How do I improve my TV image?
 

Hi all

I'm new to Digital Video and this forum and I'm finding it extremly helpful! I've just shot my first film (edited with Final Cut Express) using an inexpensive Sony camera. However, I'm astonished at the quality. Some of the scenes look like they are done with much more expensive equipment - which tends to make me agree that quality is more about light and composition, less about hardware.

Anyway, the whole video looks wonderful on DVD played back on a computer. However, when played back on a TV, the black and white desaturated shots seem to have a 'sheen' around the areas of high contrast differences. This looks like 'saturation' on the TV. For example, around dark head against a light background. The colour shots look fine.

Is there anything I can do to improve this?

Regards

Stephen

You will need to provide more information about your camera equipment. One of the problems you refer to may be related to limitations of some low-end single-chip cameras. There is lots of good info on this and other sites about exposure and composition.

There may be some things you can do to improve the quality, but I suspect you will need a much more powerful editing package than express (and expect to pay big bucks too). Then you will have to decide if you can get enough out those packages to make it worth your while.

It is also possible you just shot images that your camera (and maybe more expensive ones) would have trouble producing correctly.

While it is true that good technique and proper conditions make for a better shoot, it will always more difficult to produce quality images without good glass (lens) and a good 3-chipper system.

Thanks Nathan

I'm just using a Sony TRV140 in natural light. No filters. As I said, the images look fine on a computer screen - and the colour ones don't seem to exhibit this condition at all.

to tell you the truth, I'm astonished at the quality of some of the scenes!

Regards

Stephen

on your tv, turn the sharpness/peaking all the way down..off

Then turn your contrast and brightness to the lowest they go...

Leave the sharpness all the way down and start bringing up the brightness and contrast until the picture levels look acceptable.

Then if u need too, and only if you need too, turn the sharpness up a tiny notch, most people have this cranked and contrast as well, that is not how tv is supposed to look, sorry ma and pa's but dancing halo's and ringing around people because you never adjusted from factory settings is wrong. Sharpness is not always needed at all.

You see when tv's sit on a shelf in a shop with factory settings everything is cranked to it's fullest, so you notice it amongst the other tv's and pick that one out.

Get it home and it looks like vomit.

If you have a dvd player, try getting a dvd called 'video essentials' it has a full proper colour bar calibration for your tv, even including a blue gel to look through to set colour correctly.

Hope this helps.

Zac

Zac, you have it right! I did as you susggest and it looks great. You've also managed to cure some side distortion that I was getting on the TV. The DVD looks almost as good as the computer now.

best wishes

Stephen

You might also try the exercise Color Bars and How to Use 'em. Another useful site is How to Adjust a TV. This link even gives "secret codes" which you can enter with your remote to access service mode menus which allow even finer adjustment.