Why are my videos dark???

[jaescott]

When I record my videos with my camcorder I can see them just fine but after I capture them its darker. So my night shots are hard to see on my camcorder but after I capture them there nearly impossible to view. Has anybody heard of this before???

[bobkart]

. . . there nearly impossible to view.

Impossible to view on what?

Video meant to be played back on a TV-like display will not be as bright when viewed on a PC monitor due to different gamma values the two classes of monitors use.

Is the video in question meant to be viewed on PC or TV? If TV then it's probably okay as it is. If PC then you can adjust the brightness as you render it using various video editing applications, I use TMPGEnc for example.

[jaescott]

It's bright on my camcorder but dark on my pc screen. Even after I put it on dvd and play it on my tv it's dark. It darkens after I capture it from my camcorder to my pc.

[bobkart]

How about when you play it straight from your camcorder to your TV?

Are we talking about DV "capfer" (not really a capture since it is just a digital transfer) or are you actually capturing analog A/V out from the camcorder through some A-to-D converter (capture card). If the former then the capture can't darken the video, it is just a transfer of bits. If the latter then I would blame the capture card.

[jaescott]

I'm thinking it is the card. When I play it straight from my camcorder to my tv it shows fine.

[bobkart]

I only capture via FireWire (and use an ADS Pyro API-555 Analog-to-Digital converter if necessary) and have never had problems.

But I have had videos that were too dark for PC, recorded on a DVD Recorder, and used TMPGEnc (and even WMM) to brighten them up. Your problem seems to be more than just gamma values though.

Someone with experience with your capture card (or even any capture card) will have to take it from here.

You not having any information about your capture card in your Computer Details is not going to get you a flood of help. People wanting to help you should not have to ask you which capture card you are having problems with.

[20/20]

PC-Monitors show a darker image. If your DV-content was already somewhat on the darkside. It will be even darker
when viewed on your PC Monitor.
Play the DV-content on your PC after hooking it up to a TV.
Then compare.

[edDV]

I'm thinking it is the card. When I play it straight from my camcorder to my tv it shows fine.

Use IEEE-1394 to move DV from camcorder to the hard drive. Analog output from a DV camcorder is incorrect 0-100 IRE where an analog NTSC capture card is expecting black at 7.5 IRE.

As a result, all information below 7.5IRE is pushed below black. This is known as "crushed black". All detail near black is lost. In digital terms, input black is pushed down to level 0 when applications expect black at level 16.

An IEEE-1394 capture will correctly place camcorder black at digital level 16 where it belongs. Even then, the picture on the PC monitor will look darker due to the gamma and color response differences.

Note: This is a NTSC consumer DV camcorder problem. It's not an issue for PAL or Japan NTSC.

PS: An analog capture would look something like this (crushed black).

[guns1inger]

You also have to remember that you are playing back on a small LCD display with a very bright backlight when you view on your camcorder. This is a common issue with most consumer DV cameras and still cameras. You get a very poor idea of the actual exposure from the LCD screen. The actual footage will always be darker than what you are seeing.