Why Is It Fuzzy?

I have only just started out in the world of filming, and am using Fraps. to capture footage.

I then use the Windows Movie Maker to put it together and things - but when I go to publish the movie, it makes the once crystal clear picture and footage, fuzzy and blurry. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Can anyone shed any light on it ? I am using AVI format - errr...I think. I am very un-technical so I don't know what anyone would need to know to advise me best.

This is the 1st movie I made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqKFa0H_aww

See how grainy and blurry it is.

Any advice gratefully received.

Hi, great movie btw....

Movie Maker has limited output settings. You can make more choices when you choose the output. Choose 'Large High Quality' as oppossed to Internet/Email etc presets. The fuzziness is simply the over zealous application of a codec (CompressorDecompressor) that attempts to shrink the output data bit rate (data stream flow measured in kbps), in much the same way you would apply a Jpeg comression to a 2D, the greater the compression, the smaller the file size but the grainer it will become as pixels are amaglimated into blocks of colour.

The same principals are applied to each frame of a movie.

After you are applying a codec in the first rendering from Movie Maker, uploading it to YouTube, will then convert the format to flv (flash) and apply another codec (compression routine) during that process. Each time a codec is applied, it will also soften the picture.

You might try cropping the shots to reduce the overall resolution (format aspect ratio) then your output file will be smaller to begin with and you won't need such high codec to keep the media streamable. Many editing/rendering software come supplied with a variety of codec's, far more than the free version Movie Maker supplied by Windows. This will allow you greater control over the output type and size.

There is always a trade off between quality and the ability to stream media over the internet. Consider, it maybe better to have a smaller sharper quality movie, than a large fuzzy one with a lot of wasted space taking up data bit rate.

Thank you so much for your reply. Your comment on the movie made me grin madly! hehehee! Thank you

There is something about your comments though - errrr... I am very ashamed to say I didn't understand much of what you said.

I am not technical at all. It took me a few re-reads to kinda get your drift.

What codec do you recommend ?

And errr....how do I crop the shots ?

If you can tell me in simpleton's speak - I'd be really really grateful.

Thanks again for your help.

Hi again,

Windows Movie Maker is limited to output into WVM format with its own choices of how much compression (codec) it applies based on very simple and somewhat limiting choices. It is not meant to compete with the higher quality editing/rendering programmes, more of a 'get you started' type programme.

Cropping is simply where you shrink the size of the veiwable area of the movie, 'focusing' on the central section, much like you would if you cropped a picture. Personally, I am not sure whether you can do this in Movie Maker or not.

If you use a capture programme like Fraps or better still HyperCam, this lets you choose the area of the screen you want to capture, leaving out all the excess landscape, like zooming your view. HyperCam lets you choose the 'region' by dragging a window over the area you want to keep, when shooting the film. Maybe an easier way, would be to simply zoom your view using the mouse scroll wheel, then hold down the Alt key (your cursor will change to a magnifying glass) allowing you to center the view.

(TIP: If you zoom in on your avatar, the camera will follow you as you move, same for any avatar)

Having your avatars in close zoom, will always make sure they are clearer and sharper in the final result.

Going back to my comment about what happens when you upload to YouTube etc. Their uploading process changes the format of your movie from WVM to FLV, in doing so, it will apply yet another codec to make it stream in a Flash Player. Eachtime this happens, the quality degrades. In my opinion, the FLV format isn't very subtle in its application of compression. It is generally for streaming over the internet with small data bit rates.