captured video is blurry...HELP!!

[flamegirl]

Hello,
I am trying to upload my video from a SONY HANDYCAM. I had uploaded a good amount of it without any problems. Then one day i tried to upload some more and now it's blurry on the captured screen but perfectly fine on the camera preview screen. I tried it in Windows Movie Maker and in ULEAD Video Studio. I have tried all the settings I can see might be a problem on my camera but nothing is working. So I tried just capturing it blurry then putting it on a DVD to see if it was just the computer screen, but it was blurry on the TV as well. If I hook the camera up to the TV, it plays clear.
Maybe it is a computer setting....but I couldn't find anything in either software that would change the playback/capture setting.
When i did a search for this problem the only thing I found was to use a firewire but I don't have one on my computer (I don't think) and I didn't need that when I uploaded the video the first time.
PLEASE HELP...this is driving me crazy. Thanks so much!

[neljan]

Hello

Seems strange how it was working then suddenly now it's not.

Did you make any changes to the settings on the camera?

How do you transfer the video to your PC?

[pcsourcepoint]

As noted above, how did you transfer? There might be a faulty connection or cable. Or maybe the graphics/capture card may have faulty drivers?

[flamegirl]

I'm using the USB cable that came with the camera...which is the same thing I used the first time. I'm not exactly sure where the graphics card is...on the camera or the computer?

[Eg0Death]

Graphics card would be in the computer. 
The USB cable is probably the cheapest and simplest to rule out.  A suitable replacement USB cable is not very expensive and not hard to find.  You may even have a compatible cable for another device you own.   

[neljan]

What application are you using to view the video files on your PC? are they .mod files?

(I know you said you've tried WMM, but you wouldn't use WMM just to view them)

There might be a faulty connection or cable. Or maybe the graphics/capture card may have faulty drivers?

Or perhaps a codec has become corrupted?

[flamegirl]

Well I don't use the USB cable to hook it up to the TV...I will try to look for another compatible USB cable in my house and update with the results.
The files get saved as a .wma after I upload them.
What is a codec?

[neljan]

A codec is what compresses a video file for ease of transfer/storage.

An application would need the right codec to decompress the file.

Download the k-lite codec pack from here just incase. The codecs are useful even if they don't solve your problem.

Atleast we'll know then that it isn't a codec problem.

Do the WMA's play in Windows Media Player at all?

[neljan]

I R Sm@rt.     I should have caught that . . . .

New one on me 

[flamegirl]

Yes, the saved videos do play on Windows Media Player but they play blurry...
I will try the codec thing although I don't think I had this on my computer the first time I uploaded the videos.
The different USB cable didn't work....
When I uploaded the videos the first time, it was at my old apartment. So it's been in my new house that it hasn't been working. I'm not sure if this info makes a difference but it might be a setting or wire out of place somewhere? Could it be my connection through my internet provider? (cable)....

[neljan]

What is the make/model of your Sony Handycam?

[flamegirl]

SONY DCR-TRV460

[patio]

Here are the variables that can create blurry images:
We'll start with the camera first.

Low resolution settings.
Low battery.
Not enough light.
Camera movement.
Dirty lens.
Bad recording media.

Now the computer:

Software settings.
RAM.
Not enough free space on the HDD.
Defragmentation.
Vid card troubles.
HDD drive troubles.
Bad transfer cable.

[flamegirl]

OK I'll go through the list...
How do I change the resolution settings?
Not a low battery....it's plugged into an outlet.....
It's the same amount of light as there was in the first video that was uploaded
I don't think it's camera movement....or dirty lens....because it's that way for the whole video...not just pieces of it.
I tried 2 different video tapes (even the one I uploaded clearly) and they're all blurry...so I don't think it's the media either.

I tried changing any software settings that looked like it could change the outcome of the uploaded video...nothing
Why would RAM make the video blurry...it's blurry even when it's just playing on the software screen...not just when it's uploading....
How would I change defragmentation?
How do I determine if it's VID card troubles....without having to buy a new one....
what's HDD drive troubles?
I tried a different cable...not the problem either....

If someone can figure this out...I would be eternally grateful!!! I feel like it might just be a setting on either the computer or camera but just can't figure it out!!! Thanks for all your replies and help but keep them coming!

[neljan]

Have you got a memory stick anywhere that you could use just to see if it's ok using them?

[flamegirl]

So try to put the video on the memory stick then on the computer?

[neljan]

Yes, just to see if it's a problem with the heads of the camcorder or the cassettes.

[flamegirl]

OK so I recorded onto the memory stick instead of cassette and it is NOT blurry when uploading.
The thing is with the cassettes.....I recorded the first video fine....then tried the next one (months later and in a new house) and it's blurry...so I went back to the first one to see if that was the problem and that one was blurry too....which made me assume it was some sort of setting or screw up on my part hooking the computer back up...
So maybe it's the heads?

[neljan]

Well that's some good news...

If you're recording to cassette & the playback on your Camcorder from the cassette is fine, then I would say that it isn't a problem with the cassettes or the camcorder heads - it has to be something to do with the way the data is transfered from the cassette to the PC.

I need to know exactly the method you used to transfer from the cassette. I wouldn't have thought that the cassette is recognised by the PC through a USB directly. When you connect the camcorder to the PC via a USB, I would think the PC is looking for the memory stick - unless Sony has a way of transfering the cassette through the USB via ram or something (I'm no expert).

I would have presumed that you would need to dub (transfer) the cassette to the memory stick on the camcorder first, then transfer, unless you play the cassette on the camcorder & record to the PC live.

If you do have to dub the cassette to memory stick prior to transferring to the PC, then you might aswell just record directly to the memory stick (note that the sound will be mono though).

[neljan]

When you connect the camcorder (without a memory stick) to the PC, does the PC recognise it? (do you get an icon/pop up bubble in the taskbar at the bottom right appear).

Also, were you having to run some kind of Sony software to transfer from the Camcorder?

[flamegirl]

No, I never had to run any Sony software. When I connect the camcorder by USB, it says new hardware found. Then my video editing software just recognizes it when I go to capture it.
I am using only a USB to put the video on the computer....that is exactly what I did the first time. I just play the video on the camera and and hit capture on the video editing software.....exactly what I did the first time as well. I do not have a big enough memory stick to hold a lot of video and I cannot figure out how to transfer already taped video onto the memory stick.

[neljan]

I see, so you're recording it live (capturing) & not really transfering a file as such.

I would seriously recommend getting a larger memory stick to save you time (you can pick them up cheap on ebay) as you would only have to copy/cut the movie file as apposed to playing the camcorder back/capturing it in real time (but you I'm sure you already knew that).

Anyway, if you would like to transfer video from the cassette to the memory stick, it's page 91 of the manual (dubbing selected scenes from a tape) you can get the manual from here.

Still, we need to sort this capturing from the cassette business out.

If when you attach a device & you get a 'found new hardware' message, it could mean that you don't have any drivers installed for it.

Did you install any drivers from a CD that came with the camcorder or anything? Amazingly, there is nothing in the manual about connecting to a PC (what I can find atleast).

I found the drivers here

Install the drivers and then connect the camcorder, then try to capture again.

Good luck

[flamegirl]

 will try that...thanks...
I thick the "connecting tho the PC: manual was a  separate one....I remember there being 2 manuals when I first started this process. I'll try installing the drivers and update back :-)