On 5 Jan 2003 12:04:11 -0800, jbullock@neo.rr.com (John Bullock) wrote:

>I bought a Sony TRV25 camcorder within the last two months, and am

>having problems understanding why the video gets fuzzy when the

>camcorder or subject is moving. If the camcorder or subject is still,

>the video is beautiful and clear, but as soon as any movement begins,

>even slowly, the video is blurry until the motion stops, when it is

>clear again.

>

>I really thought there was something wrong with the camcorder and sent

>it back to Sony for repair, but they couldn't find anything wrong with

>it. I have it back now and have compared the video it takes to my

>brother-in-law's TRV25, and they both do the same thing.

>

>I don't know if I am doing something wrong. I don't think the indoor

>lighting is bad, but I have never had a camcorder like this (my

>previous is an old RCA VHS boat anchor, which took great video). I

>have also taken some outdoor footage, and it gets blurry too. Is this

>jittery video typical of a camcorder this small, or is there some

>manual adjustment I can make?

>

>Can you help me understand what is going on here? I like all of the

>features of the camera, including the analog to digital pass through

>which I have used to burn some old VHS tapes to CD. But I can't live

>with it if it doesn't do what I really need it to do, which is take

>good clear video of the kid's birthdays, etc.

>

>Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

I'm mystified...;-)

It is likely not a stabilizer issue. It is possible

that it is a processing issue (notice that near

horizontal contrasty lines in slight motion tend

to "stairstep", but this disappears when the camera

is stationary - it may be that the higher level of

processing needed for the megapixel image produces

a lag from insufficient processing speed [I'm W-A-Y

out on a limb, guessing, on this...! ;-]). It could

be that the FAR lower resolution of the VHS "equalized"

the motion-vs.-still image differences (at the likely

1/60th-1/100th shutter speed used by the camera,

motion-blur should be expected [and is necessary for

smooth motion, rather than jittery-looking motion]).

It is also possible that with motion the AF defocuses

the lens a bit. BTW, the LCD panel and computer

monitor will not properly show motion effects; but a

TV should (assuming it is *set for normal interlaced

NTSC [or PAL] video*...), and it has normally "slow"

phosphors that retain the image for a short time.

Your describing the image as "jittery" in motion

indicates that something is set wrong on the TV (set

to PS-mode?) or you are in "Memory-Stick" still mode,

with its PS-mode - but this seems unlikely... Normal:

some *smooth* blur of the image with motion, but with

more "jaggies" appearing on contrasty edges... If

otherwise, and none of the above applies, I dunno...