- 1 Post
- 0 Reply Likes
Posted 8 years ago
kayakman, Champion
- 7221 Posts
- 2413 Reply Likes
I have excellent results making video productions with CS 8.6.0; I make a lot of full-color photo slide show videos, using large format SLR JPGs; I usually edit and produce at 1920x1080; video quality is always excellent
the only issues I seen in the past with video quality turned out to be a browser thing, and a setting [somewhere] re color quality at 100% vs. a slightly lesser value [sorry, cannot remember those details]
are you producing to MP4? is so, be sure to use custom production, and set quality to 70% [not the same thing as the above mentioned color quality thing], and H264 to high
if you do this, and you view the MP4 in Windows Media Player, do the colors look OK?
- 6 Posts
- 5 Reply Likes
kayakman, Champion
- 7194 Posts
- 2397 Reply Likes
- 1 Post
- 0 Reply Likes
- 1 Post
- 0 Reply Likes
For some reason Camtasia defaults to a smaller canvas than your original recording, so it automatically distorts it and makes it blurry. If you right-click on the canvas (area where your video is shown in the editor), you'll be able to select 100%. Then just resize your video to its actually 100% for that canvas and you'll get an improved resolution on your final production.
- 15 Posts
- 5 Reply Likes
It's nice to see everybody pitching in to find solutions. It will be solved! :-)
- 6 Posts
- 5 Reply Likes
Kelly Mullins, TechSmith Employee & Helper
- 2901 Posts
- 656 Reply Likes
Has anyone on this thread contacted our Technical Support concerning this issue?
If not, please consider doing so as they are best equipped to help with this issue.
This is service is free and they strive to get back with you within 24 business hours. Please, submit a
ticket at,
https://support.techsmith.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
Or call, >>> 1.517.381.2300
Toll Free: 800.517.3001 (U.S. &
Canada Only)
8:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST Monday through
Friday
- 15 Posts
- 5 Reply Likes
What a great idea! Haha! That's already been tried, and we have been at this for years now. :-)
You guys are responsive, and helpful, but--you have not figured out how to solve this problem, and I have not seen it "officially" addressed. I'm not saying it has not been addressed, just saying I have not seen it.
I am editing videos right now, and it pains me to see nice crisp video in Camtasia, then the rendered video looks fuzzy, crappy, messed up hues, and more.
Just the other day I briefly tested OBS, and I noticed a few things that made me think. But I just can't break up with Camtasia.
Also, after all of these years, and comments on this, why is it necessary to submit a support ticket? Your CUSTOMERS are talking to you, on YOUR website.
Do a little diggin, Kelly, and you will see how far back, and how much this has been discussed.
Thanks for trying though! :-)
Don't Get Mad...Get Skills!
-Billy
Kelly Mullins, TechSmith Employee & Helper
- 2901 Posts
- 656 Reply Likes
Kelly
- 6 Posts
- 5 Reply Likes
Look at it in the preview window, and everything looks crisp and clear and bright, just like it should.
Now export it and compare the video side by side with the preview video. The exported video is washed out / gray, the colors have lost their life, the contrast is lessened, etc.
Now spend hours and hours trying to fix it, try many variations on settings, scour the internet looking for answers, post in the forums, etc, etc.
Rinse and repeat.
If you want the full effect turn on your kitchen disposal, take out a $100 bill, and put it in and watch it go down the drain.
kayakman, Champion
- 7219 Posts
- 2410 Reply Likes
I have seen issues with different players or browsers [color settings] affecting colors, but my MP4 w/controller productions are world class re quality
specifics and an example would help; if you custom produce, are you setting video quality to 70% or higher, with H264 at high?
or better yet, contact tech support
- 15 Posts
- 5 Reply Likes
I think you are beginning to understand our frustration, Kelly.
When I wrap up this course I'm working on, I will put something together for you.
I'm beginning to think you are a new employee, and you are eager to help - thanks.
While you wait for me to put something together for you, dig a little in the forum so you can begin to understand.
While you wait for me, try it out for yourself.
1. Open Camtasia
2. Enable Record the screen.
3. Webcam on
4. Record Audio
5. Press the BIG, red, record button (F9).
6. Capture screen, audio, and video.
7. Stop recording (F10).
8. Key out the green screen.
9. Enjoy how crisp the webcam 1080p makes you look.
10. Render
11. Get over your dissapointment.
12. Go to Techsmith forum and hope for a solution.
Then do like Metzen says, and repeat. :-)
Hope that helps you, until I can make a vid and show you.
Thanks for trying to help.
Aloha!
- 15 Posts
- 5 Reply Likes
Yet I still get poor end results.
What type of hardware are you using? Maybe it's a hardware issue. I even installed a GPU, and it did not make a difference.
As soon as I can I'll post some images and a video.
Thanks!
kayakman, Champion
- 7219 Posts
- 2410 Reply Likes
so, not very robust stuff
could you also do a short project that results in the issue, and screencast the entire process [editing thru production; host on Screencast.com?
FYI, I make a lot of photo slide show music videos at 1920x1080, and I'm really picky re the image quality as seen when viewing in a browser; fortunately, CS, on my setup, does great for me
- 15 Posts
- 5 Reply Likes
It's not hardware then - you have a system like mine.
The problem is in the camera recording. Whatever is recorded with the camera is what is getting messed up in rendering. Everything else is nice, screen capture, callouts, images, text--all good.
When I record the audio in Audacity, the video in Logitech, and the screen capture in Camtasia, then bring it all together - no problem. But that's not how I am supposed to use Camtasia. It is supposed be able to record, sound, camera, and screen, all together, no problem.
Techsmith knows about this. You can find this issue being discussed going back 4 years.
As soon as I can, I'll make a demo for us, kayakman. Thanks again!
Aloha!
- 6 Posts
- 5 Reply Likes
- 15 Posts
- 5 Reply Likes
In the recorder I go to Tools>Options>Inputs>Webcam>Format settings...
My Pin Property
Compression: RGB24
Output Size: 640x480
Frame Rate: 30 FPS
These are setting for the webcam only. The only way I can get 30 FPS is having the output size be 640x480. Then I re-size in the video. It looks fine in Camtasia, but when I render the webcam ends up not as sharp.
That's enough of this for today. I'll share two vids later so you can see the difference.
- 1 Post
- 0 Reply Likes
thanks,
Kami
- 15 Posts
- 5 Reply Likes
They are SUPER helpful, and responsive. I now understand that this may be a user related error, or hardware issue. Their help has been moving me closer to a solution, as I am starting to see improvement. My Tech Support person--Aaron--is calling me tomorrow to help me over the phone!
This is a really great software for what I do (make on-line courses), and once we figure out my problem, it's going to be really nice.
The first step was to update my drivers, and change the settings I had on my display. I will share my solution once it is complete.
Don't Get Mad...Get Skills!
-Billy
- 1 Post
- 0 Reply Likes
https://www.techsmith.com/tutorial-camtasia-mac-improve-quality-prior.html
Just set the sacle to 100% and then set the canvas to "Fit to Visible"
Paul Middlin, Employee
- 1010 Posts
- 245 Reply Likes
First, colors- encoding to MP4 is almost more of an art than a science, because perfect color reproduction while simultaneously compressing is hard stuff. For those with this problem, I'd like to know if the new version (v9) helps at all (it is 64 bit and uses an updated rendering library).
Second, shrunken or blurry video- as has been mentioned, we often try to make a reasonable size canvas to put your video in, so that it's not too large for your viewers. But, we can get it wrong. We've changed this to do 1080p by default, or, for the first media you add to the timeline, to match that (up to 4096x4096).
https://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html
- 1 Post
- 0 Reply Likes
Paul Middlin, Employee
- 1010 Posts
- 245 Reply Likes
There are, technically, some options to produce out a video that is a different size than your canvas, but I do not recommend that you do that. It is slower, and you don't get a good idea of how things look and are laid out in advance.
- 3 Posts
- 0 Reply Likes
How after 5 years you have not fixed this is crazy?!
Has anybody found any video editing software alternatives which do not have this problem?
Robert R., Online Community Admin
- 1614 Posts
- 514 Reply Likes
There could be many causes for this behavior which is why we often stress users to open a support ticket so we can look into this issue; have you opened a support ticket? Do you have your ticket number available so I might look up the case?
-Robert
- 3 Posts
- 0 Reply Likes
- 3 Posts
- 0 Reply Likes
Robert R., Online Community Admin
- 1614 Posts
- 514 Reply Likes
I certainly can; I am currently working with my Senior tech on your ticket so once we get some concrete info down, I'll add the @hotmail.com address to the ticket.
Thanks!
-Robert
- 1 Post
- 0 Reply Likes
- 1 Post
- 0 Reply Likes
Lets see... PS Thank you for this information
- 2 Posts
- 1 Reply Like
I told Camtasia to record in 720p, but I discovered my retina monitor recorded at a higher 1080p resolution. Because my Project Settings had my canvas set to 720p, Camtasia was attempting to compress the file in the final export --- leading to grainy blurry quality.
Updating my project to the correct resolutions and then manually readjusting the video zooms in the timeline fixed the issue.

Pro tip: Multi-select all the files in your time and right click on an image or video in the canvas to access Scale > Scale to Fit
- 2 Posts
- 1 Reply Like

- 2 Posts
- 0 Reply Likes
- 6542 Posts
- 3597 Reply Likes
What version of Camtasia are you using?
I can assure you that I don't have or experience your issues. So, if I don't have a problem you have to wonder why?
If your using Camtasia 2018 tech support can help you sort it out.
This is a Free Service............... Submit a ticket
https://support.techsmith.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
Or call, >>>
Toll Free: 800.517.3001 (U.S. & Canada Only)
8:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST Monday through Friday
If that doesn't work for you, some more details would be helpful.What operating system are you using.
Resolution of recordings, output settings? Things of this nature.
Regards,Joe
- 452 Posts
- 302 Reply Likes
There's nothing to stop you from using the previous versions; I use C9 over 90% of the time because I have too many problems with .mov clips in C2018 and there just aren't enough improvements in C2018 for me to bother dealing with that.
However one thing to note... with the exception of the last post from JonathanS all of these posts ARE about past versions. Look at the posting dates; they range from 2 years ago to 7 years ago.
Related Categories
-
Camtasia (Windows)
- 10746 Conversations
- 4351 Followers