainy video still apparent?

3) Which Mac, version OSX, RAM, version of iMovie and available hard drive space?

Clarification item: When you *copy* the files from the flash card, that is not "importing". With the camcorder connected to the Mac with a USB cable and the camcorder in computer mode, when the video editor is launched (iMovie, Final Cut or ?) and the video editor's Import, Capture or Log and Transfer command works with the camcorder to decompress and decode the video from MTS to something the video editor can deal with... That is importing...

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(NT) Thanks !!!
Jul 11, 2013 6:47AM PDT
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Answer
OK, it's a nice a camcorder. Link, comment.
Jul 11, 2013 6:53AM PDT
http://camcorder.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL029068

This does appear to be a nice 1080 camcorder so stock settings should get you 1080 but on a 27 inch iMac that's more than 1080 -> http://www.apple.com/imac/specs/

The 21.5 inch iMac is exactly 1080 so you should see exactly 1080 pixel for pixel there.

As noted by boya84, settings and lighting as well as any extra steps would be needed to be told to tell more.

Then again, could it be defective?
Bob
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Hey Bob
Jul 11, 2013 8:11AM PDT

The lighting was pretty good, I am a photographer of sorts too so I understand the need for good lighting. The quality setting was either the highest or second highest of of the four available options. I had to pull the SD card out and drag the files into my laptop because the camera didn't seem to want to connect with my Mac. My laptop in a 2007 MacBook running Mountain Lion I believe. I did not use iMovie because I had to open the unusual camcorder file with VLC. I hope this helps.

And again, thank you both so much!

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Defective
Jul 11, 2013 8:13AM PDT

I guess it could be. This is the first time I've tried to view a video on my laptop from this camcorder. The video looks perfect on the screen and pretty bad on the laptop...

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Try this.
Jul 11, 2013 8:17AM PDT